One of my favorite things to do while I eat lunch is to play Classic Words on my Kindle.  It’s a game that resembles Scrabble, and it allows me to test my vocabulary prowess.  Today while I was playing, I formed a three-letter word, yom.  This Hebrew word was accepted by the computer, and it told me the definition of the submission was “day.” 
     When my husband, Dave, was first studying Biblical Creation I would often pepper him with questions.  One of which was, “How are you sure the days in the timeline of the beginning of the world aren’t long?”  I wasn’t convinced that God’s six days of work, outlined in Genesis, didn’t happen over lengthy periods of time.
     The tiny word yom was a cornerstone in the case.   In most of its uses in the Old Testament it means a literal, twenty-four-hour day; and when it doesn’t the context makes it clear. [1] In Genesis 1:5-2:2, the word yom is used in conjunction with a number (day one, day two, etc.). [2] In all these instances where yom and a number are used (four hundred and ten times in the Old Testament), the word means an ordinary day, a literal twenty-four-hour period.  [3]
     Another place in the Old Testament where the word yom is used is in Exodus 20:9-10.  “Six  days  you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day in a sabbath of the LORD your God.”  God is speaking directly to Moses in this passage.  As Terry Mortenson says, “If God meant that the Jews were to work six days because He created over six long periods of time, He could have used one of three indefinite Hebrew time words.  He chose the only word that means a literal day.”[4]
     For most of Christian history the literal six-day creation account was not questioned.  Some even wondered why the days would have to have been twenty-four hours.  This seemed too long!  Christians in Martin Luther’s time thought that God could have created everything instantly.[5]  Luther’s response was to stand behind the authority of scripture and not support creative notions of what God “could have done” but instead validate what God did.  Luther said:
“When Moses writes that God created heaven and earth and whatever is in them in six days, then let this period continue to have been six days, and do not venture to devise any comment according to which six days were one day. But if you cannot understand how this could have been done in six days, then grant the Holy Spirit the honor of being more learned than you are. For you are to deal with Scripture in such a way that you bear in mind that God Himself says what is written. But since God is speaking, it is not fitting for you wantonly to turn His Word in the direction you wish to go.” [6]
     The change in mindset to long periods of time was driven by hostility to the Christian religion and by extra-biblical influences (influences outside of the Bible) in the nineteenth century.[7] 
     When I heard the explanation of that tiny Hebrew word, I was convicted that yom meant a literal twenty-four-hour day, and that it could be trusted to mean God created all that we see and know in six literal days. The Genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11 give detailed chronological information that also confirms an approximately 6,000-year-old universe.[8] 
​     If you believe God is all-powerful and able to do things that are incomprehensible to our human minds, speaking the world into existence in a short period of time is only another miracle on His list of many.
 ________________________________________________________________________
[1] Mortenson, Terry.  (2006).  Why Shouldn’t Christians Accept Millions of Years.   In Ham, K. (ed).  The New Answers Book 1.  [pg. 26].  Green Forest: Masterbooks.
[2] Mortenson, Terry.  (2006). Why Shouldn’t Christians Accept Millions of Years.  In Ham, K (ed).  The New Answers Book 1.  [pg. 26] Green Forest: Master Books. 
[3] “Does Genesis Chapter 1 Mean Literal 24-hour days?” GotQuestions.Org. 
[4] Mortenson, Terry.  (2006) Why Shouldn’t Christians Accept Millions of Years.  In Ham, K (ed).  The New Answers Book 1. [pg. 27].  Green Forest: Master Books.
[5] Johnson, James J.S. “Luther The Reformation and Taking Creation Seriously.” Icr.org.  Sept. 29th, 2017. ICR.org/article/luther-reformation-taking-creation
[6] “Luther on the days of creation.”  Creation.com.  https://creation.com/luther-on-creation-days.
[7] Ham, Ken.  (2006).  Could God Really Have Created Everything in Six Days...  In Ham, K. (ed).  The New Answers Book 1.  [90].  Green Forest: Master Books.
[8] Mortenson, Terry.  (2006).  Why Shouldn’t Christians Accept Millions of Years.  In Ham, K (ed).  The New Answers Book 1.  [pg. 26].  Green Forest: Master Books.

Do We Know Moses Wrote Genesis? 

