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Dr. Robert Sumner passed away in December 2016. The Biblical Evangelist newspaper is no longer being published and the ministry of Biblical Evangelism has ceased operation. The remaining inventory of his books and gospel tracts was transferred to The Baptist Tabernacle of Los Angeles and may be ordered here. Off the Cuff - Part 2 KNOWN BY ENEMIES: THE CREATION MUSEUM! The old adage, proven over the centuries, is that one is known by his enemies as well as his associates. That is certainly true of our friend and Biblical Evangelist columnist, Ken Ham, and his terrific Creation Museum in a corner of northern Kentucky. It was my lot to see a magazine called Vanity Fair, and while it certainly lived up to the first half of its name, it didn’t the last half. It wasn’t fair at all. One article, “Roll Over Charles Darwin!” written by A. A. Gill – whose claim to fame must be the sarcastic bite in his write and his juggling of facts – was subtitled, “On the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s masterwork, the author visits Kentucky’s Creation Museum, which has been battling science and reason since 2007. Adam and Eve, Noah’s To give you an idea of how he writes, he describes the museum as being in “Nowheresville, Kentucky.” Obviously, a production of this magnitude couldn’t afford to build in downtown Cincinnati. But I digress. Gill starts with quips he made about the human eye in an optician’s shop where he had new glasses made. He asked the lady polishing the lenses if she thought “the eye was such a complicated and mysterious structure that it could have been created only in one inspired, farsighted moment by God and not by the blind trial and error of natural selection.” When she noted it “kind of makes sense,” he went on to inquire if she thought glasses were the work of the Devil. And he was just warming up. While he obviously enjoyed his own display of supposed brilliant humor, Mr. Gill will probably progress, if he lives long enough, to proceed from his need of glasses at an optician’s shop to cataracts, then cataract removal, and finally implants. When he gets to the latter stage he will be told to wear protective glasses when out in the sunlight because, while man has been able, to some degree, to imitate the lenses God created in the human eye, his efforts to duplicate the filter have not been very successful – hence the need for sunglasses to help with filtering the sun’s bright rays. Probably Gill would say, “The ‘blind trial and error of natural selection’ hasn’t progressed that far. Give nature another billion years or so!” We find it interesting that evolution keeps needing more and more time. When I was a fresh faced high school freshman of 12 and taking general science, our teacher told us that evolution went back thousands of years. In later years they changed that to millions and eventually to billions. Probably trillions is just around the corner because the boys who monkey in this area (pun intended) keep running into problems with their ‘late’ dates. After lamenting what he thought was a lack of celebrating His first objection to the museum was that it doesn’t have religious symbols, crosses, stained glass or spiral campanile. It probably never entered his mind that the early period of mankind the museum portrays didn’t have any of that either. His second lament was about all “the security guards.” Unfortunately, writers like Gill with their bad publicity and sarcastic tenor tend to make the museum a target for nuts and crackpots. It’s a fact of life. Believe me, the museum would like to save the money it has to spend on security, but with men like Gill fanning the hatred flames it is impossible to be without them. Next he says, “This whole building is devoted to the literal veracity of the first 11 chapters of Genesis: God created the world in six days, and the whole thing is no more than 6,000 years old.” Congratulations, Gill. Even you got that point! His silly arguments in the article are not original in the least, starting with his first ‘blockbuster’ (in his view, apparently) that the creation story mentions ‘light’ three days before the sun. Mr. Gill evidently skipped the opening verses (or didn’t understand them) because they clearly say, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day” (Genesis 1:1-5). So “light” was created at the very start, on the first day. Gill’s problem seems to be that he thinks there could be no light without the sun. I wonder what he does, stumbling around in the dark in his own house, after the sun goes down? Even though we have a skylight (it doesn’t do much good at, say, midnight) at our place we flip a switch and our rooms are bathed in light