September 2005

Newsbrief

As I write this, I am putting together my English sermon entitled “Lessons from Katrina” for the international service this coming Sunday. But I’m wondering what to expect from Rita now, as it looks like it could be even more powerful and destructive. Our prayers are joining with millions of others petitioning God to spare our nation another Katrina-scale disaster. We also pray that God will use this time of crisis to spur on his church to minister to people in the love of Christ and through this bring thousands to the feet of Jesus for healing and reconciliation.

I have been planning on writing this letter today for the last few weeks in order to inform you of an important new book and to encourage you to get a copy. A “science apologetics” ministry we are affiliated with (Reasons To Believe) is putting out a new book entitled Who Was Adam? It details the latest findings on human origins that support what the Bible has said all along. We are special creations of God in the relatively recent past (on the order of 50,000 years ago). All human beings are descended from one man and one woman who came from somewhere in northeastern Africa or the Middle East. The Darwinian dogma that we are descended from previously existing “bipedal primates” is totally contradicted by the actual data, and is only held onto for philosophical reasons (in spite of the scientific evidence). This is the reverse of how it has been portrayed in writings under the control of this Darwinian dogma that claims “people of faith” can believe whatever they want to (contrary to the evidence), but we “operate according to the facts.”

Anyway, as part of a campaign to get the message out, we are being encouraged to place orders for the book on Amazon.com on Sept. 22 in order to cause a spike in sales that will push it up in the standings, which in turn will generate much needed publicity. It is a well written book worthy of your attention on its own merits, but in this age of media driven worldview debate, it is critical that we be able “to give an answer for the hope we have in us” (1 Peter 3:15). Ordering from Amazon.com is not only an effective way of generating publicity, but it is also very convenient and often cheaper. You can also get free shipping if you order a second book with it.

Just as a suggestion for a really good book to order with Who Was Adam? I just finished reading The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life, by Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr. What a fascinating read! It is encouraging to note that a professor at Harvard has been using the writings of these two pivotal thinkers to contrast the worldviews of Christianity and atheism to get his students to discover for themselves the rationality of the Christian faith.

Blessings on you all,

Tim and Juji Boyle

The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 251