Jerusalem, sung by Marko

I sang "Jerusalem" on September 25th at Fellowship Bible Church of Philadelphia. This song is originally by the Hoppers, a wonderful song.



If you don't see the DivShare control above, you can listen at
http://www.divshare.com/download/16030413-696.

Our pastor preached his final sermon on the book of Revelation that morning, this song was the perfect one to sing for the occasion. Come, Lord Jesus, come to us soon!

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Nov 13th - International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church

IDOP is a time set apart for us to remember thousands of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world who suffer persecution, simply because they confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

In the traditional church calendar, “All Saints Day” and “All Souls Day” stand out in the month of November, set apart to remember the saints of the church and the souls of those who departed this world. It is fitting, then, that the modern church has set apart the month of November to remember and pray for the persecuted church, through the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP).

There are many countries in the world today where Christians are martyred for their faith. Believers in Afghanistan are facing death threats; Christians in Uzbekistan, Nigeria and many other countries all around the world face violence, imprisonment and even death. There are other places in the world such as North Korea where acts of persecution take place, but we don’t see or hear of it. Brother Andrew of Open Doors once said, “Our heroes are not with us simply because they are in prison.”

We invite you to explore this website and hope you will join Christians worldwide in praying for persecuted Christians this November.

Please note that while Sunday, November 13 (Sunday, November 6 in the UK and Ireland) is the designated date for IDOP, you are free to choose another date if you wish.

(reposted from http://www.idop.org/)

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A Gift of a Penny Leads 1500 People to Christ

About a century ago, a dear Christian lady began preparations to send a box of goods and supplies to missionaries from her church. A neighborhood child heard of her project and desired to help. But being only a small child, she had very little that would be useful to the missionaries. The child did have a penny, however—a gift from a favorite uncle—which she cheerfully presented to the dear lady to help her friends on the mission field.

Touched by the child’s heartfelt generosity and not wanting to offend her in spite of her small gift, the lady graciously accepted the penny. But the child’s gift was too small to purchase supplies and the lady was uncertain how she could put it to good use. Then an idea occurred to her, and she used the child’s penny to purchase a single gospel tract.

On the day when all the necessary supplies had been gathered, the lady asked the child to help her prepare the box for shipment. One by one, the lady and the child packed the items, being careful to include the gospel tract purchased with the child’s penny. The box was finally sealed and addressed, and together the lady and the small child took it to the post office to be shipped to their friends halfway around the world.

Some weeks later, the box reached the missionaries, who joyously unpacked it. The supplies it held brought sweet relief to their modest circumstances. Near the bottom of the box, the missionaries discovered the gospel tract, which they soon gave to one of the local people.

The tract was passed among the people, eventually reaching a great chief who lived in a nearby region. Intrigued by its message, but unsure of its meaning, the chief called for the missionaries to come and explain the teachings. They came and began to share the gospel, and in time the chief accepted Christ as his personal Savior and Lord. The chief told the story of his conversion to his people, many of whom also believed. Eventually a church was established and over fifteen hundred people were brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus.

This remarkable story, started by a gift of a child’s penny that culminated in the salvation of many souls, marvelously demonstrates the power our gifts can have on the work of the Kingdom.

(reposted from Henry M. Morris IV, Acceptable Gifts of Power, Acts & Facts, October 2011, Institute for Creation Research)

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"Living Fossils" - another Bait and Switch Evolutionary concept

The term "living fossil" was coined by Charles Darwin in his book On the Origin of Species.  It is used to describe species that have survived for millions of years, exploiting niches that are so stable that there is little pressure on them to evolve.

Another living fossil announced recently is a “primitive” looking eel found swimming in a cave on Palau in the Pacific Ocean. According to Physorg.com, "it is astonishingly similar to the first eels that swam some 200 million years ago, biologists reported."

Evolutionists love to have it both ways.Their theory supposedly explains extreme diversification, even exploiting multiple simultaneous evolutionary paths to produce similar organisms. But when it is convenient, they bring out the "living fossils" idea to explain away extreme stability in pockets that have been somehow isolated for millions of years. It is explaining opposite things with equal ease. Therefore, the idea of “living fossils” explains nothing.

Stop letting Darwinists get away with these bait and switch word games!

(based on David Coppedge, Living Fossils Rise from the Dead, Creation Evolution Headlines, also published in Creation Matters, a publication of Creation Research Society, Volume 16, Number 4, July/August 2011, to appear at http://www.creationresearch.org/creation_matters/pdf/2011/CM16%2004%20low%20res.pdf)

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The Witness in the Mosque

From a Muslim woman who gave her life to Jesus: "Islam says if you change your religion you can't go to heaven. This makes everybody frightened. But Iranians are looking for God. They hate Islam and they hate the government. Seeing the results of this system they are depressed. Everybody is serious faced. They are under such pressure. When they hear about Jesus and see our happy faces or the happy color of a scarf we wear, like red, yellow or white, they are surprised and want to know why. The happiness, joy and kindness Jesus brings to people who accept him draw others to them.

