A Divine Appointment in a Drab Ukrainian Orphanage

Every night when seven-year-old Tanya tried to sleep, memories haunted her. Memories of wandering around in the cold and trying not to be seen by the police while begging for money. The smile on her mom's face when Tanya brought home enough money. The hostility, anger, and beatings she received when she didn't. The gut-wrenching pain she felt when one of her mother's boyfriends stabbed her with a knife and another scalded her hands in boiling water.

Living in a drab, cold Ukrainian orphanage, Tanya prayed every day that God would give her a forever family. One afternoon her eyes lit up when she spotted a nice-looking young couple touring the orphanage. Tanya walked right up to them and told them she had been praying for a family.

What Tanya didn't know was that God was already working in this couple's hearts, prodding them to become part of New Hope's Orphan Care ministry. That day something very special, something they believe was a divine appointment, began. And about a year later, then-eight-year-old Tanya said good-bye to the stark orphanage and became part of Vasyl and Ira Fityo's family.

The weeks, months, and years ahead were anything but easy and smooth. It took a great deal of love, patience, prayer, and tenacity for Vasyl and Ira to help Tanya find wholeness and healing. But today, ten years later, 18-year-old Tanya's life has been imprinted and changed forever by this loving Christian family and their church community. Tanya is a happy, independent young lady who loves the Lord Jesus Christ with all of her heart.

Tanya's own words of appreciation: "I am very glad that you and New Hope Ukraine supported me financially and spiritually for all these years. May God bless you richly! Thank you, New Hope, for the chance in life you gave me by helping my parents find me and help me!"

(from the New Hope International newsletter, December 2012)
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Abiogenesis: metabolism or information? Better question: chicken or egg?

Abiogenesis, the idea that life arose from inorganic matter, is between a rock and a hard place. If the origin of life began with metabolism, the first life molecules were so simple they could not copy themselves. If it began with information, the first life molecules had to be so complicated that they have never been produced by reasonable chemical processes. The real answer can be found in the age-old question: "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"

(excerpts from Timothy R. Stout, Testimony of the Origins Divice, published in Creation Matters, a publication of Creation Research Society, Volume 17, Number 5, September/October 2012, to appear at http://www.creationresearch.org/creation_matters/pdf/2012/CM17%2005%20low%20res.pdf)

Melissa Lee Phillips published an article not too long ago in BioScience magazine titled, “The Origins Divide: Reconciling Views on How Life Began” (Phillips, 2010). In it she gives a history of the understanding of abiogenesis, the idea that life arose from inorganic matter.

Regarding the large macromolecules which are so critical to the functioning of living organisms, she commented,

All of these molecules and processes are so intertwined that it’s difficult to imagine how any of them could have arisen without the others already in place. Chicken-and-egg problems abound.

It turns out that the big, fundamental divide facing abiogenesis researchers today is whether the origin of life was information first or metabolism first. Study has revealed serious problems with both of these situations! The molecules which are proposed to have arisen in the metabolism-first scenario are simple enough to have achieved some level of concentration in plausible prebiotic chemical processes. However, the fact that these molecules do not copy themselves is a critical shortcoming since reproducibility is a fundamental, required characteristic of life.



Phillips says: "The metabolism-first model proposes that life probably arose at deep-sea hydrothermal vents, like the black smoker pictured here, when very simple molecules such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and hydrogen sulfide reacted with each other on the common iron-sulfur minerals pyrrhotite and pyrite. Photograph: OAR/National Undersea Research Program (NURP); NOAA."

By contrast, the molecules associated with an information-first scenario are so complicated that they have never been produced by chemical processes which can be reasonably associated with prebiotic circumstances. The meager positive results occasionally observed experimentally in- variably are found to have required extensive human intervention. Indeed, Phillips quoted Jim Cleaves of the Carnegie Institute for Science who said that whenever researchers manage to synthesize an interesting molecule, “it’s such a complex and kind of contrived experiment, it’s hard to really swallow.”



Phillips says: "The 'RNA world' model arose with the discovery of ribozymes—RNA molecules, such as the self-cleaving hammerhead ribozyme depicted here, that can act as catalysts. Could these self-replicating molecules have evolved from short, noncatalytic stretches of RNA, or would an autocatalytic network of chemical reactions have had to come first? The pink spheres are Mg11ions that stabilize the structure of the ribozyme. Graphic: Kalju Kahn and Esther Zhuang, University of California, Santa Barbara; created with PyMol (DeLano Scientific)."

Finally, after six pages of pointing out major problems at every level of abiogenesis, Phillips endeavored to end the article on an optimistic note by discussing the new “emergent systems” approach.

In this approach, scientists “toss dozens or hundreds of chemicals together and see what happens.”  John Sutherland of the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, declared, “We spent fourteen years exploring all that assembly chemistry and were largely extremely unsuccessful…” Then, using this “systems” approach, they discovered a method to make RNA nucleotides, the only successful effort by abiogenists to make nucleotides (Powner et al., 2009)

However, they did not just step back and watch the synthesis happen. In order to avoid a series of problems, not the least of which was the formation of tar, they had to monitor and control the process very carefully.  In another article, Benner and others simply chalk this up as another example of an experiment which is supposedly plausible for a prebiotic scenario, but which realistically requires far too much human intervention to be suit- able (Benner et al., 2012 )

Sixty years of study in abiogenesis has not provided the anticipated solutions to the problem of life’s origin, but just the opposite! The abundance of “chicken-and-egg problems” implies the necessity of all of these components making a simultaneous, first appearance, in a fully-functioning interdependent form. If there were no religious implications, the evidence would be sufficient to make the case and this would be the end of the discussion.

Of course, there are religious implications and this changes the entire character of the discussion.

The Bible states that the Creation of the entire cosmos (universe) took place in six days. It is clear from the context that these were literal days, not figurative. Experts have failed to build a scientifically-defensible case otherwise. 
 Illustration from the Creation Facts Screen Saver. 

Marko's comment: It seems that scientists always like to talk about “chicken-and-egg problems." Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Thinking people who also believe that there is a God who gave us the Bible - they know the answer. It's the chicken! Created on Day Five of the Creation week! How did life arise from inorganic matter? The answer is not in the primeval depths of time, it is that God Himself called living creatures into being.

