Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Evolution Refuted...In Less Than 3 Minutes

Posted by Christine Pack




 Note to Readers 


I can't even begin to express how instrumental Answers in Genesis was in helping to form my biblical worldview. As a new Christian, I was still pretty evolutionary in my thinking. Then along came AIG.  I remember going through their LONG list of scientists on staff and just being amazed! And here's why: I had always been told and taught, from grade school all the way up through college, that science had "proved" evolution. Evolution was "fact." So, having had this life-long indoctrination, the first time I ever heard of "Young Earthers" as a new Christian, I immediately thought "cult!" But then several years later, along came Answers in Genesis, and here were all these scientists on staff, many of them with multiple and advanced degrees in the sciences.  In other words, it's not like these were guys with their PhDs in literature or something, weighing in on subjects they hadn't studied. These were scientists who had studied Archaeology, Biology, Zoology, Geology, Physics, Chemistry, Palaeontology, etc., etc., and who, after studying the evidence, were saying, "It points to Young Earth, and here's why...." Bottom line: I just really like how these scientists, working alongside Answers in Genesis, have turned that condescending, worldly dismissal of the Young Earth view on its ear. There are no "village idiots" in this bunch, my friends. You can say a lot of things about this group of scientists, but one thing you can't say is that they're stupid. In fact, I believe that God is using the ministry of Answers in Genesis to respond to the mockers of this age:
"It is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.' Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" (1 Corinthians 1:19-20)

 Additional Resources 

Answers in Genesis FREE Weekly Download - Six Days & The Eisegesis Problem

Radioactive and Radiocarbon Dating with Dr. Andrew Snelling

The Grand Canyon: A Trickle of Water Over Millions of Years? Or A Deluge of Water Over a Brief Period? with Dr. Andrew Snelling

Answers in Genesis

Answers in Genesis Curricula

Answers in Genesis for Kids

Answers in Genesis Articles Archive

The Creation Museum

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Core Message of the Bible

Posted by Christine Pack, from the GoodSeed International website:
"I've read and read... but what's the point?!" 
My friend Joel was confused and his frustration boiled over as we talked. A college student with a girlfriend and a new baby at home, Joel sincerely wanted to make better decisions for his young family. In his desperation he told me that he had begun to read the Bible for the first time in his life. And read he did! 
Using a read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year approach, he bounced between much of the Old Testament and most of the Gospels in only a few months’ time. But his motivation was fading–fast! 
Joel’s efforts were highly commendable. In fact, many seasoned Christians would do well to learn from his diligence. But the sheer volume of new information, as well as the shuffling of the Bible’s chronology, left Joel confused. He arrived at an unfortunate conclusion: 
“The Bible has no point,” he thought. 
But nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible does have a main point. There are irreducible minimums–core essentials woven through its pages that combine into the greatest message anyone can know.  But, like Joel, if one cannot identify and understand these truths, then trusting God’s message might seem, well... pointless.

Of all the concepts taught in Scripture, what are the core essentials people need to grasp? 
The Bible’s core message has FOUR irreducible minimums: 
(1) A Holy God: God exists in all His majesty, being the Creator-Owner of the Universe. He is a loving, caring God but equally He is also a holy lawgiver. His holiness demands that His law be kept perfectly. He can have nothing to do with any lawbreaker. Only perfect people can live with a perfect God. 
(2) A Helpless Sinner: I was born into the world as a lawbreaker, alienated from God. I am far from perfect. God’s law says that all sin demands the death penalty. Not only do I die physically, but I face something the Bible calls the second death–an eternity of suffering in the Lake of Fire. Since I am a sinner, there is no way I can avoid death. I am helpless. 
(3) A Sufficient Substitute: Jesus, God Himself, came to this earth to live as a man.  He was perfect–sinless. Because He had no sin of his own to die for, He could die for someone else’s sin. In His love, He died in my place–taking the consequences of my sin on Himself. As evidenced by Jesus’ resurrection, God accepted that death as an overwhelmingly sufficient payment for my sin–a fulfillment of the requirement of His holy law. 
(4) A Personal Faith: I believe that when Jesus died on the cross, He died in my place. I rest in the fact that He alone has saved me from the judgment on my sin. In Him, my resurrected Savior, I now have a perfection that is not my own, but is counted as mine because I trust Him. I will enjoy life with God both now and forever in Heaven.