"Before we go out to tell people about Christ, we pray and ask God to show us who really needs God and loves God, and God shows us which people to speak to.

"I have gone into the mosque about a dozen times. There the women must sit behind a divider and cannot see the men. We must all wear our black chador in the mosque. I take gospel tracts with me, and I sit there on the rug among the women and ask God if he will show someone to me. In one mosque they had a library. I put a Bible in the library. The next time I went, they were searching all the bags of the women as we went in. On Tuesday when I go to the mosque, we give the leaders a prayer request. I print a small note about Jesus, fold it up and hand it back to them.

"With the personality God has given me, I do nor fear at all. Nothing is more important for me in these times."

(from Voice of the Martyrs, October 2011 prayer letter)

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I'll Reconcile IF...

An attitude that is often heard: "'I'll reconcile IF ... "

Where would we be now if God had held us to his own standard of holiness before entering into relationship with us? Where would Abraham be, or Peter? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? We are not only positive toward reconciliation; we have to pursue reconciliation. To make the first move, as God did and still does. Love is not about principles, love is in our hearts and minds, and shows in the way we act.

(Jamie Hilsden, Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism, LCJE Bulletin, September 2011)

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History Matters! Evidence for Global Warming during the Middle Ages

"The Bible is a book of history. It is no coincidence that so-called 'postmodernism' rejects the value of history with an overriding skepticism that rationalizes falsehoods based on desired social or political outcomes." Another area of history that is ignored are accounts that tell of "global warming" during Middle Ages. Did you know that Norse Greenland was an agricultural society? This history is conveniently ignored in Al Gore's famous hockey stick graph of global warming trends during human history. Another blow against junk science... better to believe in the historical value of God's Word, the Scriptures!

Selections from The Little Ice Age in the North Atlantic Region, Part II: Magnitude, Extent, and Importance of the Little Ice Age, by Peter Klevberg, Michael J. Oard

(These selections, edited by Marko Malyj, are of the article published in Creation Research Society Quarterly Journal, Volume 48, Number 1, Summer 2011)

The Little Ice Age

The term “Little Ice Age” was originally coined by F. Matthes for what is generally called today the “neoglacial period (Mann, 2002; Ogilvie and Jónsson, 2001). It has now come to be used for an equivocal period in late medieval to early modern times, depending on the definition. Regardless of the approach taken, and contrary to naysayers (Mann, 2002), the Little Ice Age was still a phenomenon that is reasonably definable on a global basis.

The best historical data for the Little Ice Age are from the North Atlantic region; although historical accounts are available from China and Japan. In general, the Little Ice Age is considered to start about 1350 and end around 1880.

What was Before the Little Ice Age?

Controversy surrounds the weather in the period before the Little Ice Age. In the scientific literature, some scientists argue for a "Medieval Warm Period."

While models such as that promoted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tend to downplay (if not deny) the Medieval Warm Period, others support it (Esper et al., 2005; Guiot et al., 2005),  More importantly, historical accounts from countries in the North Atlantic region confirm a Medieval Warm Period.

English and German Agriculture

Both England and Germany had well established wine industries during early medieval times, and both were forced to cease due to climate change (Fagan, 2000). Agricultural changes extended well beyond the wine industry and were not primarily driven by social conditions, disease, or other nonclimatic factors, as both weather records and general historical accounts indicate. Weather records from England are particularly complete.

Swiss Agriculture and Settlement

Switzerland is particularly important in studies of the Little Ice Age. Records are very good, and impacts from growing glaciers were both severe and widespread. Valleys, farms and towns, and mountain passes were overrun by ice. The extent of agricultural development and trade routes indicate conditions in early medieval times as warm as or warmer than today (Grove, 1988).

Icelandic Crops


Cereal grains were grown in various parts of Iceland during the Medieval Warm Period. As the climate cooled in the 1200s, the range of grain growing was steadily reduced, and finally ceased altogether (Grove, 1988). It is now possible to grow barley again on the southern coast of the Icelandic mainland (see barley stubble on south coast of Iceland, April, 2002 in the picture) but not on the north or east coasts.

Norwegian Forests

The Medieval Warm Period was not the clima optimum in Norway; this occurred much earlier, as indicated by remains of pine forest on Hardangarvidda, far above the present treeline (Lillehammer, 1994). The greater warmth of the Medieval Warm Period is, however, indicated by the extent of pine-oak forest where spruce-birch now predominates and agricultural development at elevations above what can be sustained today (Helle, 1994).

