Grand Canyon - quickly carved by the power of God's Flood

Michael Oard continues his creationist geology series on the origin of Grand Canyon. Millions of years hinder and do not help to explain how the canyon was carved. Sheet flow of water toward the east was stilled by the rising of the Rockies, which happened in a matter of months. While southern California was bottoming out afterward, the flow quickly reversed, creating channels that funnelled downward and quickly cut the tremendous canyon. Scientists with eyes to see can detect the incredible energy and power of God's re-creation, during the global Flood of Noah's day.

Selections from The Origin of Grand Canyon Part V: Carved by Late Flood Channelized Erosion, by Michael J. Oard.

(These selections by Marko Malyj are of the article published in Creation Research Society Quarterly Journal, Volume 47, Number 4, Spring 2011)

(To receive new uMarko posts via a daily email, please click Subscribe)
(On Twitter: FOLLOW uMarko or http://www.twitter.com/uMarko)

Uniformitarian geologists have studied Grand Canyon for over a century...

The Grand Canyon can only be explained by recognizing
the awesome power and energy of the Flood.

West to East Sheet Flow.

They agree that two different stages were involved. The "Great Denudation" was the first of two erosional events on the Colorado Plateau. Great sheets of sediment were eroded, but left few canyons. It was accomplished by broad sheet currents flowing toward the east to northeast and.

This was followed by the "Great Erosion", when most canyons were cut, but which had very little sheet erosion. That is when the Grand Canyon was carved by currents flowing west, and the erosion was focused downward, and not spread across a broad area.

Therefore, there had to be a paleocurrent reversal in the Floodwater flow. Such a reversal would fit well with the transition from sheet flow to channelized flow. What caused that turnaround?

Geologist Elliot Blackwelder (1934) proposed that the uplift of the Rocky Mountains was the key factor leading to the carving of Grand Canyon. The rise of the Rockies caused precipitation to increase on the western side of the mountains. Increasing rain and snow led to large rivers that carved Grand Canyon. The two erosional stages were separated by millions of years.
 
While Blackwelder is probably correct that the rising mountains helped create Grand Canyon, he and other uniformitarians have not accounted for all of the field data, and none of them can even provide reasonable answers to the major enigmas surrounding the canyon. The scientists in question are intelligent, they have received ample funds to conduct numerous studies, and more than enough time has passed to work the problem. The most reasonable explanation for their failure is that they are trapped in a paradigm that cannot be squared with observations in the field.

Uniformitarians fail to comprehend just how it worked. Creationists offer a better paradigm: Grand Canyon was catastrophically eroded.

Upper sections of the Rockies become
exposed above the Floodwater,
breaking up the sheet flow.

In the Flood, the Great Denudation was caused by sheet flow toward the east and northeast. Then, the rising Rockies created a flow barrier that caused the broad Flood currents to reverse themselves, and flow back toward the Pacific Ocean. As the flow reversed, there was a period of time when the current energy diminished, much like slack water between tides. For a brief time, the Colorado Plateau would have appeared to be a giant lake or inland sea with mountain ranges rising out of the Floodwater, mainly to the east. At this time, practically all the southwest United States was still underwater.

Channelized flow toward the Pacific,
with a convergence of 2 (or possibly 3)
main currents carving Grand
Canyon across the plateaus.

When the flow reversed, channels began to form. Grand Canyon was carved by channelized flow to the west that increased in velocity as the relative water level fell. Strong flow from converging currents cut a notch in the Kaibab Plateau. The northwesterly current eroded the southeast Kaibab Plateau and the northwest trending run of Grand Canyon along the southwest edge of the Kaibab Plateau. That channel continued west, then south, then back to the northwest before exiting the Grand Wash Cliffs, based on topography, volcanism, and faulting.

At the time Grand Canyon was forming, Grand Wash trough and the whole area of southeast California was rapidly sinking, creating a rapidly changing bottom and influencing the flow of water off the Colorado Plateau. As the water level continued to fall, the eroding currents narrowed, forming the Esplanade and the Tonto Platform and the slotlike canyon of the inner gorge. The narrowing currents also carved the Little Colorado River Canyon and Marble Canyon with its backwards tributaries.

