THE  GOSPEL  INCLUDES  GENESIS


    “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:45).   This is the “Great Commission” that Jesus gave to His disciples - - and, of course, as followers of Christ, it is our commission as well.   The Gospel (Good News) includes the three-fold work of Christ as outlined in Colossians 1:16-20 - - His past work: “By Him all things were created” (v.16); His present work: “By Him all things consist” (v.17); and His future work: “By Him to reconcile all things unto Himself” (v.20).


    But it seems that more and more these days, we hear Christians, of all people, argue that Creation is just a “secondary” doctrine and we should concentrate on the New Testament and the need to be born again.


    Actually, when most people say that the doctrine of Creation is “secondary,” they usually mean that the details (young or old earth; if the days were ordinary 24-hour days; if Noah’s Flood were a global event; etc.) would not be considered essential to Christianity.


    But, the details of the Creation account are indeed essential.  As a matter of fact, the entire book of Genesis, including the Creation, establishes the foundation of all Christian doctrine and theology.   Jesus referred to Genesis and the Creation as a supporting authority for much of His teaching.   Genesis is referred to in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament book.


    Also, it is important to understand that those who seek to undermine Christianity not only attack the tenets of the Church, but they especially attack the very foundation - - Genesis.  Genesis is by far the most vehemently attacked book of the Bible, and the Creation account is usually the primary target, with the theory of evolution being the main weapon.


    Today, the theory of evolution is much more than Darwin's molecules-to-man idea. It is, instead, a whole way of thinking (Humanism)—a philosophy of life that teaches that man, independent of God, can determine truth and that the universe is self-existing and not created. If God’s revealed Word can be considered erroneous in matters as basic as the Creation of the world and mankind, His ultimate authority may then be questioned.

CELEBRATE THE RESURRECTION

It probably goes without saying, but the fact is - - the Christian life hinges on the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. If the resurrection is not a fact, then, as the Apostle Paul said; “our preaching is in vain and your faith is also in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). “Vain” means, of course; empty, powerless, and of no effect.


But Jesus did rise from the dead, and as a fact of history, He appeared to hundreds of people in the 40 days following the crucifixion - - even to 500 at one time (1 Cor., Chapter 15). Jesus also appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos and proclaimed: “I am He that liveth, and was dead: and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen, and have the keys of hell and of death” (Revelation 1:18 KJV).


Jesus’ death and resurrection, in a manner of speaking, “undid” what Adam’s sin did back in the Garden of Eden. Adam’s sin had caused separation from God. Jesus’ death and resurrection paid the penalty for sin (in full - - once and for all) and opened the door to fellowship with God.


Jesus’ suffering entailed more than being nailed to the cross. Around 700 B.C. the prophet Isaiah made known the purpose of the cross of the coming Messiah. “Surely He has borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God and afflicted. He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4,5).


Those words “sorrows” and “griefs” also mean “infirmities” and “sicknesses” (Matthew 8:17). Jesus’ sacrifice covered every area of man’s existence. Suffering in our place and being separated from the Father, Jesus suffered spiritual torment, mental distress and physical pain.


But Praise God! - - as a result, Jesus defeated Satan and gained victory over death, hell, and the grave. Then, when Divine justice was satisfied, God raised Him from the dead and He ascended into heaven - - where He is now seated at God’s right hand, making intercession for us.


Christ’s resurrection, then, was the final evidence that He had paid the price for our redemption - - that His sacrifice for us was accepted by God the Father, and that we could have eternal life and be forever reconciled to God as a result.


Because Jesus took on human form and became obedient unto death on a cross, and rose from the dead, we can have the free gift of eternal life with Him. But remember, a gift is only a gift if it is accepted. He gave all that He had so that we might have everything we need.


This is the Blessed Hope we have through our Risen Lord!

IT’S  A  FACT - - - HE  IS  RISEN!


    “…Jesus Christ, who being in the form of God coming in the likeness of man, And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death on the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).


    But praise God; He rose again just as He said He would (Mark 9:9, John 2:19) and ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He ever makes intercession for us (Ephesians 1:20, Romans 8:24).

    Now, there are many who do not believe the historical eyewitness accounts that Jesus really died and rose again, and they have devised many stories in an attempt to explain away the Empty Tomb.

    Some have suggested that the disciples stole Jesus’ body and then lied, saying that He rose from the dead.  But - - the disciples couldn’t have even made it to the tomb without being noticed by the Roman guards.  Then there’s the fact that most of the disciples died for their belief that Jesus rose from the dead.  They would not have died for something they knew to be a lie!

    Others say that the story of the resurrection is just a myth or a legend.  But the Gospels were written between 25 and 65 years after the event - - hardly enough time for a legend or myth to develop.  Some of the eyewitnesses to the event were still around to answer any questions.

    Some critics say that Jesus simply fainted on the cross (the so-called “Swoon Theory”) and then revived in the cool tomb and got up and left.  But - - Jesus would have had to somehow unwrap Himself from the grave clothes, push aside the large stone (which was so heavy that it took several men to place it there), and then walk past the Roman guards outside.  Could an almost dead-by-crucifixion man have the strength to do this?  Also, a Roman soldier had pierced Jesus’ side with a spear while He was still on the cross, and the blood and water that flowed from the wound showed that He was truly dead.

    Still others have said that the Roman soldiers or other Jews removed Jesus’ body from the tomb.  But those people had no reason to do that - - instead, they would have wanted to keep the body in the tomb to stop any stories that Jesus had actually risen. If the disciples would say He had been seen alive, the soldiers could easily prove the story false by producing the body.

    Yes, Jesus did die a terrible death on the cross, for you and for me - - but Jesus, the creator of all things, was not defeated by death.  He rose again in three days, showing that He had power over all things, including death, hell, and the grave.  The bodily resurrection of our Savior and Lord Jesus from the dead is the crowning proof of Christianity - - the final evidence that He paid the price for our redemption and that His sacrifice, that covered every area of man’s existence, was wholly accepted by God the Father.

THe Last Adam


“And so it is written, the first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life- giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45, NKJV). Here, as in Romans 5:12-19, the Apostle Paul shows Adam to be a contrasting type of Christ - - and the Holy Spirit instructs him to give Jesus the title “the Last Adam” (not the second Adam). Have you ever wondered what this title means?


First Adam, Last Adam - - we know that both are vital to the Gospel; but to understand exactly how, we should examine just a few similarities (and differences) between Adam and Jesus. Back in 2002, Dan Lietha of Answers in Genesis Ministries put it simply - - 1) Adam was created, Jesus is the Creator; 2) Man wanted to be like God, God became a man; 3) Adam believed a lie, Jesus is the truth; 4) Adam disobeyed, Jesus obeyed; 5) Adam brought death to the living, Jesus brought life to the dying; 6) Adam was sent away, Jesus was sent to pay.


But let’s look at it in a little more detail. At the beginning, Adam went through a period of testing (the forbidden fruit). At the beginning or His ministry, Jesus was tested (tempted) by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Adam failed the test. Jesus was victorious over sin, the flesh and the devil.


It can also be said that both were rulers and givers of life - - Adam was given dominion over the created world, but gave it away. Jesus, after His resurrection, was elevated to sit at the right hand of God and given dominion over all things; which were put “under His feet” (Ephesians 1:20-22). While Adam gave life to his descendants, Jesus gives eternal life to those who will receive Him and believe on His name. He is the way, the truth and the life.


Adam was the head of the human race. Jesus is the head of redeemed humanity. Since Christ died once for all time, there will never be the need for any further “Adam” - - therefore, Jesus is the last Adam.


Remember, we are all connected with the first Adam as we were born with a sin nature - - and are therefore included in the sentence of death. But the Good News is that all who are connected with the Last Adam --Jesus -- through repentance and faith in His redeeming work, are forgiven and so “have passed from death unto life” (1 John 3:14; Romans 5:17; Colossians 1:14).

WHO’S AFRAID  OF  WHAT?


 

    Have you ever wondered why so many people who believe in evolution get so upset with the creation worldview and the Genesis account of origins?  If Genesis is irrelevant and evolution is supposedly a “proven scientific fact,” - - what are they afraid of?

    Many of the highest-caliber scientific researchers, while not willing to abandon their faith in the evolutionary worldview, do, however, acknowledge that there are serious problems with the theory. Some may say that science will solve the problems in time, while others might consider the only alternative (special creation) to be “unthinkable.”

    On the other hand, some scientists, such as physicist H. S. Lipson, have recognized the possibility that the Genesis account might be valid after all.  In his 1980 article “A Physicist Looks At Evolution” (Physics Bulletin 31, Pg. 138), Dr. Lipson stated: “I think, however, that we must go further and admit that the only acceptable explanation is creation.  I know this is anathema to scientists, as indeed it is to me, but we must not reject a theory we do not like if the experimental evidence supports it”.

    Today, the most vocal opponents of creation (usually not credentialed scientists) who vehemently attack Genesis and creationists, in general, appear to be those who are ignorant of what the creation message truly is or of the supporting scientific data.  

    One of the most common false statements made about creationists is they are “anti-science,” not remembering that most all of the fathers of the major fields of science were Biblical creationists - - from da Vinci, Kepler, and Paschal to Newton, Linnaeus, and Herschel: from Faraday and Morse to Pasteur and Kelvin; and from George Washington Carver to Werner von Braun.

    Bible-believing scientists fully appreciate and participate in all areas of scientific research - - and, especially in this age of rapidly expanding knowledge obtained from deep space probes and electron microscopes, are excited to see the increasing amount of data supporting special creation over the alleged Big Bang theory (a theory that suggests that the intricate order seen in the universe could result from chaos).

    Interestingly, Dr. Luther Sunderland, a design engineer who worked for 30 years in the development of automatic flight control systems for the GE Corporation, later became interested in research on the anatomical features of the woodpecker.  In a paper he submitted to the Creation Research Quarterly (Vol. 12, pg. 183) he observed that: “It is very easy to tell the difference between man-made and God-made objects.  The more you magnify man-made objects, the cruder they look; but the more you magnify God-made objects, the more precise and intricate they appear.”

