What would cause an Evolutionist to become a Creationist?
We asked this question on our television show Christ in Prophecy of Mike Riddle, the founder and director of a wonderful ministry called the Creation Training Initiative. It’s a biblical discipleship ministry that teaches Christians how to defend their faith using Genesis and the teaching of a literal 6-day Creation.
Building a Sure Foundation
Dr. Reagan: Mike, your ministry has a rather unusual name — The Creation Training Initiative (CTI). Explain that to us.
Mike Riddle: There are other ministries out there that teach about the Creation. There are great ministries like the Institute for Creation Research, Answers in Genesis, and a lot of local organizations around the country. What we’ve done instead is started this ministry to take the next step and actually train others to do what we are doing. It is called replicating ourselves, or biblical discipleship. We give seminars and weekend seminars, but what we do is primarily training courses. We have full-day training courses.
We at CTI are tired of seeing over 70% of our youth, our teens, leaving the Church before they finish school. That’s an epidemic we have in this country in Christianity. These are students who have been in Christian schools, even in Sunday school for 12 years, but then leave. Why is that happening? Well, they no longer have confidence in the Bible anymore. They don’t see answers in the Bible. That is why we started these full day training courses, so the youth of today would have the answers from the Bible that they are looking for.
When you come and take a course such as “Basic Creation Training,” you would get a 100 page manual. We feed you lunch and we feed you snacks. These courses are also certified for continuing education units. We will come to you. It doesn’t cost the church anything to have these courses as we charge per individual because we are trying to get this information out.
We even have a course specific for teachers where we train them on what the Bible has to say about teachers and how to teach. We even have a third course called “Advance Creation Apologetics” where we train you to take the next step in evangelism. You’ll learn how to talk to a Ph.D. scientist and not have to know anything about Science and bring down their humanistic strong-holds.
Dr. Reagan: I compliment you on that mission as it’s very important. Something that we’ve always had a heart for at Lamb & Lion Ministries is to replicate. We’ve done it primarily by helping others establish ministries that focus on Bible prophecy. We’ve helped create five of those ministries so far domestically and then helped train them to communicate the Message. So, God bless you in what you are trying to do!
Mike’s Testimony
Dr. Reagan: Mike, tell us a little about your background. What sort of background do you have that gives you some authority in the area of teaching Creation Science.
Mike Riddle: One of the things that helps me, unfortunately, is that I was a slow learner. I admit — I grew up an Evolutionist. I wasn’t even a Christian until I was 30 years old. So, I understand Evolution and its arguments very well. I could use them in churches and it was very easy to take a church off track because they are not well trained in refuting Evolutionary teachings. So, I’ve got the common man’s background in following Evolution. I also have academic credentials with degrees in both Mathematics and Education.
Do you know my most important aspect I have as my credentials? I’m a Bible believing Christian now. I accept God’s Word as my authority. That’s my number one credential. I have the Math. I have degrees in Education. I’ve got a vast experience in computer technology. That’s where I get all my logical thinking from — the Math and Computer Science.
Dr. Reagan: How did you get started teaching about the Creation?
Mike Riddle: It’s in response to having grown up as an Evolutionist. I was also, well, I’ll put it this way — I used to be an athlete. If everyone understands what that means, I used to be an athlete. That’s the law of science called Thermodynamics that tends to take you downhill a little bit.
Nathan Jones: Entropy, yes.
Mike Riddle: Yes, entropy happens to all of us.
Dr. Reagan: I realize that when I look in the mirror every morning!
Mike Riddle: One day I was in the gymnasium lifting weights and I had a man come up and sit down beside me. This man started sharing with me the Gospel. He asked me some questions. But, at that time, I had no interest in God, so I ignored everything he had to tell me. Seven years after that I was in a hotel room on a business trip having to do with computers at the time. That’s when I finally understood that man’s message and that’s the night in that hotel room when I got on my knees and professed Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
Before I went to sleep that very night I had a strong desire to teach the book of Genesis, which I hadn’t even read yet. So, I reached into the drawer in that hotel room and pulled out the Bible and began reading the book of Genesis. I thought to myself, “Wait a minute, this is not what I was taught at the university!” I learned that if I cannot trust the first chapter of the Bible, then there’s no reason to read the rest of it. Clearly then some of what I was taught at the university was just not true.