This creationist model, which utilizes the full power and energy of the Flood offers a much more reasonable explanation. A global flood, especially one receding from the continents, would have supplied more than enough water for the sheet erosion of large regions and for the channelized erosion of deep canyons. A rapidly sinking ocean bottom and the tectonic uplift of the continents would have added tremendous energy to that water. The mystery of the two-stage erosion event, the Great Denudation followed by the Great Erosion that formed the canyon systems, is entirely congruent with the two phases of the retreating stage of the Flood.

References (selected)

Blackwelder, E. 1934. Origin of the Colorado River. GSA Bulletin 45:551–566.

Poverty: The Church's Role, by Robby Butler

The Church has a strategic role in overcoming internal and external factors in poverty.

Internal Influences must be defeated through relational biblical discipleship:

• Fatalism: Poverty is our destiny.
• Hopelessness: Effort will prove unfruitful.
• Laziness: Change is too much work.
• Lies: God hates me and wants me to suffer.
• Identity: I am a victim, inferior to others.
• Addiction: I must numb my pain.
• Limited Good: If you or I benefit, the other must lose.

Individual Circumstances may need such practical assistance such as micro-enterprise mediated through accountable relationships:

• Subsistence: Where water acquisition consumes a family's time and energy, improved access to clean water allows pursuit of better employment.
• Bonded servitude: High interest on even a small debt enslaves many, and micro-finance loans can create freedom to seek other employment.
• Lack of skills: Training can empower a more profitable contribution to the community.
• Lack of capital: Micro-finance loans enable entrepreneurs to increase the supply of existing products or services (subject to local market saturation or global competition).

Societal Environment: best improved through local and international advocacy.

Corruption: The best long-term remedy is widespread Biblical discipleship.

Lack of Infrastructure: Advocacy can encourage governments, charities and businesses to collaborate in developing infrastructure to facilitate commercial enterprise.

Lack of Basic Goods, Services and Employment: The Church can encourage and assist the development of healthy, enterprises which provide employment and discipleship while serving the community.

God didn't simply address our poverty by giving us instructions and resources. Christ emptied Himself and dwelt among us. The most effective approaches to breaking the poverty cycle include incarnational ministry which develops collaborative relationships to hear, serve, learn from and influence the poor, through biblical discipleship, practical assistance, business development and advocacy.

(reposted from Robby Butler, Poverty: The Church's Role, Mission Frontiers, July-August 2011)

(To receive new uMarko posts via a daily email, please click Subscribe)
(On Twitter: FOLLOW uMarko or http://www.twitter.com/uMarko)

10,000 Ethnic Groups still unreached for Christ

There are roughly 10,000 unreached ethnic or people groups without an indigenous, evangelizing church movement in their midst. In Matthew 28, Jesus used the word ethne when he told his followers to disciple all nations. He was speaking of these people groups - the target of frontier mission strategy. Each one needs a missionary team to work among them, to learn their language and culture, and establish a church movement in their culture which is capable of sharing the Gospel effectively with each member of their group.

Ethne (People groups) of Africa.

(from U.S. Center for World Mission prayer bulletin, July 2011)

(To receive new uMarko posts via a daily email, please click Subscribe)
(On Twitter: FOLLOW uMarko or http://www.twitter.com/uMarko)

Danger surrounds Asia Bibi in Pakistan

In June 2009, Asia Bibi was arrested in Pakistan 2009 for her Christian witness. In Pakistan today, militant Muslims view Asia and courageous Pakistani evangelists as blasphemers. They are offended and angered by the truth of the gospel, and they think they are serving Allah by burning churches and jailing or killing Christians.