WHO  ACCEPTED  THE  “ACCEPTED  WISDOM?”

    About 20 years ago, in an article in Discover Magazine, Matthew Cartmill used the term “holy war” to describe any modern-day campaign against Darwinian evolution. In his opinion, “No intelligent, reasonable person could possibly have doubts about evolution purely from a scientific view.”


    The article actually began with the declaration: “As far as we can tell, all of Earth’s living things are descended from a distant common ancestor that lived more than three billion years ago.”  “Darwin’s theory,” he added, “has been accepted wisdom for more than a hundred years.” (Emphasis added).

 

    Accepted wisdom!  This sounds like peer pressure on steroids!  If only Copernicus and Galileo had listened to the “accepted wisdom” of their day, today’s astronomers wouldn’t be dealing with the confusing sun-centered view of our solar system.


    In short, Mr. Cartmill believed that most opposition to Darwin’s theory comes from angry, ignorant, conservative, anti-science, Christian fanatics - - along with a few of the uninformed multi-cultural left and that this “sad situation” goes all the way back to 1859, when Darwin published his The Origin of Species.  But wait a minute!  The fact is that in those days, it was the scientists who did not believe in Darwin, while many “religious” leaders thought he was the greatest thing since the wheel.  (now that’s a truly “sad situation”).

 

    Scientists such as Kelvin, Herschel, Agassiz, Mendel, Dana, Maxwell, and Pasteur were extremely opposed to and openly aligned against Darwin.   Adam Sedgewick, the man who taught Darwin the elements of field geology, wrote to Darwin after reading The Origin of Species and told him: “I have read your book with more pain than pleasure, … parts of which I read with absolute sorrow because I think them utterly false and mischievous”.   Darwin’s book was actually banned from the library at Cambridge.

 

    While scientists were lining up against Darwin, many religious leaders were applauding him and cheering him on “as if he were preaching the Gospel.”   Rev. Josiah Strong, in his pamphlet America’s Destiny, wrote that scripture and evolution could go “hand-in-hand.”    Others, including Henry Drummond, James Orr, and Henry Ward Beecher, declared that evolution was “a valid idea whose time had come.”


     When Darwin died, accolades poured in from the churches.  When he was buried in Westminster Abbey, it was said that “the Abbey did not bestow dignity on the naturalist as his body was hallowed already.” 

 

    It seems like we may be coming full circle concerning the acceptance of Darwin’s evolutionary theory.   An increasing number of scientists today are acknowledging that evolution is not a valid or proven theory of origins - - while, sadly, many Christian leaders are accepting evolutionary ideas through the various “compromise theories,” such as the Gap Theory, Theistic Evolution, the Day-Age Theory, Intelligent Design, etc.


    As believers, we must hold fast to the foundational book of Genesis and its foundation of Creation.  As Psalm 11:3 tells us, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

THE “SLIPPERY SLOPE” OF COMPROMISE

Question: Would the all-powerful and loving God of the Bible use the cruel and extremely wasteful process of evolution to create the world and all that is in it ? Hard to imagine, isn’t it? - - especially when Genesis tells us that God called His creation “Good” and when He had finished He called His completed creation “Very Good” (or “Perfect”).


If He did create everything using the sadistic process of evolution over millions of years, it would mean that suffering and death are “Good” and consistent with the nature and character of God. But we know that this is not true.


Sadly, many have actually rejected the Genesis account of creation on what they mistakenly believe are “scientific grounds” - - believing that the current humanistic/naturalistic teaching of macro-evolution and alleged millions of years of earth history are accurate.


To make God a part of an evolutionary process of “creating” is a “Slippery Slope”, because it does not really defend creation - - but actually brings into question God’s very nature and character. By following man’s fallible opinions over God’s inerrant Word, theistic evolution and progressive creation proponents are actually making God the author of millions of years of death, suffering, bloodshed, disease, mutations, etc.


This is confusing our young people. They are being asked to accept the notion that it’s OK to believe that death and bloodshed are not the consequence of the Fall (Romans 5:12). This, of course, invalidates the reason why Jesus came to die and shed His blood on the Cross as our substitute, to save and redeem us.


Such naturalistic opinions would also suggest that there was not a global Flood - - but instead, the fossil record is just the result of millions of years of God’s “Creating”. No wonder so many young people today are confused! But remember, God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). He has spoken as plainly as possible regarding the Creation, the Fall, the Flood, and the future restoration. We can put our complete trust in the straight-forward presentation of the Genesis record.

A  WHALE  OF  A  TALE


 

    Mammals, as we all remember from biology class, are a classification of vertebrates that are warm-blooded, that bear live young, and nurse their young.  Although most mammals live on land, we also know that there are sea mammals - - such as walruses, dolphins, seals, and whales.


    Evolutionary scientists have spent much time and effort attempting to discover how these air-breathing animals came to exist in the ocean environment.   After all, the sequence of events according to evolution says that life began in the ocean, and over eons of time, some creatures ventured onto land for periods of time (amphibians), then some of them “evolved” into reptiles, and eventually, some became mammals.  But to explain the sea mammals, this process must have taken a major detour when some of the land mammals “evolved” again to return to the ocean.


    The obvious problem with this scenario is that there is absolutely no evidence in the fossil record (such as transitional forms) to suggest that such a process ever took place.  Since no fossil evidence exists, evolutionists have had to speculate on what a sea mammal such as a great whale may have “evolved” from.  Some have suggested that it came from a dog-like creature, while others say whales came from hoofed animals such as cows or even pigs.


    But think for a moment about the changes that would have been necessary for a creature to go from a dog, cow, or pig to a whale.  Its front legs would have to change into flippers, and the back legs disappear.   It would have to develop special underwater eyes and ears, modify its nose to a blow hole, and move it to the top of its head while developing a tube from the nostrils to a set of highly specialized lungs - - which, along with a special system that prevents a build-up of carbon dioxide resulting in the “bends” - - that allows the whales to dive nearly 3,000 feet and stay underwater for an hour!


    And - - while these and other changes were taking place, the animal would have to grow to several hundred times its size, lose all its hair, and grow a thick layer of fat (blubber) for warmth.  As mammals, whales must maintain a body temperature higher than fish, reptiles, and amphibians to survive while surrounded by an ocean of cold water. (Actually, the whale’s fins have fascinating biological structures called countercurrent heat exchangers to conserve heat.


    In addition, the land ancestor of the whale would have had to gradually eliminate its pelvis, replacing it with a very different skeletal structure that would support a massive flat tail.


    This whole idea really does sound like a “whale of a tale.”  The most credible and factual explanation, of course, is found in the Genesis account of creation which says that on the 5th Day  “God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind” (Genesis 1:21a).

    

WHERE’S  THE  HELIUM?


    As you may have noticed, creationists and evolutionists agree on very little.   One of the greatest disagreements between the two worldviews deals with the age of the universe and Earth.


    Most people alive today have grown up in an age where the “billions of years of an evolutionary process of random chance and mutations” have been taught in schools and presented in museums and in the media as proven scientific fact - - and that you some sort of radical misfit if you don’t believe it.


    It’s quite natural, then, for people to ask creationists: “Is there really any evidence for a young universe and earth?”  The answer is, of course, a definite YES!  Aside from the obvious (common sense), there are 50 to 60 examples of natural phenomena that conflict with the idea that the universe is, or could be, billions of years old.


    For example, there’s the fact that spiral galaxies are winding themselves up too rapidly, that comets disintegrate too quickly, that earth’s continents erode too fast, that there’s not enough sediment on ocean floors, that the oceans accumulate sodium too fast, that the earth’s magnetic field is decaying too fast; that multi-layer fossil trees straddle several geologic strata; and that stalactites and stalagmites form too quickly - - just to name a few.


    Then, there’s the evidence that there’s not enough Helium present in the earth’s atmosphere to account for the alleged evolutionary age of 4.5 billion years.  Some atmospheric Helium comes in from space, especially from the sun, but most get there from the constant decay of Earth’s naturally occurring families of radioactive elements (especially uranium and thorium) - - which generate Helium as they decay.


    The estimated rate of formation of atmospheric Helium (HE-4) is reportedly about 300,000 tons per year.  Scientists have calculated that if decay of radioactive elements has been going on for some 4,5 billion years, the atmosphere should contain about 1.4 million parts per million of Helium.  However, a noted physicist in 1990 calculated that our atmosphere contains only 0.05% of the amount that should have accumulated after 4.5 billion years.


    What this means is: there is only enough Helium in the atmosphere to account for about 10,000 years of radioactive decay.


    Then there’s a study by Dr. Robert Gentry of the Oak Ridge Laboratory, published in Geophysical Research Letters(Vol.9, Oct. 1982), which presents data showing that Helium produced by decay in deep, hot rocks has not had sufficient time to escape into the atmosphere - - suggesting a young earth age.  The rocks were aged, by the way, at one billion years by common evolutionary aging techniques.


    In other words, there’s not enough Helium in the atmosphere, and too much Helium still in the rocks, to allow for the alleged 4.5 billion years of decay.  Interesting!

“PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIUM” - - REALLY?


 

    The lack of transitional forms in the fossil record has long been a serious problem for the theory of evolution.  The discovery of a fossil called Archaeopterix was touted for years as being part reptile and part bird - - therefore “proving” the evolutionary link.   It was later proven that Archaeopteryx was actually 100 percent bird, and more recently, fossil evidence of modern birds has been found in the so-called “older” rock strata.


    Back in about 1975, Yale professor Stephen Jay Gould and his colleagues, determined to overcome this little problem of no transitional forms, proposed a new theory - - a process which they called “Punctuated Equilibrium."


    That new theory was quickly accepted by many scientists to be the answer to the lack of evidence of  “gradual” change in the fossil record.

    Briefly stated, “Punctuated Equilibrium” proposes that existing life forms remained unchanged for millions of years until, as a result of some catastrophe, evolution occurred in rapid spurts and in isolated locations, so rapidly that it left very little or no evidence.  That is the reason why there are so many gaps in the fossil record.


