Local Church Apologetics was birthed in 2016 to respond to the growing need within America for local churches to equip their people in how to defend their Christian faith from the onslaught of a skeptical, unbelieving culture. After pastoring an Assembly of God church in Moline, IL. for 34 years, my wife and I stepped out in faith to follow the Lord’s call to this new ministry venture. Our mission is to impact believers and local churches throughout the nation; challenging, inspiring and equipping them in the area of apologetics.

 While pastoring, a growing burden developed in my heart as I saw the attacks upon the Christian faith increasing and the numbers of Christian young people walking away from the Christian faith by the time they graduated from college. I began to study apologetics about 25 years ago and began to incorporate apologetics into my ministry at the church in various ways. Many local churches in America today do not address the issues of apologetics in any way and many others only touch on these issues lightly. I believe this must change! I devoted the remainder of my life to help see this change come about.

 Local Church Apologetics involves 4 main focuses of ministry. We seek to assist individual believers in becoming better equipped in how to defend their faith, but we our primary goal is to assist local churches in becoming better equipped to equip their people in these areas. Our 4 focus areas are as follows: (1) Preaching and Teaching in Churches, Schools and Conferences, (2) Producing Apologetics Materials for All Ages (I have recently published my first book entitled, “Faith & Reason Made Simple” and we are now working on a children’s ministry curriculum to be used in local churches to teach their children apologetics.), (3) Coordinating Truth Conferences (see description below), & (4) Developing a Web Site at “localchurchapologetics.org” that will eventually offer Materials for Local Churches to Teach Apologetics at Every Age Level.

 In my book “Faith & Reason Made Simple” I have attempted to present the complicated areas of apologetics in a simplified way so that the believer who does not have previous apologetics training can easily digest, memorize and utilize key points which will help them defend their faith. For example, the book explains 6 Scientific Flaws with the Theory of Evolution and gives 8 Levels of Evidence that confirm God Created Everything. It also presents 8 Areas of Evidence which Confirm the Bible is the Word of God. In addition, the book deals with evidences confirming who Jesus Christ is, differences between Christianity and other religions, answers to the questions of skeptics, and a Christian response to issue of Homosexuality. These are all key issues that Christians are facing today.
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 In the Truth Conferences we bring together speakers like Josh McDowell, Chris Brooks, Eric Hovind, Charlie Campbell, and many others to offer people a full day of training and inspiration. Topics covered include Creation vs. Evolution, How We Know the Bible is the Word of God, The Person of Jesus Christ, Christianity & Islam, The Christian Response to Homosexuality, and Answering the Questions of Skeptics. Phil Stacey, former American Idol finalist serves as our worship leader during the conferences. We believe that apologetics and worship go hand in hand!
 In all of our ministry efforts we seek to help believers understand that apologetics and reasoning must be combined with the love of Jesus flowing through our lives and the power of the Holy Spirit guiding our words and actions if we desire to be effective in both defending our faith and reaching the lost for Christ!
 Our current focus is the development of a children’s ministry curriculum to be introduced in a future Truth Conference and offered to local churches across the nation to help them teach apologetics to children in their churches.

You can learn more about Local Church Apologetics at localchurchapologetics.org. You can contact me at rick@lcapologetics.org. Please pray for us as we seek to follow the Lord’s calling! Thank you and God bless you!

Prayer is the foundation of the ministry efforts of the International Association of Creation (IAC). My friends and I unknowingly launched a unique organization by simply praying for one creation-affirming museum in Washington State back in 2012.  Once the museum directors began to see the Lord answer their requests, they gave other museum friends our contact details.  We began praying for them.  We also see intercession at work as we connect people together as prayer partners through the IAC ministry.  Today, IAC is an international network of creation ministries and museums that serve local communities with the love of Christ and the truth of His word.

Our passion for Jesus and declaring His glory through the Word and the truth of creation drives our efforts. In this, we remember that it is Christ who holds all things together, including the important connections between apologetics, creation, and the Gospel. As the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, it is this truth which should compel us to share a defense of our faith (an “apologia"), and facts about our Creator God's design and purpose.  This is the mission of the International Association of Creation.

Nationally, our footprint is represented through learning centers and tour groups in major metropolitan areas including Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Nashville, Cleveland, St. Louis, Dallas, Phoenix, San Diego, Portland, and Seattle along with many locations spread across the United States.  Internationally, we have member locations across Canada and Europe, as well as missionaries throughout the 10/40 Window, including the African continent and across the Asia-Pacific Region.

We equip families through IAC affiliated ministries by helping them to know God and understand His purpose in their lives.   Our network of creation learning locations, speakers and missionaries are excellent local resources.  We offer participating members growth through professional development opportunities including accreditation, faith-affirming resources, unified guest experiences, youth development programs, national events and strategic guidance for tactically advancing the biblical worldview.   Our global platform provides communities the opportunity to experience God's creation first-hand and advance the biblical worldview across the Earth through individual and small group ministries.

We look forward to educating, empowering and reaching your local communities with the biblical worldview and the love of Christ.  We want to encourage you through our organization, network and resources to advance the message of our Creator, Savior, and Lord.

Learn more about our work and join us at: www.AssociationForCreation.org

 
 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 story goes like this… An atheist sues the government claiming that their faith has no holiday celebrating what they believe.  The judge says that is not the case because atheists have a holiday that is on the calendar every year.  Puzzled, the atheist’s lawyer asks for clarification.  The judge replies, April Fool’s day is the “Atheists national holiday”!  Why?  Psalms 32:1, “The fool says in his heart, there is no god.”  Easter, also on April 1st, 2018, rises above the lesser day of pranks like the best steak rises above cheap, garbage filled hot-dogs.

Easter burst on the world-scene magnifying God’s love and leading humanity back on a clear path to Him.  Whereas April Fool’s day is another historical trick whose actual origin is doubtful.  Like atheism itself, grounded in evolutionary faith, interesting stories abound around the day but not much foundational truth.

One story has “All Fools Day” going back to 1582 when the French changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian.  The New Year began sometime during the last week of March and people who failed to make the switch to January 1st earned the jeers and jokes of the well-informed.   Another story says that the day replaces, Hilaria, a Roman celebration for spring and the end of winter.  The celebration boasted both get-ups and gags.  Weather fans suggest that it has something to do with the capricious weather during that time of the year which often fools us with snow overnight and fifty-one degrees by the end of the day! 

Like the evolutionary thinking, none of this is verified, and comes from the creative mind of man.  Regardless, the contrast of choices in worldviews this year couldn’t be clearer while at the time being immensely symbolic and relevant for our lives today.  Celebrate the most documented, studied, verified and life-changing event in history and faith, the death and resurrection of Jesus or join the fools.  The great evangelist and creationist Henry Morris said, “Indeed a wise person will ‘hearken’ unto good counsel and thus someday ‘inherit glory’.”

Easter is the celebration of a prophecy fulfilled, i.e. trusted and verified.  Its foundation is Genesis which tells us the need for a Savior, and is the bedrock of the gospel message.  That’s why creation and the cross go hand in glove.  Unfortunately, many who call themselves Christians have one foot in both worldviews.  Many “Christians” have been taught secular worldviews that use humanistic religion taught as science.  They don’t realize that the same peddlers of millions of evolutionary years also say humanism is not compatible with the gospel!
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Easter is the day to stop being a fool and kneel at the foot of the cross.  I say kneel because we need to acknowledge Him as Lord and repent of our sins.  No matter who you are, what you’ve done or believed in the past, Jesus is there to meet you.  As the Bible says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near”. (Isaiah 55:6)

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.
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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
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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.
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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?