photo credit: b e m via photopin cc

 Additional Resources 

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

"Three Paths to God"? Another Reason that Glenn Beck Is A Problem

Posted by Christine Pack
Glenn Beck: "This place, so modest, so small, is where God chose to first reveal himself to mankind, and God fills it with his majesty. For as long as man has known God, he has come here to Jerusalem to touch the mantle of the Divine. Three faiths, three paths to God, and while the paths sometimes take us away from each other, they always return here, to Jerusalem."
A note to my fellow Christians: Is it clear now that Glenn Beck, as kind and well-meaning has he appears to be, must be evangelized and prayed for.....not linked with in spiritual endeavors? There are not "three paths to God," as Beck thinks.....there is only one path:
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6)



 Additional Resources 

I'm Sorry, Glenn.....It's Over

Evangelicals and Glenn Beck's New Age Mormonism

Glenn Beck and His New Age Beliefs

Patriotism, Ecumenism and the Glenn Beck Movement

Answers in Genesis FREE Weekly Download - Six Days & The Eisegesis Problem

Posted by Christine Pack, from the Answers in Genesis website:
❝Eisegesis? Ken Ham gets to the heart of the debate about the six days of creation. If we read from what the biblical text says (exegesis), it allows only one interpretation—six 24-hour days. Any other interpretation is eisegesis (“reading into” the Bible).❞
Go here to access your FREE video download.


 Note to Readers 

I can't even begin to express how instrumental Answers in Genesis was in helping to form my biblical worldview. As a new Christian, I was still pretty evolutionary in my thinking. Then along came AIG.  I remember going through their LONG list of scientists on staff and just being amazed! And here's why: I had always been told and taught, from grade school all the way up through college, that science had "proved" evolution. Evolution was "fact." So, having had this life-long indoctrination, the first time I ever heard of "Young Earthers" as a new Christian, I immediately thought "cult!" But then several years later, along came Answers in Genesis, and here were all these scientists on staff, many of them with multiple and advanced degrees in the sciences.  In other words, it's not like these were guys with their PhDs in literature or something, weighing in on subjects they hadn't studied. These were scientists who had studied Archaeology, Biology, Zoology, Geology, Physics, Chemistry, Palaeontology, etc., etc., and who, after studying the evidence, were saying, "It points to Young Earth, and here's why...." Bottom line: I just really like how these scientists, working alongside Answers in Genesis, have turned that condescending, worldly dismissal of the Young Earth view on its ear. There are no "village idiots" in this bunch, my friends. You can say a lot of things about this group of scientists, but one thing you can't say is that they're stupid. In fact, I believe that God is using the ministry of Answers in Genesis to respond to the mockers of this age:
"It is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.' Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" (1 Corinthians 1:19-20)

 Additional Resources 

Radioactive and Radiocarbon Dating with Dr. Andrew Snelling

The Grand Canyon: A Trickle of Water Over Millions of Years? Or A Deluge of Water Over a Brief Period?

Answers in Genesis

Answers in Genesis Curricula

Answers in Genesis for Kids

Answers in Genesis Articles Archive

The Creation Museum

The Grand Canyon: A Trickle of Water Over Millions of Years? Or A Deluge of Water Over a Brief Period?

Posted by Christine Pack


This week's Answers in Genesis FREE download. From the Answers in Genesis website:
❝The Grand Canyon offers some of the most breath-taking vistas in the world, but did the tiny Colorado River really carve this massive feature? Dr. Andrew Snelling explains the formation of the canyon in light of the global Flood of Noah’s day, not slow and gradual processes.❞
Go here to access your FREE download.