    In other words, things remained the same for so long there are no fossils showing any noticeable changes - - then, things changed so fast over a short period of time that we missed it! The problem is that no genetic mechanism can be found to explain how it happened - - and the gaps in the fossil record are too ordered to statistically fit such a theoretical process.


    The Bible tells us that “all flesh is not the same, but there is one kind of flesh of man, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds” (1 Corinthians 15:39).   God created each kind separately during the six-day creation week, and that is the reason they appear abruptly and fully formed in the fossil record.


    However, the Bible also tells us that in the last days, “scoffers” will be “willingly ignorant” of what God has told us in His written Word (2 Peter 3:5).   We might do well to remember what the late Professor Gould himself wrote in 1977, in the journal Paleobiology, Vol.3 (1), Pg. 34;  “Paleontologists (and evolutionary biologists in general) are famous for their facility in devising plausible stories, but they often forget that plausible stories need not be true”

EXILED FROM  THE  GARDEN - - A  BLESSING  FOR  US?


 

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, several events were set in motion.  First was their feeling of guilt - - which was expressed in two ways, shame and fear.  They saw they were naked and were ashamed - - and, in fear, they tried to hide from God.


Then came condemnation.  The serpent was cursed (Genesis 3:15), Eve was to be subject to pain in childbirth (Genesis 3:16), and the ground was cursed so Adam’s life would involve hardship and toil (Genesis 3:17). 


And finally, there was separation - - separation of Adam and Eve from their intimate fellowship with their Creator.  They had died spiritually, and the process of physical death had begun.  Because of the Fall, sin, and death entered into the whole universe - - forcing God to place a curse on His entire creation.  Since that day, “… the whole creation groans and travails until now (Romans 8:22).  But thank God it’s only temporary!


The curse was reinforced by the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.  Genesis chapter 3, verses 22-24, explains exactly what happened and what had to be done about it;  “Then the Lord God said “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil.  And now, lest he put out his hand and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” - - therefore the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he had been taken.  So He drove out the man, and He placed Cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life”.


Being driven out of the Garden and making death the penalty for sin actually provided a future blessing for us.  If Adam and Eve had remained in the Garden, they could have eaten from the tree of life, and mankind would have been immortal.  We, then, would all be cut off from God forever!  However, if we repent and have faith in Christ’s work on the cross for us, physical death brings us into the presence of God in heaven to be with Him for eternity.


So, death was the ultimate penalty for sin and the very means by which believers are restored to God and, in His eyes, perfection.   And as a bonus, the Bible assures us that in heaven there is no more curse and  “the tree of life is in the midst of the Paradise of God” and is available once again (Revelation 2:7 and 22:2-3).

 

THE  NECESSITY  OF  THE  VIRGIN  “CONCEPTION”

 

    “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign.  Behold, a virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel”  (Isaiah 7:14).


    The one basic fact that makes Jesus’ birth different from any other in history is that He was born of a virgin.   For centuries, this virgin birth (or more specifically, the conception by a virgin) has been laughed at, refuted, and attacked - - and at one time or another, most people have probably wondered:  “Why a virgin birth, anyway?”


    The answer is - - if it were not so, God’s plan of redemption would never have been complete.  Jesus had to be born of a virgin in order for Him to be without sin - - without the blood of fallen man flowing in His veins.  To have authority on the earth, He had to have a physical body, so He had to be born of a woman.  But to have authority with heaven, He had to be pure in Spirit - - one with the Father.


    Every person born after Adam sinned has been born in sin - - with a sinful nature.  But Jesus did not have an earthly father, and this is what makes being  “born of a virgin” a must!


    Medical science once thought that the mother furnished the blood for the baby in the womb, but for some time now, it has been known that this isn’t true.  Under normal circumstances, blood doesn’t pass from the mother to the baby.  The blood type and chemistry are determined by the father.


    As we know, the life of the flesh is in the blood, but because of Adam’s sin and the fall of man, the death of the flesh is also in the blood.  Therefore, if Jesus had an earthly father, He would have had death in His blood like we do.


    So, thankfully, the conception of Jesus was indeed a supernatural act.  God created the first cell for the body of Jesus.  The Holy Spirit over-shadowed Mary and, by the power of God, a seed - - “a Holy thing” - - was planted in her womb. The embryo within her was the Word of God (John 1: 1, 14).  It had to be this way, because to redeem mankind that was under the law (Gal. 4:5), the Son Himself had to be “without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). 


    Just as Adam was specially made by God, the “last Adam” was a special creation.  Jesus, as the “last Adam”, had to be like the first Adam before the fall.  He had to pass the same test that Adam failed.  The ultimate sacrifice had to be a perfect man - - in right standing with the Father - - to restore mankind to its rightful position in God’s eyes.  A most significant event!

ONLY  JESUS  COULD  FULFILL  OLD  TESTAMENT  PROPHECIES OF  THE  MESSIAH

    The Old Testament contains several hundred references and some 60 direct prophecies concerning the coming Messiah - - all of which, of course, were fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ.   For example:



1)The Messiah was to come from the seed of Abraham;  2) He would come through the line of Isaac (Genesis 21:12) - - which eliminates one-half of the lineage of Abraham; 3) He would be of the line of Jacob (Num. 24:17) - - which eliminates one-half of the lineage of Isaac;  4) He would come from the tribe of Judah (Gen.49:10) - - which now eliminates eleven-twelfths of the tribes of Israel;  5) He would come from the family of Jesse, namely the house of David (Isa. 11:1) - - which eliminates all of Jesse’s sons except David;  6) He would be born in the town of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) - - which eliminates all the cities of the world except one;  7) and the “clincher”, He would be conceived and born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14). 


Other prophetic statements concerning the Messiah include:  He would receive gifts from the Magi;  He would come out of Egypt;  He would be known as a Nazarene;  He would be preceded by a messenger (John The Baptist);  He would receive special anointing of the Holy Spirit (Christ means Anointed One);  He would begin His ministry in Galilee;  He would enter Jerusalem on a donkey;  He would be sold for 30 pieces of silver;  He would be crucified between two thieves;  He would be buried in a rich man’s grave;  He would be resurrected on the third day and ascend into heaven;  etc.



These and other Old Testament declarations establish a solid confirmation of Jesus’ credentials as Messiah and that He alone could be that “Babe in the Manger”.  In fact, scholars have determined that the probability of a single person fulfilling all of the Old Testament prophecies is only one chance in 10 to the 127th power!  We can, therefore, be confident in the fact that Jesus is indeed exactly who He says He is!














 


IN THE  BEGINNING:  A  DISTINCT  CREATION


 

    “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female?” (Matthew 19:4 & Mark 10:6)  From this statement by Jesus, quoting Genesis 1:27 as literal history, we see two important facts.  One that Jesus was a creationist.  After all, He was the creator! (John 1:1-3 & 14; Colossians 1:16).  Second, it establishes that Adam and Eve were created at the beginning, on the sixth day of the creation week - - not after the earth had already existed for over 4 billion years.


    The religion of Humanism (a name which sounds like a system that really “cares” for humanity) was largely formulated by the so-called “Father of American Education,” John Dewey, and is prevalent throughout our society these days, but is based entirely upon a foundation of evolution and declares that there is no need for a God.


    Yes, Humanism is a religion - - declared so by the U. S. Supreme Court in 1961.  The “Humanist Manifesto,” first printed in 1923 and expanded in 1973 and 2000, makes some amazing affirmations: That the universe is self-existing and not created; that faith in God is outmoded and dangerous: that the evolution of man is a proven fact; and, that no deity will save us - - we must save ourselves.


    When people accept this doctrine and the belief in the process of evolution from the primordial ooze to living cells, to animals, to apes, to man - - that is, from goo to you by way of the zoo - - it’s no wonder so many feel worthless, just an accident of random chance and without hope.  But this is not true!  You were created as a spiritual being, “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:4) - - and very special to God.


    You were made in the “likeness of God” (Genesis 1:26) and are a triune being - - a spirit who has a soul (mind, will, and emotions) and lives in a body.  Plants may possess a “body,” and animals possess a body and a consciousness, but man was to not only have a body (made from the created earth) and a consciousness but was to possess an eternal spirit capable of communion and fellowship with the creator.


    The human body was specifically made to be most suited for divine fellowship (erect posture, upward gazing with facial expressions that vary with emotional feelings and a brain and tongue designed for articulate speech).  Also, the human body was designed in the form which God had planned for eternity, that He, Himself, would one day assume (1 Peter 1:20).


    You are indeed distinct from the rest of creation, and you are worth so much to the Creator that He gave everything for you - - and through the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, He made “the way” for each one of us to receive the free gift of eternal life with Him.

CHRISTIAN  STEWARDSHIP  OF  GOD’S  CREATION


Back in 1967, Lynn White, a University of California historian, published an article titled: “The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis.”  White wrote that Christianity is “arrogant toward nature” - - therefore, Christianity “bears the burden of guilt for our ecological woes.”


Today, environmental activists and those in academic circles generally agree with White’s views that Christianity is environmentally unfriendly and that his article was the definitive indictment of Christianity for crimes against nature.


The portion of scripture most quoted by those who hold White’s views is found in Genesis 1:27-28:  “And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created them.  And God blessed them, and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."


Actually, these two verses reveal three critical points about Biblical and Christian bases for conservation and stewardship of the planet.


    1). That humans did not evolve from primates but were created in the image of God.  Humans possess physical attributes not shared by animals - - but more important, we possess spiritual attributes (a moral consciousness, the ability to think, and the capacity to know and worship God).


    2). That humans were commanded by God to be fruitful and populate the earth.  Men, women, and children are the world’s greatest resource, not its greatest liability.


    3)..God instructed humans to be the earth’s stewards - - to subdue and rule it.  Take the activity of farming (the world’s true “oldest profession”), for example.   To successfully produce a successful crop, the soil must be tilled (broken up), seeds planted, seedlings watered, weeds pulled, and pests removed. (sounds like a good sermon on God’s Word planted in our hearts).