Agriculture in Greenland

Norse Greenland was an agricultural society. The population of Greenland was well in excess of what could be supported by the traditional Inuit (Eskimo) lifestyle. As advancing ice covered farms, increasing cold stunted vegetation, and falling water temperatures chased cod from the Davis Strait, Greenland’s agriculture collapsed (Fagan, 2000).

Elsewhere

Records from other parts of the world (Western Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere) tend to be few and relatively recent. They document retreating ice with the end of the Little Ice Age but do not generally extend far enough back to document whether the Medieval Warm Period was global. The few proxies that cover longer periods and low latitudes tend to be more prone to speculation and interpretation, with the predictable
controversy resulting (Grove, 1988; Linderholm et al., 2009).

Good History versus Political Manipulation?

The Bible is a book of history, and it is no coincidence that so-called “postmodernism” (or “nonreason” per Schaeffer, 1982) rejects the value of history with a skepticism ad absurdum and often rationalizes falsehoods based on desired social or political outcomes (Grenz, 1996; Veith, 1994). The threat this poses to science has been pointed out (Anderson, 2007, 2008; Klevberg, 1999, 2008). That this is behind at least some of the junk science (e.g., Gore, 2006) at the surface of the global climate change question is clear.

The good historiography of the Little Ice Age, especially from Europe, is helpful in this struggle over the nature of history.

Marko comments: Doug Hoffman points out at the Resilient Earth that all this evidence of the Medieval Warm Period was conveniently ignored in  Michael Mann's infamous “hockey stick” history graph that is the idol of the global warming movement. The Medieval Warm Period, also called the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) "was the most recent pre-industrial warm period, noted in Europe and elsewhere around the globe."

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References (selected)

Anderson, K. 2007. Postmodern creationists? CRSQ 44:73–74.

Anderson, K. 2008. Response to “postmodernism and relativism.” CRSQ 44:243.

Esper, J., D.C. Frank, R.J.S. Wilson, and K.R. Briffa. 2005. Effect of scaling and regression on reconstructed temperature amplitude for the past millenium. Geophysical Research Letters 32:L07711-L07711.

Fagan, B. 2000. The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History 1300–1850. Basic Books, New York, NY.

Gore, A. 2006. An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It. Rodale, New York, NY.

Grenz, S.J. 1996. A Primer on Postmodernism. William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI.

Grove, J.M. 1988. The Little Ice Age. Metheun & Co., Ltd. New York, NY. 

Guiot, J., A. Nicault, C. Rathgeber, J.L. Edouard, F. Guibal, G. Pichard, and C. Till. 2005. Last-millenium summer temperature variations in western Europe based on proxy data. The Holocene 15:489–500.

Helle, K. 1994. Under kirke og kongemakt 1130 - 1350. Volume 3 of Aschehougs norges historie (in Norwegian). Aschehoug & Co. (W. Nygaard), Oslo, Norway.

Klevberg, P. 1999. The philosophy of sequence stratigraphy--part I: philosophic background. CRSQ 36:72–80

Klevberg, P. 2008. Postmodernism and relativism. CRSQ 44:243.

Lillehammer, A. 1994. Fra jeger til bonde—inntil 800 e.Kr. Volume 1 of Aschehougs norges historie (in Norwegian). Aschehoug & Co. (W. Nygaard), Oslo, Norway.  

Linderholm, H.W., J.A. Björklund, K. Seftigen, B.E. Gunnarson, I. Drobyshev, J.-H. Jeong, P. Stridbeck, and Y. Liu. 2009. Dendroclimatology in Fennoscandia—from past accomplishments to future potentials. Climate of the Past Discussions 
5:1415–1461.

Mann, M.E. 2002. Little Ice Age. In Mac-Cracken, M.C., and J.S. Perry (editors), The Earth System: Physical and Chemical Dimensions of Global Environmental Change, pp.505–509. Volume I in Munn, T. (editor-in-chief). Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Change, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Chichester, UK.

Ogilvie, A.E.J., and T. Jónsson. 2001. “Little Ice Age” research: a perspective from Iceland. In Ogilvie, A.E.J., and T. Jónsson (editors), The Iceberg in the Mist: Northern Research in Pursuit of a “Little Ice Age,” pp. 53–82. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, MA.

Schaeffer, F.A. 1982. How Should We Then Live? In The Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer V:83–277. Crossway Books, Westchester, IL.

Veith, G.E., Jr. 1994. Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture. Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL.

Jews telling Muslims about Jesus

Being a Jew is a very good background for being able to share Jesus with Muslims - "as long as they don't know that you're Jewish" ☺. For MBBs (Muslim Background Believers) to be welcomed into Christian Arabic churches is difficult and often dangerous for the churches.