When I was in 4-H many years ago, I did a genealogy project where I traced my ancestral history and made a family tree.  Although I could only go back about four generations, it was a good research activity.   More recently, my mother in law gave our family the gift of tracing our roots, and I found out through a DNA testing company that I was more Danish than I thought, and less German than I had assumed.  It’s fascinating to discover pieces of information about my personal pedigree, but even more intriguing is the wonderment of the lineage of humankind.
 
All people need to know where they came from.  It’s natural to wonder about our history.  How did we get here?  Who were our ancestors?  History taught in elementary school doesn’t go back far enough to cover these details.  However, the Bible gives us a narrative about how humans were formed, and how we dispersed over the planet.  When I open my New International Version Bible on the first page, before each book, the author is listed on the side.  My NIV Bible states Moses is the author, not only of Genesis, but also the next four books as well.  Together, these five books are also known as the Pentateuch or the books of the law.  Bible studies and reading plans will often refer to the collection by these names.   But, how do we know Moses wrote Genesis?
   
 First, the Old Testament attributes authorship to Moses.   We can read in the Old Testament fourteen times where Moses is directed by God to write down things being spoken to Him.  Let’s look at Exodus 17:14a, “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure Joshua hears it.”  Another scripture from Exodus states, “Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.” (Exodus 24:4a).  Other places Moses is given authorship are found in Exodus 34:27; Numbers 33:1-2; Deuteronomy 31:9-11; Joshua 1:8; 8:31-32; 1Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 14:6; 21:8; Ezra 6:18; Nehemiah 13:1; Daniel 9:11-13; and Malachi 4:4. [1]  How does this prove Moses wrote Genesis?  It can be inferred that Moses was given direct revelation from God on what to write throughout the first five books of the Bible.
   
 Second, the New Testament gives Moses credit.  We find fourteen references in the New Testament that refer to the Law of Moses, clearly stating that in the mind of the Jewish people the authorship was not in question, but rather presupposed as Moses.  When Jesus says in Mark 12:26, “Have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’” He is not questioning whether or not Moses wrote the book, but rather using it as a reference.  If Moses was not the inspired journalist wouldn’t Jesus have corrected the matter?  Instead, He affirms it.  Other New Testament scripture references can be found in Matthew 8:4; Luke 16:29; Luke 24:27; Luke 24:44; John 5:46; John 7:22; Acts 3:22; Acts 15:1; Acts 28:23; Romans 10:5; Romans 10:19; 1 Corinthians 9:9; and 2 Corinthians 3:15. [2]
 
 Third, Moses had a royal, Egyptian upbringing.  The privileges afforded to him growing up under the Pharaoh would have included a royal education.  In Acts 7:22 it states that “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.”   He was an eyewitness to the events that occurred in Exodus to Deuteronomy, which include references to Egyptian gods, people, places, cultural factors, and idioms. [3]  He was qualified to write these historical books.
 
 Fourth, he was a prophet.   He was regarded as an inspired teacher and proclaimer of the will of God. [4]  On the mountain of Sinai he was given the ten commandments to share with the Israelites (Exodus 20:2-17).  He foretold that Israel would become a wasteland (Deut. 29:23), and he proclaimed that the Jewish people would never be completely destroyed (Lev. 26:32-33). [5]  Because Moses was used by God to tell future events, could we also imagine that God used him to pen past events as well? 
 
When we study the history of human kind, God told Moses to write down that we were formed out of the dust of the earth.  A man and woman, not a young boy or girl, were created as the first humans, and given the names Adam and Eve.  God explained to Moses (perhaps directly and/or through written accounts) that Adam and Eve had children, and they had children.  Eventually God causes them to disperse over the globe taking with them their unique languages and DNA that would form specific people groups.  In closing, God spoke to Moses face to face as a man, as one speaks to a friend (Exodus 33:11).  God really had a deep, personal, intimate relationship with his child, Moses, and wanted to use him to tell His story.   Moses was called a friend of God.  He gave Moses the amazing replay of the history of the first humans, and we can trust his account. 
 
