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October 1999 Newsletter

• Who is Jesus?
• Stewardship and trust services
• Confusion in Kansas
• Attend a faith-building seminar in your region!
• A Christmas present for your pastor...
• AiG files counter-claim against museum opponents!

 

Who is Jesus?
By Ken Ham, AiG executive director

Consider this question. If someone "trusts in Jesus" (whatever that means to them) but there is no understanding of repentance, sin, a broken relationship with God, or an acknowledgment that one's life must change direction, would this person be truly saved?

In John 3:3 we read: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And in II Corinthians 5:17, Paul states: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

When Jesus appeared to the disciples in Acts 16, He instructed them this way: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:47).

In Luke 16, when the Philippian jailer fell on his knees before Paul and Silas saying Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (v. 30), they responded, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house(v. 31). This jailer now saw himself lost and perishing, being terrified of God's wrath in his conscience. He was obviously convicted of his sin and recognized he needed to be saved.

Paul and Silas no doubt explained that Christ was the author of salvation. One had to go to Him to be saved and receive the free gift of salvation that Christ gives.

But notice that repentance/conviction of sin and salvation go hand in hand.

The reason I want to remind us of this important doctrine is that I believe there are many in our churches today who have been told to "trust in Jesus" to save them from their pain. Someone may have even led them in a prayer - maybe even mentioning sin.

But if the person has not understood sin, or been convicted of his or her lost state (like the Philippian jailer), and thus no real repentance and change of direction has occurred, how can the person be said to be truly saved?

As we look at the churches in our Western nations, we see many people who claim to be Christians, yet their lifestyle is no different from the world. They don't have a fervor to proclaim the authority of the Word. They are not convicted about sin in their own life and are not abhorred by the sinful state of what they see around them. What's wrong?

I suggest that much of the Church today preaches an "easy believeism" - the message of "good news" that Jesus loves them. "Come to Jesus and trust in Him," they are told.

But increasingly we have a culture in which people no longer really understand who Jesus is. They don't understand their sin nature - their rebellion against God. They don't understand the holiness of God and their lost state. Because of the lack of teaching of the foundations of the gospel in Genesis - including the rebellion of Adam in the Garden, and the indoctrination in the belief in millions of years of death and bloodshed in the fossil record - there is no understanding of sin and its consequences.

Thus I suggest that there are many in our churches today who have trusted in Jesus in an experiential sort of way. They think they are Christians, but they've never really understood the true gospel and its message of the "bad news" (in Genesis - the Fall of man) and thus the good news (in the New Testament - the last Adam's death and resurrection).

This was brought home to me again recently when I received a letter from an 18 year old. What a testimony! Here are some excerpts:

My name is Kate...I'm 18 and have only recently become a "true" Christian...The awakening that I experienced whilst reading your book [Creation Evangelism for the New Millennium] was incredible. Within a day of finishing it the Lord gave me an opportunity to speak with a group of elders from a church...They were completely blown away by my approach to evangelism and subsequently are undergoing structural changes to their approach to pastoral and community care.

When I was young I attended church with my parents, but unfortunately as is the case with many children, when their faith wore thin - so did mine! By the time I was 17 I had changed school six times, tried drugs, had a string of meaningless relationships, moved out of home, and attempted suicide.

All the while I made regular contact with a youth group. In no way do I want to "bag" the church that ran the group, but basically they did exactly what your book says not to do. They "pushed Jesus," but gave me no answers.

All the while I was struggling with feelings of self-hatred, loneliness and depression - I was being told about this wonderful man named Jesus Christ who could take away my pain. But how can he? And why would he want to save me? Where did he come from? How can you prove it? Why do we sin?

Finally somebody came up with the answers. That person had just finished reading up on some of the big questions (which you discuss in "Creation Evangelism"). I believe that this person read some of your work. So indirectly you helped in bringing me to Christ.

...I have found myself with a new zest and confidence. I look forward to presenting my semi-believing parents with the bare facts. Yes, it is important to tell people about Jesus Christ, but as it was in my case, the novelty of a savior brought to you through [an experiential] prayer time, wears thin as soon as you start asking questions.

I now enjoy life thoroughly. I am confident that my walk with Christ is growing stronger every day, and I am in the process of developing a music program which incorporates the facts about Genesis in it for young children.
Thank you, Kate.

Churches are sadly full of the "old Kate" who need to be turned into the "new Kate." Let's give them all of that vital, foundational background information that comes from Genesis, so we can tell them the "big picture" of who Jesus really is!

Sincerely,
 
 

Ken Ham

Editor's note: For more information on Ken's book "Creation Evangelism for the New Millennium".

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Stewardship and trust services

Free services available to you!
During 1998, AiG assisted its supporters with information on:

• gift annuities
• Charitable Remainder Trust (CRTs)
• donations of appreciated stocks
• life insurance
• long-term care insurance
• prescription drug cards
• estate planning and wills
• power of attorney
• introductions to Christian attorneys

These services are available with no obligation. Have we had the opportunity to assist you yet?
If you need help in any of the above areas, do not hesitate to call. By helping you plan your finances and avoid taxes, we help you and you help us.
Help us to continue defending the Bible from the very first verse. Be diligent about matters of finance and stewardship. Leave a legacy of order, not disorder.
Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart (Psalm 119:2)
- Paul Laude, CFP, ext. 302

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Confusion in Kansas

Evolution not outlawed!
 

