Let’s Be a Blessing!

First, the Bad News

“Many who respond to something disagree with it. That’s to be expected. Agreeing tends to motivate people less than disagreeing….The result is there’s a lot more disagreeing going on, especially measured by the word.” Paul Graham How to Disagree, 2008

“It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” Matthew 10:25

As Biblical creationists it sometimes feels like everyone is against us.

• Those who hate our Lord and Creator hold no bars about what they say to and about us, and they seem to take great pleasure in letting us know their opinions.
• Many who follow Jesus still take offense at us for not placing science at a higher level than God’s testimony and complying with the ideas of the God rejectors
• Sadly, many who take God at his word still think the whole issue of our origins is just a distraction from the main focus on Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection
• Then, most of the rest are content to buy a book, watch a video, like a facebook page, and quietly go about our busy lives

You can tell right away what this does to people in ministry

It’s hard enough to be a God-fearing pastor. They experience much of this even with their congregations face to face with them each week. Those who are happy with their work just say hi and head out for lunch. It’s those who see problems who won’t stop pestering them.

Missionaries have it worse. If the culture in an area was supportive of Christians, there wouldn’t be any reason for them to be there. They are far from loved ones and their whole purpose in staying is to bring new people to Jesus and help them grow. Once there’s a core of strong believers, it’s usually time to move on and start all over again.

Creationists are rather like these missionaries. They often work alone, the culture isn’t supportive, even in a good church most people won’t care about their work, and the people who take time to contact them are likely to be giving them a hard time.

What We Can Do About It

Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak]. Ephesians 4:29 Amplified Bible

I bet you can guess! All it takes to make a pastor’s, missionary’s, and creationist’s day is to give them a bit of positive interaction. Here are a few examples:

• Thank your pastor for a particular bit of his sermon that touched you and write his wife a thank you note for how she supports her husband
• Write or email your church’s missionaries telling them you’ve prayed for the needs they mentioned in the latest prayer letter. (I’ll often write out my prayer in the letter so they can read exactly what I presented at God’s throne)
• Contact a creationist

Let me tell you a secret

Several times I’ve written a thank you email to the Institute for Creation Research and they have included a snippet of them in their Acts & Facts magazine. One of the things that pushed me to start my own ministry was a letter sent to ICR by an eleven year old thanking them for their interesting but hard to understand articles.

I’ve contacted Creation Ministries International occasionally and seen my name on their magazine’s feedback page a couple times as well.

If you’d like to see your name in print (first name and last initial) your odds of being published are pretty good with these two groups.

Even More Exciting…

Imagine your drawing on the wall of a real creation scientist

No promises, but my guess is if you send your artwork to one of the guys* working in creation science, he might be so thrilled he posts it somewhere to look at every day. I can guarantee it will make their day wherever they put your drawing.

Contact Info

Creation Ministries International If you want to email them, notice they don’t even have a “thank us” tab, you’ll have to click through from the Other questions/comments section.

Institute for Creation Research They have a general Comments Tab for emails.

Creation Today This isn’t one of the big three, but it is one of the most fun for kids. Eric Hovind knows how to keep things simple enough for most of us to understand. He’s funny, and he’s great at introducing us to more indie creationists as well. Their Testimony page has a form to add your own. It’s on the right for both computers and mobile.

Answers in Genesis I’m putting them last for only one reason: they get out among us and have the greatest chance of hearing how valuable what they do is. But I’ll bet getting a note would make even Ken Ham’s day. They have a generic Inquiries page to contact them.

Adopt a Creationist

Yes, the big name groups face a lot of flak and need all the prayers and support we can give them, but they aren’t the only ones. Did you know there are a huge number of small independent creation groups out there? In the United States, unless you live in the middle of the Great Plains, you aren’t very far away from a creation organization. Even around the world, there’s probably one in your country.

Perhaps you could get to know these brave people in your local area. Museums could use reports or even volunteers, speakers could use invitations, and all could use the encouragement of knowing someone cares.

Support

Yes, I do mean money. Without it, speakers can’t travel, videos don’t get produced, books don’t get (well) written, and websites go extinct. No one is getting rich in the creation movement, and most are working elsewhere. Budgets are tight, and any extra money gets poured back in to what we most care about: getting out the word about God’s creation in a way people want to hear.

“…store up for yourselves wealth in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and burglars do not break in or steal. For where your wealth is, there your heart will be also. ‘
The eye is the lamp of the body.’ So if you have a ‘good eye’ [that is, if you are generous] your whole body will be full of light;” Matthew 6:19-22 Complete Jewish Bible

*There are four lady scientists I know of: Dr. Georgia Purdom at Answers in Genesis, Dr. Jean Lightner who has written in the Answers Journal, Dr. Carolyn Reeves, and Dr Lainna Callentine who have written for Master Books.