[1] Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge, How Do We Know the Bible is True: Volume 1 (Master Books, 2011), p.89
[2] Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge, How Do We Know the Bible is True: Volume 1 (Master Books, 2011), p.90-93
[3] Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge, How Do We Know the Bible is True: Volume 1 (Master Books, 2011), p.94
[4] Oxford Dictionary, prophet, Bing Translator
[5] Aboutbibleprophecy.com, Moses’ prophecies

“Coffee,” “be you,” “be good to people,” “good vibes” read the shabby chic signs on the wall in the coffee shop where I sit. Attractive little things on the outside, but why be good to people? Why have good vibes? And isn’t it obvious that a person should be himself? Without truth behind words, they quickly lose their meaning. These phrases evoke emotions but dig no deeper than the surface and leave emptiness inside. Instead of finding fulfillment in truth, people grasp at food, sex, material belongings, and “spiritual” experiences in a desperate attempt to feel full. 

There must be something to fill that hole. There must be something so pure, so powerful, so satisfying that we will long for nothing else. Truth that conquers the lies of the world. But what if there was no hope of such? What if there was no knowledge of truth? Would I want to live in such a world? No, I think I would rather die. Where can thirst-quenching water and satisfying food be found?
  
The Bible makes 139 references to the word “truth.” I’d say that’s a good foundation. Some may quote the verse, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” in John 8:32. But many may skip over the knowing part and just see the freedom promised. But if we back up, just one verse, we clearly see where the truth comes from. “So, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
  
First, Jesus said. We must believe in Him. Later in the book of John we read, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” The way, the truth, and the life. That is the complete package. For those wandering aimlessly, He is the way; for those hopelessly seeking, He is the truth; for those desperate to find meaning, He is life.
  
Second, we must abide in Him. In this place of intimacy, we find sustenance. We abide in him through knowing him through his word. In this world today, we have taken God and His Word out of schools, out of public places, and sometimes even out of our churches. If we have refused to accept the truth of Christ, it is no wonder we are in the jumbled mess we are in today.
  
His creation still cries out his name, but do we as Christians? Do Christians forget their citizenship in heaven and instead also get trapped seeking fulfillment on this earth? 1 Peter 4:17 says, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”  We will be judged when Christ comes again. Let us live in the light of revealed truth. Let us not be afraid to stand firm and to share the truth in this broken world.  ​​

 
 Truth, Why Is It Important?  
Picture this scene. You are called to be a witness during a court trial. As you approach the bench, you are instructed by the judge to place your left hand on a Bible, raise your right hand and repeat the following: “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God”. Apparently, telling the truth in court is of the utmost importance. After all, if you were a witness and someone’s future was determined by your account of what happened wouldn’t you want to give the most accurate (and truthful) account of the events? 
  
Our ministry’s name, “Truth of Genesis,” is a reflection regarding our commitment to being witnesses to the Truth… to the very Word of God. As Christians, we have an awesome and sober responsibility. Our witness could help determine someone’s future by our account of the truth regarding the Lord’s Word, His character, and His desire to have a relationship with the people He loves so dearly.  
 
How do we determine the meaning of truth? Webster’s dictionary defines truth this way:  
1. The body of real things, events, and facts  
2. The state of being the case  
3. A transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality  
4. Fidelity to an original or to a standard  
 
The Bible defines truth this way:  
1. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” Exodus 20:16  
2. “For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth” 2 Corinthians 13:8  
3. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth” John 17:17 (emphasis mine)  
4. “A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful.” Proverbs 14:25  
 
Regarding origins (the beginning of the universe), evolutionists have convinced many that their dating methods are sound and that the universe is billions of years old. But is this the truth? If we read Genesis Chapter 1, the Lord Himself has given us His own personal testimony (witness) of how long He took to create the universe. He’s also given us an ancestral timeline from Adam to Jesus, giving us a fairly accurate age for Creation.  
 
So, who’s telling the truth about the origins of the universe? Our perspectives could be, and often are, self-serving.  This is called relative truth and isn’t really truth but instead opinion.  There are people who willingly deceive others about the origins of the universe because they feel justified in not having to acknowledge the Lord. There is only one witness to how the universe formed (the Lord), which then leads to two choices. We either believe what the Lord says and embrace His Word as truth or reject what He says and thus reject the Lord Himself. 
  
Where do you stand? Do you acknowledge that the Lord created the universe in six days?  Do you believe in the fall of man into sin and separation from the Lord?  How about the gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus?  Perhaps you choose to embrace evolutionist theories creating a humanistic stronghold in your life.  The bible is clear on all these issues: creation, sin, salvation as well as eternity.  Remember, our witness could help determine someone’s future by our account of the truth in the court of public opinion regarding God’s Word.  We pray that the Lord has opened or will open your eyes to see His truth, and that the truth would set you free. John 8:32 ​

The spirit of Christmas is the Spirit of Christ living among us today, and the celebration of “THE” gift which is the only gift which can keep on giving, the love and the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

If you listen, really listen, to some of the best “religious” Christmas songs ever written they speak directly to the reason for Jesus being born and our need for a savior.  O Holy Night is such a song.  It begins…

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.  Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees!
 
