To Whom It May Concern

I received a letter last month

 from a very confused man. 

It was addressed, 

“To Whom It May Concern.” 

Let's imagine for a moment that you had to answer this letter. 

 The letter opens, “I am a new Bible student and am having some difficulty understanding creation and how it actually came about and am hoping you will be able to clear up a few things for me.” It goes on to ask the following questions among others.         

1. If Jesus was the creator of man and he wasn't born until 6 or 5 BC, then who created all the people who lived before? The Bible also says God/Jesus created all the animals and plants of the earth; but that is all questionable because in prehistoric times, man, plants, and animals all existed before Christ was even born. So what is the truth here? I am a believer in Christ but I want to know the real truth. Is it the Bible or something else?

2. How accurate is carbon dating of human remains?

And how do we know the Bible is accurate?

3. Where was the Garden of Eden located? Genesis 2:11-14 talks about the four rivers coming out of the Garden of Eden to water it. Why can't I see them all on the map of Bible lands? What happened to them or did they not exist at all? Where did man originate?

Do you feel confident that you could give Bible-based answers to  the questions given, or is there one or more you would have trouble answering? We all need to continue to take the time to learn from God's Word and apply what we learn to every area of life. Some of your friends and family members are not getting Bible-based teaching. In fact most people aren't. There are a lot of people out there—even some Christians—who have questions about what God says or who are swallowing the lies this world tries to feed all of us.

Here are some of the answers we gave to his questions.

As for your questions, you are right. There is much controversy about how the world and people got here. Much can be said about it, but the answer is really quite simple. The Bible is God's Word. It is always right. Man can be and often is wrong.

You are trying to reconcile the two facts that...
(1) Jesus Christ was born into this world at the end of BC (Before Christ) and the beginning of AD (abbreviation for "the year of our Lord" in Latin).
(2) The world and people were in existence before that.
You are also wondering about man's thinking that man has lived millions of years on the earth as well as the location of the Garden of Eden and how that fits into man's theory that early man originated in Africa.

I will answer your third question first. As you continue reading through Genesis, you will reach Genesis 6-9 and read the history of the great Flood. This worldwide flood God sent to judge sin not only drowned all creatures outside the ark forming the fossils and layers of earth that we find today, it also destroyed the topography of the early earth. It created new valleys, mountains, canyons, rivers, and seas. Psalm 104 praises God for His power. "Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty" (verse 1). Verses 6-9 tell us that He is the One Who not only laid the foundation of the earth, but "coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away. they go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth."

The rivers and bodies of water and land masses we have today are not the same as they were during the time of the Garden of Eden and before the Flood about 2400 BC. We cannot know the location of the Garden of Eden today because of all these changes. We cannot know where man first lived on earth before the Flood. However, mankind is in the habit of naming rivers and towns after places they knew before, as is evident in many names in the United States (the New World) named after places in the Old World. The people living in that new world after the Flood were no different. The ark landed on Mt Ararat (Genesis 8:4). Thus the name of Euphrates for that major nearby river.

Remember, when man alleges that he knows things like where and when man originated, he is trying like a detective to piece together what happened before he was there. He doesn't know it; he thinks it. He believes it. God is the One Who has always been there. He knows what happened, when, where, and how; because He was there and He created and oversaw all. As for how the nations came about, read Genesis 10 and 11. Throughout the Bible, you will notice genealogies that God gives not only to show the people in history and how they were related, but also the age of the earth. If you add up all of them, you will see that mankind has only been around about 6,000 years, and the same for the earth, as man was created on the sixth day of creation, five days after the earth was made.

You mentioned carbon dating in your second question. Like all the dating methods used by evolutionists, it is based on faulty assumptions and is fraught with error. Half the dates scientists come up with are thrown out. They themselves admit there are problems with these methods. Only the ones that fit in with their ideas are selected to be published. The Evolution Handbook is a great resource to give you more details. The Bible is always trustworthy. Sinful man tries so hard to explain the world and man apart from God. If the Bible were not true about how life began in the beginning, there could be no science. 

Now for the first question...
As you read the Bible, you will notice something. It declares that God has always existed. "In the beginning God" (Genesis 1:1) and Revelation 1:11, "I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last."