"We must provide a network of homes and places where new believers (MBBs) can be fed and sheltered, enjoying fellowship with their brothers and sisters in the faith ... And Jewish believers must welcome and edify their new brothers and sisters in the faith as part of'the universal ecclesia; if the Jewish people are not present in the churches, the churches will disappear."

(Martin Goldsmith and Judith Rood, Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism, LCJE Bulletin, September 2011)

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November 6th is Orphan Sunday

Orphan care in countries around the world is failing. For example, in Ukraine, when orphans grow out of the orphanage...

• 70% end up in crime -
• 50% of girls become prostitutes -
• 33% are homeless and unemployed -
• 30% commit suicide within 2 years -
• 80% of those who marry divorce -

On Sunday, November 6th , the Christian Alliance for Orphans is promoting Orphan Sunday. See their “Partnership Packages” that can help your church get involved with ministry to orphans this Orphan Sunday. Click on this video to learn more about the needs of these children:

(from the October 2011 newsletter of New Hope International, a member organization of the Christian Alliance for Orphans)

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Evolution is O for Five on Formation Theories

Evolution is striking out in finding workable formation theories: formation of stars, planets, our moon, life, and animals. Maybe its time for Evolution to retire from the game?

We are taught that atoms became galaxies and stars.” Really? How, indeed, considering that an evolutionist in Scientific American stated:

It might seem that star formation is a problem that has been solved. But nothing could be further from the truth. The birth of stars remains one of the most vibrant topics in astrophysics today.¹

They also describe “elements [turning] into solid, rocky planets,” but there are serious scientific problems with this idea of planet formation. In 2011, National Geographic News reported:

The more new planets we find, the less we seem to know about how planetary systems are born, according to a leading planet hunter.²

Well, at least it’s known how earth’s closest celestial neighbor formed, right? No—an evolutionary website reported in 2008:

The finding [of lunar water] calls into question some critical aspects of the “giant impact” theory of the Moon’s formation.³

Finally, there have always been serious challenges to the bizarre idea that over time inorganic nonlife became organic life. “The origin of animals is almost as much a mystery as the origin of life itself,” said one evolutionist.⁴

If people really want to know their origin, as well as the origin of the universe, they would do well to consult the written record of the One who was there “in the beginning.”

(Based on Frank Sherwin, From Rocks...to Brains, Acts & Facts, September 2011, Institute for Creation Research)

References (selected)

1. Young, E. T. Mysteries of How a Star Is Born. Scientific American, February 1, 2010, 34. See also Thomas, B. Distant Galactic Cluster Should Not Exist. ICR News. Posted on icr. org May 21, 2010.

2. Lovett, R. A. Three Theories of Planet Formation Busted, Expert Says. National Geographic News. Posted on news.nationalgeographic.com February 22, 2011. See also Asphaug, E. 2009. Growth and Evolution of Asteroids. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 37: 413-48. See generally Spike Psarris’ DVD Our Created Solar System (available from http://www.creation.com/).

3. Moon water discovered: Dampens Moon-formation theory. Carnegie Institution news release, July 9, 2008, reporting on research published in Saal, A. E. et al. 2008. Volatile content of lunar volcanic glasses and the presence of water in the Moon’s interior. Nature. 454 (7210): 192-195.

4. Donoghue, P. C. J. 2007. Paleontology: Embryonic identity crisis. Nature. 445 (7124): 155.

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Charms, masks, crystals and beads: demonic power on display in the U.S.

A true testimony from a Christian worker: Having been a missionary in a country where witchcraft is an everyday part of life, I am very careful with what comes into our home, even while here in the United States. Charms, masks, crystals and beads all come under scrutiny.

A dear friend gave me a lovely black statue of a woman—her head slightly bowed, a baby in her arms, her young child standing close by. I thought this piece would complement a beautiful black wooden cross I own, so I set the mother facing the cross and went on about my business.

After awhile I realized the statue of the mother had turned. Without thinking, I repositioned her. Over the next couple of days I unthinkingly turned the statue around several times before a light bulb came on in my head―this statue is turning her back to the cross! I checked with the family to see if they had moved the statue, but no one had touched the piece.

That afternoon I discussed this enigma with my daughter, Megan. I again turned the statue to face the cross and asked Megan to tell me if it moved. We stayed in that room and soon Megan whispered, “Mom, it moved.” Without hesitation I took that statue outside and smashed it with a hammer, then threw the pieces into a nearby dumpster.

There are things made with man's hands that have dark meaning, especially if they were made in countries where witchcraft and sorcery are practiced. But we needn't be paranoid because Jesus has conquered the world!

(from WEC.Go Magazine, Fall 2011)

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Children should be sacrificed to not drain resources? Children ARE the resource

We all experience moments when falsehood slams against truth and just crumbles. Such a moment occurred not long ago at a United Nations conference.