The real story about the new science standards in Kansas' public schools regarding evolution has been remarkably misreported by most of the mainstream media.

On August 11, the state board of education did not delete evolution from its public schools. Even Time magazine got it wrong this week (Aug. 23 edition) when it declared that evolution had been "expunged" from the curriculum.

The opposite is true. For example, standard 3 in the "Life Sciences" section of the new standards states: "As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop an understanding of...biological evolution..." (p. 79). Evolution is also mentioned in many other sections of the standards. Students are expected to know evolution as it relates to adaptation, natural selection, genetic drift, and mutations.

The board did decide that it would not test students at the state level on what they know about evolution. Because Kansas is a strong local-control state, the decision on whether to test students on evolution is left to the local districts. The state board also decided that it will not mandate the teaching of the origins of the universe, but that instructors have the academic freedom to teach macro-evolution if they choose to do so.

The Kansas effort was thus only a mild attempt to de-emphasize the current intensive, one-sided indoctrination program of evolution in Kansas public schools.

"We nevertheless believe that the slightly modified standards will help students develop their critical thinking skills," declared Ken Ham. "Students will learn what a scientific theory is, how it can be developed, and the limitations of science in studying the unobservable and unrepeatable past. The bottom line is that students will be better able to decide for themselves whether or not evolution is true or false.

"The creation vs. evolution debate is much more than an academic exercise," continued Ham. "As we were quoted in the Washington Post and the New York Times, if our students are being taught that they are just animals in an evolutionary struggle for survival, are we surprised that they find no meaning or purpose in life? Should we then be shocked that this sense of hopelessness and meaninglessness leads to things like school violence and teen suicide?"

The new standards can be viewed at: www.ksbe.state.ks.us

One AiG scientist, Dr. Jonathan Sarfati (Ph.D., chemistry), has recently written a devastating critique of evolution called "Refuting Evolution." AiG understands that some of the school board members read the book before the vote. The book was also advertised in USA Today.

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Attend a faith-building seminar in your region!

In the next few weeks, AiG will be hosting numerous major seminars - almost all of them free - and should be a great source of blessing to you and your church family.

What a great opportunity to invite people to whom you have been witnessing. With the money saved you can even take them to dinner! After checking our U.S. map, we realized that these seminars will be within a 1-day drive for more than 3/4 of the U.S. population!

Bring your church group to these faith-building family programs so that they will be equipped to defend the authority of the Bible from its very first verse!

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A Christmas present for your pastor...

We have a great Christmas present idea - one that would be given a little early - to your pastor!
Why not have your church send your pastor (and his wife) to the majestic Grand Teton region in Wyoming for a special pastors' conference led Ken Ham? Pastors will be gathering December 6-10 in beautiful Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
In addition to the teaching sessions in the mornings and some evenings, many hours will be set aside for the couples to enjoy activities along the majestic mountains, with backpacking, skiing, and other outdoor activities available.
The fee is only $50 to attend the conference. . . and the spouse attends at no charge. Here's where the gift idea comes in: Why not have your church also pay for the travel and subsistence costs (inexpensive lodging has been found in Jackson Hole) to attend.
Call the host, Jackson Hole Bible College, at (307) 739-8630. When you call, also request information on the college's one-year Bible-based program.

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AiG files counter-claim against museum opponents!

When a lawsuit was filed in June to stop the rezoning of AiG's Creation Museum, AiG filed a counter-claim, arguing that the suit was frivolous and a "misuse of the legal process" to hinder the ministry of AiG.
Although the county commissioners of Boone County voted 3-1 in May to approve AiG's rezoning application on 47 acres of land near the Cincinnati airport (in Boone County, Kentucky), a lawsuit was filed against AiG and the county, spearheaded by a couple who live more than two miles away. (By the way, no cars will be traveling by their home to get to our museum site, so their concerns over traffic are just a "red herring" - their bias against our beliefs has been revealed by their spreading of false rumors that AiG is a "cult," and other misinformation).
AiG hopes to reclaim its legal expenses/option fees through a counter-claim.
The first legal hearing will take place on October 15 in the Boone County Circuit Court. Please keep this important hearing date in prayer. This frivolous lawsuit has caused a many-month delay, which may cost AiG thousands of dollars in land-option fees alone. Already, hundreds of AiG supporters have been contributing to a legal defense fund that will help AiG counter the slanderous/libelous comments that have been made against this God-honoring project.
Ken Ham declared: "We have complied with the county's comprehensive plan and zoning regulations. Frankly, religious discrimination has been the motive of many in the opposition, and their 'concern' about infrastructure is just their excuse."
Depositions have already been undertaken by AiG's attorneys as a part of AiG's response to being sued and in support of its counterclaim We anticipate that these statements given under oath by those opposing the museum rezoning will help put an end to the inflammatory rumors that have been circulating the area during the rezoning process.
In the meantime AiG planners have already met with architects and engineers to begin formulating preliminary drawings and plans. Some of these will be posted on our web site (www.AnswersInGenesis.org) as they become available, to keep you up-to-date on the museum progress.

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