We at ICR hope your Christmas season was filled with celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus, delight in His wonders in creation, and meaningful time with family and friends. As we turn the corner to 2021, we can look forward to the continued gift of walking with our Lord, experiencing the privilege of being His children, and anticipating more of His goodness along the way—enough to astonish us!
In this month’s feature “Unity Worthy of Our Creationist Heritage,” ICR President Dr. Randy Guliuzza reminds us that Jesus’ “words alone astounded everyone,” and “everybody was awestruck by His miraculous works.” When was the last time Jesus’ words and works left you astonished?
As Dr. G points out, the demeanor of humble men can also leave us astonished. When he reflected on the lives of ICR founder Dr. Henry Morris, Dr. Duane Gish, and another influential creationist, Dr. Gary Parker, Dr. G says they “not only held distinctive beliefs but tried to reflect Christ’s behavior, marked by humility and love.” These Christians are “an example worth emulating.”
As Dr. Jeffrey Tomkins continues his series “The Fossils Still Say No,” he examines fossils with backbones and demonstrates how the gap in the fossil record is “one more example highlighting the lack of evidence for molecules-to-man evolutionary theory.” Dr. Jake Hebert points out problems with evolutionary claims as well in “Pterosaurs Didn’t Have Feathers.” He says, “There are enormous challenges in explaining how a dinosaur came to morph into a bird.”
We’re excited to begin our park series in this issue of Acts & Facts, starting with one of the most magnificent (“Grand Canyon: Exposing the Flood”). These beautiful “learning labs” across our country display evidence of God’s work in creation, and we’ll point out significant exhibits and creation features as we explore each one from a biblical perspective. It’s our hope these featured parks will leave you astonished at the beauty of our Creator’s handiwork in forests, mountains, rocks, and canyons throughout the United States.
Sometimes the familiar can amaze us anew when we see it through a fresh lens, so we’ve made some changes to Acts & Facts for the new year. Look closely for a few additions that will help you spot logical fallacies and evolutionary language. Our “By the Numbers” box offers fun facts and statistics that reveal how God is working in the details at ICR. And if you turn the pages a bit further, you’ll see we’ve added a “Creation Kids” learning and activity section for our young creationist readers.
Whether we’re age eight or 98, we can still be astonished by Jesus’ words and works, as long as we have eyes to see them. So, in this new year, let’s seek His words of life in Scripture and keep our eyes open to His activity in the world. Who knows what astonishing discoveries 2021 will bring?
* Jayme Durant is Director of Communications at the Institute for Creation Research.