At one point, an American diplomat, Laurie Shestack Phipps, spoke. She wondered how we could talk about family, but not be concerned about high birth rates in places like Africa. Don't we understand, she asked, that so many children put a strain on opportunities for women, on public services and on job creation? Why don't we address the need for family planning (meaning contraceptives) and reproductive health (code for abortion)?

Before I could say anything, another diplomat spoke up. She was Sarah Flood Beaubron, a UN representative from the tiny nation of St. Lucia. Here's what she said: "When I was growing up ... (our nation) was asked and pressured to reduce our rates of fertility. Over the last three years we have seen that we are now below replacement levels ... We have a population of 165,000 people approximately, and our resource is our people. We don't have gold, and we don't have oil, or anything like that. We are in a predicament, because we were asked and pressured and cajoled to decrease our fertility ... this is now a very urgent problem for our small country ... "

So there it was. The tired philosophy that children are a drain on resources, followed by the truth: children ARE the resource.

And because this startling viewpoint - that children are a burden on a world that would otherwise thrive - is so prevalent, we must be constantly vigilant. We must never waiver in our commitment to passionately, yet respectfully, engage those who say the answer to our world's problems is abortion.

(from Tom Minnery, Social Policy Team, Focus on the Family, October 2011)

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Iranian believers must watch for government spies

From Muslims who have turned to Christ in Iran: "A spirit of fear dominates our city. It is the most religious city in Iran. No churches are allowed there. Police are all over our city before a religious holiday, making sure the city is prepared for the observances.

"We changed houses when a neighbor asked us what was going on. After we bought a house, we held meetings there. In the evening, we look through a peephole in the door when we hear a knock. The believers come in alone or with their spouses, two at a time. They never get out of a car in front of our house. When the believers come in, we have them take the battery out of their cell phones. At another house, a person left his battery in and the police tracked him and caught him.

"Some of our friends have been interrogated by the police. After the police came and took away our three satellite dishes so that we could not watch the Christian television station Mohabat TV, we moved to another house. We have moved twice. One time was because my father told the police about us. He even went to our child's school to talk to the principal. Then my father told us that he is going to take our child away.

"One of our members had a friend who came to him with a burst of questions: Where do you meet? Do you see any other believers? Help me to attend your church. I want to be a church member. They told this possible spy, 'I am only connected to Jesus. If you want to be connected to a church, be connected to Jesus and he will take care of all your needs.'"

(from Voice of the Martyrs, October 2011 prayer letter)

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Preaching Genesis, by Henry M. Morris III

Perhaps if pastors and Sunday school teachers spent more time teaching the Lord’s people about the absolute truths of Genesis, we would have less difficulty UN-teaching the errors that abound in our churches.

Evangelicals are slipping more and more deeply into hybrid theologies and doctrines that seek “the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43).

The “emerging church” movement has “Christianized” the damnable error that absolute truth does not exist, and it is leading hoards of “seekers” into the mouth of hell. Popular Christian author Rob Bell is preaching that Love Wins in his book about the ultimate salvation of all humanity. Peter Enns, known for his disbelief in biblical truths such as a literal Adam and Eve, a literal Fall, the historical accuracy of Genesis, etc., has just published a Bible curriculum for homeschool children.

Darrel Falk and a growing number of “Fellows” at the BioLogos Foundation are insisting that the idea of an inerrant Bible is foolish and that “creation by evolution” is the best way to understand God’s “message” in Genesis.

We are immersed in a secular culture, bombarded with an ever-increasing vitriol and hatred. In bestselling books such as The God Delusion, God Is Not Great, Breaking the Spell, and The End of Faith, well-known atheists are advocating an all-out culture war to remove any vestige of Christianity from the public arena. Christians are blatantly branded as the enemy, a scourge to be eliminated.

How can we break this powerful onslaught against God and His people? May I humbly suggest that we teach our people the historical foundations in Genesis?

The Foundation of History—the “Beginnings” of Everything

Genesis is not just the first book of Scripture, it is the foundation for the rest of Scripture. If you do not understand Genesis, you cannot fully understand the person and attributes of the Creator Himself—Jesus Christ.

Genesis reveals the beginnings and foundations of reality—of our very existence. Without a clear understanding of these basic concepts, we are sorely lost among today’s plethora of conflicting ideas concerning the origins of:

• The universe, solar system, earth
• Life, man, marriage
• Language, government, culture
• Nations

The Foundation of All Biblical Structure and Theology

All of biblical structure and theology is set in the book of Genesis. If Genesis is not accurate history, then the rest of Scripture is little more than “tradition” and “viewpoints” that were written by ignorant sages of times past—and is therefore irrelevant today.

