MARTYN ISLES IS BACK

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Since Martyn’s short stint at Answers in Genesis many of us have been wondering what God has next in store for Martyn. It had to be connected to evangelising with a focus on young people because that is the talent God has given him.

Well now we know: Martyn Iles is set to Launch Two New Digital Platforms to Reclaim the Cross and Reimagine Christian Education. At the Crux and Proto are two initiatives designed to proclaim Christ and shape young minds with gospel-centred education.

“At the Crux” is designed to meet growing cultural curiosity about Christianity with a renewed focus on the gospel.

Speaking directly to a generation disillusioned with empty ideologies, Iles said the time had come to stop “simply opening conversations” and instead “bring them all the way to the cross.”

The announcement comes amid what Iles describes as a “resurgence of Christian interest.” Whether that looks like Joe Rogan going to church, Jordan Peterson promoting the Bible, or Donald Trump punctuating “a press conference with, ‘We love you, God’”, for many, “Christianity is interesting again” and is not limited to high-profile political or media figures, but particularly to young men.

At the Crux: Meeting the Moment

The name, “At the Crux”, has been deliberately chosen and crafted to carry three layers of meaning, with three promises:

  1. A promise of clarity. As in the phrase, “the ‘crux’ of the issue”, the word also signifies something of foundational importance, yet expressed simply and clearly.
  2. A promise of relevance. Finally, in being ‘at’ the crux, Iles determines that the new platform will be ‘at’ a decisive moment.
  3. A promise of the gospel. In Latin, crux means “cross,” pointing directly to Christianity’s central and always-relevant message.

In earlier seasons, Iles was best known for his widely viewed series “The Truth of It” and “Living in Babylon”, which tackled modern culture through a biblical lens. Those efforts drew strong audiences and made Iles a familiar name among Australian and international Christians. Now, with At the Crux, he intends to be even more explicit in gospel proclamation.

“I want to take up the curiosity that’s simmering out there – not just to answer people’s questions – but to bring them all the way to the cross,” he said.

The initiative reflects what Iles sees as a God-given moment: to speak into our modern culture not with the “wisdom of man,” but with the clarity and conviction of Christ crucified.

Proto: Reimagining Christian Education

In addition to At the Crux, Iles and his team have unveiled a second major project – “Proto”, a comprehensive Christian education platform designed to equip children from ages 5 to 18 with a robust biblical worldview.

Built in partnership with experienced educators, software engineers and policy experts, Proto promises a cutting-edge app experience tailored for Christian families. It aims to support parents and educators – whether homeschooling or using other educational models – with tools to instil faith, knowledge, and critical thinking from a Christian foundation.

Key features under development include:

  • Bespoke Christian curriculum aligned to international academic standards
  • Substantive and age-appropriate content across core subjects
  • Leading Christian educators as content creators
  • Advanced AI-powered assessments and personalised progress tracking
  • Parental controls and content safety features
  • Free foundational content with extended features available through subscription
  • Community tools to foster local connection among Christian families

Ultimately, the team behind Proto plans to offer not only worldview training but also full-spectrum academic coverage – integrating humanities, sciences and electives into a Christ-centred education model.

Iles leads both initiatives as Chief Executive Officer, bringing years of experience in Christian advocacy, law and digital content. Formerly the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby, which grew by more than 400% during his tenure, he is known more recently for serving in executive leadership with the US-based Answers in Genesis apologetics ministry.

Iles has announced that he is joined by a distinguished team of co-founders, including:

  • David Cook, Chief Technology Officer, is a Silicon Valley veteran who helped build Apple iTunes and contributed to platforms like Netflix and YouTube. Converted six years ago, Cook now devotes his technical expertise to Christian mission.
  • Dr Paul Henderson, Chief Education Officer, is a global education expert who has advised prime ministers, authored national curricula, and holds advanced degrees from Cambridge, Aberdeen, and other leading institutions.
  • José Ziebarth, Chief Product Officer, is the former Head of Privacy at Facebook and an anti-corruption and de-bureaucratisation reformer in Brazil’s government. Once an atheist, he became a Christian seven years ago and now home-educates his three sons with his wife.

