Peter described the devil as a "roaring lion" tramping about the earth seeking to disrupt and destroy the people of God (1 Peter 5:8). God's people have faced some of their greatest adversities when they have been laboring the hardest for the Kingdom. I think we would be surprised to know just how vicious the spiritual battle is that rages around us. Thankfully, the Lord is with us, and He and His angels are doing battle on our behalf in the heavenly places. But we must still be circumspect.
Recently we had a break-in at ICR headquarters, made obvious by the large chunk of concrete sitting on my office floor amid a sea of broken glass. The thieves quickly grabbed what they thought was the most expensive equipment in our publications department. Insurance covers equipment losses, but not the loss in production and time. The enemy may well be pleased at the effect of his fiery dart, but our resolve to continue doing Kingdom work is only strengthened as a result of this and other attacks--particularly as we go head-to-head with the state of Texas in the fight for academic freedom.
May I ask you to redouble your prayer efforts on our behalf? You can't imagine the encouragement we receive when folks write in to tell us they're praying for the ministry. Your intercession makes a huge difference in our day-to-day work for Him.
We have great victories, too, despite these distractions. Next month ICR begins the first classes of the new School of Biblical Apologetics on our Dallas campus (icr.edu). Also, the first of our Science Education Essentials curriculum supplements--Origin of Life--is available for Christian schools and homeschools.
September 12-20 will find a number of us on the Yosemite Creation Tour. Another sold-out tour, we expect great opportunities to learn and relax in one of America's premier destinations, a marvel of God's handiwork. I'm excited that ICR Senior Research Scientist Dr. Steve Austin will be our lead geologist at Yosemite.
Don't forget to read the profile of Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson on page 9. A recent graduate of Harvard University, Dr. Jeanson comes with great credentials and experience in stem cell research--a wonderful asset to ICR's science staff. Welcome, Dr. Jeanson!
This fall ICR will hold three regional Demand the Evidence conferences, featuring many ICR leaders and guest speakers such as Dr. John MacArthur. Registration is underway, so make your plans to attend. Locations are California, Texas, and Florida. Visit www.icr.org/conference for more information and registration.
Thank you for all the kind notes about Acts & Facts magazine. Readers like you encourage us to continue providing timely articles about science, apologetics, and education from an unashamedly biblical viewpoint.
* Mr. Ford is Executive Editor at the Institute for Creation Research.
Cite this article: Ford, L. 2009. Concrete Adversity. Acts & Facts. 38 (9): 3.