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References

Benner S.A., H-J. Kim, and Z. Yang. 2012. Setting the stage: The history, chemistry, and geobiology behind RNA. Cold Spring Harb. Perspect. Biol. 4:a003541. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a003541

Phillips, M.L. 2010. The origins divide: Reconciling views on how life began. BioScience 60(9). 10.1525/bio.2010.60.9.3.  Retrieved October 25, 2012, from www.deepdyve.com/lp/university-of-california-press/the-origins-divide-reconciling-views-on-how-life-began-vOMlkgH3Lk

Powner, M.W., B. Gerland, and & J.D. Sutherland. 2009. Synthesis of activated pyrimidine ribonucleotides in prebiotically plausible conditions. Nature. 459:239–242. doi: 10.1038/nature08013

A Bottle of Vodka Costs the Same as a Loaf of Bread

Alcoholism is a big problem in Romania, especially in the villages. It's quite common for families to self-produce --- and consume --- close to one hundred gallons of vodka a year. And lives that are on a path of destruction often pull others along with them. Especially in a land where a bottle of vodka costs the same as a loaf of bread.

But a Christian ministry offers true hope and change. As a result of their program, many Romanians not only get released from the bondage of their addiction, but also become followers of Christ. For them, this Christmas will not be about vodka and abuse, but about freedom and hope in Christ!

Levente Horvath.

This ministry is Good Shepherd Romania, a partner with 4D Ministries. Good Shepherd is led by Levente Horvath, who helps churches become "missional" --- to reach out with the love of Christ in order to see lost people redeemed and restored. Christmas to Levente is not about getting, but about passing on God's love and grace to those in need.

On average, the subsidy paid by Good Shepherd is about $400 per participant. The remaining 40 percent of the cost is paid by the family or sending church, which gives them a stake in the program, often resulting in much needed prayers and follow-up programs.

In the last few years over 700 people participated with a success rate of over 70 percent. That's about 500 people, both men and women, who have left their lives of alcohol. Many also became followers of Christ!

Levente did not look for a comfortable job when he got involved. It was clearly God's calling and empowering that made him a messenger of God's Good News to those desperate and in need. What an inspiration!

(from the 4D Ministries newsletter, December 2012. 4D means "for Deo/God")

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Uğur never came back with the Bible

Uğur Yüksel

More than five years ago, a young Turkish man named Uğur shared his love of Jesus with a waitress at a café he often visited in Malatya, Turkey. He said he'd bring her a Bible the next day, and she eagerly waited for it.

However, he never came.

Instead, she saw his picture on the news and learned that Uğur had been brutally murdered. She was heartbroken and confused, and began a prolonged search for a Bible.

This summer she learned of believers at a Christian camp an hour away, and she continued her search there. When she arrived, they shared the Gospel with her and gave her the Bible she'd sought for the past five years. The group was meeting at the very same lake where Uğur made his profession of faith and was baptized.

Please pray that this dear woman will follow his godly example.

(from a Christian prayer letter, November 2012)

For more info on Uğur Yüksel, see
New Evidence Stalls Murder Trial in Malatya, Turkey, April 22, 2010.
Alleged ‘Middleman’ Arrested in Malatya, Turkey Murders, October 21, 2012.

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Beware Biologos attempts to improve on Scripture...

Evil has nothing to do with the Curse or the Fall of man? Evil is somehow a natural outcome of evolutionary progress? God does not know the details of how history will turn out? Here is a suggestion: When Biologos or any other group attempts to improve on Scripture, be suspicious.

Selections from Don DeYoung's book review of The Language of Science and Faith, by Karl Giberson and Francis Collins.

(These selections by Marko Malyj are of the book review published in Creation Research Society Quarterly Journal, Volume 49 Number 1, Summer 2012)

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Physicist Karl Giberson is on the faculty of Eastern Nazarene College, Quincy, Massachusetts, and geneticist Francis Collins directs the National Institutes of Health. Both authors are in leadership of the Biologos Foundation, which strongly promotes theistic evolution.

One of the questions that the authors address is "What about about evil in nature? [It] has no simple answer; alas it also has no complex answer” (p. 128). The authors state that evil has nothing to do with the Genesis 3 Curse or the Fall of man. Instead, Biologos concludes that evil is somehow a natural outcome of evolutionary progress (p. 132).

Furthermore, they believe that God does not know the details of how history will turn out. “God has endowed nature with a degree of freedom … with and inherent liberty … it explores its own inherent potential through its evolving process” (p. 116).

It is further stated that a literal Adam and Eve are ruled out by genomics (p. 206). The studies conclude that there is too much genetic variation in humanity for an origin in just two people. Instead, there must have been at least 10,000 prehuman creatures to get us where we are today. The apostle Paul must not have gotten this memo, since he refers to Adam and Eve in Romans 5:12. The Lord makes similar reference in Mat­thew 19:4.

Here is a suggestion: When Biologos or any other group attempts to improve on Scripture, be suspicious.

The Language of Science and Faith by Karl Giberson and Francis Collins
IVP Books, Downers Grove, IL, 2011, 250 pages, $20.00.

Is the Romance of Radiometric Dating Getting Old?

Radiometric dating is still a faulty argument against biblical history. Naturalistic geolo­gists often “cherry-pick” dates they deem appropriate to their particular studies. Carbon-14 has been found in coal and diamond samples supposedly be billions of years old, even though the half-life of ¹⁴C is only 5730 years. The creationist RATE group's theory that there have been periods of accelerated nuclear decay in the past runs into the problem of rapid volume cooling. Woodmorappe's statistical noise theory that radiometric dating is inherently unreliable may indeed be vindicated.

The inherent inconsis­tency of secular results strengthens the argument for a young earth, as the Bible describes in a most straightforward way!
 
Selections from RATE Study: Questions Regarding Accelerated Nuclear Decay and Radiometric Dating, by Carl R. Frode Jr. and A. Jerry Akridge.

(These selections by Marko Malyj are of the article published in Creation Research Society Quarterly Journal, Volume 49 Number 1, Summer 2012)

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Introduction

Radiometric dating remains a popular, but still faulty, argument against biblical history.