 Note to Readers 

I can't even begin to express how instrumental Answers in Genesis was in helping to form my biblical worldview. As a new Christian, I was still pretty evolutionary in my thinking. Then along came AIG.  I remember going through their LONG list of scientists on staff and just being amazed! And here's why: I had always been told and taught, from grade school all the way up through college, that science had "proved" evolution. Evolution was "fact." So, having had this life-long indoctrination, the first time I ever heard of "Young Earthers" as a new Christian, I immediately thought "cult!" But then several years later, along came Answers in Genesis, and here were all these scientists on staff, many of them with multiple and advanced degrees in the sciences.  In other words, it's not like these were guys with their PhDs in literature or something, weighing in on subjects they hadn't studied. These were scientists who had studied Archaeology, Biology, Zoology, Geology, Physics, Chemistry, Palaeontology, etc., etc., and who, after studying the evidence, were saying, "It points to Young Earth, and here's why...." Bottom line: I just really like how these scientists, working alongside Answers in Genesis, have turned that condescending, worldly dismissal of the Young Earth view on its ear. There are no "village idiots" in this bunch, my friends. You can say a lot of things about this group of scientists, but one thing you can't say is that they're stupid. In fact, I believe that God is using the ministry of Answers in Genesis to respond to the mockers of this age:
"It is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.' Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" (1 Corinthians 1:19-20)

photo credit: OliBac via photopin cc

 Additional Resources 

Radioactive and Radiocarbon Dating with Dr. Andrew Snelling

Six Days & The Eisegesis Problem

Answers in Genesis

Answers in Genesis Curricula

Answers in Genesis for Kids

Answers in Genesis Articles Archive

The Creation Museum

Monday, August 22, 2011

A Radical Change of Man's Nature

"It is a peculiar feature in our holy religion that it begins its work within, and acts first upon the heart. Other religions, like that of the Pharisees, begin with outward forms and ceremonies, perhaps hoping to work inwardly from without, although the process never ends so, for the outside of the cup and of the platter is made clean, but the inside still remains full of rottenness as before. No truth is more sure than this concerning all the sons of men, "Ye must be born again;" there must be an entire and radical change of man’s nature, or else where God is he can never come: the gospel does not flinch from this, but enforces the declaration. The Holy Spirit does not attempt to improve human nature into something better, but lays the axe at the root of the trees, and declares that we must become new creatures, and that by a supernatural work of the omnipotent God."

From a sermon by
Charles Haddon Spurgeon 
entitled "The Heart of Flesh,"
delivered August 31, 1873

Monday, August 15, 2011

Mark Driscoll: "Look, I had this vision. Let me tell you about it."

Posted by Christine Pack



From the Pyromaniacs blog:
(Pornographic Divination, by Phil Johnson) 
In a post last week, I pointed out that the preposterous claims, unhinged behavior, and spiritual quackery that are so prominent at the charismatic movement's lunatic fringe are by no means limited to the outer edges. Goofiness and gullibility are necessary byproducts of a belief system that fails to take seriously the principle of Sola Scriptura and its ramifications (i.e., the authority and sufficiency of Scripture). 
Here's a sample of the kind of thing I was referring to: The video below features Mark Driscoll, claiming the Holy Spirit regularly gives him graphic visions showing acts of rape, fornicators in flagrante delicto, and sexual child molesters in the very act. WARNING: This is an extremely disturbing video, for multiple reasons..... (Continue reading here)
As far as Mark Driscoll (and other Type-R Charismatics), I keep hearing that we cessationists should all just sit down and relax. Uh, really? I don't think so. The Type R-Charismatics article is especially good, in that it points out that even cracking the door a teeny tiny bit for non-cessationism seems to follow a trajectory that ends not so much in the wild wackiness of rooster crowing and the like (of the Charismania vein), but more seriously, to a functional rejection of the principle of Sola Scriptura, in which lip service is paid to Sola Scriptura but visions and experiences ultimately seem to become the focus and the guiding principle.

Please read the articles linked above. With respect to Mark Driscoll, the Prosecution rests.


 Additional Resources 

Mark Driscoll: The Face of Contemplative Calvinism

Mystical Calvinists?

