I was Google-searching the web entries on blockhead ants when I found an article by an anonymous author entitled, “Lessons from the Ants.” I thought the article was pretty good and wanted to forward it a friend who is very interested in insects. It sounded vaguely familiar, but I didn’t think much about it.

It wasn’t until I read the last line encouraging people to submit lessons they had learned from insects and other animals that I realized Mary Jo and I had written the article for our July/August 1990 (page 2)  issue of Think & Believe. We were the anonymous authors! Funny how we can work so long on an article and then forget we even wrote it! (Maybe we are the blockheads!) Oh, well … we’re glad to see that our articles are not only on our site, but on others also. The word is getting out! God is an amazing Creator!

Dave Nutting

Students at Tuesday Night Live

Last week I was invited to speak at Tuesday Night Live (TNL). This is a weekly evening event put on by Master Plan at Mesa State (a college here in Grand Junction, CO) where students get together for singing, challenging talks, discussion, and fellowship. This Christian college club also has a lot of other activities for the students: Bible studies, game nights, retreats, picnics, etc. If you know of a student(s) attending Mesa State College, have them check out Master Plan Ministries – www.master-plan-ministries.org/msc/.

 About 70 students were in attendance that evening as I shared my shorter version of “Is the Bible Scientifically Accurate?”  In this talk, I explain the Bible is not a science textbook. It was never meant to be. It was not written as a complicated, detailed story about the natural world. It was written to explain God’s purpose and relationship to man.

Yet the Bible does contain a great deal of scientific truth. Many facts of modern science and medicine were stated in the Word of God hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of years before being “discovered” by modern scientists. This talk looks into what God has to say about the Laws of Science, Anthropology, Astronomy, Biology, Geography, Geophysics, Geology, Hydrology, Medicine, Meteorology, Oceanography, and Physics.

 At the end of the talk, one of the organizers of Master Plan asked the students how many of them had ever heard of this information before … how many knew the Bible contained so many references to scientific principles? Amazingly, only a few of the students raised their hands.

One young lady shared with me how her pastor had been trying to teach the same things I had just taught, but she explained, ” [I] hadn’t understood what he was talking about. Everything was going right over my head. Tonight I understood what he was trying to tell us. Thank you for making it understandable.” Not only were her comments encouraging, but they reflected on what all of the speakers at AOI attempt to do … take the complicated and make it simpler and more understandable.

I pray that those students were challenged to dig into to the Word of God, realizing how the history, prophecy, science, etc., all point to its Author.

 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” 2 Timothy 3:16.

 Lanny Johnson

Dave Teaching at Summit

We have just finished teaching creation to another group of students at Summit Ministries. We had three sessions plus an open forum with them. This is the last session of Summit this year. We are already looking forward to more groups next year.

Whenever we have large (or small) groups of high-school and college-age students, we really enjoy being there. Pray that some of these students will be taking the information we just gave them to new levels and to places we will never get to go!

Dave Nutting

Chest Thumping Roar

Nitro powered mud buggy

A few evenings ago I had the fun of taking my two young grandsons to a Monster Truck show. It was not only a time to be able to spend with the boys, but to be truthful, I (like my two grand boys) love hearing the ear splitting , chest-thumping roar and seeing  huge trucks with outlandish sized tires defy gravity and fly through the air, squashing things upon their bone- jarring landing.

What we did not expect to see was a “souped” up nitro powered mud buggy racing through a mud pit and flying through the air! I am sure that the driver was not expecting it either. As he was given the green flag, the driver hit the power so hard the front wheels instantly came off the ground. Before he had even traveled one car length, the mud buggy was out of control. To our amazement the buggy was airborne at the halfway point of the mud pit, completely turning over and landing beyond the pit. In less than 2 seconds disaster had struck. Fortunately, the safety features built in to the buggy protected the driver from serious injury.