Radiometric dating utilizes the decay rates of certain radioactive atoms to date rocks or artifacts. Uniformitarian geologists consider this form of dating strong evidence that the Earth is billions of years old. Many atoms (or elements) exist as numerous varieties called isotopes, some of which are radioactive, meaning they decay over time by losing particles. Radiometric dating is based on the decay rate of these isotopes into stable nonradioactive isotopes. To date an object, scientists measure the quantity of parent and daughter isotope in a sample, and use the atomic decay rate to determine its possible age. (Creationwiki, 2012)

But research by creationists has revealed a large number of problems with radiometric dating. 

For instance, Naturalistic geolo­gists often “cherry-pick” dates they deem appropriate to their particular studies, and if results do not agree with expected dates, the “error” is attributed to any number of possible problems (Froede, 2010).

Yet another challenge for the interpretation of nuclear decay findings is documentation of detectible Carbon-14 in coal and diamond samples purported to be billions of years old, even though the half-life of ¹⁴C is only 5730 years.

Radiometric Age-Dating in Creation Science— A Brief History

Beginning with the publication of The Genesis Flood (Whitcomb and Mor­ris, 1961), radiometric age-dating was deemed incompatible with biblical history. Over the years, many young-earth creationists have documented the problems and unbiblical assumptions of various dating methods (Acrey, 1965; Armstrong, 1966; Clementson, 1970; Cook, 1968; Lammerts, 1964; Whitelaw 1968, 1969a, 1969b; Woodmorappe, 1979, 1999).

However, many young-earth creationists have suggested that radiometric dating can be accepted with one or more episodes of ac­celerated nuclear decay having occurred during Earth’s past.

In 1968, Gentry proposed a bold idea based on his work on radioactively damaged zircons. He stated, “While there might be other alternatives, one possible explanation of these ‘fractures’ or ‘blasting’ halos is that the rate of ra­dioactive decay was at one time greater than that observed today” (Gentry, 1968, p. 85; italics added).

But no one could of­fer a mechanism for decay acceleration.

Chaffin (2000) proposed that a variation in the fifth dimension of our universe early in the Creation Week might have led to accelerated nuclear decay.

RATE Project

The radioisotope age dating book
and DVD set by the RATE
group can be purchased here.

As a joint project between the Institute for Creation Research and the Creation Research Society, the RATE group convened in 1997 to discuss issues with radiometric dating within the framework of a young earth  (Vardiman, 2000).

Research seemed predicated on the belief that

at some time in the past much higher rates of radioisotope decay may have occurred, leading to the production of large quantities of daughter prod­ucts in a short period of time. It has been suggested that these increased decay rates may have been part of the rock-forming process on the early earth and/or one of the results of God’s judgment upon man follow­ing the Creation, that is, the Curse or during the Flood (Vardiman, 2000, p. 4).

The results of the eight-year study were published in 2005 (Vardiman et al, 2005), and the RATE scientists de­termined that "accelerated nuclear decay was the most promising explanation for the large amount of daughter products." (Vardiman, 2005, p. 7).

Problem of Massive Heat Generation

Any episode of rapid nuclear decay should result in the release of large amounts of heat (Humphreys, 2005; Snelling, 2005; Vardiman, 2005). This heat would profoundly affect the planet, whether it happened during the Cre­ation Week, following the Curse, or during the Flood. Humphreys (2005, pp. 68-70) stated

rapid cooling occurred .... most of the cooling could not be by the normal processes of conduction, convection, or radiation. Instead, the process would have to cool the entire volume of material simultaneously (“volume” cooling) and abnormally fast.  

In my feasibility study, I pointed out a little-known and less-understood phenomenon in standard General Relativity theory that seems quite relevant. The mech­anism causes photons and moving material particles in an expanding cosmos to lose energy. The equations clearly show the loss of energy but where and how the energy goes is less clear…. This mechanism offers good potential for removing heat on a large scale. 

But if volume cooling cannot be empirically demonstrated, then it remains specula­tion.

Variability in the Rates  of Nuclear Decay: K-Ar, Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, and Pb-Pb Isochron Discordance

In his analysis of the parent/daughter radioisotopes for the Beartooth amphibolite (Wyoming) and the Bass Rapids diabase sill (Grand Canyon, Arizona), Austin determined that changing decay rates created discor­dances in the K-Ar, Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, and Pb-Pb radioisotope age-dates. He noted,

Furthermore, our data are consistent with the possibilities that, at some time or times in the past, decay of the α-emitters (²³⁸U, ²³⁵U, and ¹⁴⁷Sm) was accelerated more than decay of the β-emitters (⁸⁷Rb and ⁴⁰K). (Austin, 2005, p. 386)

Snelling and others reached this same conclusion in their investigation of the Bass Rapids diabase sill (Snelling et al, 2003, p. 283).

Both projects concluded that there was decay-dependent variability in the rate of nuclear decay that should show consistent differences between different radiometric dating methods, yet some level of consistency in the same method.

What radiometric age- dates would indicate Creation Week rocks, post-Curse antediluvian rocks, or Flood rocks and sediments? (Figure 1) If the results (using accelerated decay) are to be useful, the ability to link rocks/sedi­ments to biblical history is essential. This also raises the question of a quantifiable conversion factor for each radiometric method; such numerical factors would be invaluable for creationist analyses of radiometric age-dates (Figure 2).


Figure 1. This diagram shows a biblical geologic timescale with three shaded boxes corresponding to the three periods of time when accelerated radiomet­ric decay purportedly occurred. The darker the box, the greater the level of accelerated radiometric decay based on the findings of the RATE project team.

Figure 2. This diagram presents a hypo­thetical mathematical formula necessary to convert naturalistic radiometric dates to accelerated and acceptable values in the Creation/Flood geologic framework of earth history. Missing are the conversion factors for each of the secular radiometric age-dating methods. These factors will need to be provided in order to demonstrate that accelerated nuclear decay occurred within the anticipated time frame of the biblical record (see Figure 1).

Inconsistency between Carbon 14 and Long-Lived Nuclides

Baumgardner (2005) presented an in­teresting study on detectable carbon 14 (¹⁴C) in various “old” coal deposits and diamonds.