God the Son did not come into existence when He was born into the world as a human being. Take a look at John 1. It explains the preexistence of Christ. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." The Word is one of the titles given to Christ in the Book of John. But later, about 4,000 years after creation, God the Son stepped into human history bodily. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt with among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Why would almighty, eternal God stoop to become a human being?

Go back to Genesis. God made everything perfect in the beginning (Genesis 1-2). He gave him a perfect body, a perfect environment, a perfect wife, a perfect job, and only one restriction with a clear statement of the consequences of breaking it. God even showed Adam in the Garden that He was the Creator by creating some animals--cattle, birds, and beasts of the field right before His eyes and allowing him the privilege to name them (Genesis 2:19-20) and then putting Adam to sleep and creating Eve from his rib, which Adam understood, as shown in verses 21-23. God gave Adam every proof of His love, power, holiness, etc.

But after all of this, Adam listened to an alternative point of view given to them by a created being who had rebelled against God (Satan in the form of a snake) and decided to make his own choice instead of believing and following his loving Creator. Adam turned from the goodness of God and all that He had provided for him, deciding that he would do what he thought was right instead of what God had commanded for him to do. Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden and the penalty of death came on him and all of God's creation. This is explained succinctly in Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." God the righteous Judge of all the earth must do right. He must punish sin.

But the Bible doesn't stop there. God's dealing with man does not stop there. God has all knowledge. Nothing takes Him by surprise.

God knew before He made the world that this would happen, and He already had planned what He would do about it. He reveals in many places (Acts 15:18; Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 1:19-20) that He had planned that Jesus should be "slain before the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8).

God showed how much He loved Adam and all mankind in promising that He would send a Saviour to pay the righteous price that was required for man's sin (Genesis 3:15). How we should worship our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for His great sacrifice! You wrote that you are a believer in Christ.

All of us know about God. He has revealed Himself to us by His creation, His Word, and the conscience He has put into each of us. We have no excuse for not believing Him. Romans 1 tells us, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:18-20).

If we turn from this knowledge, the following occurs. "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen" (Romans 1:21-25). How do many people worship man and animals today? Evolution claims that man and creation made themselves, taking God's glory.

Man has turned from the absolute truth of God and His Word. It is no wonder that he is proudly proclaiming that what is false is true and what is bad is good. Continue to read the rest of Romans 1 to see what happens when mankind turns from God and it is like you are reading a newspaper about what is happening in our country today.

More Than Holes In Rocks

Sunrise at Medicine Rocks State Park

This past month we were in Montana for a week. It was great to speak at a church out there and to get to spend some time exploring God's creation! 

 

One of the highlights of the trip was

 "Medicine Rocks State Park." 

The sandstone formations there are unusual, not just because the surrounding area is rather flat or low rolling hills in this part of the state, but also for the thousands of holes in the formations themselves. These unique, hole-filled formations have amazed people since they were first discovered. 

How were they formed? Is there meaning behind them? Why should we care about a bunch of hole-filled rocks?

How were they formed?

If you look at the sign at the entering of the park you will find an evolutionary theory of millions of years of wind wearing holes in what was once "a sea of sand dunes." However, if you look at the rocks and holes themselves, you will see evidence of a very different explanation. 

The holes are varied in size and length as well as the direction they travel into the rock. 

There are indentations that resemble tree trunks that have been uncovered by some of the erosion that has taken place. 

Many of the holes have remains of petrified trees in them.

Although wind and rain have played a part in sculpting and uncovering the formations, it does not explain why we find so many holes and specifically why we find petrified wood remains within so many of them. 

So what is the explanation? 

A massive worldwide Flood deposited tons of sandy sediment with thousands of trees randomly buried within it. When the water drained off the ridge, it took away a lot of the sediment but left portions of it still standing. This sediment hardened into sandstone around the trees trapped within. The tall rock formations were exposed to oxygen, to the wind. The logs that had the least contact with the minerals and sediment rotted, leaving holes through the rock. Wind tunneled through the holes and eroded more away. Some of these holes bend, some branch where trunks and limbs could have been. Over the years since the Flood, most of the trees within the mounds have completely decayed leaving thousands of holes of varying dimensions and shapes, but you can still see  the petrified wood and bark that remain in many of the holes. Erosion has helped to uncover and wear away at these formations, but the Flood made them. 