“These projects are ambitious—but they’re timely, strategic, and already underway”, Martyn revealed.

“Early support has been encouraging, and we’re praying for provision to fully launch At the Crux and accelerate the build of the new platform.”

At a time when biblical truth is often sidelined or diluted, Iles aims for At the Crux and Proto to fulfil a dual commitment: to proclaim Christ crucified and to raise up the next generation in truth.

Those who want to financially support Ilies’ efforts to present Christianity’s centuries-old core claim in a new format can do so here.

BIBLE SALES IN AMERICA ARE UP 22%

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Sarah Holliday, reporter at The Washington Stand looks at possible reasons why in a country that has been increasingly turning away from God and His values.

The Wall Street Journal wrote that “Bible sales are up 22% in the U.S. through the end of October, compared with the same period last year.” According to the outlet, there are several potential factors for why this is the case. Jeff Crosby, president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, believes “people are experiencing anxiety … related to artificial intelligence [and] election cycles.” All of which “feeds a desire for assurance that we’re going to be okay.” Maybe Crosby is right. People want to know they’re going to be okay, and so they’re turning to the Bible.

Others have speculated that the rise in Bible sales can be attributed to influencers on social media. Cely Vazquez, whom WSJ described as an artist and influencer, has used her platform to share that she “recently bought her first Bible.” Likewise, the outlet highlighted Amber Cimiotti, another social media figure who thinks podcasters and TikTokers play a major role in the growing number of people buying Bibles.

WSJ also noted how several publishing houses found the customers largely responsible for the surge in Bible sales were members of Gen Z, college students, and younger people alike. And it’s not just religious publishers seeing the Bibles fly off the shelves, but mainstream retailers too — including Amazon. Observers are puzzling over what’s causing it in light of recent surveys that have found that at least 28% of American adults claim to be religiously unaffiliated. That doesn’t exactly scream an increased demand for religious material.

Ultimately, it’s more than likely that all of these factors laid out by WSJ played a part in the increase of people buying Bibles. Rev. Blaine Crawford of Irvington Presbyterian Church told WSJ that he has seen a recent increase in Scripture study groups. He remarked that God’s word is a “grand epic story of the great questions of life. What do we do with grief or anger, what are we here for, where is the world going? The Bible provides a counterpart in a conversation about what we’re doing at this time.”

As people made in the image of God, we were never meant to be away from Him. The reigning theme in the book of Ecclesiastes is not that life has no meaning, but that apart from Christ, the source from which our purpose derives, there is no meaning. As The Post Millennial wrote, “Experts and industry insiders attribute the growth in Bible sales to societal anxieties and a search for hope.” But I don’t think the experts are the only ones who could have figured this out. Rather, Christians should understand this to be the case better than almost anyone. After all, Christians are to be the people who understand their sin and need of a Savior. We ought to be at the frontlines of an anxious culture offering them the hope of the gospel.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins put it this way: “Obtaining a Bible is the first step; the second step is to read it and then understand it. As Philip helped the Ethiopian leader understand the Word, pray that those who are turning to the truth for hope will have others who can help them understand the Good News contained within the pages of the Bible.” Guest host Jody Hice also commented on the news that the Bible is in higher demand on Monday’s episode of “Washington Watch.” Simply put, he stated, it’s “tremendous news!”

Pastor Jay Johnson, FRC’s National Prayer Director, agreed. As he emphasized, “I certainly rejoice at that news, and [I’m] just grateful that … there’s a demand” for the word of God. “There [are]people all over looking for hope, and people are guiding them to God’s word.” But according to Johnson, “it’s not just to know the Bible [and] not just to read the Bible, but to know God. And I think that’s the beauty of God’s word.” He also referenced FRC’s Bible reading plan, Stand on the Word, noting that it’s “a great resource for people to engage in reading God’s word.”