... during the Flood might have affected a offer the tentative hypothesis that, This amount of decay represents short half-life isotope like ¹⁴C.... perhaps only a modest amount of accelerated ¹⁴C decay took place dur­ing the cataclysm itself.... whatever the physics was describing the decay acceleration, it did not operate in so simple a manner as to reduce temporarily the effective half-lives of all radioisotopes by the same factor. (Baumgardner, 2005, p. 620)

At present, it is not clear how ac­celerated nuclear decay could have occurred at very high rates for the K-Ar, Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, and Pb-Pb systems but at very low rates for short-lived isotopes such as ¹⁴C.

Certainty and the RATE Results

It is use­ful that some of the results of the RATE research appear to be critiques of radio­metric dating from both theoretical and experimental perspectives (Snelling et al, 2003; Snelling, 2004).

Unfortunately, the same circularity that afflicts modern secular stratigraphers seems likely to also plague creationists that take this route. Quantifying accelerated decay for each dating method would go a long way to­ ward reducing those uncertainties.

Discussion and Conclusions

The RATE group considered the possibility that a substantial amount of decay might have occurred dur­ing the Judgment in the Garden of Eden, but then it was concluded that the implied levels of radiation and heating would have been so highly destructive to biology at that point in earth history as to render this possibility unlikely (Vardiman et al, 2005, p. 737).

Unfortunately, there is an inherent problem of knowing the relative ages of rocks in the first place. Some creationists resolve this problem by accepting a compressed ver­sion of the standard geologic timescale, although one reason for doing so is the presumption of accelerated radiometric dating (Dickens and Snelling, 2008a, 2008b). However, Reed (2008a, 2008b, 2008c, 2008d) and others (Froede, 2008; Reed and Oard, 2008) have questioned this approach.

There is a demonstrated lack of accuracy and precision of radiometric results, and their inconsistency with other field evidence. Some of these stud­ies showed results that were definitively wrong (Austin, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000; Snelling, 1995, 1999a, 1999b, 2000a, 2000b).

The statistical noise theory was a competing model proposed by Woodmorappe (1999). He asserted that radiometric dating is inherently unreliable and that secular scientists select desired results from a reservoir of inconsistent results, based on their needs at the time. It would require researchers to find a quantitative basis for eliciting consistency from apparently inconsistent results. This might provide the basis for conversion factors or equa­tions that would ultimately allow the theory to become useful in field studies. If they cannot, then the skepticism of Woodmorappe (1999) and the earlier creationists who wrote against radiomet­ric age-dating might be vindicated.

But even then, a good result will have been achieved. If creationists can demonstrate the inherent inconsis­tency of secular results, the argument for a young earth is greatly strengthened. This would force acknowledgment that chronology must ultimately rest on the divinely inspired historical documents provided in the Bible. Similarly, the demonstration of the unreliability of radiometric dating would reinforce the inherent weakness of the geological timescale (Reed, 2008c).

References (selected)

Acrey, D.O. 1965. Problems in absolute age determination. CRSQ 1:7–9.

Armstrong. H.L. 1966. An attempt to correct for the effects of the Flood in determin­ing dates by radioactive carbon. CRSQ 2:28–30 and CRSQ 3:4.

Austin, S.A. 1988. Grand Canyon lava flows: a survey of isotope dating methods. Impact No. 178. Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA.

Austin, S.A. 1992. Excessively old “ages” for Grand Canyon lava flows. Impact No. 224. Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA.

Austin, S.A. 1994. Are Grand Canyon rocks one billion years old? In Austin, S.A. (editor), Grand Canyon: Monument to Catastrophe, pp. 111–131. Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA.

Austin, S.A. 1996. Excess argon within min­eral concentrates from the new dacite lava dome at Mount St. Helens volcano. CenTJ 10(3):335–343.

Austin, S.A. 2000. Dubious radiogenic Pb behavior places U-Th-Pb mineral dating in doubt. Impact No. 319, Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA.

Austin, S.A. 2005. Do radioisotope clocks isochron need repair? Testing the assumptions of isochron dating using K-Ar, Rb-Sr, Sm- Nd, and Pb-Pb isotopes. In Vardiman, L., A.A. Snelling, and E.F. Chaffin (editors), Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth: Results of a Young-Earth Creationist Research Initiative, pp. 325–392. Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA, and Creation Research Society, Chino Valley, AZ.

Baumgardner, J.R. 2005. 14C evidence for a recent global Flood and a young Earth. In Vardiman, L., A.A. Snelling, and E.F. Chaffin (editors), Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth: Results of a Young- Earth Creationist Research Initiative, pp. 587–630. Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA, and Creation Research Society, Chino Valley, AZ

Chaffin, E.F. 2000. A mechanism for acceler­ated radioactive decay. CRSQ 37:3–9.

Clementson, S.L. 1970. A critical exami­nation of radiocarbon dating of rocks. CRSQ 7:137–41.

Cook, M.A. 1968. Radiological dating and some pertinent applications: do radiolog­ical clocks need repair? CRSQ 5:69–77.

Creationwiki 2012. Radiometric dating. http://creationwiki.org/Radiometric_dating, accessed 11/8/2012.

Dickens, H., and A.A. Snelling. 2008a. Precambrian geology and the Bible: a harmony. JoC 22(1):65–72.

Froede, C.R., Jr. 2008. Harmony between the Bible and Precambrian geology—too fa­ vourable to naturalism. JoC 22(3):40–41.

Froede, C.R., Jr. 2010. Radiometric cherry-picking. Creation Matters 15(6):1–4.

Gentry, R.V. 1968. On the invariance of the decay constant over geologic time. CRSQ 5:83–5.

Humphreys, D.R. 2005. Young helium diffu­sion age of zircons supports accelerated nuclear decay. In Vardiman, L., A.A. Snelling, and E.F. Chaffin (editors), Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth: Results of a Young-Earth Creationist Research Initiative, pp. 25–100. Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA, and Creation Research Society, Chino Valley, AZ.

Lammerts, W.E. 1964. Discoveries since 1859 which invalidate the evolution theory. CRSQ 1(1):47–55.

Reed, J.K. 2008a. Toppling the timescale part I: evaluating the terrain. CRSQ 44:174–178.

Reed, J.K. 2008b. Toppling the timescale part II: unearthing the cornerstone. CRSQ 44:256–263.