Personal Words From God? by Bob DeWaay (part 1)

Personal Words From God? by Bob DeWaay (part 2)


Apostles, Prophets and the Foundation of the Church: Biblical Exegesis That Proves that Only the New Testament Apostles Are Authoritative

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Dangerous Journey

Posted by Christine Pack. An adaptation of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress




John Bunyan (1628-1688) was an English preacher and writer known for writing arguably the most well known and widely read allegory of all time, Pilgrim's Progress. Bunyan was imprisoned several times in his lifetime for preaching the gospel. He wrote a number of books besides Pilgrim's Progress, most notably Holy War and Grace Abounding to The Chief of Sinners. My family has read and watched many versions of Pilgrim's Progress, including:
Dangerous Journey (shown above)  
Little Pilgrim's Progress (for younger children) 
Pilgrim's Progress: Journey to Heaven (video suitable for older children/adults) 
Pilgrim's Progress (animated version, suitable for children)
Our family is currently reading through Holy War

Repent, and Believe Now

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892, known as "The Prince of Preachers")

❝I pray you, do have a little patience with us who preach to you, for our time is short, and you will soon be rid of us. Have a little patience with your Bible, it will soon enough be out of your way! Have a little patience with your poor Christian mother who tries to bring you to the Savior, she will be far from you soon! We, who now trouble you by desiring to do you good, will soon be out of your way.

Ah, poor souls! poor souls! for you will then be out of God’s way, and out of Christ’s way, and out of mercy’s way, banished from the Savior’s presence; and that because the kingdom of God came nigh unto you, and ye put it away from you, for ye would have none of the Lord’s reproofs, but ye turned every one to his own way, and rejected the counsels of God against yourselves. Beloved hearers, may none of you stand in that plight. While I breathe the prayer that it may not be so, may I ask you to pray for yourselves that it will not be so. Will you let me whisper in your ear, as though I stood close by each one of you now; and I will softly and lovingly say, — Repent, and believe in Jesus, now, with all thy might. God help thee, 'for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.'❞

Monday, August 8, 2011

You Think This is Hot?

by Amanda Youngblood


I really think God is allowing these crazy hot temps as a warning...as in, you think THIS is hot??? Hell is infinitely hotter...REPENT AND BELIEVE IN CHRIST, AND YOU WILL BE SAVED!!! His hand is outstretched for you! And while on the topic of hell, please read the following quote I just came across while studying:
"The danger of hell is certainly real, and any preacher - especially when trying to reach the unsaved - is not true to the gospel if he avoids this truth. Because it is true, and because it is so terribly important, it MUST be preached and taught. Avoiding it is not only being unfaithful to God's Word but also being unfaithful to the needs of the unsaved. To cry 'Fire!' in a crowded building where there is no fire is not only against the law but extremely cruel and dangerous. But NOT to cry 'Fire!' when a building IS in flames is even more cruel and dangerous. Done in the right spirit and way, warning unbelievers of the dangers of hell is one of the greatest kindnesses we can show them." (John MacArthur, Hebrews New Testament Commentary)

America Has Credit Rating Lowered

A special Financial Report program from Brannon Howse (Worldview Radio):
"America has never had its credit rating lowered as happened on Friday, August 5, 2011. What does this mean for the average American? How should Americans respond? Gold market opens and rockets beyond $1,700, China says American dollar to be 'discarded' by the world and Alan Greenspan says America will not default because we can always print money. Financial guest Michael Weiner."
I have been listening to Brannon's program almost since it first began airing. At the time, Brannon tended to be more political than I am, but I still found his programs to generally be very engaging, if a little bit hyper (a word to the wise: drink some coffee before listening to his program so that you can keep up). When I say that Brannon was more "political" than I am, I mean that I had come to understand, very early in my Christian walk, that Christian activism was not the answer to America's problems. You see, I was first a conservative Republican before I was a born-again Christian, and after years of listening to Rush Limbaugh and Sena Hannity - as brilliant as they were - I knew they didn't have the answers. Limbaugh, Hannity - and others like them - are without question bright, and have keen insights into the inner workings of the political system and the government. But they're not Christians, and thus their views will always be heavily weighted toward mere moralism. The difference between Conservative Moralism which espouses Christian values, and Christianity itself is enormous. But in a nutshell:

Moralists seeks to legally regulate the lost into behavior modification that results in a more orderly society. This is not a bad thing, but this is not a substitute for the gospel.

