Rallying Like Nehemiah to Proclaim the Truth of God’s Word

The annual theme for the AiG ministry in 2016 is “Time to Enter”—a year when people from all over the world will enter our life-size Ark in Northern Kentucky. While inside, visitors will be challenged about their need to be in another kind of Ark: the Ark of salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Over the past few months, I’ve met so many Christians in America, Australia, and the UK who have expressed their dismay to me about what’s happening in Western nations. Some have shared that they are on the verge of giving up trying to do anything to combat the increasing secularization, as an anti-Christian philosophy continues to greatly harm cultures.

Now, would Nehemiah have ever repaired the wall around Jerusalem if, from a human perspective, it seemed an impossible task? No. But Nehemiah recognized that the people of God, called by Him, must serve their King: the King of Creation. Our King Jesus.

AiG has rallied God’s people to rebuild the Ark as a powerful evangelistic outreach to the world.

Nehemiah rallied the people to rebuild the wall. Today, AiG has rallied God’s people to rebuild the Ark as a powerful evangelistic outreach to the world. Christians are taught in Luke 19 to “do business” with what He has entrusted to us, until the King comes. We are to be on about the King’s business!

At Answers in Genesis, we have been doing the very best we can to proclaim the truth of God’s Word and the gospel through all the many facets of the AiG ministry. That includes the Creation Museum, and, for this year, what we believe will be one of the greatest outreaches of our era—the evangelistic life-size Noah’s Ark that opens July 7.

It’s been an interesting and sometimes challenging journey getting the Ark built! Just like Nehemiah, we had our Tobiahs and Sanballats opposing us. That included false accusations, as secularists tried in many ways to stop the project. As prophesied in 2 Peter 3, scoffers in the last days will deny there was a Flood. And we have had plenty of scoffers!

But just like Nehemiah, we kept pressing on with what God has called us to do. Yes, we have had to be like Nehemiah at times and fight off the enemy! In some ways we’ve also felt a bit like Joshua, going into the Promised Land and having to battle at Jericho and Ai. Occasionally we’ve also felt like the Israelites trapped before the Red Sea with the enemy closing in behind us. But we’ve watched God do miracle after miracle before our eyes!

I must admit that at times it’s been easy to feel like the downcast Elijah when the enemy (Jezebel) was out to get him! But as with Elijah, God has encouraged us and placed many AiG friends like you to stand with us in spiritual battle.

I thought you might be interested in reading a sample of the ways in which we have been challenged. Below I have pasted in just a small sampling of headlines found in articles in newspapers or published on the web concerning the life-size Ark project. Many secular media outlets spread misinformation, gross distortions, and outright lies in their attempts to thwart the evangelistic Ark Encounter! But the God of the impossible is no match for the mere humans who came up with these anti-Ark headlines:

Well, do you feel exhausted after reading these headlines? (And again, this is just a small sampling of anti-AiG headlines.)

Actually, however, they are quite encouraging to me! You see, if we were not engaged in building a project that is going to have an incredible impact on the world, the enemy wouldn’t even worry about us! The enormity of our opposition has just reinforced over and over again in my mind that the enemy hates the Ark project. Regardless, though, of all the enemy’s tactics, I’m reminded time and time again,

For with God nothing will be impossible. (Luke 1:37)

Knowing all the obstacles we’ve had to overcome, including the spreading of untruths and misinformation by an active secularist opposition (and even from some people inside the church)—it’s so obvious to all of us at Answers in Genesis that the existence of AiG, the Creation Museum, and now the opening of the Ark Encounter could only have become realities if God was in them! And He is! I can testify to that truth in so many ways.

So, we need your continued prayers. Much prayer, please! The battles we encounter won’t end until Jesus returns! In the meantime, we are encouraged by the Word of God in Psalm 18:39:

For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

For all of the opposition we’ve experienced (and some of it we can’t even publicly tell you about), the enemy did not stop the Ark! The public will enter the Ark July 7!

AiG prays for renewed strength as we continue in the spiritual battle raging around us to capture the hearts and minds of people.

In this new year, AiG prays for renewed strength as we continue in the spiritual battle raging around us to capture the hearts and minds of people.

I also wanted to encourage you with some exciting news. Through the bond offering (now completely sold out) and donations, the Lord has now provided us with $87 million of the $91.5 million base funding for phase one of the Ark Encounter project! Yes, we really are in the home stretch in the funding for this evangelistic outreach!

Now, we expect more battles to come! So please remember to pray for us daily. And thank you for the encouragement you have been to all of us here at AiG with your prayerful and financial support, including for our core ministry.

I really don’t think there are many evangelistic outreaches in the world today that could impact so many people (millions of souls) as the Ark Encounter, Creation Museum, and Answers in Genesis!

Thanks for being a part of the AiG family in the powerful ministry the Lord has called us to in this era!