Reed, J.K. 2008c. Toppling the timescale part III: madness in the methods. CRSQ 45:6–17.

Reed, J.K. 2008d. Toppling the timescale part IV: assaying the golden (FeS2) spikes. CRSQ 45:81–89.

Reed, J.K., and M.J. Oard. 2008. Precam­brian dissonance. JoC 22(3):42–44.

Snelling, A.A. 1995. The failure of U-Th-Pb “Dating” at Koongarra, Australia. CenTJ 9(1):71–92.

Snelling, A.A. 1999a. “Excess argon”: The “Achillies’ Heel” of potassium-argon and argon-argon “dating” of volcanic rocks. Impact No. 307. Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA.

Snelling, A.A. 1999b. Potassium-argon and argon-argon dating of crustal rocks and the problems of excess argon. Impact No. 309. Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA.

Snelling, A.A. 2000a. Dubious radiogenic Pb behavior places U-Th-Pb mineral dating in doubt. Impact No. 319. Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA.

Snelling, A.A. 2000b. Conflicting “ages” of Tertiary basalt and contained fossilized wood, Crinum, central Queensland, Australia. CenTJ 14(2):99–122.

Snelling, A.A., S.A. Austin, and W.A. Hoesch. 2003. Radioisotopes in the diabase sill (upper Precambrian) at Bass Rapids, Grand Canyon, Arizona: an application and test of the isochron dating method. In Ivey, R.L. (editor), Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Cre­ationism, pp. 269–284. Creation Science Fellowship, Pittsburgh, PA.

Snelling, A.A. 2004. Radioisotope dating of Grand Canyon rocks: Another devastat­ ing failure for long-age geology. Impact No. 376. Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA.

Snelling, A.A. 2005. Radiohalos in granites: evidence for accelerated nuclear decay. In Vardiman, L., A.A. Snelling, and E.F. Chaffin (editors), Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth: Results of a Young-Earth Creationist Research Initiative, pp. 101–207. Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA, and Creation Research Society, Chino Valley, AZ.

Vardiman, L., A.A. Snelling, and E.F. Chaf­fin (editors). 2000. Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth: A Young-Earth Creationist Research Initiative. Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA, and Creation Research Society, St. Joseph, MO.

Vardiman, L., A.A. Snelling, and E.F. Chaf­fin (editors). 2005. Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth: Results of a Young-Earth Creationist Research Initiative, Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA, and Creation Research Society, Chino Valley, AZ.

Whitcomb, J.C., and H.M. Morris. 1961. The Genesis Flood. Presbyterian and Re­ formed Publishing Co., Phillipsburg, NJ.

Whitelaw, R.L. 1968. Radiocarbon confirms biblical creation (and so does potassium-argon). CRSQ 5:78–83.

Whitelaw, R.L. 1969a. Radiocarbon and potassium-argon dating in the light of dis­coveries in cosmic rays. CRSQ 6:71–73.

Whitelaw, R.L. 1969b. A reply. CRSQ 6:114.

Woodmorappe, J. 1979. Radiometric geo­ chronology reappraised. CRSQ 16:102– 129, 147, i.

Woodmorappe, J. 1999. The Mythology of Modern Dating Methods. Institute for Creation Research, El Cajon, CA.

A Little Child Reaches out to Algerian Drug Dealers in France

Daniel Rhys has spent the last 18 years building an e-Learning business of which he is a managing partner. In 2006, he created Christ-based online abstinence training to address the HIV epidemic in Africa. In 2011, Daniel moved his family to France for three months to share Christ with the Muslim population.

He received a call from an old friend and spiritual mentor. He told me he’d joined forces with Greater Europe Mission to reach the growing numbers of Muslims in Europe with the gospel.  The friend finished the conversation by saying, “And I want you to bring your family to France next summer for ten weeks to work with Muslims in our pilot city.”

Daniel tells what happened...

"The next summer found our little family in a city in northern France. We quickly encountered places that frankly scared us! Our children, Virginia, seven, and Samuel, six, not only got to see us cry out to God, they also participated with us.

"The Lord led us to a small park where Algerian immigrants hung out. They gathered in small or large groups, many of them selling drugs to earn money. We visited the park regularly and I tried everything I could think of to break through the barriers and connect with these men. After three completely unsuccessful weeks, I turned my eyes heavenward and told God I was out of ideas. I said I’d come to the park every day and pray for these men, but if he wanted anything else to happen, he was going to have to do it. God in his goodness and grace seemed to say, “Ok. Now that you understand our roles, let’s get started.”

"Five minutes later a police van careened up the center sidewalk of the park. It screeched to a halt and gun-wielding officers poured out. As if a bomb had dropped on the park, drug dealers began running in every direction. Confused and surprised, I looked around and noticed that the groups were now gone, leaving lone individuals in a few places. Wow, I had just finished asking God to do this! He opened the door for us and now our job was to step through.

"I walked over and sat next to a man. He couldn’t speak English, but I soon learned his name was Habib. He came through Spain on his way to France and spoke Spanish.

Hearing “Spanish,” my son ran over and preceded to go through every Spanish word he had learned in kindergarten the year before. As Samuel spoke, I could see Habib’s eyes soften and grow warmer.

"When we arrived the next day, I saw Habib standing in his normal group and gave him a smile and a nod. Suddenly, Samuel broke from our group and made a beeline for Habib with arms stretched out wide. Habib bent down and received a hug that seemed to melt his heart. We were now “in.” Habib introduced us to his friend Karim. Karim spoke a fair amount of English and listened to my testimony. He wanted to understand more so he took me to Mohammed, who owned a small snack shop on the edge of the park. Mohammed spoke perfect English and we were soon spending hours together talking about Jesus.

"I didn’t know it at the time, but every drug dealer in the park would come into Mohammed’s snack shop to get drinks during the day. Before long we knew everyone in the park. And by the time we left France, we couldn’t walk through the park without men coming to us to talk and asking us for prayer.

"God grew our faith in ways I couldn’t have guessed. He also showed us that our children were not just along to learn. They were there to be used by God to open doors and build bridges to the hearts of many. Their faith began to blossom as Jesus went from an academic pursuit to being the living creator of the universe who heard them when they prayed and then answered their prayers in so many ways."