Is there meaning behind them? 

Looking at the "Medicine Rocks," it is easy to see how they were made...during the Flood. The meaning behind them is that God really did send a Flood to judge the world. He tells us about it in Genesis 6-7. The Bible is true. We find evidence of the Flood all over the world. 

Why should we care about a bunch of hole-filled rocks?

* When we realize that God kept His word in the past, we can be sure we can trust His word about the future. 

* Knowing that God judged sin in the past should make us mindful of His coming judgement.

God has preserved evidence on the earth to remind us of His great might and faithfulness. He has preserved His written Word as well. He uses both to prick us in our consciences that He also created.

* Let's take these truths to heart, repent from our sin, and let God change our lives and actions (Psalm 19). 

When we look at this world that God created, we should be seeing it from a Biblical point of view. Man's ideas are full of holes, but God's Word is sure and true!

Summer 2012 Report

This summer our Vacation Bible School theme was “Where Were You?” Detectives, teaching about logic, creation, and the absolutes of God's Word. Each day we looked for design fingerprints of God to remind us to “magnify the Lord!” for His creation. Walking down our mystery Bible Truth Trails about the Bible, God, Man, Jesus, and Christians helped us learn doctrine as well as give children the opportunity to respond to the Gospel.

The Fallacy Buster Detectives (skits), Creation Question of the Day, and Case Book Time exposed fallacies of man's thinking and evolution and encouraged children to see this world and life from God's point of view. It was great to see the children responding to the truth of God's Word and calling out “The Bible says No! Now go!”

when they caught the fallacy villains who tried to exchange the truth for a lie. 

Satan did his best to keep this summer of ministry from happening with sickness, distractions, a tropical storm, etc., but our omnipotent Creator overruled and showed Himself The Victor! Each week was an adventure and a blessing. We had amazing teams of “Inspectors” from each church and saw God provide and work in so many ways.

Although we taught the same curriculum all summer, each week was refreshed by

the excitement and prayers of the church

families and the new faces, personalities,

and needs of the children present.

We did 6 VBS's and 1 camp and loved every minute of it.

About 400 children, young people, and adults took part in VBS this summer.

We thank God for the good reports from parents, workers, and the children themselves on how the truth of God's Word was impacting them.

It was a joy to see 19 children and

 2 teens make professions of faith

 as they responded to the Gospel!

We thank our great Creator Savior for showing Himself strong this past week. 

He turned the course of the tropical storm that threatened to cancel camp and gave us beautiful weather to enjoy! Jesus worked in hearts and lives and called five campers to put their faith in Him for salvation. Part way through the week, it became necessary for our family to go in two directions. Stan and Jessica continued to teach at camp and Susan and Bryan traveled to another town for medical reasons. The Lord Jesus enabled Bryan to have surgery when it became apparent that his condition was worsening and could not wait until we returned home to his doctor. Bryan is resting and recovering well. Our family has been reunited and we are teaching VBS in Ozark, Alabama this week. We trust the Lord for the strength to serve and the outcome as He works in and through us, the children, and the church here. 

The "Where Were You?" Detectives VBS

summer has begun!

We thank God for what He has done and plans to do

 in hearts this year.

 Please be in prayer for us. 

June 3-6: Two weeks ago we had our first VBS of 2012 in Waseca, Minnesota. We praise God for the four children that trusted in Christ for salvation and for the many children who heard the Gospel. Pray for the church as it endeavors to disciple these new Christians and continues reaching out to the families in their area. 


June 10: We had been scheduled to do a service at our home church of Smyrna Baptist,in Pensacola, Florida but due to health issues and a possible surgery for Bryan, we had to postpone it and our trip down south. Thankfully, we were able to do some less invasive treatments and are now on the road south. Please pray for Bryan as he continues to deal with  this issue during this very busy VBS time. 


June 20-22: We are celebrating a 25th Church Anniversary with a church family in Ozark, Alabama, sharing songs and testimony, and training workers for VBS later this summer.  


June 25-29: We will be teaching our "Where Were You?" Detectives curriculum at a church camp outside of Panama City, Florida. Pray for the Lord to work in children's hearts, to have His protective hand over all, and to provide wisdom, health and strength for our family and other staff. 


