Impacting Lives—and How You Can Help!

There was a lot of rejoicing recently during our 40 Days & 40 Nights of Christian Music festival—which included Bible teaching and a gospel presentation and challenge each day—when 2,476 people responded to the gospel. And there’s rejoicing in heaven all year long over people being saved at the Ark, the Creation Museum, or through other aspects of the AiG ministry. For instance, here is part of a recent testimony (we receive many such testimonies) from a mother about her son, written after they visited the Ark and Creation Museum:

And I love to receive testimonies like this one that show how the exhibits at our attractions positively impact lives:

My parents decided to bring me and my brother to the Ark in Kentucky. . . . A year before, almost to the hour of being in the Ark, I was called out of taking a test at school in order to rush to my grandpa’s house because he was passing away. We didn’t get there in time . . . but I remember seeing him after he had passed and questioning “Why death?” Well a year later, I was walking through the Ark with careful attention to read each word, and I read these words on the wall: “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” It pierced me, and I understood. God made the world, I had sinned against him, and that is why we die. But Jesus died for sin and rose again, and now anyone who believes in him he pays the price for and they will rise again like he did because their sin is paid for.

Now over the past few years in particular, as I’ve kept up with news about politics, I couldn’t help but notice something akin to what has happened with the Answers in Genesis ministry and its two attractions. I have heard many conservative politicians and commentators complain about how the mainstream media would quote them out of context, make false accusations, or strongly imply things that simply weren’t true. But this has happened to me and AiG ever since we started in ministry nearly 50 years ago.

Actually, both secularists and Christians have attempted to malign us in many different ways over the years. I’ve often been asked how I cope with so many vehement attacks. Now as a Christian, not only am I not surprised at all this opposition, but I understand I have to be prepared to accept that it will happen if I’m doing a work for the Lord that is impacting lives. As someone once said to me, “If you stand on the devil’s toes, he reacts—you guys must be kicking him in the shins.”

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

And of course, there are lots of scriptures like this one where Jesus said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). And in 2 Timothy 3:12, we read, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

I don’t get upset with those from the world who oppose and malign us. Actually, I feel pity for them, knowing if they don’t change, they will be spending eternity separated from God. So we pray for them. But opposition and maligning from Christians does really upset me, as it highlights a major problem in the church: so many Christian leaders compromising God’s Word in Genesis and thus undermining the authority of the Word.

As I listened to politicians and others complain about how the media distorts things and lies and so on, I thought about some of the ways the secular media and others have deliberately tried to undermine AiG and the attractions.

Here are just a few examples:

1. At a zoning meeting for the Creation Museum, one lady in front of the packed room pointed at me and said, “He’s Jim Jones coming to get our kids.”
2. Newspaper reporters have often written articles about us, but in the same sentence as the Creation Museum, Ark Encounter, or Answers in Genesis, they have mentioned terrorists, fascists, Hitler, and so on. These are deliberate attempts to get people to align us with such groups and people.
3. We are often called anti-science, anti-intellectual, and anti-academic. Such monikers attempt to undermine our integrity.
4. Or take the time I wrote an article explaining why I didn’t believe in aliens (intelligent life in outer space). Just one of the reasons I gave concerned the gospel. I explained that Jesus became the God-man, not a God-alien, and thus, only descendants of Adam can be saved. I stated that it wouldn’t make sense for there to be other “races” of beings in outer space as the whole creation was affected by Adam’s sin, but only Adam’s race can be saved. So an atheist took this article and wrote about it, and then newspaper headlines started appearing all over the internet like, “E.T., Phone Hell? Creationist Ken Ham Says Jesus Can’t Save Space Aliens.” USA Today had this headline, “Creationist: Forget Aliens, They’re Going to Hell Anyway.”

Well, I could fill a book with such examples of how we’ve been attacked by secularists. But as I said, it’s the attacks by Christians that greatly concern me. Over the years, different Christian leaders have made accusations like this:

1. Ken Ham says that if someone doesn’t believe in a young earth and six literal days they can’t be saved. Of course, I’ve never said such a thing, yet statements like this permeate various articles from Christians. Because I speak boldly about the importance of standing on God’s Word in Genesis and believing in a young earth and six literal days, that is falsely interpreted by some to claim I’m stating this is a direct salvation issue—which it is not.
2. Because we understand speciation within a kind, some (including a professor at a supposedly conservative seminary) claim we believe in evolution. Of course, the word evolution can be used to mean different things depending on which meaning one is applying, but we certainly don’t believe or teach evolution.
3. Many church leaders and others have claimed our major emphasis as a ministry is on a young earth—but that’s simply not true. Our major emphasis is on biblical authority and the gospel. Now we do deal with the issue of the age of the earth, as the belief in millions of years of death and disease before man’s sin is an attack on the authority of Scripture and the character of God. And we believe it’s been a major factor in contributing to the catastrophic generational loss from the church and the lack of teaching in church to equip people to defend the Christian faith. Less than 9% of Gen Z attend church—something is wrong with much of the church!

Regardless of such attacks, I just want to remind all our friends and supporters that the solution to America’s problems (the rampant moral relativism, etc.) is not ultimately government or legislation. Don’t get me wrong; we need more Christians in government who have a true biblical worldview and who therefore can be salt in the way they vote and craft legislation. But the ultimate solution to the problems in our world has always been the truth of God’s Word and the saving gospel. This was the solution proclaimed by God in Genesis 3:15 after Adam rebelled and brought sin and death into the world.

And that’s why everything we do at AiG, the Creation Museum, and Ark Encounter is to impact people with God’s Word and the gospel. And that’s why we keep upgrading the attractions, adding new exhibits, using new technology for good, and producing new resources—all so we can equip Christians and see hearts and minds changed for eternity.

Notably, this year’s end-of-year campaign involves expansion at the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum and the use of new technology—all so we can reach more lives for the Lord Jesus Christ. You can learn more details, download a flyer about these exciting projects, and check the progress of the campaign by going to AnswersDonate.com.

As we approach the end of the year, I ask that you prayerfully consider a generous gift to help us take full advantage of the incredible matching gift offer from a family foundation. Every dollar you give by December 31 will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $8 million.

I am so grateful for your prayers and generous partnership with us in this ministry to impact souls for Christ—it is such an encouragement!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.