Living Proof of Creationism

I, like many, had the opportunity to watch the debate between Bill Nye and Ken Ham. As usual in debates like these, the two experts were unwaveringly convinced that their way of interpreting the same evidence was correct and the other’s way was wrong. If you are a creationist you probably thought that Ham was the victor and if you are an evolutionist then you were likely more impressed by Nye’s arguments. However, there was one piece of evidence that was overlooked throughout the debate and was briefly alluded to during the Q&A. That evidence is life. Life itself is unexplainable for the evolutionist.

Now, I’m not a scientist and I’m sure the self proclaimed experts could wax eloquently about the progress of biogenesis or abiogenesis, but the fact remains that the greatest minds the scientific community has ever produced have not even come close to discovering the source of life. Since Louis Pasteur disproved spontaneous generation 150 years ago, scientists have presented different hypotheses but have made no progress other than to discover more ways that it did not happen. In short scientific method gives us no answer to the question of life’s origin.

There is, however, one explanation that is completely consistent to the “reasonable man’s” observation of the world around us. That would be the Biblical explanation. Genesis reveals three things, among others, about life that is obvious to the rational mind. The first thing is that life was created by a living being. We know that life can only be produced by life. That is scientific fact. The Bible teaches that God has eternal life in himself and that in the “beginning,” that is, the beginning of time as we know and observe it, he created creatures and gave them life. This is difficult for the humanists to accept because they limit themselves to only the knowledge that they can acquire themselves, and that only of the natural sphere of knowledge. This limited perspective handicaps them from understanding the deeper mysteries of the universe. Since they have no room in their thinking for revelation from the spiritual or eternal sphere, they are left guessing.

The second thing revealed in the Biblical revelation is that life reproduces life after its kind. This is so obvious that it takes a Ph.D. to make it difficult. A flea reproduces a flea, a fish reproduces a fish, a dog reproduces a dog, a horse reproduces a horses, etc. Furthermore we are informed that God created man in his own image, therefore man is unique in comparison to the other creatures. We as humans are unique in our intelligence, our morals, our consciousness, our relationships, etc. Because we are created by God for his purpose we reflect characteristics of his triune existence. We exist to share in his eternal life.

The third thing we learn in Genesis is that life ends because of rebellion against God and his purpose. This is the curse of sin. There is no greater evidence against the evolutionary process than the absolute certainty of death. Everything that is alive is going to die. It is universal and certain. Like a curse on all of creation. That would be the curse of sin. Scientist cannot, no matter how hard they try, figure out how to stop death. We are all moving toward that inevitable end because God has appointed it to us.

However, because God is love, which creates another problem for the evolutionists, he has provided the perfect atonement for our sins and made a way for those of us who believe on the name of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to experience the eternal life that we were created to enjoy. The person and work of Jesus Christ is central to God’ plan for the human race. It is obvious to the rational mind that human history is filled with meaning and purpose. We are moving toward a great end that was designed by an awesome God. The Scriptures command you to turn from your sin and trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ so that you may have eternal life. The evolutionary hypothesis leaves no room for this great truth. It gives you no cause, purpose, or life. Choose this day whom you will serve. The Eternal God of the universe, or the ideas of men who will soon die with you.

Godspeed,

Russell Taylor

Why We Wrote What We Wrote: The Brooksville Statement on Marriage

 By Matthew Everhard.

Martin Luther once wrote that if we are not defending the gospel at the very point that it is being attacked in our own generation, we are not defending it at all. It is for this reason that our 380-member church in the small, rural town of Brooksville, Florida decided to act.

While we are immensely proud of a recent chicken-sandwich chain whose founder boldly stated his convictions regarding traditional marriage, the elders of Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church feel that it is primarily the church’s calling  to defend biblical orthodoxy. Our elders and I could not stand idly by while an attack on marriage—a thinly veiled attack on the creation order and the Creator—rages before our very eyes. 

The Brooksville Statement on Marriage is a 600-word declaration of conscience that attempts to do three things. (1) First, we hope to clearly define marriage in a generation in which the word “marriage” itself has lost all semblance of meaning. (2) Second, we hoped to positively state our convictions regarding the delineations of human sexuality, rather than make a polemical attack on those lifestyles with which we ardently disagree. (3) Third, we hoped to speak a timely word of compassion and grace in a world of “bumper sticker” one-liners and alleged hate-speech.  

Our hope is that this small town church declaration would inspire like-minded evangelical churches across the globe to adopt this (or a similar) statement, in order to provide a desperately needed prophetic voice in veritable wilderness of confusion. 

[Go to the official website here].

The Brooksville Statement on Marriage

Definition

Marriage is beautiful because God is glorious. God, in His infinite Trinitarian wisdom, created and ordained marriage to display the mysterious union of Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:22-25). As the creator and author of marriage, God alone has the authority to define it. This He did in the second chapter of Genesis where God, having created both groom and bride, brought them together personally (2:22) and a benediction was pronounced over the couple;  “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife and they shall become one flesh” (2:24, ESV). For this reason, Christian believers do now hold—and have always held—that marriage is between one man and one woman; that it is sealed by the exchange of covenant vows; and that it is intended for the whole of natural life, until death.

On the Interpretation of Scripture

We Christian believers regard the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the inspired, inerrant, and infallible authority under which we live. We regard the clarity of Scripture to be sufficient for us to interpret the Bible accurately on matters of both faith and practice, using straightforward grammatical and historical principles. For this reason, we reject all attempts to obscure or “reread” Biblical passages which abundantly state the parameters of human sexuality. Sexual relations are to be enjoyed as a gift, and exclusively, between a married man and his own wife alone (Exodus 20:14; Hebrews 13:4). Any alternate readings of Scripture that intentionally or unintentionally obscure this foundational Biblical presupposition are to be rejected.

On Sin and Grace                                              

While it is true that Christians are called to hate transgression and iniquity, we find the sin within our own hearts—and not the sin of our neighbors—to be the most egregious of all. We lament and repent of our own sin first; be it in thought, word, or deed. We welcome those of all races, genders, ethnicities, and sexual inclinations to repent and believe in Jesus Christ and to worship in our churches. We sympathize with all who struggle in temptation, and exhort them to pursue “the obedience of faith” and embrace the new life given to the Redeemed by the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, we continue to reject any and every sin that degrades God’s glorious creation of marriage, including: adultery, fornication, rape, incest, homosexuality, polygamy, lust, pornography, coercive abstinence while in the state of marriage, and all forms of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Christians are called to love—and not hate—our enemies and those who persecute us (Matt 5:44). Thus, we utterly disregard any attempt to mischaracterize our convictions on the above matters as “hate speech,” for to tell the truth on these matters is indeed a most loving and gracious act. 

On Human Laws and Ordinances

Moreover, mankind can pass no law that redefines marriage any more than mortal man can pass a law that declares the light of the sun to be dark, or the gravity of the earth to be ceased. Though various laws may be passed by the agency of human pen and ink; or judgments rendered from human courts (higher or lower); yet human beings have not the prerogative, now or ever, to alter, change, or redefine marriage.

On Civil Disobedience

Finally, then, we the undersigned stand firm in our convictions on these matters and refuse to take any such actions as would compel us to violate either Scripture or conscience--even if so compelled by civil law--for “to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.” Amen.

Teaching Elders: Rev. Matthew Everhard. Rev. David Franklin. Ruling Elders: David Peeler. David Field, Scott Knight, Doug Dempsey, Gwynn Blair, and Dr. George Boring (clerk). 

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