I had the opportunity since to travel all over the country and I’d stop and talk to these college professor and scientists. I soon found a pattern to their answers about Evolution. They had a lot of wonderful stories, but not one of them could directly answer my questions. So, I thought, here are these people who are very, very intelligent, but they couldn’t answer my most basic questions about the origins of the universe and mankind. So, why should I then believe in Evolution? That’s when I turned to the Bible and I found those answers.
In the second segment of this Creation training series with Mike Riddle, we’ll ponder the true age of Earth.
I have always been taught that God created Earth in 6 days.
I have heard tv programs that state it took millions of years for earth to be created because a day to God is millions of time for us. When friends said that, I couldn't come back with a good answer.
But one day, all of a sudden I saw something in Genesis I had just missed for all these years.
The first think he created was night and day..
And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Then after every creation he makes the same statement.
..And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
And the evening and the morning were the third day. and so on for all 6 days..This is from the king James version
SO if they believe the Bible.. no one can say each day was for a long time….Darkness and light doesn't last but one day OUR TIME
Marie
I find it interesting that so many Christians who believe in Jesus, the miracles He did, the story of the Exodus and the flood, etc. have no problem with all those truths yet suddenly can't accept that a God that did all those things couldn't make creation in 6 days.
I personally believe He could do it in 6 milliseconds, or billiseconds, or tilliseconds…
That's trilliseconds…
…funny, here I am correcting the spelling of a word (trilliseconds) that I don't even know is even a word to being with 🙂
The bible starting in Genesis 1 actually explains that the world became chaos. It's called the Katabole. That is why we have the fossils of dinosaurs. The first earth age was destroyed.
Our father recreated the earth after this destruction. Go read
2 Peter 3:5-7. We are in the 2nd earth age. Science is correct.
Verse 6 states the world perished.
Verse 7 the heavens and earth that are now, is the new earth till his return.
So we are now in the 2nd earth age
You said, "…what many scientists are not looking at is the overwhelming amount of scientific evidence that shows the earth is very young."
Nothing could be further from the truth. The only overwhelming thing is the way that young earthers violate the Scientific and Religious Value Systems in misinterpreting and misusing existing data;using ad hoc arguments when they cannot explain something; and twisting good, scientific and religious studies. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
Chuck, it is your opinion only that Young Earth supporters misuse existing data, with nothing to substantiate what you are claiming. The evidence for a young earth is all around.
I was raised in a church, but didn't know Jesus and told my mother that when I reach 18, I would never enter a church door again, but after salvation God showed me He called me before I was even born, oh that broke my heart and I started looking for someone to disciple me, but found no one, so I asked God to disciple me and He did by the Holy Spirit and emphasized the real Truth of the Scriptures as I read. I was 47 when I found Him after a plane crash in the Sierra Madres in Mexico in 4/1983, now He is my whole life and I am His witness to as many as He opens the doors to!!!
Awesome testimony, James! Thank you for sharing it as an encouragement to others.
The "six-day" creation is troublesome for me. If in fact days one through six are said to be 24 hours long 1) how is time reckoned when their are no people to do so, and 2) how is a day determined if there is no sun by which to determine it, and if the six days are indeed of 24 hours, then 3) how long is the seventh day, and 4) if the seventh day is longer than "24 Hours" why is that and how long is it?
Anonymous, 2 Peter 3:5-7 is talking about Noah's Flood, not some non-Scriptural Antediluvian Flood.
GaryG, where are you getting the seventh day is longer than 24 hours?
Genesis 1:1-2, let us know about the earth being without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (no time period stated here).
I don't understand how anyone can read further into the rest of this chapter and think it took more than six days. He called the light Day and the darkness Night. Our God (our Father) is all knowing.
Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead (it was days) not eons, this day thou shall be with me in paradise, said Jesus . Sometimes I think we just think too much. Holy Spirit, thank you.