This morning, while driving to the office, I came very close to being slammed into from the side at a dangerous highway intersection. In less than 2 seconds, I had put myself into a potentially fatal situation. I thank God for His protection!

As I continued on to the office, my mind began to ponder … what if? What if I had died? A lot of scenarios raced through my brain, but the one that kept coming to the forefront was an assurance … an assurance of where I would have woken up … in heaven with the Lord Jesus! This certainty does not come from anything I have ever been able to do upon this earth. It comes from God’s Word. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13) I know I belong to Christ, because I have believed in Jesus Christ as my only Savior. There are many other verses in the Bible that also gives me this certainty.

If you knew that in 5 minutes you would die, wouldn’t you also like the assurance that you would wake up in heaven? To learn more about how you can receive God’s gift of eternal life go to:  http://www.discovercreation.org/kids/documents/KnowYourCreator.pdf

 Lanny Johnson

Sometimes we struggle so hard to “find” God’s will for our lives, but often it’s easier than we think. I Thess. 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

We recently had an “opportunity” to practice this teaching when our refrigerator died just a day-and-a-half after our latest speaking trip. So (after some time to get over our initial frustration), we thank God:

•  That His love and care are constant despite the frustrations and trials of life;
• That we hadn’t gotten groceries yet, so the fridge was almost bare;
• That it happened when we were home and could save almost everything that was there;
• That He led us to a demo unit, saving several hundred or more dollars;
• That He had provided ahead of time so we had money to buy it;
• That we now have a new refrigerator which will hopefully give us many years of service;
• That we have food to put into a refrigerator – after all, millions of people around the world live day-to-day with no refrigeration at all – and scarcely enough food for the day.

 Oh, and one more thing – we thank God for all the people whose pictures adorn the front of our fridge. What a blessing to have caring friends and family to enrich our lives!

“In everything give thanks.” Thank You, Lord!

Mary Jo Nutting

We were recently ministering in Oregon and had an opportunity to visit the beach near Seaside for a day. Standing at the edge of the vast expanse of water with an immense dome of sky over my head, viewing a horizon that stretched farther than the limit of my sight, I was awed by the immensity of God’s Creation. The continual pounding power of the surf reminded me of the awesome power of our Creator. “Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.” (Ps. 21:13)

The next day we travelled up the Columbia Gorge along the interstate highway with monumental vertical walls of volcanic basalt hemming us in on one side and the mighty Columbia River on the other side. The seemingly endless varieties of beautiful green vegetation lined both sides of the gorge, swaying and bending from a stiff, blowing wind. Numerous majestic plunging waterfalls added to the magnificent scenery.

Traveling out of Bingen, WA, up the ascending, narrow, winding Cook-Underwood road we came to an overlook of the Columbia Gorge. Over a thousand feet below was a grand view of where we had traveled earlier that day. What a different perspective! I could see what appeared to be small vehicles traveling along the bridge and roads we had crossed earlier. Dozens of colorful wind and parasail surfers scurried across the white capped river, frolicking in the brisk wind. Tugboats pushing loaded barges plowed along the mighty Columbia. The huge walls of basalt and abundant plant life could still be seen, but now on a different scale. To the south could now be seen the towering, snowcapped vista of Mt. Hood. All around was a world that seemed to stretch to infinity. It puts me in awe of my Creator!

“I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.”  (Ps. 145:5)

 Lanny Johnson

The Bible frequently warns believers to be on guard against false prophets and false teaching. Evolution is one of the most common and dangerous forms of false teaching which has permeated our schools, society, and even churches today. As we speak around the country, we run into many well-meaning Christians who have been led astray, thinking that evolution is science, and that it has been scientifically proven. They then try to find ways in which to “fit” evolution with the Bible.

The truth is that evolution is not science. It is an idea about the history of life. There were no human observers of the supposedly millions of years of evolution leading up to man. It is impossible to repeat it or to test it by the scientific method. Molecules-to-man evolution is simply an idea about the development of life – not “proven” science.