Origin of Evil: If the Fall of man recorded in Genesis 3 is not true, then the gospel is both foolish and unnecessary. In fact, if man did not rebel against his Creator, then the death of Jesus Christ is nothing more than an idealist’s martyrdom—not a total substitutionary atonement and reconciliation of God with man.

Origin of Death: If Adam’s sin is not an actual event, then death is nothing more than a “natural” means to weed out the unfit. Indeed, the evolutionary system insists death is good. In Scripture, death is a judgment and an enemy that will be eliminated.

Origin of Chosen People: The Old Testament is mostly a history of Israel. Why such a selective record if not to inscribe the supernatural protection of the Messianic line and the unique fulfillment of the hundreds of prophecies focused on Jews?

Origin of Many Descriptive Names of God: As the great history of the world unfolded, God revealed His attributes to early patriarchs through the majestic Hebrew terms used to describe God’s dealings with men. He is the Elohim of creation; the El Shaddai of power and might; the ever-present El Elyon, the Most High; the One who sees, the El Roi; the Owner and Master, Adonai; and the eternal El Olam.

(Reposted from Henry M. Morris III, Preaching Genesis, Acts & Facts, September 2011, Institute for Creation Research)

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Proving for Muslims That Jesus is God (and Lord)

If God did in fact reveal Himself, either through the preserved teachings of Jesus, or the preserved teachings of Mohammed, which was true? Let us consider Jesus from the evidence of the Bible, the Word of God.

Jesus Himself said He was God in John 8:58. Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" On several occasions the scribes and Pharisees wanted to stone Jesus because He claimed to be God.

On other occasions the scribes and Pharisees wanted to stone Jesus because He claimed to be God. From a leper Jesus accepted worship (Matthew 8:2), the women at the tomb worshipped Jesus, clasping his feet, in Matthew 28:9, God sent the wise men to worship Jesus (Matthew 2:2), and we should worship too.

Jesus made Himself equal with God. He said we are to honor the Son just as we honor the Father (John 5:23)

Jesus had authority, for he said, "You have heard it said, … but I say to you" (Matthew 5:21-22, 78-78)

Jesus can meet our needs in a way that only God can. "If any man is thirsty, let Him come to Me and drink" in John 7:37.

Only God can forgive sins, and Jesus forgave sins against God, then Jesus was showing that He was God in Matthew 9:2-6; Mark 2:5-12, and Luke 5:20-23.

The Old Testament also had many names for God, and this section proves the New Testament applied these names to Jesus. Both the Father and the Son are called:

Creator
Bridegroom
First and Last
Every knee will bow to…
Forgiver of sins
Giver of bread
Giver of life
Gives living water
God
Healer
Holy One
Husband
Judge the living and the dead
Judgment seat
King
Life
Light
Lord
Lord of Lords
Mighty God
Must believe in
Our hope
Purifies us
Raise the dead
Ransoms us
Redeemer
Righteous One
Rock, Stone
Ruler with a scepter/rod
Savior
Shepherd
Sovereign and Lord
Sword-holder
Worthy of praise & honor

Even the enemies of Christianity bear witness that Christians worshipped Jesus as God. Pliny the Younger (governor and persecutor of Christians in 112 A.D.) "They [Christians] were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to do any wicked deeds…"

Conclusion. Early Bible manuscripts show, and the writings of followers and even foes of Christ confirm, that Jesus taught that He was God, demonstrated He was God, and accepted worship. The evidence stretches from c.112 A.D., up through Mohammed’s time, when ‘Aisha reports that Mohammed was taught the Gospels in Arabic (Bukhari vol.4:605; Sahih Muslim 1:301 p.98). Jesus was taught the Gospel according to Sura 3:48, and Christians are the people of the Gospel in Sura 5:46.


(excerpted from Proving for Muslims That Jesus is God (and Lord))

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Give Jesus One Week

From the time Padina was 4 years old, she followed every rule of Islam in an attempt to grow closer to Allah. But Padina could never reach Allah. "I never felt peace," she said. "I would cry for hours to Allah, saying, 'I am so far from you. I can never go into your presence." She felt depressed and hopeless.

So she made a plan to end her suffering. She and her terminally ill mother would take pills, turn on the gas in the kitchen and enter the presence of Allah as honored Muslims.

As Padina started to turn on the gas, she heard her mother's TV in the living room. The words of a pastor on an illegal Christian satellite program grabbed her attention: "Why do you want to kill yourself tonight? Our God is so powerful that he can change your life. Give Jesus one week!"

Repulsed, Padina came up with a plan. "I will pretend to invite Jesus for one week in my life;' Padina thought. "I can embarrass Jesus and embarrass Christianity for the false religion that it is. In one week, I will call this television program and kill myself live on the program. That will disgrace the God of the infidels."