(selections from Daniel Rhys, And a Little Child Shall Lead Them, One Family's Journey on Mission in Europe, Mission Frontiers, Issue 34:6, Nov/Dec 2012)

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Untold secrets of Planet Earth: Dire Dragons, by Vance Nelson

Did dinosaurs and people live together? According to creationist researcher Vance Nelson, this was indeed the case. Dire Dragons presents much never-before-published evidence.

Selections from Andrew V. Ste. Marie's book review of Untold Secrets of Planet Earth: Dire Dragons, by Vance Nelson.

(These selections by Marko Malyj are of the book review published in Creation Research Society Quarterly Journal, Volume 49 Number 1, Summer 2012)

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Carbon-14 dating of dinosaur bones and soft tissue finds both indicate that dinosaurs lived recently. Nelson critiques the idea that ancient men could have excavated or observed fossils and accurately reconstructed dinosaurs from them. He shows photographs of ancient depictions of dinosaurs and pterosaurs from five different continents. He also shows similarities between ancient and modern depictions of what appear to be the same animal. A wide array of creatures are shown in ancient art, including pterosaurs, mastodons, hadrosaurs, ceratopsians, sauropodomorphs, theropods, nothosaurs, and pachycephalosaurs.

The Kachina Bridge sauropod petroglyph, for example, is already known among creationists. But Nelson shows new evidence never before published in creationist literature. Examples include a Peruvian vessel with an apparent Protoceratopslike animal, a “salamander” emblem similar to a prosauropod, an apparent young hadrosaur on a sixteenth-century tapestry, and some very compelling ceratopsian depictions from China. Several depictions of the story of St. George and the dragon are also included, showing creatures similar to theropods and nothosaurs (pp. 71, 101, 121).

Many representations, although quite convincing, show slight inaccuracies, such as a wrong number of toes or fingers. However, modern artists have only bones to work with, and thus we do not know the details of soft tissue that the ancients may have had knowledge of, accounting for more differences. an ancient eyewitness to a living dinosaur may have only seen one a few times, perhaps while it was moving, obstructed, or at a distance.

Dire Dragons is an excellent book with much new, verified information that should be of great usefulness to creationists. In addition to being scientific, it is a beautiful work of art, a coffee-table type book with excellent graphics and beautiful dinosaur reconstructions. The book concludes with a gospel presentation.

Untold Secrets of Planet Earth, by Vance Wilson
Untold Secrets of Planet Earth Publishing Company
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, 2011, 137 pages, $30.00.

I demand my right to complete my prison sentence

To Dinh Trung was arrested more than 25 times for preaching the gospel in rural Vietnam. During his 24th imprisonment, in 1991, he was deprived of food for 12 days, "In prison, I worshiped the Lord a lot, praying and singing in a room by myself," Trung said. "My room was the prison toilet." After 12 days, village authorities dragged Trung before a people's court. "I became bold and grabbed the microphone," he said. "I said, 'For the Lord's sake, because of his name, I am willing to die: The police grabbed the microphone back, exclaiming, 'Once again. you want to preach the gospel.'"

The next time Trung was arrested, he spent three years in prison. VOM helped his wife and three children, and VOM supporters were invited to send him letters of encouragement. While in Quang Ngai prison, Trung helped lead many prisoners to Christ.

One day, prison officials offered to release Trung early, but Trung surprised them by replying, "I demand my right to complete my prison sentence,"' He wanted to spend more time leading prisoners to Christ and teaching new converts.

Trung completed his time in prison and immediately returned to ministry. Since 1999, Trung has trained 20 believers to become evangelists. Police still harass him, interrupting his church services and detaining him for questioning. Although his church is sometimes filled with more police than Christians, Trung relishes the opportunity to teach them the gospel, too.

(from Voice of the Martyrs newsletter, September 2012)

Also see Stacy L. Harp, Christian Prisoner Refuses Early Release Opportunity from Prison, September 24, 2012, PersecutionBlog.com.

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Another Lunar Formation Theory is in Trouble

For the past 200 years, scientists have been working hard to come up with an explanation for the Moon's formation that does not involve the direct work of a Creator. The fourth hypothesis in that the Moon was formed by the impact upon Earth of a body the size of Mars. Early this year it was proved to be wrong by new evidence. A fifth hypothesis has quickly taken its place! When will they realize that the God hypothesis is the only fully reasonable explanation?

(Based on Ron Samec, "Lunar Formation Theories" published in Creation Matters, a publication of Creation Research Society, Volume 17, Number 4, July/August 2012, to appear at http://www.creationresearch.org/creation_matters/pdf/2012/CM17%2004%20for%20web.pdf)

Theory One. Fission Hypothesis.

George Darwin was the fifth child of Charles Darwin, who wrote On the Origin of Species, the sacred book of evolution. George, who became a professor of astronomy, followed in his father's footsteps by calling into question the Biblical account of the formation of the Earth and the Moon. In 1898, he published The Tides and Kindred Phenomena in the Solar System, in which he discussed the effects of tidal friction on the Earth–Moon system.¹



Fission Hypothesis

In this fission hypothesis, George Darwin claimed that the early Earth rotated faster and faster, as more dense elements sunk to its core. When the earth exceeded breakup velocity, the material that would become the Moon tore from the Pacific Ocean Basin, leaving a scar (Ridges). 

The problem with this is that the initial spin or angular momentum is not conserved in the present Earth-Moon system (50% loss).

Also, the orbit of the moon and the obliquity of the ecliptic (likewise the inclination of the earth) should coincide, and they do not. The Earth’s inclination is about 23.5^o to the orbital plane (the ecliptic) and the Moon’s orbit is inclined by some 5^o. 




The plane of the Moon's orbit does not match the plane of the Earth's rotation.

Theory Two. Condensation Hypothesis.



The Solar System supposedly
formed from a spinning ball
of gas. But then why is the
motion of the Moon and
Earth on different planes?

The fact that the plane of the Moon's orbit does not match the plane of the Earth's rotation also defeated the second Lunar formation theory that became very popular among scientists, namely the Condensation hypothesis. It is an extension of the Laplace nebular hypotheses: the Moon formed from the solar nebula.

