There are two great witnesses to God's almighty power, and two great testimonies He has provided for us to employ in pointing people to Him, to the Scriptures, and to the rightness of the Christian faith. Without a doubt these are the two greatest acts of God. His creation of all things and His bodily resurrection from the grave demand our eternal awe and proclamation to all. Consider the following two examples of their use.
In Acts 17:16-34, as Paul was declaring "the Unknown God" to the pagans of Athens, he began by establishing God's credentials as Creator and authority over creation (vv. 24-29). But He is not just the Creator of life, He reigns sovereignly even over death, offering eternal life to those who repent (vv. 30-32). Some mocked, some delayed, but some believed.
Similarly, the Apostle John witnessed a future time of unbridled praise in heaven (Revelation 4:8-5:11) when the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell at the feet of the risen "Lamb as it had been slain" (5:6), they worshiped Him who "created all things" (4:11) and "redeemed us to God by thy blood" (5:9).
If the evidence for creation fails to impress the skeptic, he is "without excuse" (Romans 1:20) and the evidence for the resurrection consists of "many infallible proofs" (Acts 1:3), which the skeptic must explain away.
As you have noticed, the Institute for Creation Research does not shirk from proclaiming both testimonies. This involves extolling the truth of Scripture and never hesitating to tell forth the authority over our lives of the One who created and bought us.
Thus, the ICR mandate and mission leads us into a wide variety of encounters. Obviously we speak to unbelievers, both skeptic and seeker, demonstrating that the Christian faith is a reasonable faith. We also speak to churches and Christian organizations, insisting that the foundational doctrine of creation no longer be minimized. And we talk to Christians with a heart for God, explaining how creation thinking is relevant to every decision in their lives.
May I request that you pray for us, that God would grant consistency in our own lives, power in our speech, and fruit from our labors? Pray for God's continued financial provision for this now very large ministry. Pray for me and the other leaders as we consider major decisions regarding ministry, research, and priorities in the days ahead. And pray for open hearts and minds in those to whom we minister.