Therefore, farming (or even gardening) involves subduing and ruling (“managing” and “administering”) a patch of wild nature for the benefit of people.  We have been given the honor and privilege of managing and administering God’s creation - - but with the expectation that we will do it responsibly.


Biblical Christianity, far from being the root of our ecological crisis, offers not only a credible explanation for the crisis (the entrance of sin and death into a fallen world [Genesis chapter 3]), but also the only true solution (2 Chronicles 7:14).

    Don't dismiss the first eleven chapters of gensis

For many years, people have tried to attack the first eleven chapters of the Bible - - saying that Genesis 1 – 11 is non-literal, non-historical drama or poetry.

There is a way, however, to measure the foundational importance of the book of Genesis - - especially the first eleven chapters. This is by looking at the fact that quotations from, or allusions to, Genesis occur so frequently in the New Testament - - as much, if not more, in fact, than any other Old Testament book.


Actually, there about 200 New Testament references to Genesis - - more than half of which (107) are to Genesis 1 thru 11. Every one of the first eleven chapters are referred to somewhere in the New Testament. Sixty-three (59%) of the references are to the first three chapters alone, and fourteen (13%) are from the Flood chapters (6,7 and 8).


Every one of the New Testament writers refer to Genesis, and Christ Jesus referred to each of the first seven chapters - - see Matthew 19:4,5 & 24:37; Mark 10:6; Luke 11:51; & John 8:44). In all of these references, Jesus presupposes the historical truth of the events referred to.


Not only does the New Testament build upon Genesis 1 thru 11, it may be interesting to note that the Old Testament also built upon the historical accuracy of those first eleven chapters. As the noted theologian Dr. John C. Whitcomb pointed out in his address at the 25th anniversary of the Institute for Creation Research: “Genesis 1 thru 11 merges directly into Genesis 12 thru 50 - - with no hint that mythology is changing into some other form of narration. All of Genesis is sober, straight-forward, matter-of-fact, continuous sequential history!”


Note also, that the Genesis chapter one time-block is confirmed precisely by God Himself in Exodus 20:11 and 31:17.


And - - Adam’s sin is mentioned by Job (31:33), the genealogies recorded in Genesis are repeated in 1 Chronicles; Noah’s righteousness is mentioned twice by Ezekiel (14:14, 20); the historic reality of Noah and the Flood are referred to in Psalm 29:10 & 104:6-9, and in Isaiah 54:9; and the dispersion from Babel is mentioned in Deuteronomy 32:8.


So, the 1,170 chapters of the Bible that follow Genesis 1 thru 11 not only build upon and pre- suppose the truth and historical accuracy of those first eleven chapters, but also illuminate them. Dr. Whitcomb probably said it best when he remarked “What God recorded in Genesis is absolutely perfect. But it is not all that God wants us to know about Him. Only the full collection of the 66 inspired books is both perfect and complete”.

GOD IS NOT ON OUR TIME SCHEDULE

“But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing; that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8)


Some have used this verse to promote the erroneous Day/Age Theory of Creation - - that each of the “days” mentioned in Genesis could have been 1,000 years long, instead of normal 24-hour days.


However, this verse says that one day is AS (or Like) a thousand years, in the eyes of the Lord. It is simply a figure of speech (a simile) where one thing is likened or compared to something of a different kind or quality. What Peter is teaching here is that God is outside of time, because He is the Creator of time. The verse is not defining a day, because it doesn’t say “a day IS a thousand years”. Actually, this figure of speech is very effective here in what Peter is stating - - precisely because the word “day” is literal, and contrasts strikingly with a literal 1,000 years.


In fact, Peter is referring to Psalm 90:4, which also says that 1,000 years is like “a watch in the night”. So, if those who suggest that the days could have been 1,000 years long were correct, then they would have to say that a night watch could last 1,000 years!


The point of this whole discussion is simply to point out that it is always extremely important to read Scripture passages “in context” - - that is, paying special attention to the verses surrounding the passage we are studying.


In context, what Peter is saying in 2 Peter 3:8 has nothing to do with the Creation week in Genesis. Instead, he is explaining that although it may seem like a long time to us until the Lord Jesus keeps His promise and comes again - - it is not very long at all to the Lord.


Reading verses 7 and 9 should actually make us very thankful that the Lord is on His own time schedule. Verse 7 reminds us that the heavens and earth that now exist are “reserved for fire until the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men” But, verse 9 tells us that “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”


So while we may look at the deplorable condition of this fallen would around us, and think “Lord come quickly and get us out of here”, we should thank Him for being long-suffering - - allowing time enough for our unsaved loved ones to “come to repentance” and accept His free gift of eternal life.


How much time is really left before that day of judgement (verse 7) we can’t know - - but what we can say is, we are closer to it today than we have ever been.

“NAME-CALLING” ON THE INTERNET?

In recent years there has been a definite increase in the number of internet and social media sites devoted to anti-Christian opinions and the ridiculing any scientist who accepts the Genesis account of creation instead of the millions or billions of years of chance evolution.


One notable comment was supposedly placed on a website by an unnamed person claiming to be a Christian, stating that he was adamantly opposed to “young-earth creation science” as presented by the Institute For Creation Research and Answers In Genesis Researchers. He then engaged in a type of name-calling, accusing Creation Science as being pseudo-science, fundamentalist, radical, dogmatic, and theocratic - - a self-justifying religion.


Of course, young earth creationists would easily be silenced if anyone could list some actual proofs for Darwinian macroevolution. In the meantime, however, it might be interesting to apply that list of adjectives to the theory of evolution as viewed by some of the leading evolutionary thinkers - - in their own words.


Pseudo-science? Dr. Richard Lewontin, in The New York Review (January 1997) stated that “We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment to materialism. No matter how mystifying to the uninitiated, materialism is an absolute and we cannot allow a divine foot in the door.”


Fundamentalist? Theodosius Dobzhansky, in Science (Vol.155, Jan. 27, 1967) stated that “Evolution is a process which has produced life from non-life, which has brought forth man from animal, and which may continue doing remarkable things in the future. In giving rise to man, the evolutionary process has, apparently for the first and only time in the history of the cosmos, become conscious of itself”.


Radical? An anthropologist at Rutgers stated in Scientific American (Oct. 1995) that “Darwinian science inevitably will, and should have legal, political, and moral consequences”.


Dogmatic? Dr. Michael Ruse, in Darwinism Defended (1982, Pg. 82) proclaimed: “Evolution is fact, fact, FACT!”.


Theocratic? Dr. W.C. Brown, in Botany (1995) said: “like all important ideas, evolution attracts controversy. It has affected not only science but also philosophy, religion, and human attitudes”.


These are just a few of the thousands of statements made by evolutionists themselves, which demonstrate that the world-view of naturalistic evolution is not well based in science. Name- calling on the internet will not change this fact.

EVOLUTIONARY BIAS AND MISINFORMATION

It was back in 1999 when the November issue of National Geographic Magazine presented, with much fanfare, a 10-page article on the claim that a “feathered dinosaur” fossil had been found in China.


In the rush to find some kind (any kind) of support for their evolutionary beliefs, the fossil was gladly accepted as evidence that birds had “evolved” from dinosaurs and it was displayed at the National Geographic Society in Washington. The display was seen by some 110,000 visitors, in addition to the thousands who read the magazine.


That fossil, of course, turned out to be a composite of the tail of a meat-eating dinosaur and the body of a true bird - - the tail actually being tacked on by a Chinese farmer, not evolution. This might be humorous if it were not so disturbing to see how much effort is being put forth to teach young people that things “evolve” through naturalistic processes and that belief in God as Creator is not necessary.


As happens far too often, when the hoax was discovered, a 10-line correction was published in March 2000, but it was buried in the non-indexed Forum section and was probably seen by very few.


Students, from grade school to graduate school, continue to be taught that dinosaurs lived “millions of years ago” and that some evolved into birds. But at the same time, the overwhelming evidence, from fossils and drawings in caves and in the Grand Canyon, that dinosaurs and man co-existed - - that birds were created on the fifth day (before dinosaurs) and land animals (including dinosaurs) were created on the sixth day (as Genesis describes) - - is ignored.


So then, what did the “experts” see as the next step up the evolutionary ladder? Well, just when we thought we had seen it all, the BBC in England produced a new evolutionary series as a follow-up to the popular “Walking With Dinosaurs” program. That series was to portray “life- forms which will evolve millions of years into the future” - - including flying squid, blood- sucking bees, and giant rats (The Sunday Telegraph, 6/4/2000). One of the alleged creatures is a “flamingo cat”, which will have long, pink, hairless “stick legs” for wading in the sea for prawns. Its moustache-like whiskers will filter the food out of the water.


A scientific advisor to the series actually claimed “We have devised about 40 computer- generated animals on evolutionary principles, so the series will not be a fantasy” (emphasis added).


And would you believe many scientists claim (with a straight face) that the Genesis account of Creation - - the Word of the only one who was there and who tells us that He created everything to reproduce “after its own kind” (not one kind changing into another) - - should be discarded as an unthinkable religious “fairy tale”.

THE GIRAFFE’S NECK - - A STRETCH FOR EVOLUTION

Over the past 150 years or so, many theories regarding the “evolution” of the giraffe have been proposed. Even before Darwin’s time, Lamark taught that shorter ancestors of the giraffe had managed to stretch their necks to reach higher branches for food. This “stretched characteristic” was then somehow passed on to succeeding generations until giraffes reached their present height.


This idea is laughed at today, but it was actually accepted for many years. Later evolutionists, including Darwin, eventually rejected the theory and proposed instead that the changes occurred by slow and gradual mutations and natural selection.


Today, many are rejecting gradualism and propose the theory of “punctuated equilibrium” - - periods of massive mutations (accidents) and rapid evolutionary change, with very long periods of stability in between.


Creationists, of course, find obvious problems with all evolutionary explanations for giraffes. The characteristics seen in this animal are much too complex for any kind of random chance evolution.


The extremely long neck is definitely the giraffe’s most distinctive feature, and it does present some interesting physiological problems - - especially for evolution.