As the sun’s nebula condensed, conservation of angular momentum caused a disk to form and within the disk, eddies or whirlpools developed. At the center of these, the planets formed.  Secondary eddies led to satellites or moons of the planets.  The Earth and the Moon supposedly formed in an eddy and a secondary eddy. Again, the current, strange Earth-Moon orbital-inclination would not result — the Moon’s orbital plane and the Earth’s equator should coincide.

Theory Three. Lunar-Capture Theory.

A ring of dust around earth slows
the passing  Moon, but it can't be enough
for it to be captured by Earth's gravity.

Another theory is that the Moon was captured by the Earth as it passed by in an Earth-crossing orbit. One major problem with this idea is that capture is an extremely rare event!  And even if this unlikely event took place, the Moon would likely have swung by in a parabolic or an elliptical trajectory, which is a higher velocity orbit than is that of the near circular orbits of either the Earth or the present Moon.

The big question is what caused the Moon to slow down? If captured by the Earth, we would expect the present Moon to have a larger eccentricity and inclination. The resulting, fantastic tidal dissipation would have resulted in major distortions and destruction of the Earth. Also, if a near-collision brought the object within the Roche limit of the Earth, the Moon could have been shredded into rings.

Theory Four. Collision Hypothesis.

In 1976 astronomers Alastair G. W. Cameron and William R. Ward suggested that the Moon was formed by the tangential impact upon Earth of a body the size of Mars. Most of the outer silicates of the colliding body would be vaporized, leaving the metallic core of the two bodies. Hence, most of the collisional material sent into orbit would consist of silicates, leaving the coalescing Moon deficient in iron.²


A body the size of Mars collided with Earth, resulting in the Moon with core properties different from Earth.

This premise seems to solve all of problems of the earlier theories. except for the vanishingly low probability of such an event! In fact, it is much more improbable than is a near collision of a lunar mass dwarf planet, as in the capture hypothesis. To this theory's credit, the odd orbit of the Moon is easily explained by the initial orbit of the planet since it does not have to follow a particular path (except that it should be near the ecliptic, which is the plane of the Earth's revolution around the Sun).

A recent study of Moon rocks now puts even this model in doubt³. The research team confined their study to a rare form of titanium (using the 50Ti/47Ti isotopic ratio) which is known to occur in widely varying amounts throughout the solar system. After correcting for the difference caused by the continued exposure of the lunar surface to the Sun’s radiation, the scientists found that the isotopic abundance in Moon rocks was identical to that of the Earth.

This implies that the Moon came only from Earth materials and not an alien planet that collided with the Earth. Thus, there is no evidence of the Mars-mass object in these data.

In other words, the collision theory has failed.

The Real Explanation: the God Hypothesis



The sun and moon exert
gravitational forces on Earth
that influence tides, needed to
sustain life.

The real explanation of the Moon’s existence and orbital configuration is that God designed and created the Moon and set it in place, with a number of important purposes. These include the gyrostabilization of the Earth, cleaning of Earth’s shorelines by tidal forces, giving light in the evening, and the revealing of the Sun’s corona and chromosphere to scientists during solar eclipses. Helium was discovered because of the last listed design feature.

As we read in Genesis 1:16-18,

…God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

Theory Five. Efficient Impact Ejection.

Of course, scientists who work for mainstream universities and government agencies no longer allow themselves to think that there is a Creator God who was directly involved in the formation of the Moon, or of anything else.

Complete mixing of
two colliding bodies?

Very quickly, at least one group has come to the rescue with yet another lunar formation theory, to make up for the defeat of the Collision hypothesis. Zhang et al.⁴ (2012) stated that the twin nature of lunar rocks and the Earth could be explained by an “efficient impact ejection” by “exchange of material between the Earth’s magma ocean and the protolunar disk.”

It is hard enough to imagine such an improbable event as a planet just the size of Mars ... impacting the Earth at just the right angle ... to result in a perfectly placed Moon ... that benefits life on Earth in such wonderful ways. It is even harder, though, to imagine that this involved ... such a thorough mixing of the alien planet and the Earth’s crust ... so that the two bodies have identical core materials.

The God hypothesis will ultimately be the only fully reasonable explanation!

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References (selected)

1.  Britannica.com: Sir George Darwin, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/151966/Sir-George-Darwin, retrieved October 8, 2012.

2. Wikipedia.org: Giant impact hypothesis, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_impact_hypothesis, retrieved October 8, 2012.

3. Meier, M.M.M. 2012. Moon formation: Earth's titanium twin. Nature Geoscience 5:240–241.

4. Zhang, J.,  N. Dauphas, A.M. Davis, I. Leya, and A. Fedkin. 2012.  The proto-Earth as a signifi- cant source of lunar material. Nature Geoscience 5:251–255

Do Not Lose Heart

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:8, 16, 18)

The Word of God, sharper than an AK-47

Ahmed and Mechela, the men who once picked up the hitchhikers in the desert, were again bumping over a desert road in Muslim African—hitting potholes, slogging through muddy ruts, choking on dust—when the check engine light came on. Ahmed did not have the tools or spare parts needed to repair his old Land Cruiser. The engine died and the vehicle rolled to a stop.

Fortunately, they were less than three kilometers from a small African village where there was a Christian colleague, Waseem, whom Ahmed had trained in making disciples. Unfortunately, they knew that it would take a minimum of three days for a truck to arrive with the spare parts they needed. So Ahmed and Mechela left the vehicle and walked the remaining distance to Waseem’s home.

That evening, after milking his cows, Waseem invited the two men to join him for his Discovery Bible Study. Ahmed and Mechela readily agreed, picturing a short walk to a peaceful round hut with thatched roof, owned by a quiet family in the village. Waseem smiled innocently, then led his friends on a long, arduous trek under the desert stars. After several hours, Ahmed saw a large hut in the distance. It was indeed round with a thatched roof, and things were certainly quiet, but perhaps too quiet. The three men entered the hut and Ahmed stopped dead in his tracks.