Of course, the creation account given in Genesis is not “science” either – but it is an eye-witness, historical account given by the One Who claims He was there. The integrity and character of this witness is impeccable. This is the same God Who loved us enough to die for us. Furthermore, the true “facts” (observable evidence) of science are more consistent with the Biblical account of creation, the fall, and the flood, than with long ages of evolution through mutation and natural selection.

We urge you – beware of false teachers and false philosophies. Stand firm on the plain truth of God’s Word.

Mary Jo Nutting

Wow! Marilyn and I definitely had to rely on the strength of the Lord this summer! It was exhausting, but what an awesome and fruitful ministry we have had! Here is a brief synopsis of events:

Family Vacation Bible Schools (adults and children) in Broken Bow, NE; in Lilliput near Broken Bow, NE; in Chadron, NE; in Rawlins, WY; in Pound, WI; in Holyoke, CO;

Family church seminars in The Dalles, OR; in Newberg, OR; in Cook, WA;

Bible Camp Wa-Ri-Ki (for boys 9 – 12 years old) in Washougal, WA.

We were so excited and blessed to see 56 kids put their faith in Jesus Christ, and many more rededicated their lives to the Lord! That my friends is what it is all about … reaching people with the truth of Creation and Salvation! That is what God has called us to do, and we are so blessed when He allows us to see some of the fruits of our labor. 

Lanny Johnson

After a quick 1-day turn-around from speaking in the Netherlands, we arrived mid-week at AOI’s Creation Family Mountain Adventure. We were blessed to find the camp going very well in the capable hands of the Stepanek family, together with volunteers, the Galbraiths and the Nances.  

This year marked our 24^th year of Creation Family Camps at Redcloud. Not only do these camps provide a great vacation for families in a beautiful mountain setting, but they also provide a wonderful opportunity for in-depth teaching and great one-on-one time with campers.

I especially enjoy these “informal” times to interact with campers to answer questions about creation, evolution, and the Bible. In addition, they open doors to talk with campers about the “nitty gritty” of walking with the Lord in the trenches of “real” life.

Over the years, the Lord has used the camp setting to deeply impact the lives of campers and staff alike. Among many blessings this year was having a seven-year Redcloud “staff kid” open her heart to the Lord after gospel presentations by AOI staff. Another was hearing the testimony and witnessing the faith of a young woman who requested to be baptized in the lake at Redcloud. We praise God for His wonderful grace in the lives of these campers!

 (Join us next year for AOI’s Creation Mountain Adventure — a real “Vacation with a Purpose!”(http://www.discovercreation.org/vacations.htm.)

Mary Jo Nutting

Webster’s New World Dictionary and Thesaurus defines a ‘story’ as the telling of a happening or connected series of happenings, whether true or fictitious; account; narration. I have noticed that when people are referring to an account in the Bible they normally use the word ‘story‘ … “the Creation story“, “the story of Adam and Eve”, “the story of Noah’s ark”, “the story of Jesus”, etc. If used in the context of these stories being true historical accounts, then the word is being used properly.

However, how is the word ‘story‘ perceived by the listener, especially children? Children spend hours watching fictional stories on television or movies, they are immersed with fantasy stories and games on their computers or game boxes, and are read fairy tales from storybooks.  Our children are living in a world of fables, tales, myths, fairy tales, fiction, allegories, and fantasy … fictional stories. They are living in a world that promotes the evolutionary viewpoint of the Bible being a myth. 

The Bible is the Word of God. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (II Timothy 3:16). When speaking of anything from the Bible, I have begun to try to use the words ‘true story’, ‘account’ or ‘historical event’. With children, I try to explain that these are things that actually happened, not made up, not fictional fairy tales. Shouldn’t we be aware of how children hear and believe words? Do we want to misuse a word and make them stumble?  Hmmm … I know what I need to do … try to build up the Word of God, not minimize its truth. 

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17)

 Lanny Johnson