In order to get blood to the brain when standing erect, the giraffe needs an extremely strong heart - - which it has. However, when it lowers its head to drink, the forceful rush of blood to the head would cause a brain hemorrhage if it were not for the specially designed system which compensates for this problem. Fortunately for giraffes, they have a built-in package of features which, when functioning together, act to control the flow of blood to the brain.


A series of pressure sensors along the arteries of the neck detect the rise in pressure as the giraffe lowers its head and immediately activate other control systems. The thick-walled arteries automatically contract to control blood flow as needed, while special valves in the veins prevent back-flow to the brain.


Also, some arteries actually by-pass the brain while others disperse blood through a web of smaller arteries, called the rete mirabile, at the base of the brain.

These specialized features, and many more, not only make it possible for the giraffe to get a drink without “blowing its brains out”, but they also illustrate the Wisdom of our Creator God.

WHY DO WE HAVE A SEVEN-DAY WEEK ?

When we use the words day, week, month and year in every day conversation, we usually don’t give much thought as to how those words came to mean what they mean.


We automatically accept that a “day” is simply the 24-hour rotation of the earth on its axis. The moon cycle of shadow is, of course, our basis for a “month” - - the cycle of phases, full moon to full moon taking approximately 30 days. Likewise, it takes about 365 days for the earth to make one complete orbit of the sun - - the basis for our “year”.


Genesis tells us that God created the sun, moon and stars to be for man’s use - - not only to give light (direct or reflected) upon the earth, but to be signs for seasons, days, months, years, etc.


But what about a “week”? Glad you asked! The only basis for our seven-day week is the account in Genesis of God’s creating the heavens and the earth and all that is in them in six days - - and resting on the seventh.


The idea of man working for six days and resting for one, and the reasoning behind it, is explained in Exodus 20:8-11 (The Ten Commandments), and again in Exodus 31:17-18. Simply stated, man is to work for six days and rest for one because God did.


Actually, God could have created everything in an instant, or six minutes or six hours, but He took six days to finish His work so that it would be a model for mankind. God’s creation week was precisely the same duration and pattern for man’s regular week of work and rest.


So, in summary - - - While our measurements of time (days, months and years) are keyed to astronomical processes, the universal “week” has no such basis. We keep time in weeks simply because we are following the pattern established by our Creator - - in the beginning!

ONLY JESUS COULD FULFILL OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH


The Old Testament contains several hundred references and some 60 direct prophecies concerning the coming Messiah - - all of which, of course, were fulfilled in the Lord JesusChrist.


For example:

1)The Messiah was to come from the seed of Abraham; 2) He would come through the line of Isaac (Genesis 21:12) - - which eliminates one-half of the lineage of Abraham; 3) He would be of the line of Jacob (Num. 24:17) - - which eliminates one-half of the lineage of Isaac; 4) He would come from the tribe of Judah (Gen.49:10) - - which now eliminates eleven-twelfths of the tribes of Israel; 5) He would come from the family of Jesse, namely the house of David (Isa. 11:1) - - which eliminates all of Jesse’s sons except David; 6) He would be born in the town of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) - - which eliminates all the cities of the world except one; 7) and the “clincher”, He would be conceived and born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14).


Other prophetic statements concerning the Messiah include: He would receive gifts from the Magi; He would come out of Egypt; He would be known as a Nazarene; He would be preceded by a messenger (John The Baptist); He would receive special anointing of the Holy Spirit (Christ means Anointed One); He would begin His ministry in Galilee; He would enter Jerusalem on a donkey; He would be sold for 30 pieces of silver; He would be crucified between two thieves; He would be buried in a rich man’s grave; He would be resurrected on the third day and ascend into heaven; etc.


These and other Old Testament declarations establish a solid confirmation of Jesus’ credentials as Messiah, and that He alone could be that “Babe in the Manger”. In fact, scholars have determined that the probability of a single person fulfilling all of the Old Testament prophecies is only one chance in 10 to the 127th power! We can, therefore, be confident in the fact that Jesus is indeed exactly who He says He is!

THE BIBLE IS SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE

As Dr. D. James Kennedy often remarked: “The Bible is not a scientific textbook; neither is it a textbook on “religion”. It is not a textbook at all - - it is a revelation from God”.


The Bible’s primary purpose most certainly concerns salvation, not scientific explanation - - but by agreeing that the Bible is not a “science textbook”, we are by no means suggesting that its Authority does not extend to matters related to science. As a matter of fact, the Bible is completely accurate scientifically without purposefully teaching science.


Some have suggested that scripture (especially the book of Genesis) is non-scientific because the account is too brief. But since when does brevity equal inaccuracy? The morning weather report is brief - - but we do expect it to be based on accurate scientific data, even if it’s brief ?


Actually, many (if not most) secular critics flatly state that the Bible makes “incorrect” statements about science. WRONG! In fact, the Bible is thousands of years ahead of man’s “discoveries”, and it is NEVER wrong.


For example, let’s look at just one field of science - - Astronomy. Somewhere around 400 BC, scientists determined that the earth is “suspended in space” - - but the book of Job, written around 2000 BC, had already explained that God “hangs the earth on nothing” (Job 26:7). The book of Job also tells us that the stars are a great distance from the earth (Job22:12), and that they produce sound (Job 38:7) - - details of which were not “substantiated” by science until the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

 

Ancient astronomers guessed that there were about 6,000 stars, but the Bible recorded more than once (circa 1300 BC) that stars are so numerous they can’t be numbered (Genesis 15:5; 22:17; & Jeremiah 33:22) - - a fact “confirmed” by man some 3,000 years later.


And, the fact that stars differ in magnitude was seen by astronomers around 1600 AD - - but was recorded some 1,500 years earlier, in 1 Corinthians 15:41).

The question of whether the Bible is a science textbook evades the real issues. It makes no sense to claim that scriptural authority applies only to “religious” things, since the Gospel is all about real things - - real origins, real history, the real universe, and the real destiny of man. To remove the Bible’s claim to authority in the realm of science, actually removes it from any relevance to the real world. God’s word is truly accurate and reliable in ALL matters.

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE ?

It seems like every time the subject of creation vs. evolution is discussed, the questions arise - - “What difference does it make whether one believes the world was created or evolved?”, or, “Can’t one embrace both Christianity and evolution?”


Amazingly, an outspoken evolutionist, writing in the American Atheist magazine in the spring of 1999, presented an excellent answer to these questions - - not intending, of course, to support the creationist world-view.


He wrote (quote): “Christianity is - - must be! - - totally committed to the special creation described in Genesis, and Christianity must fight with its full might against the theory of evolution. And here’s why. In Romans (5:12) we read that sin entered in the world through one man, and through sin, death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned”.


“The whole justification of Jesus’ life and death is predicated on the existence of Adam and the forbidden fruit he and Eve ate. Without the original sin, who needs to be redeemed? Without Adam’s fall into sin terminated by death, what purpose is there to Christianity? None. Even a High School student knows enough about evolution to know that nowhere in the evolutionary description of our origins does there appear an Adam or an Eve or a forbidden fruit. Evolution means a development from one form to the next to meet the ever-changing challenges from an ever-changing nature. There is no Fall from a previous state of sublime perfection.”


This opponent of Christianity actually saw through to the real issues, better than many Christians. How important it is, indeed, that we as Christians be consistent in our thinking. We must accept all of the Bible as God’s Word, given through inspiration of His Holy Spirit - - because in it, He says what He means and means what He says.


If Adam and Eve were not real historical figures, then who are our real ancestors? If the Fall was not real, then what is sin? If Adam and Eve were not created just as described in Genesis, then the doctrine of marriage is meaningless; and if the earth is billions of years old, and death, disease and bloodshed existed before sin entered the world, then the entire Gospel is weakened.

WHY THE EMPHASIS ON CREATION ?


The following thoughts may go against what are considered the most common methods of evangelism because many, if not most, Christians feel that preaching the Gospel of Christ’s death for our sins, the need for repentance, the resurrection, and receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior is all that is needed.


Of course, it’s true that the Bible states that “.... If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). And, it’s the commission of all Christians to reach the lost for Jesus and see souls saved, because it’s God’s will that “not any should perish ...” (John 3:16).


But consider for a moment the condition of our society today, and that of the Middle Eastern society in the years following Jesus’ death and resurrection - - and how this relates to the importance of understanding the truth of the Genesis account of creation and accepting the fact that we are not just accidents of random chance, but are God’s special creation.


In the early church, when the Jews were approached by the disciples it was not with the creation message first, but with the message of Christ, the cross, and the resurrection. This was because the Jews already had the right foundation. They already believed in God as Creator and therefore had the right framework for thinking about the world – but they refused to accept Jesus for who He was.


The approach to the Greeks (Gentiles) was necessarily different because they believed in some sort of “evolution”, and in their eyes there was no one god who had authority over them. This gave them the wrong framework for a foundation of thinking about the world around them. The Greeks had erected many statues to all their gods - - and just in case they missed one, there was a statue erected to THE UNKNOWN GOD.


The Apostle Paul, seeing these statues as he went to Mars Hill at Athens, he told the court of the Areopagus: “The one whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you; God, who created the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands” (see Acts 17:23-24). Paul began with the creation message, because the Greeks had no creation basis to see the need for a Savior. He had to establish the fact of creation as a foundation upon which to build the rest of the Gospel (Good News).


It has become quite clear in recent decades that our society, which used to be like the Jews, has compromised its belief in God as creator and has become like the Greeks. The creation message as the foundation for our society has slowly eroded away and has been replaced with an evolutionary one.


Therefore, if we want to present the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world today, we must, in most cases, reestablish the Genesis account of creation and the Fall as the foundation upon which the rest of the Gospel can be built.

THE ARK OF REFUGE - - THEN AND NOW










At the end of the 6th day of the Creation Week, God looked at all He had made and declared it “Very Good” (Genesis 1:31). But, by only the 10th generation from Adam the human race had become so evil, wicked, violent, and corrupt, that God had no choice but to judge His creation.