The next morning, Padina awoke to something she hadn't seen in months. Her formerly disabled mother was up and walking. Padina rushed her to the hospital for testing. The doctor was astonished. "This is a miracle!" he said. "She is cured! Which imam did you pray to?"

Padina paused. Could she say it was Jesus? Could she admit to following the same man she had hated? Was she willing to make a choice that could get her killed?

Today, Padina faces the possibility of imprisonment and death every day. "In Iran, if you accept Christ privately but never witness, you don't have a problem," she said. "But the person who accepts Christ and begins to minister in Iran, their life is being threatened constantly. Many times we have been about to get caught by the government. Many times they have captured my leaders and churches. Our lives have been threatened many times."

But Padina's hardships no longer matter because she knows she will spend eternity with the Jesus to whom she gave just one week.

To learn about Padina's decisions and to see how she became one of the most wanted Christians in Iran, view the Padina International Day of Prayer video included in the 2011 IDOP Church Resource kit from Voice of the Martyrs.

(from Voice of the Martyrs, October 2011 prayer letter)

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The 'Tranquil Flood' theory, an early try to sidestep the Bible

To imagine our whole planet being gently smothered by a “tranquil” flood is as silly as the idea of serenely dropping a “tranquil atomic bomb” on Hiroshima or Nagasaki.

Here's how the tranquil flood theory became one of the first trojan horses of Evolution back in the 1800's:

a) The Tranquil Flood theory asserted that earth never experienced a global catastrophe that violently destroyed the earth’s geomorphology and its natural vegetation, but it does assert that the earth is eons old.

b) The theory holds that the Bible does not clearly describe a catastrophic global Flood, and never provides chronological data that negate the earth being eons old.

c) Thus, the Tranquil Flood theory does not suggest that the Bible is untrue.

d) In the Tranquil Flood theory, the Bible’s information was not loudly bashed as false; rather, it was casually sidestepped (and then ignored) as scientifically irrelevant.

Here was an example of a conflict-avoidance strategy - to promote the idea that a particular new theory did not “disagree” with the Bible because the new theory addressed a scientific topic not governed by biblical revelation. Thus, the theorist could argue, in effect, that his idea didn’t clash with Scripture because it addressed a topic not covered in Scripture.

People knew that if the new theory clashed with the information of Scripture, a conflict of authority would exist. However, skirting the informational conflict offered them escape from biblical accountability. The Bible, it was maintained, was simply not “relevant” on the topic.

Present day astronomer and big bang/old earth advocate Dr. Hugh Ross argues for a local flood. On the other hand, his contemporary Dr. Norman Geisler, also an advocate of the old earth,  insists that the Bible clearly taught a global, worldwide Flood. But Geisler says it did not do the geologic work claimed for it by young-earth creationists. He held that it must have destroyed all the pre-Flood human inhabitants, but left little geologic trace on the planet. It rose, covered the world, drowned all of life on land, and then simply drained off. No rocks, no fossils. I asked how he could hold such a position, since even the minor, local floods of today do tremendous geologic work. How could a flood, which he admitted was much larger and more dynamic than any observed flood, do no geologic work? Thus, he proposed a tranquil Flood. He is back to the position of the 1800's.

Not only did the Tranquil Flood theory deny that the Genesis Flood account was authoritatively relevant for interpreting the rock layers of the world, that theory effectively denies that the Genesis Flood account was historically true. By asserting a supposed earth history that contradicts the one described in Scripture, the Tranquil Flood theory effectively denies that the Genesis Flood account is true.

God punished sin and His judgment was not at all “tranquil.” Only Noah and his family accepted God’s redemption. Scripture describes the Genesis Flood as a violent judgment of our planet because of the unprecedented and unsurpassed violence on the earth—quite the opposite of “tranquil.”

Many names over the centuries have supported the Tranquil Flood theory: Charles Lyell, Carolus Linnaeus, John Fleming, William Buckland, J. Laurence Kulp, and Norm Geisler. But Moses did not, and it was he whom God chose to prophetically record the account about what happened during the one and only worldwide catastrophic Flood.

(Based on James J. S. Johnson, Biblical Devastation in the Wake of a 'Tranquil Flood', Acts & Facts, September 2011, Institute for Creation Research)

References (selected)

1. Morris, J. D. 2009. The Young Earth: The Real History of the Earth—Past, Present, and Future. Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 128-129.

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Muslims told him "you are too obese to pray to God"

Imagine being told you were too obese to pray to God. For Waled*, a college student in the Middle East, this was his reality when he went to the local mosque to pray with his Muslim father.