It’s easy for us to get caught up in family, gifts and having a fun respite from work.  And there is nothing wrong with any of those things, I certainly love spending time with my family, both mine and my wife’s.  And one of my “love languages” is gifts so I love to give and receive thoughtful presents.

But what I want more than anything this Christmas, is the gift of each and every one of my friends and family coming to know Christ as their Lord and Savior, and for the ones who do know Him to have an even deeper and more profound relationship with Him.

Sharing Christ and affirming His Word is something that I, and most Christians, can get better at doing.  But there can be more to sharing Jesus than just wishing someone a “Merry Christmas”.  We need to also defend the truth of His deity and the authenticity of the biblical text.  Remember, Jesus is the Word.  All of the Word!

Truth of Genesis, and other biblical creation organizations, spend much time trying to help people see that perspective.  Through building on the foundation of the Gospel, Genesis, we hope that Christ may be glorified as Creator, Redeemer, Lord and Savior.  The goal is to show that real science and biblical interpretation confirm the accuracy of God’ word and therefore the Gospel of Christ.  As the song says,

Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
 
I’m greatly encouraged by people like Karen who is a friend of our ministry.  She takes the opportunity of Christmas to give out apologetic or Christ affirming gifts and notes to people she knows.  This year Karen gave out the DVD “God vs. Evolution”.  By giving out faith affirming material, and learning how to defend the truth ourselves, we can help people reduce some of the barriers the secular world has attempted to build between people and the life giving message Jesus’ birth.

As you sing hymns this Christmas season, think about what Jesus really did by coming to earth on Christmas day.  He brought the light of truth into a dark and dying world as “THE” perfect gift. 

Make it a point at Christmas and throughout the year to build up people’s faith and the authority of scripture.  Give some gifts and send some notes of encouragement that do just that.

O Holy Night concludes with:

With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
 
Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year from Truth of Genesis!
 

In all my years of celebrating Thanksgiving I had never heard of Sarah Joseph Hale.  Does that name sound familiar to you?

She is most known for being the author of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” which was also part of the first recording on Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonograph.

But she is also probably the person most responsible for Thanksgiving being a federal holiday.
​
Her series of editorials influenced President Lincoln to back legislation making Thanksgiving a national day of remembrance in 1863.  It was the culmination of 17 years of work pleading with five U.S. presidents before providence took hold in the middle of the civil war.

For the Christian, Lincoln’s action is the perfect example of giving thanks even during difficult times.  And the Civil War was one of the darkest hours in American history.  We are reminded in Thessalonians, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

This is important for me because I have a tendency to thank God only during times of plenty or opportunity.  But His grace and mercy abound in my life at all times, and Jesus’ sacrifice is an eternal gift.  I’ve already experienced the thing most desired in every human heart, real love and real peace.

If you’re a Christian, remembering this and letting its truth be something that we’re thankful for daily is part of our call.  If you’re not a Christian, it is part of the promise that God makes available to all who seek Him.

Lincoln “urged his countrymen to be mindful of their many blessings that are ‘the gracious gifts of the Most High God’ who ought to be thanked ‘with one heart and one voice, by the whole American People’.”1
​
As Christians today we should be urgently sharing the truth of the gospel, upholding the authority of scripture and giving thanks daily for our personal relationship with our Lord Jesus above our material blessings.
​
Sarah Joseph Hale and President Lincoln were instrumental in establishing Thanksgiving on our calendar each year.  Let’s not forget God’s Word calls us to give thanks in times of famine and in times of feast.    
 
References: 1. http://www.icr.org/article/thanksgiving-heritage
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/recon/jb_recon_phongrph_2.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)
http://www.icr.org/article/9023
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Josepha_Hale
 

 The Protestant Reformation: What does this mean to us today?

October 31st, 2017, marked the 500th Anniversary of the recognition of the Protestant Reformation. In 1517, Dr. Martin Luther (a Roman Catholic monk) challenged the Catholic Church, in regards to doctrine and salvation, by nailing a declaration to the door of Wittenberg Church.