Genesis chapter 6, verses 5, 11 and 12, gives 4 reasons why God sent the worldwide Flood: 1) “The wickedness of man was great in the earth”; 2) “Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”; 3) “The earth was filled with violence”; 4) “The earth ....was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth”. - - that is, taken in the context of the Hebrew writing, all the people had corrupted their way.


These four types of iniquity that were prevalent in Noah’s day, have become a way of life for many in today’s world. But we should not be surprised! After all, when people are taught from kindergarten to adulthood - - through every branch of the media and much of the education system - - that the world made itself (and therefore God is unnecessary or does not exist), and that they are nothing more than highly evolved animals, it is to be expected that they would give themselves over to these sorts of behavior.


As a result, the Ten Commandments have become just “ten suggestions”, abstinence is regarded as “neurotic inhibition”, perversion is “an alternative life style”, and the only absolute left in society is that there are no absolutes.


Jesus said: “As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37). Therefore, the warnings given to Noah’s generation are very relevant for us.

However, there is one important thing to remember, and thank God for, about the Flood and Noah. God’s mercy regarding the Flood is just as evident as His judgement - - and is seen in the fact that God provided a way of escape for those who were prepared to believe what He had said, heed the warnings He gave, and take advantage of the means of salvation which He provided by instructing Noah to build an Ark.


Noah and his family were the only people in that day that believed God, and only those eight people boarded the Ark “in faith” and were saved.


Just as in the days of Noah, God has given us warning of the judgement to come (Isaiah 34:4; Micah 1:4; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10; Rev. 3:3); and He has provided the way of salvation (Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9, 10).


For Noah, the Ark was the only refuge from divine judgement, and it had to be entered by faith. For us, this speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Savior and Ark of refuge for fallen mankind - - whose sacrificial death on the Cross, for all, must be received and accepted by faith. When we believe in our heart that Jesus IS LORD and God has raised Him from the dead, we have assurance that we can enter into the rest and safety of our Ark, Jesus, when He returns to complete His work of redemption and reconciliation.

JESUS - - - PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

As we have mentioned before, evolution is not a new concept and it certainly didn’t originate with Darwin. Actually, various varieties of the evolutionary world-view were well established in the Greco-Roman world of the first century A.D., and were even influencing the early churches.


The Apostle Paul, seeing that the basis for these evolutionary views was a denial of the true Creator of the universe, earth, and all that is in them, was inspired to write to the church at Colossae to remind them of the real person and work of Jesus the Christ.


The first chapter of his Epistle to the Colossians (esp. verses 15-20) presents a wonderful explanation that Jesus is the Creator, Sustainer, and Reconciler of all things.


After affirming the deity of Jesus (v. 15), Paul then states “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him and for Him (v. 16).


Verse 17 declares “And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist”. The Greek word translated here as consist is “sunistano”, from which we get “sustain”. This shows that the things created by the Word (Jesus) are now being sustained, or conserved, or held together by Christ.


Then in verse 20 Paul states, “And having made peace through the blood of His cross; by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven”. Christ’s death on the cross not only paid the complete price for man’s redemption, once and for all, but also for the whole universe (see Romans 8:22).


So, in Colossians 1:15-20 we see the past, present, and future aspects of the work of Christ. First, all things were created by Him and for Him. This establishes the deity of Christ - - because only God can create (John 1:1-3; Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 1:2).


Presently, He is conserving, or holding together, all that He created. This could be viewed as the principle of conservation of mass-energy (1st Law of Thermodynamics).


Finally, Christ’s blood on the cross restored the fellowship that once existed between God and His creation - - and Jesus will soon reconcile everything back to Himself.


Jesus is not only Lord and Savior, but is Creator, Sustainer, and soon coming King! 

FREE TO BE “POLITICALLY INCORRECT”


Back in the 1980’s, when the term “politically correct” became popular, it soon became obvious, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that any professing Christian - - and especially a creationist - - was quite “politically incorrect”.

Many had hoped that this trend would be rejected by the so-called “open-minded” advocates of academic freedom. Wrong! Almost overnight, political correctness was accepted and defended by many leaders in academics, politics, the media, and yes, even by some church leaders.


Today, many thought systems are labeled “politically incorrect”. But why does belief in the Genesis account of creation and the Flood seem to be at the top of the list? There are probably many reasons, but the primary reason is that evolution is the foundation for most thought systems now deemed “correct” - - from humanism, to new age, to post-modernism (a term I don’t even pretend to understand).


But evolution can’t stand the test of open scientific inquiry. Therefore, the Biblical account of special creation and a world-wide Flood must be ridiculed - - even censored. It follows then, that in the name of “tolerance”, the PC crowd belittles and maligns any person or thought that is not, in their view, “tolerant” - - that is, which does not value every viewpoint or action as being equally valid.


Christianity, through its foundational message of Special Creation, insists that absolute truth does exist, in faith and practice as well as science and history. The intolerant “Politically Correct” movement against the truth of God’s Word seems to gather momentum each year, especially in the schools and universities - - and unprepared Christian students often fall prey to the concepts of the evolutionary world-view.


If standing for what God is for, and against what God is against, is considered by some as being “intolerant” - - intolerant of those views and actions that exalt the words and thoughts of fallible man over those of the Creator God - - so be it!

Actually, I hate to say it, but we could be called something even beyond “intolerant” or “politically incorrect” About 20 years ago a survey conducted in the UK showed that only 26 % of those surveyed expressed belief in the God of the Bible. Even among the 103 British church Bishops surveyed, 25 percent no longer believe in the virgin birth and a few admitted they didn’t believe that Jesus rose from the dead.


After reviewing the survey results, a University of Aberdeen sociology professor concluded that “Britain is now a post-Christian society”, and Christians are “a Deviant Minority”. Just being politically incorrect doesn’t sound so bad.

YOU ARE SPECIAL TO GOD

Just a note to those who have been fed the lie of evolution throughout your years in school - - you are indeed special in the eyes of the Creator.

In Matthew19:4 and Mark 10:6, Jesus said: “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female”. In this statement, referring to Genesis 1:27 as literal history, Jesus presents two important facts.


First, that He (Jesus) is a creationist - - after all, He is the Creator! (John 1:1-3 & 14 and Colossians 1:16). Second, it clearly establishes that Adam and Eve were created “at the beginning” (on the sixth day of the creation week) - - not after the earth had already existed for 4 or 5 billion years.

Humanism (a name that sounds like a system that really “cares” about humanity) is prevalent throughout our society these days - - but it is a belief system based entirely on a foundation of evolution and declares that there is no need for a God.


The Humanist Manifesto, formulated by the renowned educator John Dewey, was first printed in 1933 and expanded in 1973. It accepts evolution as a proven scientific fact and makes some amazing “affirmations” - - including: that, “the universe itself is self-existing and not created”, that “faith in God is outmoded and dangerous”, and that “no deity will save us, we must save ourselves”.


When people accept this doctrine and the belief in a process of evolution from the non-living primordial ooze, to living cells, to animals, to apes, to man - - that is, from goo to you by way of the zoo - - it’s no wonder so many tend to feel worthless; just an “accident” of random chance; without purpose or hope.


But this is not true! You were created as a spiritual being, “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:4), and very special to God. Men and women were made to not only have a body (formed from the “created” earth) and a soul (mind, will and emotions), but especially to possess an eternal spirit capable of communion and fellowship with the Creator.


The human body was specifically planned to be most suited for this divine fellowship (including an erect posture, and a brain and tongue designed for articulate speech - - none of which are shared by the animals). The human body was designed in the form in which God had planned from eternity that He Himself would one day assume (1 Peter 1:20).


You are indeed distinct from the rest of creation, and are worth so much to God the Father that He gave everything He had so that you could have everything you need (see Isaiah chapter 53 and John 3:16). Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, He made the way for each one of us to receive the gift of eternal life with Him (see Romans 10: 9-10).

THE WOODPECKER COULD NOT HAVE EVOLVED

There are over 270 verses in the Bible that mention birds. Although the woodpecker is not called by name in scripture, it is an excellent example of special creation and a major problem for evolution.


Many features of the woodpecker simply could not have evolved over time. If you look closely at a woodpecker on the trunk of a tree, you will see that it has been designed with two back-facing toes, sharp claws, and stiff tail feathers tipped with spines, to aid in vertical climbing. Unseen, is the associated arrangement of tendons and muscles in the legs - - more powerful than the spindly legs of most other birds.


As this bird hammers the bark of the tree at the rate of 15 to 16 times a second, you might wonder why its brains aren’t scrambled from the force of each sudden strike - - a force 1,000 times that of gravity. Well, God specially designed this bird’s head, beak, and neck. The skull is greatly reinforced with bone and, unlike other birds whose beak is joined to the cranium, the woodpecker’s beak and cranium are separated by a spongy, shock-absorbing material. For added protection, there are special muscles which pull the brain away from its beak with every blow.

Probably the most unique feature of this bird is its tongue. After drilling a hole in a tree trunk, the woodpecker inserts its long, sticky tongue (which is about four times longer than its beak) to search out and retrieve a meal. So, where does this bird keep such a long tongue? Well, instead of being anchored in the back of the beak, as in other birds, the woodpecker’s tongue is anchored in the right nostril.


Amazingly, after the tongue emerges from the nostril it splits into two halves - - each of which pass over one side of the skull underneath the skin, coming around and up through a hole in the beak, where the two halves combine. When not in use, the tongue is rolled up into the nostril.


Evolutionists would suggest that the woodpecker’s unique toes, stiff tail, strong head, beak, and neck muscles, the shock absorbers, and tongue, are the result of its evolving over millions of years. But think about it - - how could shock absorbers have “evolved”? If the birds started out without them, they would have beaten their brains out long ago. And, if there was ever a time woodpeckers didn’t drill holes in trees, they wouldn’t have needed them anyway.

Also, how could the tongue arrangement have evolved if in the beginning, it was anchored in the beak like in other birds? How did it manage to move to the nostril? If it did manage to move to the nostril, it would then be too short to reach a food source.


The answer is - - nothing works here until everything works - - together, at the same time - - just as God designed it!

