As Rick and I are on our fourth journey we are encouraged by your friendship, prayers and support without which we could not go. You will see, first hand, the importance of praying that God will open doors and hearts to His unchanging Truth as Rick lectures.
But first let me give some ground work as to why we are “going for God’s glory.” According to evolutionist, Michael Ruse, in his book, “The Evolution – Creation Struggle,“ this is a one hundred and fifty year old debate between two faith based religions; the religion of creation; based on God’s Word and the religion of Evolution; based on man’s opinion and man’s word. Clearly, this spiritual battle, has been going on since Darwin published his book in 1859, “The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection; the subtitle, the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life.” Note, most reprints of Darwin’s book since 1977 omit his subtitle. In his book, Darwin replaced God’s account of creation with a naturalistic explanation; It is also interesting to note that Adolf Hitler had one of the most extensive collections of Darwinian memorabilia. He thought he was helping Evolution when he had millions of people exterminated during World War II.
Conversely, in the Bible, we read that all mankind is of “one blood,” (Acts 17:26). This important teaching, in God’s Word, is replaced and called the “fact of evolution,” by some secular scientists, and Christian Theistic Evolutionists. Darwinian evolutionary theory says man descended from ape like creatures. But God tells us He created all people in His Own image and that all people are of “one blood.” The Scriptures further declare that all people have descended from Adam, and that in Adam all are sinners. In Scripture we are told that it is only through the blood of Jesus Christ that all who believe are able to be saved by God’s grace through faith in the last Adam, Jesus. Only after believing in Jesus, God gives that individual the right to become His child (John 1:12). In 1962, Rick’s High School Freshman Biology teacher taught from Darwin’s book and stated, “There is no need for God.” That day, Rick turned from the written Word of God he had been taught in his home and in his church; choosing to embark on his long journey to prove the Bible was wrong and science had the answers. Later, Rick earned his PhD in Evolutionary Biology. After the Mt. St. Helen’s 1980 eruption Rick personally observed rapid geologic catastrophism that can be observed today since lava did not cover this scientific laboratory. These observations challenged Rick’s “long ages” belief system he adopted that day in High School. Some of the observations include the rapid carving of a 150 foot deep, quarter mile wide canyon dubbed, “the Little Grand Canyon” by a mud flow; the rapid formation of 600 feet of stratification similar to what we see at the Grand Canyon. Technology was rapidly increasing, we can now look inside the nucleus of a cell, while because technology was lacking in Darwin’s day he thought the cell was a blob of protoplasm. Now, Rick’s study in biology was pointing to perfect design that demanded an intelligent designer. All scientists agree with Werner Gitts summary that information does not originate by itself in matter, demanding a need for a designer. Rick further saw the mathematical impossibility that macro evolution needs an increase of information through mutations (change from one species to another, ie a dog becoming a cat, etc.). As a result, Rick became a Christian in 1987. It took seven years of personal on site scientific expeditions for him to change (evolve) from an evolutionist to a young earth Creationist. He has decided to place his faith in God and His Word rather than man’s word and opinion. The battle we are in always comes down to the same question satan asked Eve in the garden, “Has God said?” And we continue to have the same responsibility that Jesus warned His disciples when He stated in Matthew 24:4, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” Each person must decide whom to believe, man’s word in “Science falsely so called, 1 Timothy 6:20,” or God’s inerrant, unchanging Word. God tells us in Amos that He has revealed His thoughts to man, and God Alone was there when He spoke all matter into existence from nothing, “Creation Ex Nihlo,” and then revealed the history of creation throughout the Scriptures beginning in Genesis 1:1
I want to share excerpts from some e-mails we have received since we left for this journey. We received many e-mails from people who state they are thankful and excited to hear for the first time through Rick’s lectures where he shows that there are viable alternatives to the long ages and macro evolution. Many are stating that they now have faith in the inerrancy of God’s word, and that their world view has changed. One such e-mail was written by a person with a Phd who works at a university in Molecular/Cellular Biology with the following statements; “it was great to meet you. I spoke with you at the end of your lectures and I greatly appreciate your perspective and I thought that you and Ken Ham were an awesome team for the Creation lectures. I’ve long been a “millions of years” type of Christian, and I can say, for the first time, that I am really considering the scientific evidence that favors a young Earth. I am floored by both the discovery of dinosaur soft tissue (which I had never heard about) and the lack of ability of any of the laboratories to give you a reasonable age for the 12 year old dacite you and a team of scientists recovered in 1992 from Mount Saint Helens. I thank you for recommending Michael Behe’s book ‘Darwin’s Black Box,’ and I’m excited to read it to learn more about how to defend my Christian faith, particularly within the context of the classical creation vs. evolution debate. Both your and Ken Ham’s presentations were great in helping me understand the crisis that Christianity faces with more and more people leaving the church because of supposed “scientific evidence” against the Bible. Thank you again, Rick, for making the trip out here. I know others were impacted as I was. May God continue to guide you and bless you on this mission.
Today, all the empirical (tested and confirmed rather than theory) evidence technology offers has the preponderance of evidence on the side of special creation by God. That is why we are out here, and why Rick lectures on this subject.
God bless and keep you,
Rick and Susan Oliver
May 27th, 2011
May 7, 2011,
We are putting the final touches on our preparations to “go, May 19-Sept. 2011″ The first stop is in Tucson, AZ as Rick will be speaking at Tucson Calvary, AZ with Ken Ham, (CEO of Answers in Genesis, Florence, KY and Answers Magazine Rick published an article about snakes in June, 2009.)