Yes I have a question, in the beginning when God said let there be light was that the Sun or was that his son, because I believe where Jesus is the light of the world that the first light was him and is him
Nathan wrote, "Chuck, it is your opinion only that Young Earth supporters misuse existing data, with nothing to substantiate what you are claiming."
Nathan, you obviously are a young man who has a fair amount of bible knowledge, but not much scientific training. "My opinon only… nothing to substantiate?" Come on.
Nathan, do you honestly believe that all the scientists (Christians and non-christians alike) in the world are wrong on every aspect of physics, biology, geology, chemistry, etc. and that your handful of "experts" are right on every aspect? You would have to believe that in order to buy into the young earther paradigm.
How far do you go, Nathan? Please tell me that you don't believe that dinosaurs were on the ark; that God created light in flight just to confuse us; that the Paluxy tracks were real. Please tell me that and you don't still believe the discredited young earth "research" (moon dust; shrinking sun; receding moon; etc.)
Just to let you know, I believe that God created the earth in six days. I believe that He used His own mechanism–it may have been the big bang; I do not believe in evolution. I believe in an old earth as evidenced by both Biblical (Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28; Jeremiah) and scientific research. I believe in a religious and scientific value system that tests all theories–and through which, young earth stuff fails.
I believe in a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2; I believe that the ancient Hebrew supports "the earth became" as opposed to "the earth was."
I also believe as Glenn Morton and other ex-young earthers do that the attacks by young earthers on good, Christian people, who happen to disagree with their beliefs has harmed Christ's Church more than all the damage inflicted by non-christians. Attacks from within (Acts 20).
I pray for your enlightenment.
Chuck Lee
Chuck, rather an arrogant and condescending post on your part.
I was a space science major before being called into ministry, so know a thing or two. Even if I'm not a scientist, I have scientist friends who are experts in their fields. They tell me two things: 1) scientists are pressured to conform to the Old Earth and Evolutionary model thinking or be ostracized professionally so they rarely buck the system, and 2) Science only proves again and again and again that the Earth is young.
You must obviously be an old man if 40 year olds are young to you.
Stick with the Bible. It's God's first-person account and authoritative word. Anything else is man's attempt at trying to understand a world far bigger than they are capable of.
God bless!
Nathan–that was kind of a lame response for a person who writes a column; but you will learn. I apologize for calling you young; I'm sorry, you don't seem 40 and I am an old man.
I fed you a few points to refute, but you didn't bite.I hope you don't just routinely resort to the old "I have more scientific friends who support me, than you do", argument or call me names. That would put you down with the majority of the young earthers who, to their shame, write off the scientific community. When I am reading young earth stuff, I sometimes have to wonder, what happened to "go into all the world"?
Have a nice day. I will pray for your enlightenment.
Thanks, Chuck, you made my point!
Kenjyn–you really are on to something. Please delve further into the old Hebrew of Genesis 1:2 and compare with Jeremiah 4:23.
The majority of Bibles misinterpret that Scripture (Genesis 1:2) as "the earth was without form and void"; when a much better interpretation is "the earth became without form and void". Compare it with Jeremiah 4:23, which explains the condition of the earth and heavens "without form and void and the heavens had no light." Then see Jeremiah 4:24-27, which explains that there were cities, mankind, birds, and a fruitful land that had become a desert. But, note that God did not make a full end (v. 27). This explains the condition of the earth in Genesis 1:2–God simply recreated an existing earth.
Looking at it in this manner, puts an entirely different slant on the whole process.
Chuck Lee
cdlee@bellsouth.net
Chuck and Kenjyn you both are wrong. First the phrase "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" is a independent clause. And there is no reason to change the earth was, to the earth became. The King James by the way is the correct translation to this phrase. Read Exodus 20:11 this further proves you wrong. The earth is young and any science that says other wise is wrong. With old earth science you allow science to interpret the Bible. The Bible has to interpret science. If science doesn't line up to the Bible then it is wrong. You can't have death and destruction before Adam. That makes no biblical sense that God simply recreated an existing earth.