IF THE EARTH IS ACTUALLY YOUNG - - WHY DOES IT LOOK SO OLD ?

The context of the Hebrew language used in Genesis 1 assures us that God created everything in six literal 24-hour days. The history of the genealogies recorded in Genesis 5 and 11 provide an accurate chronology showing that since the earth was created five days before Adam, the earth is only about 6,000 years old.


In addition, there is abundant scientific evidence that supports the six day creation world-view rather than the millions of years (from goo to you by way of the zoo) evolutionary world-view.


Why, then, do so many still insist that the earth and universe must be very old because they “look old”? Why, they ask, do they “look old” if they’re not old?


Well, in the beginning God did not use some form of “Theistic Evolution” in His creation plan. He would not have stirred up some pool of “primordial soup”, or just scattered some seeds or eggs then wait for something to develop and see if it (they) would survive.


The very first thing He did was to create ex nihilo (out of nothing) all the elements comprising the earth, universe, and all that is in them. Along with created matter, God created space and time as we know it (what scientists call the space – time – matter continuum). Then God spoke (created by Fiat) all the things recorded in Genesis 1:3-27.


By the end of the creation week, the heavens and the earth had to be a fully functioning entity - - complete, mature, and fully functional from the start.


When God formed the land by His hands (Day 3), the soil had to be mature - - containing all the elements necessary for plant growth. Trees were created as fully-grown mature trees. Fish, birds and land animals were created mature and ready to “multiply after their kind”. Finally, Adam and Eve, for whom everything had been made, were created as full-grown mature individuals - - capable of multiplying to fill the earth. (They probably didn’t have belly-buttons, though - - because they were not born of a woman as were all who came after them).


This complete and mature status is often referred to as creation “with an appearance of age”. Does this mean that God has fooled us with some sort of “divine deception”, making things look older than they are? Certainly not! Consider this - - We wouldn’t accuse Jesus of “deceiving” the ruler of the feast when He changed water into wine would we? Jesus’ first miracle was a miracle of creation. The “best wine” (John 2:10) was a brand new creation, with no time for aging or fermentation - - it was created fully aged and mature because it involved a sudden supernatural creation of a complex entity apart from “natural processes”.

WORMS ARE MORE THAN JUST BAIT


Well, it’s that time of year again. Thousands of angers will soon be headed for the nearby lakes, streams, ponds and Owens River, armed with their best sure-fire ammunition - - flies, lures, or a variety of bait (eggs, cheese, power bait, etc.) Of course, many will learn from the guy catching the most fish, that they are really biting on the only thing you didn’t bring!


And then there are those of us who still try fishing the old-fashioned way - - by drowning worms. But did you every think of that humble earthworm on your hook as being a magnificent example of God’s creative handiwork?


Earthworms are actually highly specialized creatures. They are deaf and have no eyes - - but they can detect light, as well as vibrations. A worm cut in half will usually not survive, but if the tail is severed near the end a new tail can form.


Earthworms are obviously designed for their important task of burrowing through soil - - making a most important contribution to the fertilization, aeration, and drainage of the soil. In some orchard areas, it is estimated that 90 percent of the leaves that fall from the trees are dragged into the ground by earthworms. They also swallow large amounts of soil, digest the nutrients, then cast up the remains onto the surface of the ground or in their burrows. This is how they work their continuing system of plowing, which enriches and oxygenates the soil.


It is said that an average acre of land can house up to three million earthworms, most of which are found in the top five or six inches. And, they can move about 18 tons of soil per year.


The question is, however, can evolution explain the earthworm’s ability to loosen, stir up or plow, and aerate the soil to make it more fertile? Could this ability have come about through the supposedly evolutionary processes of mutations and “natural selection”? Did the earthworm choose to do this digging throughout its life, to pass countless tons of soil through its body over the centuries to help cultivate the soil for the benefit of plant life?


A far better explanation is that the Creator designed and planned the earthworm in the beginning, to be a willing, if humble, servant of the plant world. Therefore, by doing the work that God designed it to do, the earthworm helps sustain the balance of all other life on this earth.

HOW MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE AND JOHN VIEWED JESUS

The question is often asked: Why four Gospels? - - Why not one or two? Or even five or six? Consider the following (taken from The Chuck Missler Update, Nov. 2001):

The words of each Gospel were given, of course, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. However, they were given in a way that would be best understood by each writer - - from his perspective, according to his background. Therefore, each Gospel presents Jesus from a different point of reference.


MATTHEW: A Levite and Tax Collector - - writing to the Jew.
– emphasizes Jesus as Messiah; the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.
– gives Jesus’ genealogy from Abraham through David to Joseph.
– concludes with the Resurrection.
– focuses on What Jesus Said (as an official, Matthew probably able to record words nearly verbatim).
– records first miracle as the cleansing of the leper (a Jewish metaphor for sin).


MARK: Served as a secretary for Peter - - writing to the Roman. – emphasizes Jesus as the Obedient Servant of God.
– the only Gospel not concerned with Jesus’ genealogy.
– concludes with the Ascension.

– focuses on What Jesus Did.
– records first miracle as casting unclean spirit out of man at synagogue.


LUKE: A Gentile and a doctor - - writing to the Greek.

– emphasizes Jesus as Son Of Man (His humanity).
– gives Jesus’ genealogy from Adam through Abraham to David same as Matthew, but Luke does not go through Solomon - - instead goes through Nathan, to Mary.
– concludes with the promise of the Holy Spirit (A bridge to the Book of Acts).
– focuses on What Jesus Felt.
– records first miracle same as Mark (casting out an unclean spirit).


JOHN: Writing to the Church.
– emphasizes Jesus as the Son Of God.
– gives Jesus’ genealogy as the “Preexistent One”.
– concludes with Jesus’ promise to come again (a bridge to the Book of Revelation).
– focuses on Who Jesus Was.
– records first miracle as the changing water into wine. (also records 7 miracles, 7 discourses, and 7 “I AM” statements).

JESUS PROCLAIMED A SPECIAL AND RECENT CREATION

It is recorded in Mark 10:6 (and similarly in Matthew 19:4) that Jesus, when being questioned by the Pharisees regarding marriage and divorce, began His answer with “But from the beginning of the creation God made them (Adam and Eve) male and female”. Jesus was referring to the words in Genesis 1:27.


Here Jesus is stating as fact that Adam and Eve were created “in the beginning” - - not some 4 billion years after the beginning. This also confirms that God had prepared a world for them shortly beforehand - - that is, over the five previous days. Furthermore, the expression “beginning of the creation” rules out some second attempt or change of plans, which proponents of the ruin/reconstruction (or Gap) theory suggest.


What are the implications of an early and special creation of the human race? Because we were made “in the image of God” (that is, as spiritual beings) we can have fellowship with our Creator, through our acceptance of His offer of forgiveness in Jesus, and repenting of our sins. Of course, it goes without saying that “repent” doesn’t mean just saying “sorry about that” - - but it is a decision that results in a change of mind, which in turn leads to a change in purpose and action.


The Bible teaches throughout that of all the creatures, we alone can have that personal relationship with our Creator. Therefore, it would have no logical purpose for Him to ordain millions, or billions, of years with only rocks, algae, fish, reptiles, or even mammals, with whom He could have no spiritual communication.


God created us “for Himself”. If we were created after billions of years of other creative activity, this would send a strong message to us that mankind is really nothing special, and certainly not the focus of His intentions and love. The more we look at the speed with which He brought us into existence, the more it suggests that His original intention was to bring into being the human race, which He could love and nurture.


I know there are some who ask “Couldn’t God have used some slower evolutionary process to create everything?” Well, it’s not a question of what He “could have done” - - It’s what HE SAID HE DID!

A SOLID FOUNDATION

The question is often asked: “Do creationists blame evolution for all the evils in society?” Well. The answer is actually “Yes and no”. We have to say “no” because it is not primarily evolution that is to blame, but it is the rejection of God as Creator. If society rejects God, they also reject God’s rules and abandon Christian ethics in favor of belief in their own opinions. On the other hand, we must say “yes” because belief in so-called “scientific” evolution is usually the justification for rejecting God as Creator.


In his book “The Lie : Evolution”, author Ken Ham presented a cartoon-like illustration that really describes an important problem. Picture This:

There are two castles that are at war with each other. On the left, the castle called “Humanism” is built on the foundation of evolution and above the castle are several balloons, labeled abortion, pornography, divorce, racism, etc. On the right is a castle called “Christianity”, built on its foundation of creation.


In the ongoing battle, the foundation of creation is shaking and is beginning to crack; because the humanists know exactly where to aim their big guns - - at the foundation only.


The Christians want to fight the war but they don’t seem to know where to aim their cannons. Some are taking potshots at the issues above the castle, others are aiming nowhere in particular, and some are actually shooting at each other - - but none are aimed at the foundation of evolution.


Psalm 11:3 says “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do ?”. If the foundation of anything is destroyed, the structure built upon that foundation will collapse. Is it any wonder that Satan is attacking Genesis more than any other book of the Bible ? If the church wants to be successful in changing society’s attitude toward abortion, pornography, divorce, racism; it’s going to have to fight at a foundational level - - and the foundation of creation must be restored to its rightful place of importance.

IT’S A CLASH OF WORLD-VIEWS

2 Peter 3:3-7 presents a perfect picture of what has been, and most obviously is today, happening in our world. It tells us that not only in these last days scoffers will come, but that men will be “Willingly ignorant of the truth” - - that is, they will deliberately reject the truth of God’s Word, no matter what the supporting evidence might be.


Specifically, these four verses say that men will “willingly” reject three things: (1) That at the very beginning the earth was covered with water, and the land was formed out of the water - - as described in Genesis. (modern geology insists that the earth was originally a molten blob and that water didn’t form until the earth had cooled over millions of years); (2) That the earth was completely covered by water during Noah’s Flood. (Again, most geologists, and even many in the Church, deny the fact of a world-wide Flood suggesting it instead could have been just a local event); and (3) That there will be a coming judgement by fire. (Many actually accept the idea that the earth and all life on it will eventually die of extreme cold, after the sun burns out).