True, Bible-believing, born again Christians seeks to do as Christ commanded: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." After all, it is the gospel that changes hearts - and thus lives and cultures - from the inside out.

 Moralism Is Not The Answer For America 

In fact, no-one may have the "answer" for America, if by "answer" it is meant the One Thing that will put America "back on track." I'm not trying to be a pessimist, but personally, I look around, and I think it's all over for us. Christian activism, as far as I understand it, seems to be all about charging after the things that are morally and spiritually offensive to Christians. Well, I believe Christians ought to stand up against what is not right, but do we have the "right" to demand that this wicked and immoral country stop doing those things immediately because we are offended? Do Christians have this "right?" Does anyone? I mean, don't get me wrong. We need to pray fervently for our country, our president, our congressmen, etc. But working toward legislation that merely puts bandaids on the problem is not the solution. Our country is in moral freefall. If you take a leper, with his rotting flesh and odorous, open sores, and remove his filthy bandages so that you can wrap him in the finest silks and linens, how long before his oozing wounds make even these fresh, clean garments putrid? Such is the state of America today. Our decay is profound, and it is internal, moral, and spiritual in nature; the spiraling depravity of our nation is merely the outworking of what we have become at our core. We are no longer, if indeed we ever were, a Christian nation.

 "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All Other Else Is Sinking Sand" 

But back to Brannon Howse. As I stated, even though I liked his show very much, I often listened with some misgivings, wondering at times where his Christian activism might take him. Would he be sucked into a small but rapidly growing movement that I was tracking called the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation)? I hoped not. This movement was creating very strange bedfellows, indeed. Governor Rick Perry and the crazy, militant Charismatic Dominionist group Joel's Army....together? Surely a sign of the Apocalypse. I expect to see blood running from the faucets any day now.

Well, as it has turned out, not only has Brannon not aligned himself with the New Apostolic Reformation, but for the past month or so, he has run program after program documenting the problems with this dangerous movement. Also, in recent weeks, Brannon Howse has been speaking about his own past dedication to the cause of Christian activism, and how his own eyes have been opened to the futility of many of these efforts. I can only say that I thank God for such a humble admission. We need more men today who will stand firmly on God's Word and say, in essence, I don't need the world's approval....I have Christ.

So having said all this, I highly recommend Brannon Howse's program and worldview rallies, and in particular today's program, which is a special Financial Report about the lowering of America's credit rating, which happened on Friday, for the first time in our history. What does this mean for America? What will be the impact on our country now that our greatest creditor, China, has stated that the American dollar will be 'discarded?' Listen to today's program and find out.


 Additional Resources 



"Why I Believe Christians Should Not Participate in Governor Perry's "The Response" and Why It is NOT "Just A Prayer Event" (by Brannon Howse)

Pastor Justin Peters Explains Why the Word of Faith Movement is Dangerous and Unbiblical - Part 1

Pastor Justin Peters Explains Why the Word of Faith Movement is Dangerous and Unbiblical - Part 2

The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) Makes Strange Bedfellows

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Do Not Forget The Holy Nature of God

"Myriads of professing Christians at the present day have not an idea of their own sinfulness and guilt in the sight of God. They flatter themselves that they have never done anything very wicked. They have never murdered, or stolen, or committed adultery, or borne false witness. They cannot surely be in much danger of missing heaven. They forget the holy nature of that God with whom they have to do. They forget how often they break His law in temper, or imagination, even when their outward conduct is correct. They never study such portions of Scripture as the fifth chapter of Matthew, or at any rate they study it with a thick veil over their hearts, and do not apply it to themselves. The result is that they are wrapped up in self-righteousness. Like the church of Laodicea, they are 'rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.' (Rev. 3:17.) Self-satisfied they live, and self-satisfied too often they die." 


- J.C. Ryle