July 1: Speaking at an evening service in Dothan, Alabama.


July 2-6: We will be back at the Ozark, Alabama church to teach VBS! 


July 8-13: Cantonment, Florida - VBS

July 16-20: Mobile, Alabama - VBS


July 29-August 3: Joplin, Missouri - Speaking and VBS


August 6-11: Kansas City, Missouri - Worker Training and VBS


August 20-24: Box Elder, South Dakota - VBS

Here is a glimpse of our new prayer card! 

It feels great to get this updated!

Coming soon! Are you prepared to answer God's question 

"Where Were You?" 

We don't question God. He examines us. 

Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Life is full of questions; but understanding origins, the way of salvation, God's absolutes, and how to face this uncertain life on earth doesn't have to remain a mystery. We are inviting churches and children to join detectives Humble and Bumble to uncover fallacies and learn truth from God's Word and Creation at this year's "Where Were You?" Detectives VBS! 

                                                                 

Now and Later

It is a lovely spring day as I sit at my work station on our enclosed front porch preparing the 2012 VBS curriculum 

"Where Were You? Detectives." 

The warm sunbeams streaming through the windows remind me that it won't be long until summer is here and we will be teaching this material! It is both exciting and sobering to know that our efforts NOW will make a huge impact on how effective our teaching will be during the months of June, July, and August.

 It doesn't matter how trained, organized, or dynamic a teacher may be, if the content of what they teach is not solid, understandable, and true, the students will not learn anything worthwhile. 

We need to be diligent now so that

 we can make an impact later. 

How often as Christians are we tempted to think, 

"I don't have time to study God's Word today. 

I will do that later when I can really dig into it." 

"I know I should be serving God;

 maybe I'll get involved in ministry this summer or next year. 

Right now I need to concentrate on..."

We forget that what we do now will make an impact on what we do tomorrow, next year, and ten years from now. How do we know when God will prompt us to give the gospel, a Biblical answer to a tough question, or verses of encouragement? 

If we don't go to God for wisdom and instruction now, 

how can we expect to be prepared for later?  

"Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; 

and I shall keep it unto the end." 

                                                                       Psalm 119:33

Jessica Myers
 thinking out loud
____________
______
___
_

This is so convicting to me personally. I thank God that He gives mercy and grace! I need to make sure I spend time in God's Word and will today so that I will be ready for what He has for me tomorrow. I don't want to be overpowered by the daily NOW pressures in my life that I miss out on God's LATER blessings.   
                     
Please pray for the Stan Myers Family 
as we develop this summer's "Where Were You? Detectives" curriculum.
It is our desire and need for God to instruct us in what and how we are to share from His Word. Pray that He will also give us creative ways to capture and hold attention to teach children to look at things from a Biblical, logical viewpoint.  

Speaking in Carthage, Missouri Sunday morning, March 4th. Please pray for Bryan to have strength for this and the drive home. We are thankful for the open doors the Lord has taken us through this past month.

Speaking in Opolis, Kansas this morning and Nevada, MO tonight.

New Messages to Present

How is God at work in your life? Have you totally committed to Him as He desires? Creation2Christ's new messages "God's Big Three and Me" and "Your Creator Your Lord" are a challenge to ask yourself these questions.

 "God's Big Three and Me" is Bryan's personal testimony of seeing God at work in his life and is based on Romans 5:1-5. His presentation "Sorting Out Suffering" is an encouragement to hold fast to truth in hurting times.

 Stan has gone a step further from his presentation "Your Creator Your Savior" to look at the logic of total commitment that Christ calls us to in "Your Creator Your Lord."

February 10-11: This weekend Stan will be speaking at a men's retreat
                          50 miles north of Duluth.
February 12:     Stan and Bryan will be speaking in Duluth Sunday a.m.
                          Bryan will be speaking in Crosby on Sunday p.m.
February 19:     Stan and Bryan will be speaking in Pleasant Hill, MO.

We look forward to these opportunities and what the Lord will do in hearts.

Welcome!

We are excited to be forming a blog in order to keep you up to date on what the Lord is doing with Creation2Christ and the Stan Myers Family. Thank you for your patience with this work in progress.