But why do so many adamantly dispute the Bible’s description of these events? Well, consider this - - if the scoffers, or skeptics, accepted the evidence of a world-wide flood, they would be agreeing with the Bible. Then they would have to accept Jesus’ teaching that as the Creator once judged the world by water, so He will again judge the corrupt world - - but the next time it will be by fire.

It seems evident that the creation/evolution controversy is not really a fight about evidence (although all historical, archaeological, and scientific evidence definitely supports the Genesis account), but it is a fight over beliefs, or world-views.


The fundamental conflict we see in society today is the clash between the Christian faith with its creation foundation, hence its absolutes, and the religion of humanism with its evolution foundation and its relative morality that says we must be tolerant of all beliefs, behavior and practices. Of course the fallacy of the humanistic belief in so-called “tolerance” is first made evident by a zealous “intolerance” of absolutes.

It would follow, then, that someone who is intolerant of absolutes is also intolerant of Christ. Remember, Jesus said “I am THE WAY” (not one of many ways); “THE TRUTH” (not one of several different but equally acceptable approaches to the truth); and “THE LIFE” (John 14:6).


Hopefully, the more the Biblical Creation message is preached, people will come to realize that it gives us the understanding of what is happening to our society and the world - - and why there is increasing lawlessness and deviant behavior. But while creationists fervently proclaim the creation message to strengthen a firm foundation of Christian faith, and shine the light on the real differences between two opposing belief systems, we also know that our primary purpose is to glorify God and to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ - - as the Holy Spirit enables.

DIRECTED PANSPERNIA, AND THE IMFAMOUS “MARS ROCK”

It’s been almost 50 years since Dr. Francis Crick (the co-discoverer of the double-helix structure of DNA) admitted that he had to recognize the impossibility of life arising on Earth by chance natural processes. But, since the only other explanation was Special Creation as documented in Genesis, he proposed the idea of “Directed Panspermia."


That new proposal suggested that life, in the form of bacteria spores, arose “by chance” on some other planet and was sent to Earth possibly by intelligent beings from “somewhere” in the universe. Crick surmised that such spores must have been like those of Bacillus subtilus, or similar bacteria, because of their extreme resistance to damage from radiation or desiccation.


A fellow researcher went even further, suggesting that if an extra-terrestrial civilization was responsible, they must have encoded some kind of message on the DNA of such an organism. If it were only possible, they thought, to decode this sequence of DNA, we could learn the secrets of the universe.


As was described in the Nov. 20, 1997 issue of Nature, the DNA of the bacteria Bacillus subtilis had been decoded. Some 151 scientists collaborated in this undertaking, but none discovered any “messages from space."  They did, however, find much more than had been expected in the form of complex genetic information - - more than four million “letters” of the genetic code, equivalent to more than 1,000 typewritten pages.


This research, then, did not establish any extra-terrestrial connection, but did show us that even the “simplest” living cell is not so “simple”, and could not have arisen by chance; not even “out there, somewhere."


Speaking of supposed extra-terrestrial “life”, remember the highly-touted “Mars Rock” found in Antarctica, some 20 plus years ago? That rock, alleged to be the “proof” that a form of microscopic life came here from the red planet, was front-page news for a couple of years - - until one-by-one scientists recognized that the rock was not what it was reported to be.


Soon, very few, if any, scientists could agree that the rock could have even come from Mars - - let alone that a comet impact could have sent the rock into space, overcoming Mars’ gravitational pull; or that there was no contamination in the supposed 13,000 years the rock sat in Antarctica.


The Bible does not say whether or not life is found elsewhere in the universe. However, if, as the Genesis account of creation clearly says, the Earth was created first, and then the sun, moon and stars - - it seems reasonable that the Earth was center stage in the Creation, and everything else was prepared for the humans that would inhabit it.

                    The truth of gensis

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). As we can see from this very first verse of the Bible, God created the earth “at the beginning”. This certainly can’t be construed, in any sense, to be an evolutionary statement.


The evolution world-view, however, demands that we believe that the earth didn’t appear at the beginning at all - - but instead, that it came into existence more than half-way down the track of time. The theory of evolution proposes that the universe has existed for billions of years, with a slow emergence of stars - - until our sun appeared.


The next hypothesized event in the alleged evolutionary progression is that a molten blob shot out from the sun, and after millions of years cooled down enough to become a habitable planet. Then the long story of evolution began. But, by this time we are already billions of years beyond the beginning!


Genesis, on the other hand, doesn’t say anything about a molten-hot earth, or a frozen one. Instead, it describes a cool, water-covered earth, ready for God to form the “solid stuff”, right at the start. By the first day (evening and morning) God had created time and what we call “matter” - - not to mention energy in the form of light.


The message of Genesis chapter 1 is clear - - God made the earth at the beginning - - even before some of the “solid parts” of the universe (Genesis 1:14-16). Be assured, God knew what He was doing, and He knew that it would be unreasonable to create things one by one over billions of years - - things which would depend on each other for survival.


Some seem to overlook the fact that many things on earth and in space “interlock together”. In living things, this connection is known as symbiosis - - but even in non-living matter, several of the “bits” can’t exist without other “bits”.


There was indeed a beginning. Not the beginning of God, but the beginning of time and of this world. The universe was no accident, although evolution and some Eastern religions suggest so. Even some who believe in God, and believe He was there in the beginning, attempt to fit Him into an evolutionary framework of millions or billions of years. Such a view, however, cannot be reconciled with the truth of Genesis.
















A BIOLOGICAL CHALLENGE TO EVOLUTION

Speaking as a wildlife biologist (retired) - - When we look at God’s creation (especially the various species of wildlife), we are “without excuse” (Romans 1:20) if we choose to deny that the genetic code in each created kind was programmed by their Creator complete, fully developed and functioning, right from the beginning.


Dr. Michael Behe, Professor of Biochemistry at Lehigh University (and not a supporter of creationism), has pointed out in his book Darwin’s Black Box that there are certain biochemical systems “so complex as to provide what appears to be an insurmountable problem for evolution”.


To see excellent examples of complex biochemical systems, we need to look no further than our own bodies - - the extremely complex pinnacle of God’s creation.


Take blood clotting for example. When we get a cut, we bleed - - until a blood clot forms to stop the bleeding (hopefully within seconds!). Blood clotting is a multi-step process involving numerous enzymes and proteins. If any one of the proteins were missing, the blood would not clot - - and, simply put, each protein depends upon an enzyme to activate it.


We all have heard the old question; “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” The answer is, of course, the chicken - - created fully mature and ready to lay an egg. But when considering the biochemical activity present in blood clotting, some might be tempted to ask; “which came first, the protein or the enzyme?”


Well, it couldn’t be the protein because the protein can’t function without the enzyme to “turn it on”. But then, why would nature “evolve” an activating enzyme before there was anything to activate?


Furthermore, if blood clotting had evolved step-by-step over any extended period of time, creatures would have bled to death long before it was perfected.


No biochemical system, especially as seen in the example of blood clotting, could be the result of some random evolutionary process. Such systems require every component to be working to be functional. If any one component were missing, it would be non-functional.

Therefore, logic and scientific data would tell us that the Genesis account of origins is the only true and acceptable explanation. God created all things mature and fully-functional - - in the beginning!

THE HISTORICITY OF GENESIS

It’s been said before, but it deserves repeating, the truth of the entire Bible stands or falls with the historicity of Genesis. Ironically, the secular world recognizes this more than many in the church.


In fact, Thomas Huxley, one of the 19th century’s most ardent proponents of the theory of evolution, chided Christians in his essay on “Science and the Hebrew Tradition” when he wrote: “I am fairly at a loss to comprehend how anyone for a moment can doubt that Christian theology must stand or fall with the historical trustworthiness of the Jewish Scriptures. The identification of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah rests upon the interpretation of the passages of Hebrew Scriptures, which have no evidential value unless they possess the historical character assigned to them”.


Some in the church today hold the view that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are merely allegorical and poetic expressions which are open to various interpretations - - even allowing for evolution as an explanation for the origin of the universe and man.


But, as a child once remarked “If God didn’t mean what He said, why didn’t He say what He meant?” Well, the good news is - - He did say what He meant!


We are not dealing with poetry in Genesis 1 through 11, but the blow by blow account of a series of major events which are entirely accurate and vital to the acceptance of the rest of Scripture, and of Jesus Christ as Creator, Savior and Lord.


So, why should we take Genesis 1 – 11 as literal history? First, and foremost, Jesus regarded the major characters and events as true history. He referred to Adam and Eve indirectly in Matthew 19:4; to Abel directly in Matthew 23:35 and Luke 11:51; and to Noah and the Flood directly in Matthew 24:37-39 and Luke 17:26-27.


The genealogy of Christ in Luke chapter 3 supports the genealogies of Genesis 5 and11, and also that of 1 Chronicles 1. Repetition like this should support the view that the genealogies represent an accurate history of the ancestry of man.


Also, the Apostles regarded the major characters and events of Genesis 1 – 11 as accurate history as well. Paul refers to Adam and Eve as real persons in Romans 5:14; 1 Cor.15:32, 35; 2 Cor. 11:3 and 1 Timothy 2:13, 14. If Genesis is not true history, then 1 Timothy 2 becomes nonsense.


Hebrews 11:4 and 12:24 refer to Cain and Abel as historical, and both John and Jude confirm this in John 3:12 and Jude 11. Jude 14 also speaks of the genealogy from Adam to Enoch as true history - - saying Enoch was “the seventh from Adam”.


Then, Peter refers to Noah historically in both Epistles (1 Peter 3:20 and 2 Peter 2:5). Peter also considered the Flood as a true historical event in 1 Peter 2:5 and especially in 2 Peter 3:4-7.


It’s probably safe to say that Christians believe without question that the words of Jesus and the Apostles are inspired and true. Then, from just these few examples we must conclude that the New Testament leaves no doubt that Adam and Eve were indeed historical, with their ensuing fall; that the genealogy from Adam to Noah is historical; and that the Flood was a worldwide historical event - - just as Genesis records.