Here is the cover of my second book, God Means What He Says: A Biblical Critique of the Framework Hypothesis. This was originally written as a lengthy thesis, but has been reformatted and published as a booklet.
The Framework Hypothesis has had a tremendous impact in evangelical churches over the past few decades. Although many people do not recognize the name, they have been impacted by it. Essentially, the Framework Hypothesis attempts to make the majority of Genesis 1 irrelevant. Framework advocates often claim that Genesis 1 tells us the "Who" and "What" of creation but does not give any information about the "How" or the "When" of creation.
For a summary and critique of the Framework's major arguments, please read this article on the Midwest Apologetics website. If you are interested in going into much more detail, please contact me to find out how to get a copy of this brand new expose.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is an enjoyable time of the year for most people. For many, this time of the year includes family gatherings, time off from work, reminiscing about Christmases of the past, and an overall sense of joy.

In the past several decades, Christmas has become more and more secular in our society as a large fraction of our society has forgotten or neglected the true meaning of Christmas in exchange for a commercialized version complete with Santa Claus, reindeer, elves, presents, programs, and trees. This article is not going to be a rant against these things but instead will be a call to remember the real reason for the season.

Christmas was originally designed to be a time of celebration and reflection on the greatest gift ever given. A little over two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ (God the Son) humbled Himself and became a man. He left His glorious estate in heaven to be born in a lowly manger in Bethlehem.

Of course, many of us think about the beautiful images conjured up by the Nativity story, but do we think about the bigger picture? Think about this for a little while. Why did Jesus come to this Earth? Why did God become a man? Was it so we could have an extra holiday to celebrate? Was it so we could reflect on the wonderful Nativity story and sing Christmas carols to commemorate this amazing event?

The answer to these last two questions is “No.” The real reason that Jesus came to Earth is to rescue us from what we deserve – an eternity of suffering apart from Him because of our sinfulness. He came to take our punishment and die on the cross. The Child in the manger came to die the most brutal death wicked men could imagine. And He did it for us.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). If Jesus had not come, we would have to pay the infinite penalty for sins, but He did come, and He paid the price for our sins. He conquered death by rising from the dead three days later. He offers freedom from that penalty and eternal life to all who would accept His free gift. This is the real reason for the season.

So, as you find yourself hustling from place to place and finishing up your last-minute Christmas shopping, please take time to remember and thank God for the greatest gift that could ever be given. He gave His life for you, would you be willing to show your gratitude by living for Him?

It's another day in Wisconsin, complete with freezing rain and plenty of snow in the forecast. Since it looks like we'll be snowed in for a few days, it gives me time to work on several projects that have been put on hold for a while.
Recently, I received an invitation to fly out to Hartford, CT for a debate/forum on the proper understanding of Genesis 1. We are still trying to finalize a date for the event, but it looks like it may happen in February. I will be presenting the traditional view (six literal, 24-hour days) and John Rankin will be presenting the Framework Hypothesis. I wrote a lengthy paper on the Framework view in seminary and am currently preparing it to be published as a book or booklet, entitled God Means What He Says: A Biblical Critique of the Framework Hypothesis. I will update you on these events as they become finalized.
Earlier this year, I wrote a series of articles on this issue for the Midwest Apologetics newsletter. I plan to post these on this blog in the near future so you can see what this is all about. They are currently available on the newsletter page of the Midwest Apologetics website.
Last year, I spoke at a conference on this subject and the conference organizers told me they had received phone calls telling them not to allow a talk on this subject. It seems that some who hold this view don't want to see it held up to the light of Scripture. If you have ever wondered why so many pastors have said that Genesis 1 doesn't really matter then you need to understand this view.
In other news, my cancer book is nearly complete. I will be sending it off to the publisher in the next couple of weeks. I have had several people read it so far and it has received some high praise. It is tough for me to proofread it because it brings back many of the emotions that we dealt with during my battle with leukemia. However, I am particularly pleased with the second section of the book. Here, I deal with the problem of suffering and evil in the world. How could a loving and all-powerful God allow these things. I have been disappointed in the way that most Christian apologists answer this question so I felt the need to offer the biblical answer. I think you will appreciate this section as well when you realize that only biblical Christianity has the solution.
Well, it's time for me to get back to work on these projects. Look for some posts on the Framework Hypothesis in the very near future.

Since this is my first post on my first blog, I suppose I don't mind doing a plug for my first book. It is entitled Old-Earth Creationism on Trial: The Verdict is In, and was co-authored by Dr. Jason Lisle, Ph.D. in Astrophysics.

This book examines the arguments used by Christians who accept the common belief that the Earth and universe are billions of years old. Many of these Christians make claims that Scripture allows for this belief and they have promoted numerous arguments to support their view. Our book compiles all of these "biblical" arguments into one place and cross-examines them from a biblical perspective.

To accomplish our goal, we divided the book into three sections. The first section deals with the age of the Earth. Does the Bible teach that the Earth is appx. 6,000 years old or does it allow for billions of years? The second section deals with the extent of the Genesis Flood. Most old-earth creationists believe it was a local flood because they accept that the rock layers are evidence of billions of years (a worldwide flood would completely re-work those layers). Young-earth creationists believe the flood was worldwide, just as Genesis clearly states. Finally, Dr. Lisle wrote two chapters on the philosophy of science to show people how science works or doesn't work. These chapters explain how Christians need to base their thinking on the revealed word of God because no other foundation can lead to the truth.

So just what is the verdict? Well, there are a few ways to find out. You can contact me or you can read the book. However, there is a better way. Read the Bible for yourself and see what God has to say about this issue. The Bible is His message to us and He is capable of communicating His message to us in an understandable manner.

Of course, I would strongly recommend the book to all believers - especially church leaders. The church has bought the lie for far too long that this is just a side issue. What so many fail to understand is that too many people raised in Christian homes have rejected the Gospel because they were also taught that Genesis is not accurate or doesn't matter. If they don't believe the first part of the book, they don't feel they can believe the rest of it either. Sadly, too many church leaders are content to assist them in their apathy and/or unbelief. Old-Earth Creationism on Trial is designed to correct this problem by demonstrating that the Bible can be trusted from its very first verse.

We took great care to use gentleness and respect in dealing with old-earth creationists in this book. They are fellow believers and should be treated as such. We have received some glowing reviews so far. Here's one from a fellow blogger named Angie: (Read Review)

I invite you to take a look for yourself. It is available at Amazon.com, Answers in Genesis, Christianbook.com, and practically anywhere else that books are sold.

If you have already read it, would you consider posting a review here in the comment section or at Amazon and/or Christianbook.com? Thank you for your time. Merry Christmas!