Because of a prolonged illness Waled's weight had been an issue for most of his life. His mother, a strong believer, came to know Christ eight years prior through two missionaries. She faithfully prayed for God to heal her son. But when Waled was sent away from the mosque, God opened a door for him to see the unconditional love of the one true savior. Upon returning home, Waled asked his mother if Jesus would let him pray to him even though he was obese.At this delicate time, Waled's mother was able to share the gospel with him and several months later, Waled came to know Christ.

Pray that God will continue to work through missionaries and those who have come to faith in the Middle East as the establish churches in the Middle East

(from a Christian prayer letter, September 2011)

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Only Jesus can defeat the black magic of Hinduism

A true story from a Christian missionary in Hindu India: "On Christmas Day I gave a small dinner party at my house, inviting my language teacher, her friend and another young lady―all non-believers. To my surprise the teacher's friend brought a gift. When I opened the package I was so startled by what I saw that the present fell from my hands! With my heart beating wildly, I accepted the gift; although I felt that something was wrong about it.

"The gift was a beautiful picture with a peacock on either side of two hearts. In one heart was a hand holding a rose, and inscribed in the middle of the other heart were the words “Sweet Dreams.” The hand belonged to a woman with long demonic-looking nails. Later, I was advised to not hang the picture on the wall but to put it away and forget about it.

"After Christmas I began to have heart palpitations, high blood pressure and incredible headaches. Even though I and others prayed for my relief, I continued to struggle with my health. As my symptoms progressively worsened, I could not understand what was happening. About a week later I felt so ill I really thought I might die. I cried out to the Lord. Desperately, I asked Him to show me what was going on with my health.

"The Lord gave me Psalm 25:1–3,19: “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. . . See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me!” I was able to understand that the enemy was behind these symptoms. I continued to ask God to show me more, which He did through Isaiah 35:3–4 “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you....’” I prayed that if my sickness was an attack, my blood pressure would return to normal. After praying I checked my pressure—it was better than it had been for days. I knew my illness was an attack from the enemy.

"All night I asked the Father to reveal more about the situation. He gave me a vision of the picture I was given as a gift on Christmas Day. By then it was dawn, and exhausted, I fell asleep. When I awoke, God reminded me of the picture. As I lifted the plaque up out of the drawer, my heart immediately felt as though it would explode out of my chest. Though not fearful, I began to tremble from head to toe, unable to control my hands and feet. As I dragged myself to the kitchen I had to pause three times barely able to breathe. The experience was horrible. I pleaded with God for help, and He heard my prayer, fighting my battle as I had no strength left in me. In tears I finally reached the kitchen and broke the picture in the name of Jesus. Immediately I felt an impact in my chest and instantly regained strength. The palpitations stopped,
and I recovered fully.

"Later I learned that the picture with the peacock is part of a strong religion known as “Tantra” based on Hinduism and black magic. God rescued me from the death the enemy had planned for me. Every day I thank Him for people who cover me in prayer in this dark part of the world. This battle can only be fought on our knees.

(from WEC.Go Magazine, Fall 2011)

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Does Junk DNA prove Evolution? No, that's Junk Science

DNA is a well-designed blueprint. However, on occasion, random changes—“mutations”— are introduced, and if mutations happen to land in a part of the DNA that codes for protein (i.e., in a “gene”), the consequences can be striking—for example, sickle cell anemia. Because they are rare, random, and seldom reversible, mutations serve as a useful marker of ancestry.

Evolutionists have capitalized on this fact and have used it to claim that shared mutations between humans and chimps prove common ancestry between these two creatures. They claim that humans and chimpanzees share an unusually high number of shared mutations in the same DNA locations and that the only explanation for this similarity is plagiarism of these genomes from a common ancestor.

Is this assumption true?

Marko notes: Here's what is really going on. Evolutionists are not just counting the number of "mutations" of the sickle-cell anemia variety! They are including in that total any DNA locations that they regard as "mistakes". Almost all these "mistakes" are what is called "junk" DNA, or areas of DNA that are regarded as non-functional.

So, the shared “mistakes” between the two genomes are most often found in the region of the genome previously labeled “junk.” But evidence has been accumulating that “junk” DNA is, in fact, functional!¹ These data clearly indicate that the assumption behind the evolution claim is false—we do not speak the language of the genome well enough to reliably separate shared “mistakes” from common design features. Hence, the claim that shared “mistakes” prove common ancestry is invalid.

Marko's conclusion: Does Junk DNA prove Evolution? No, that's Junk Science!

(Excerpted from Nathaniel T. Jeanson, Human-Chimp Genetic Similarity: Do Shared 'Mistakes' Prove Common Ancestry? Acts & Facts, September 2011, Institute for Creation Research)

References (selected)

1.Wells, J. 2011. The Myth of Junk DNA. Seattle, WA: Discovery Institute Press.

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