Huddled inside was a group of some thirty men. All were dressed in desert camouflage, and all were heavily armed. Several of the men had automatic rifles in their hands or within reach. Most had ammo belts draped across a shoulder, and all had unwelcoming eyes focused toward the strangers. Ahmed recognized the men as a group of rebels, whom the Western press would term “freedom fighters,” but whom most Africans know as dangerous brigands. Had Ahmed known in advance that these men would be here, he would never have agreed to come. But Waseem simply beamed his smile once more, then sat down next to the rebel leader, who pulled out a Bible and opened it!

“You have heard that it was said,” the rebel leader read, “'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.” Then the leader asked, “What did Isa say here, in your own words?”

For the next hour, the thirty men discussed the words of Jesus, considering His commands that were so radically opposed to their own traditions, and wrestling with their conviction that they must begin to obey them. Ahmed and Mechela sat silently in a corner, gazing with amazement as many of the men, including the leader himself, wept openly over their sinful condition, These rebels, and many others like them, cloaked their crimes under the guise of fighting for independence, but they supported their “initiatives” by old-fashioned highway robbery. Indeed, these were the very types of men that Ahmed had feared when he passed the elderly hitchhikers some weeks earlier, knowing that they habitually hijacked cars and trucks in the desert, frequently murdering the passengers under the old adage “dead men tell no tales.”

The rebel leader blinked through his tears at Ahmed, then started to laugh. “You don’t have to be afraid, my friends,” he said, gesturing toward the fearful countenances of the two church planters. “You are in the safest place in the region!” The entire band broke into laughter as Waseem translated, many nodding in agreement as they hefted their loaded weapons. Ahmed smiled politely, but his eyes measured the distance to the door.

“My brother,” the rebel leader said in a serious tone, “our friend [pointing to Waseem] has been reading God’s Word to us, and it has changed our lives,” He glanced around the hut at his comrades. “We have been changed. We used to do all the stealing and… and other things… but now, now we are children of God!” As Waseem translated these words, a few men at the rear of the group scowled and exchanged glances, but many others nodded with smiles or tears; a few cried “praise God!” in their native tongue. Many of the rebels had already given their lives to Christ, and the group had slowly been diminishing as, one by one, the new believers returned to their homes to share the Word of God with their families. Some were still hardened in their ways of wickedness, but God had not finished yet. It was for that very reason that the leader himself yet remained, working to obey God’s commands by urging his men to continue following him into eternal life through Jesus Christ.

The next morning, the rebel leader sent several men with donkeys to tow the Land Cruiser back to the rebel hideout. “It will be quite safe here,” he joked. Ahmed and Mechela remained with the band for several days, until the spare parts arrived, and in spending time with these men, whom they had once feared, their understanding of God’s Word was transformed.

“These men were my brothers,” Ahmed explained later.

(excerpted from Jerry Trousdale, Simple Churches: Dramatic Transformations, Rapid Replication, Mission Frontiers, Sep/Oct 2012)

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A review of How to Know God Exists, by Ray Comfort

Ray Comfort is the author of over 70 books, including several on the creation-evolution debate. In his book How to Know God Exists, he shows the reader that evolutionary theory is incapable of explaining such dilemmas as the origin of life, gaps in the fossil record, and macroevolution.

 

Perhaps author Comfort’s best argument for the existence of God, is his discussion of the conscience and morality.

(selections from Reagan Schrock's book review, published in Creation Research Society Quarterly Journal, Volume 48, Number 4, Spring 2012)

If we are simply highly evolved animals, why and how do we know right from wrong? What makes us decide, for example, that murder is wrong? “The problem with atheism,” writes Comfort, “is that it has a shifting morality. There are no moral absolutes. How can there be, when [according to atheism] morality is thought to come through human consensus, rather than divine mandate” (p. 87)? If humans are just biological machines composed of random chemicals that formed over millions of years, there is no reason to believe in moral absolutes.

As Comfort points out on the same page, this is one of the clearest differences between humans and animals. If humans are just animals that are more highly evolved than the rest, why are we the only species to have a clear sense of justice? Why do we punish wrongdoers? No other animal does anything like this. If someone is wronged, most of us naturally want to make it right.

“We know right from wrong,” continues Comfort, “because the conscience is an impartial judge in the courtroom of the mind. It speaks to us irrespective of our will” (p. 87). This is why a lie detector (polygraph) works so well to detect lies. Our conscience tells us lying is wrong and we react physically. For example, a person’s blood pressure and heart rate will spike when he lies and the polygraph picks up the changes. If there were no absolutes, the polygraph would not work because we would not have a conscience to tell us when we err.

This book is a welcome addition to the field of apologetics, especially for the layman.

How to Know God Exists by Ray Comfort
Bridge-Logos Publishers,
Alachua, FL, 2007, 192 pages,
$13.00.

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Pennsylvania Scholarships help kids go to Christian schools

The state of Pennsylvania's Education Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) has been greatly expanded for the 2011-12 school year, to give scholarships to families so that their kids can attend Christian and other private schools.

The way EITC works is this: businesses operating within Pennsylvania that pay certain taxes have the option to contribute some or all of what they owe to scholarship organizations, like the Pennsylvania Family Institute's Family Choice Scholarship Program. The state will give them a generous tax credit. Those scholarship programs, in turn, distribute those monies in the form of grants to students to attend private (including Christian) schools. It's a great concept - businesses get nearly a dollar-for-dollar credit and deduction off their state taxes, and families and children get greater choice.

(from Pennsylvania Citizen, Fall 2012, published by Pennsylvania Family Institute)

Reaching Filipino Muslims with Living Water

Bringing fresh water to a remote area in the Philippines has opened the door to share living water. When Life Resource Foundation graduates Bebot*, Inday,* Dudong* and Yeye* moved to an impoverished area on a small island at the Southern end of Mindanao, they had to walk two hours to get fresh water! The well they brought to this isolated area served to earn a hearing for the Gospel.

The need for church-planting teams among least-reached Filipino Muslims is staggering-far greater than a handful of Christar missionaries can meet alone. However at the Life Resources Foundation (LRF), Christar partners with the existing evangelical church in the Philippines , training Filipino men and women to plant churches.

The Filipino missionary team of Bebot, Inday, Dudong and Yeye has seen 14 from this community trust Christ for their salvation and several have been baptized! The team continues to live and work in this remote area.

To read more about the LRF, see http://christar.org/life-resource-foundation.html.