sans the sun. He complained the early exhibits were boring, but he didn’t have “time to nitpick.” (You could have fooled us!) Then he complained that creation “starts with the definitive answer, and all the questions have to be made to fit under it. That’s tough. Science has it a whole lot easier: It can change things. It can expand and hypothesize and tinker (emphasis added). Scientists have all this cool equipment and stuff. They’ve got all these ‘lenses’ and things.” (See the “lenses” we spoke of in our opening paragraphs that science still can’t make after all these centuries of “tinkering!”) Then Gill threw in an obscenity to show that he didn’t agree or want to be associated with that religious stuff. Actually, our previous paragraph where we quoted Gill is one of the strongest arguments against the evolutionary crowd. Constant change. Constant correction. Constant tossing out previous claims that had been offered as facts and positive proof. If, when I spoke at the evolution/creation debate at After his obscenity, he suggested creationists didn’t stay “on at school past 14.” That merely shows his own bias and pathetic ignorance. Some of the greatest scientists of all time were Bible-believing, God-loving, Christ-honoring children of God. Here’s a few of today’s creationists and their education (past age 14 all): 1. Steven A. Austin, Ph.D. in geology, 2. Carl B. Fliermans, Ph.D. in Microbiology, Indiana University. 3. Kenneth B. Cumming, Ph.D. in ecology, 4. Duane T. Gish, Ph.D. in biochemistry, 5. John R. Meyer, Ph.D. in zoology, 6. Donald Hamann, Ph.D. in engineering mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute. 7. John N. Moore, Ed.D. in science education, 8. Jean S. Morton, Ph.D. in cell biology, 9. Harold S. Slusher, Ph.D. in physics, These are some of the scientists, but not all, who checked out The Biblical Basis for Modern Science by Henry M. Morris – a 6-day, late-earth creationist – (Ph.D. in hydraulic engineering, University of Minnesota) and indicated firm agreement with what he wrote. And what should we say about older men who were firm, strong, Bible-believing scientists like Louis Pasteur, Isaac Newton, Johann Kepler, Michael Faraday, William Herschel, Louis Agassiz, Sir James Simpson, and Blaise Pascal – to mention just a few of history’s science greats? Dummies all, I guess, huh, Mr. Gill? We do not know where the latter got his bachelor in journalism (to say nothing of science), or even if he has one. Perhaps he received a Ph.D. in biochemistry at MIT, do you suppose? [Curiosity peaked, I googled Mr. Gill and he is a “TV and restaurant critic” for Gill went on to talk about Noah’s ark and the problems Bible believers have with it, noting recent discoveries of “a new giant rat and a fanged frog in Papua, New Guinea, so now some Noah-ist has to redesign the amphibian quarters.” How silly. He has no idea of the problem. Noah only had to have two rats and two frogs on board, but Gill talks of “10 million creatures, times two” on the ark. Then he wonders where the water for the flood came from, showing total ignorance of what evangelicals claim in both areas. And of course it wouldn’t be infidel ridicule without bringing up the old saw, “where did Cain get his wife?” That has been answered thoroughly so many times Gill must have been brought up on Mars not to have heard any of them. But why go on? Gill humbly asks at the end, “Is all this righteous ire, all this money, all this Pentecostal flame-throwing the best they can come up with? This cheap county-fair sideshow – this is their best shot?” When we read that, we mused, “Is this rehashed Bob Ingersoll, this made over P. T. Barnham proliferation of words, this put-down humor based on mere imagination the best he can come up with? This silly penning and multiplying words of absolute ignorance, is it really Gill’s best shot?” If so, not to worry! LIFE IN ISLAM Some months back we reported the “honor killing” in Arizona of the young girl, Noor Almaleki, by her 49-year-old father, Faleh Almaleki. He ‘gunned’ Noor and her elderly companion down with his SUV as the women walked to a restaurant, killing her and severely maiming the friend, Amal Khalaf. In Islam law an honor murder is justified for anything the killer thinks the victim has done to “disgrace” the family name. Marie Claire Magazine, noting that the United Nations estimates 5,000 women are murdered every year by the Muslim “honor killings,” gave some interesting examples. Note: “Women are stoned, stabbed, and, in the recent case of a teenage girl in Now the Islamists want to erect a huge 13-story Mosque and Islam Community Center two blocks (actually, only 500 feet) from ‘Ground Zero,’ the spot where Islamist terrorists murdered nearly 