Both agreed that it’s important to read and study the Bible, but beyond Scripture, Johnson urged that “it’s also very vital to find a church that is teaching and preaching the word of God.” It’s important “to get engaged with a local church where they can study with others.” Especially because, as Hice and Johnson agreed, it can be difficult to stay focused when reading the Bible. It can be hard to get started, particularly for people who are new to picking up God’s word like the 22% or so this year. “I just want to encourage people,” Johnson said, “to start out by praying and asking for divine guidance.”

On behalf of everyone here at FRC, we believe in the life-giving, soul-saving power of God’s word. It’s the reason we start every morning as an organization in prayer and Bible study. And so, whether you’re new to reading the Bible or have been reading it nearly your whole life, now is the time to open it up and study it, know it, and ask the Holy Spirit to write it on your heart. And as we read of the 22% increase of people who are cracking open the pages of Scripture, let us pray that God opens their eyes, ears, and hearts to the glorious truth of the gospel.

It’s no wonder this fallen world is full of broken people looking for hope, answers, and truth. And this hope, these answers, and the truth we all crave is found in the Bible. The riches are there, free of charge. All you have to do is read and, by God’s grace, believe.

Topics:Biblical Worldview, Good News, The Church

ARE YOU DEAD IN YOUR TRESPASSES AND SINS?

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If you could control the moment you died, what would your last words be? As Jesus hung on the cross, He spoke seven times. The first of His final words was a prayer. But not for Himself. 

“Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Really? They didn’t know what they were doing? 
1. The Jewish leaders plotted Jesus’ death for months. They paid Judas to betray Him. They held a mock trial in the middle of the night.
2. The crowd cried out for His crucifixion. They even chose a murderer to be set free rather than Jesus, the One who had healed the sick, raised the dead, and fed thousands.
3. Governor Pilate knew Jesus was only guilty of making the Jewish leaders mad. He tried to set Jesus free, but in the end, he knowingly gave the order for Jesus’ death.
4. The Roman soldiers spit on Jesus, beat Him, jammed a crown of thorns onto His head, and mocked Him. As they led Him to Calvary, they watched Him stumble, battered and bleeding. When they drove the nails through His hands and feet, the soldiers knew exactly what they were doing. Christ’s agony was real.
5. Jesus’ executioners didn’t know what they were doing because sin and “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Yet, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing” Luke 23-34

If they had truly understood who Jesus was and what they were doing to Him—God’s Son, their promised Messiah—do you think they would have never done such evil? The horror of such actions would have overwhelmed them. Instead, they would have fallen down before Jesus and worshiped Him. 

Apart from Christ, we are all spiritually blind—and spiritually deaf. In the rebellion of our sin, we are no different than the people in the days of Ezekiel, Jesus, and Paul, who have ears but do not hear (Ezek. 12:2; Matt. 13:13; Acts 28:27). In our sinful state, we don’t hear, see, or respond to the truth. 

Unless God opens our eyes to see Jesus and our sin, we will stay as blind and deaf as the dead, because that’s exactly what we are—dead in our trespasses and sins.

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Ephesians 2:1-3 

THE COMING WRATH OF GOD

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A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

When God appeared to all of Israel at Mount Zion the people could not endure God speaking to them so terrifying was the sight, that even Moses said he trembled with fear. This reminds us that the beginning of wisdom is to fear God. The author of Hebrews, probably written by Paul (maybe Luke from a sermon by Paul), reminds us of this fact when he refers to Jesus’ warning about what God will do next to those that reject Him: “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens”.

“For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:18-29

The second time God pours out His wrath (there was a first time – the worldwide flood of Noah’s day) upon an unrepentant world is fast approaching. God has warned us in advance and gives us much detail in His Word of the coming Trumpet (7) and Bowl (7) judgements. The intensity of the destruction escalates from the first trumpet blast.

THE SEVEN TRUMPETS
“Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.” Revelation 8:6-7

We need to warn our unbelieving family and friends of what is coming. Show them these Scriptures. “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.” Hebrews 18:25