Rick and I want to keep you abreast of what God continues to do as we “go” for His glory and to ask for your continued prayers. One huge answer is that the amount needed for an I-Pad was donated. Rick is in process of updating it with his power points before we go. In answer to prayer, God has been giving Rick much new material for new power points. Please continue to pray for open doors and open hearts as we “go by faith for His purposes and glory.” Pray our time in Wilsey, KS (4/11-17/11) will produce much fruit in the hearts of the youth and leaders as we take part and Rick speaks at Wilsey’s 3rd annual youth conference.
We have been witnessing far and wide both here, AZ and as we “go.” We have received many “thank you e-mails, recently, that include what God did through us as He opened hearts to receive the message we give at His leading. Many times we have no idea what happens in people’s hearts, but sometimes God gives us a view of what He is accomplishing through us, and what a blessing. Remember, John 2, it was only the servants who knew that Jesus had changed the water into wine. Likewise, you are His servants, too. Through your prayers and support we are able to “go,” and you share in the knowledge, fruit and the JOY of what God accomplishes, truly you have much treasure in heaven. Here are more samplings of what has happened in the last few days in answer to your prayers.
While on our 1st journey (summer of 2009), Rick and I met a young mom (about 30 years old). She claimed to be a Christian, but was heavily into the things of darkness. As we talked she told me her daughter was sexually abused by the child’s dad (she divorced him and has since remarried). She let me know she would not forgive her former husband, and that she was on disability, for days at a time she was unable to function; and was undergoing treatment for indescribable and debilitating pain that she had experienced since she discovered what he had done to their daughter. When she shared her story with me, my heart was almost overwhelmed, but I continued to encourage her to forgive her former husband, leave the works of darkness, and not to dabble in satanic things like witch craft, (witches were her heroines), etc. I was told that many demonic happenings occurred in their home. I prayed with her and left. Later, after God had put her on my heart all night for intercessory prayer (joining Jesus Who ever lives to intercede for us, Hebrews 7:25) I wrote her a letter, I believe, God laid on my heart. I have not seen or heard from her till today. I want to share parts of her letter as an encouragement, that as we pray, and follow Christ, and share with others, God continues to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think (Eph 3:20). She wrote, “Hello!!…I want you to know that your talk and letter had an impact on my life, and has culminated in my re-dedication, my current husband’s baptism, and upcoming missionary journey to the Dominican Republic soon. . God has turned our lives around and we couldn’t be happier!! We even changed our method of parenting. I just wanted you to know your prayers worked in ways you never imagined…In Christ’s love….”. The Doctor’s gave her no hope of recovery, but God, alone, opens hearts and heals past hurts and helps us to not only function, but to forgive in His power and to live abundant lives, now.
At another time, more recently, while Rick and I were on our way, in AZ, we met a man who was raised by mom and dad who were practicing Mormon’s. As one of ten children, he suffered many things, including extreme hunger due to his dad’s gambling. His earliest memories included extreme physical abuse from his dad (for no apparent reason) and sexual abuse as a child by a family “friend.” Later he became a Catholic, and then left all religious affiliation knowing “they held nothing good for him,” For years he became an alcoholic (he is now 50). For some time he has stopped drinking. Instead of “religion or the bottle,” he is searching the Bible, daily, for answers. Rick and I both shared our testimonies with him, he said, he now understood on both an emotional and an intellectual level what God did in our lives through Jesus’ dying on the cross and His resurrection. He was not ready at that point to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior, but after we asked permission and prayed for him, he took Rick’s card. The next day Rick got an e-mail from him that began, “No coincidences, and proceeded to tell us his Bible reading for that day “just happened” to be Jonah chapter 3 (God sent Jonah to preach to the Assyrians to repent or He would destroy them in 40 days, Assyria listened and repented, turned to God, and God did not destroy them). In his e-mail to Rick he further stated he knows our time with him was a Divine appointment. Both, he and we were 2 hours early for an appointment. He is still in the valley of decision, so please pray God will open his heart and he will repent from his sins and take that step of faith to turn to God, believe in the ONLY way to God, and receive Jesus as his Savior.
God truly is GOOD Neh. 1:7, and He is NOT willing that any perish, but that ALL would come to repentance 2 Peter 3:9. Rick and I believe we are in the end of the last days (the last days began when Jesus was on earth in the flesh Heb. 1:2 ) and that God is using all who are His disciples (deny self, take up cross and follow HIM) as ones who will work in the fields (world) to bring a harvest unto Himself of souls as, He alone, is able to deliver each person from satan’s kingdom of darkness into His marvelous kingdom of Light once a person believes on the only One, Jesus, who can save them and receive His gift of life, and confess with their mouth Jesus is Lord, then God gives them power to become His child (John 1:12). The crucifixion demonstrates there is no other way to the Father. Because the night before He was crucified, while in the garden, Jesus prayed, “Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup (death on the cross) from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42). How will people know the truth, unless someone tells them? (Rom. 10:15-17)…faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
In closing, may we all set aside any weight and sin that easily besets us and follow the great cloud of witnesses (Heb. chapter 11) who turned from their own understanding and chose to walk by faith, looking for a better place (heaven) while they were foreigners and pilgrims on earth, turning from anything (idols) that turned their heart away from God (1 John 5:20) and His path for their lives. Let us all, this day, choose once and for all whom we will serve, satan or the LORD, and as we turn to God say, as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. And then, let us “Live for God’s glory,” as He uses what He has done in our lives to overcome our enemy (satan) by the words of our testimony and the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:11).
Love in Jesus’ name, Rick and Susan
May 19th, 2011