​Martin Luther and other Reformers addressed four questions: *How is a person saved? Where does religious authority lie? What is the church? What is the essence of Christian living? The Reformers answered these questions with five points that would separate biblical doctrine of the Protestants and the Roman Catholics. These five points are:

1. Scripture Alone: The Bible is the only authority for all matters of faith and practice (emphasis mine).
2. Salvation by Grace Alone: Salvation is proof of God’s undeserved favor and that we are rescued by faith alone, not by works.
3. Salvation by Faith Alone: We are justified by faith in Christ alone.
4. In Christ Alone: Salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone; no one and nothing else can save.
5. For the Glory of God Alone: Salvation is of God and has been accomplished by God for His glory alone.

How does the Reformation affect us today as Creationists? The Protestant Reformation returned us to the Bible as the only spiritual authority. It reminds us that we must stand against any doctrine of faith that takes us away from the Bible as our spiritual authority.

As a nation, we have allowed the religion of Evolution in our schools, in our homes, in our churches, and given it authority over our children. As followers of Christ, we need to realize that Evolution and the Bible do not agree. They are two polarizing faiths; you cannot believe in both and be intellectually and biblically consistent.

I thank the Lord for the Reformers’ strength and resolve (even to the point of death) so that we can stand on the Bible as our Scriptural authority today. Please join us and others as we encourage the Body of Christ to return to the Bible as their only spiritual authority regarding the origins of creation. Join us in prayer for another reformation.  One that will free the church from Evolution’s deception and its influence over the Body of Christ, so that we can then disciple others with the truth of Scripture.

Reformation is just as important for us today as it was for Martin Luther over 500 years ago.  Just as we need to continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit and press into our Lord; we need to continue to prune dead man-made philosophies and beliefs from the church.  May God bless us to continue the good work that Luther started until THAT DAY!

*Excerpts from GotQuestions.org “What was the Protestant Reformation?”
 

​Labor Day, the “unofficial end of summer,” is a day given to workers to honor their work and give them a day of rest.  As it approached this year it began to remind me a lot of the Sabbath, the designated last day of the week that God gave us to rest from our six days of work.  

​Like much of scripture, people have lost the honor and respect for the Sabbath.  How many people today tell you that they can’t do something because “it’s the Sabbath?”   Can you recall anyone doing that? 

One of the beautiful things about my wife is that she is a God honoring woman.  A few years ago she started to study the Sabbath and asked why we didn’t follow it closely as a family.  Of course we remembered in the Bible where it says “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”  That’s the normal justification for ignoring the day of rest.  

Matthew Henry, famous for his Biblical commentaries, pointed out that: “God never intended it to be an imposition on us, and therefore we must not make it so to ourselves.”  So should we now work seven days a week?

As with many things, we take the freedom that Christ gave us too far.  The Sabbath was given to us by God directly as a commandment to observe not as an imposition as Henry indicated.    Instead, it’s a guide for healthy living and a reminder to draw close to and seek Him out.  It doesn’t have to be the same day of the week for everyone but it’s a good idea for everyone to pick a day to rest.  That is the example that God gave us, to develop a habit of refreshing our minds and bodies and drawing closer to Him.

Of course, if we are in Christ, He is our rest.  We are not under the law but the principals of the Sabbath remain.  During the Exodus many of the Jews didn’t take the opportunity to draw closer to God even though He was right there with them. 

They found that the farther you get from the best that the Lord has for you; the worse off your situation, and heart, becomes.  When the Holy Spirit spoke of their disobedience and not following His rest (pursuing after God and not idols) He said: “’They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways’.  As I swore in my wrath, ‘they shall not enter my rest’”.

A major focus of this ministry is to acknowledge God as Creator.  Emphasizing His act of creation is one of the reasons he rested in Exodus 31:16-17:  “Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”  Have you ever considered that the example that the Lord gave to rest was done before the Law was given?

​God certainly didn’t need to rest on the seventh day.  The Lord Jesus didn’t need to take the Sabbath off before He rose.  But he did.  Even the One who told us not to be legalistic set the example by following it.  The Sabbath is still holy, but also still made for us.  As Henry said, “…receive and embrace it as a privilege and a benefit, not as a task and a drudgery.”  So how are you doing with it?  Got Sabbath?