Before Asia Bibi's arrest, she worked picking berries for a farmer in Pakistan's Punjab province. One day when she brought water to her Muslim co-workers in the field, they refused to drink it, saying the cup had been contaminated by an infidel thief. The Muslims taunted Asia because of her Christian faith, saying that her prophet was born without a father. Asia responded, "Our Christ sacrificed his life on the cross for our sins. What has your prophet done for you? Our Christ is alive, your prophet is dead. Our Christ is the true prophet of God, and yours is not true."

Asia's co-workers reported her "blasphemous" words to the village's Muslim religious leaders. Five days later, several mullahs and local Islamists forced Asia from her workplace and took her by motorbike to the village center. She was then beaten by a crowd that had gathered there, and she was not allowed to defend herself against the blasphemy accusations made against her.

Asia was arrested and taken to jail. Her guards told her that if she would convert to Islam, they would let her go. But she refused, telling them, "You can kill me, but I will not leave my Jesus."

Seventeen months after Asia's arrest, she was convicted of violating subsection C of Pakistan's 295 blasphemy law - blasphemy against the prophet Muhammed - and was sentenced to death. Christians have called for Asia's release and for a repeal of the laws, while extremists in Pakistan continue to demand that she be executed.

Maulana Yusaf Qureshi, an imam at Peshawar's well know Mohabbat Khan mosque in northwestern Pakistan, has issued a fatwa against Asia, offering a $6,000 reward to anyone who kills her. Her family and friends are concerned that she could be murdered by another prison inmate or guard, or even poisoned by kitchen staff. She is confined to her prison cell for her own safety, and she cooks her own meals using groceries provided by her husband.

Though Asia cannot read, she keeps a copy of the Bible in her prison cell. A female Christian is allowed to read the Bible to her. She also prays with Asia.

Asia's Defenders Killed

Amid the controversy over Asia Bibi's death sentence, two Pakistani politicians were murdered for publicly supporting her. Governor Salman Taseer had visited Asia in prison on Nov. 20, 2010, and called for her release. Governor Taseer, a Muslim, was shot to death on Jan. 4, 2011, by his own bodyguard. The bodyguard said he killed Taseer because the governor supported a repeal of Pakistan's blasphemy law.

Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian and long-time champion of Christian rights in Pakistan, was killed by four gunmen who opened fire on his car as he drove to work on March 2, 2011. Bhatti had received many death threats because of his support for Asia Bibi and his ongoing efforts to repeal the blasphemy law.

Shortly before his death, Bhatti released a video testimony in which he said he would not be deterred by threats against his life made by those who "want to impose their radical philosophy in Pakistan." Bhatti said, "I believe in Jesus Christ, who has given his own life for us. I know what is the meaning of the cross ... and I am ready to die for a cause. I am living for my community and suffering people, and I will die to defend their rights."

Asia Bibi and many other Pakistani believers are under fire from Islamic extremists. But they continue to uphold the cross of Christ so others may know the truth. As their brothers and sisters, we are their voice around the world. Together, we will witness to all men of what we have seen and heard (Acts 22:14-15).

(from a Christian prayer letter, July 2011)

(To receive new uMarko posts via a daily email, please click Subscribe)
(On Twitter: FOLLOW uMarko or http://www.twitter.com/uMarko)

Become a support partner for an adopted orphan like Katya

"Our youngest daughter's name is Katya. She was abandoned at the hospital. Her parents were alcoholics. They do not want to have any connection with their daughter. Her health is really bad because of lots of inborn pathologies. Please pray for her physical and spiritual health and revival. Weed need God's wisdom in raising all our children." (testimony of Nataliya and Oleksandr Tseplyayevy, Christian adoptive parents from Ukraine)

Katya is one of 60 children in the New Hope Orphan Care Program of Ukraine who were recently adopted domestically and live in a loving family. However, they have no prayer and support partners in the U.S. If you are willing to help Katya or other children who need support, please share this prayer need with your friends. Perhaps God will touch someone's heart and one more child in Ukraine will have a loving family who cares about her.

(from the New Hope International prayer letter, July 2011)

 (To receive new uMarko posts via a daily email, please click Subscribe)
(On Twitter: FOLLOW uMarko or http://www.twitter.com/uMarko)