3,000 people, most of them Americans. The man behind the plan, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, lauded the 9/11 slaughter and blamed the United States and her policies as the reason for the massacre. Nor will he explain where he is getting the $100 million for his new mosque project. A nice guy (sic), he steadfastly refuses to admit that either Hamas or Hezbollah are terrorist organizations. We believe in freedom of religion, but we also believe in fairness and ethics. Question: do they need a new mosque? Answer: about like an elephant needs an extra trunk! Muslims have mosques all over the city and state in New York. They built one in Albany in my sister’s back yard (from her back door to the fence was a small garden and on the other side of the garden/fence was a noisy, horn-tooting mosque). She had no say about it being built. And there are plenty of places a mosque could be built not on the spot where objection is to this one. Obviously, Imam Rauf cares nothing about public relations; to him it is my way or the highway! (He already has four other mosques in the area. One mosque is four blocks from Ground Zero and another is 12 blocks!) The undertaking is being called "Cordoba House" after a city in Can you believe such audacity? If not, you are hopelessly ignorant of Islam and its radical followers and revolutionary policies. [Later: Thanks to all the negative publicity, the Muslims have changed the name to Park51, but everything else is the same, including our reasons for opposing it! See other items in “This & That …”] PAID TO ATTEND CHURCH This sounds more like Christmas than Easter, but Corpus Christi (TX)’s largest church, the Bay Area Fellowship – to get folks to attend its Easter services – gave away almost everything but the Lady Lex aircraft carrier (also called The Gray Ghost) that sits as a museum in the Corpus harbor. It is not unusual for a church to give each attendee a book, flower or other award – with perhaps a grand prize for the member bringing the most visitors, but what Fellowship did may be the biggest bribe offer in the history of Christianity. Why do we say so? It gave away flat-screen television sets, 15 automobiles, Fender guitars, furniture, bicycles, skateboards – and for those who didn’t win a biggie, everyone present received a goodie bag with approximately $300 in value of complimentary goods and services. (Yet it only took the church two weeks to raise all the funds and donations needed for the giveaway.) Wilcox Furniture (your editor patronized them when he lived in the area), whose CEO and family attend Fellowship, donated bedroom sets, recliners and other furniture with a value in the range of $12,000 to $16,000. Among the 15 cars given away were an Audi A4, Jeep, Chevy Aveo, Mazda RX8, Volkswagon Jetta, two BMWs, Chevy Avalanche, Jaguar and two Mitsubishi Eclipses – all pre-owned but with low mileage. What was the total cost of the promotion? Well, the 15,000 gifts bags – not counting all the cars, furniture, etc. – were valued at $4.5 million if all the goods and services were cashed in. And why wouldn’t they be? The church’s pastor, a young fellow with a biblical name, Bil (that’s the way he spells it) Cornelius, said the stunt was an illustration of his Easter message, the ultimate giveaway. He explained, “The ultimate giveaway is that Jesus gave His life for us … When we think about the spirit of giving, we always think about Christmas. But really the ultimate spirit of giving is Easter.” The Corpus Christi Caller-Times put it, “Just as the prizes are free for the winners, so is Heaven. But someone first had to pay for all the cars and furniture and TVs, as Jesus paid for people’s sins.” And it described the minister as “a laid-back pastor with spiky hair and bluejeans, [who] has weathered criticism of his megachurch before. Some say its rock ’n’ roll band, flashy lights and large size stray too far from Jesus’ true message.” His application was certainly biblical: “We’re going to give some stuff away and say, ‘Imagine how great Heaven is going to be if you feel that excited about a car … It’s completely free — all you have to do is receive him.” Let’s just hope the folks understand the difference between “trusting” Jesus for eternal life and “winning” a car to tool around the Bay area. So he won’t be disappointed (he told the media, “We know it’s unconventional … We know some people of faith aren’t going to agree with it”), we’ll note what he has done goes way beyond the normal gift churches give attendees and becomes a gigantic bribe for attending. We can’t help but think here of the old adage, “What would Jesus do?” We really can’t visualize Him doing something like this. Can you? Previous big giveaways