Chuck, The word in question is "was" and should it be changed to "become". When it comes to the Hebrew there are some grammatical rules to follow in order to get the proper meaning of words that are in scripture so that we just cant put any meaning that we think in our finite minds is the way that it should be. Example: The only time that was can be changed to become is if the word is followed by a preposition. In this case it is not, so by changing it would be breaking this rule. Context is another very important way of properly interpreting the Bible. Case in point Jeremiah 4:23-27. "without form and void" This phrase is applied to the primeval earth in Genesis 1:2, and gap theory advocates like to use this verse as a "proof text" for a hypothetical cataclysm prior to Edon which destroyed the original creation of Genesis 1:1. The gap theory, however, is indefensible both geologically and theologically. The context here in Jeremiah, both before and after verse 23-27, makes it clear that the whole chapter is describing the coming destruction of Judah, not some mysterious prehistoric cataclysm destroying the primeval world. My question is how do you get around scriptures like Exodus 20:11; Mark 10:6;Romans 8:20-22. Even Jesus was a young-earth creationist. He clearly points this out in Mark 10:6 by using a definite article by saying "the creation". If it was a re-creation why didn't Jesus say it that way. If you take Jeremiah the way you say it should be you are putting death before Adam and discrediting Romans 8:20-22. I have reviewed all other aspects and have found that being a young-earth creationist I do not have to compromise the scriptures or creation. God Bless
Hi Chuck, I'm going to approach this from another angle due to the fact you are dancing around the preposition rule with the word "was" being changed to "become". You claim in this thread that there where cities, mankind, birds, and fruitful places described in Genesis 1:2 according to Jeremiah4:23-26. You claim that this was the condition before the Earth, as you put it, became without form and void. According to scripture that would be totally impossible. The Hebrew meaning for the word "man" in Jer.4:25 is Adam. Meaning Adam was the very first man. So if there was no death in this world until Adam (Romans 5:12) so where are these men that you claim were here before the world became without form and void? Scriptural prof you are wrong. Ezekiel 28 describes Satan as a being created in perfection. Satan was a "covering cherub", an order of angels with the closest access to God and who guarded His holiness(Ezekiel 10: 1-14). His location on the "holy mountain of God" speaks of his being involved in the government of God. Walking "in the midst of the stones of fire "communicates a nearness to God in a place just beneath the glory at the footstool of God(Ezekiel 1:27). Nothing in scripture says that Satan ruled a race of men on this Earth in the dateless past. Satan's fall was positional. Show me in scripture where Satan's fall had any affect on this world except him tempting Eve and causing the fall of man kind through Adam. So the timing of Satan's fall is not relevant to my point. Satan didn't even have dominion of this world until he took it from Adam by causing him to sin. Satan isn't even kicked out of Heaven until the middle of the Tribulation Period under the 7th trumpet(Rev.12). When Satan says I will exalt my throne above Gods he is merely saying that he will exalt his power and authority above Gods(Isa. 14:13). I find it very interesting that you would be so dogmatic that "bara" and "asah" can not be interchangeable, but yet the biblical text teaches other wise. So how can they not be interchangeable even though they are used in some of the same verses as meaning the same thing? Genesis 1:26-27 "And God said let us make(asah) man in our image…" 27. So God created(bara) man in his own image…" See how nonsensical these verses would read if these two Hebrew words can not be interchangeable, c'mon man you are smarter than that. The same with Genesis 2:4. With geology Noah's flood would of wiped out any evidence of billions of years. According to Job 40:15-20 the dinosaur was made with man. You need to read "Coming To Grips With Genesis" by Terry Mortenson, Ph.D and Thane H. Ury, Ph.D. "Unformed and Unfilled A Critique of the Gap Theory" by Weston Fields. " Old-Earth Creationism on Trial, The Verdict Is In" By Tim Chaffey and Jason Lisle. "The Six Days of Genesis A Scientific Appreciation of Chapters 1-11 by Paul F. Taylor. As you have proven in these threads Old-Earth Creationism compromises scriptures to make its point. God Bless
Hey Nathan, Did Chuck remove his post or did you? Just wondering since they are not there anymore and I was blowing him out of the water. God Bless
Indeed you were, Barry. I'd told Chuck earlier that he was welcome to post a link to his info, but not all his pages of notes in our comments section. The only response he seems capable of making is snide and condescending, so I'm deleting him going forward.