include Joel Osteen’s $57,000 in “Left Behind” video games at Easter a year ago at his Houston church, and the Elk River (MN) The Crossing church giving away a couple of cars when introducing their pastor’s message series, “Joy Ride.” Just where does good taste in evangelism leave off and bad taste in bribery begin? A MAMA’S BOY WHO WON A WRESTLING MATCH WITH GOD! Well, maybe not ‘won’ since he got his thigh put out of joint in the contest, but he certainly did make a good showing and the scriptural account concludes he “prevailed.” I speak of Jacob (supplanter), who later, after the match, was forever known as Israel (a prince with God). That Jacob was a Mama’s boy is seen in Genesis 25. His father’s favorite son was Esau, a big game hunter, a man of the outdoors, a regular he-man’s man. Jacob was more of a gardener, a homebody, and he was the favorite of his mother, Rebekah (25:28). The wrestling match with God took place when Jacob was heading home after nearly three decades’ absence with the two wives and nearly dozen children he had garnered over the years. But going home meant facing brother Esau, whom he had not treated well at all – unless you call beating him out of his birthright and his inheritance “good treatment.” He knew he had not made his brother happy at all. The angels of God had already met him at Mahanaim (God’s hosts) and even though he proposed to give his brother expensive gifts, he feared that might not be sufficient. So he decided to have a prayer meeting! A good decision; in fact, a very good choice of action. The biblical narrative says: “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but The important thing here is that Jacob got the blessing from God he was seeking. But what makes me think it was Almighty God with whom Jacob wrestled? The divine record goes on: “And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore the children of What did Jacob acknowledge after the match? “I have seen God face to face!” So he named the place “Penuel,” which simply means “the face of God.” And from that day on Jacob, “supplanter,” was known as Israel, “a prince with God.” Note two important lessons here: 1. You don’t have to be ‘macho’ to do business with God! 2. Wrestling with God in prayer results in blessings untold for the wrestler. Okay, and I mean this very reverently, not lightly, take God to the mat! THE FAITH OF OBAMA We are not always impressed with reports about Islam and Obama, but now two major media outlets– Nile TV International and Israel Today – are claiming he confessed to Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit he is still of that faith. He told Gheit, the reports say, “… he was still a Muslim, the son of a Muslim father, and the step-son of a Muslim step-father; that his half brothers in While the truth of such a confession would not be a surprise, one thing I can positively assure our readers: Obama is definitely not an evangelical Christian! Pray for his conversion. GOD ANSWERS PRAYER! In the morning. At Our good friend, Pastor/Educator Guy Owens told me about a fellow, Ben Carlson, who got saved a few years back at a Bible camp and really started living all-out for Christ. I mean he faithfully witnessed to others and sought to bring them to Christ. Even after he was diagnosed with cancer, he didn’t let up on his outreach for souls. As with many would-be soul winners, however, he didn’t see much fruit. From his conversion to the time God took him Home, he only saw ONE SOUL come to Christ through his efforts. Pastor Greg Floars, who wrote the account Guy sent me, said: “But his words did not fall on deaf ears and his life could not be ignored. The night he died while I was at his home with his family, teenagers from the local public high school came to our church. They told the three men who were there, ‘We don’t know why we are here and we don’t know what to do.’ Just after 11 p.m. that night the 27th teenager prayed to accept Christ. At his funeral services over 550 people packed our building to pay their last respects to Ben. “Ben’s dad, Duane Carlson, told them where Ben was and that Ben was not afraid of his dying, but that he feared for their many souls. After I preached the sermon an invitation was given to accept Christ as personal Savior. Dozens and dozens prayed to be saved. It was like nothing I have ever seen. Conservatively I would say over 100 people asked Jesus to come into their hearts, forgive them of their sins, and to save their souls. God did a mighty work that day.” As an old preacher explained to me when I was starting out, “Son, the harvest is at the end of the age, not at the end of the meeting.” Pray. Witness. Trust God for the results. |
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