I have spoken about Martyn Isles on many occasions as I have watched God use him to mightily impact Australia for Christ when he was with the organisation, Australian Christian Lobby. God has now expanded his ministry by elevating him to CEO of Answers in Genesis (AIG), a ministry based in the USA but started by an Australian, Ken Ham.

Martyn and Ken were recently in Australia where they held a series of meetings in Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, and Melbourne entitled “Living in Babylon“. In total, more than ten thousand people were directly reached by the messages and many more are watching them online. If you have not seen them make sure you do and encourage others to do the same.

Martyn has written a book that every pastor needs to read if they are to reach Gen Z, a generation that has grown up with an evolutionary mindset.

Western Schools, Universities, Media, and Governments teach evolution and operate as if God does not exist. Hence we see an obsession with self as seen in the rise of psychology, genders and sexualities, and identity politics. As Martin rightly points out, the identity crisis has resulted in people looking at themselves and coming up with subjective answers based on how they feel and attributes supplied by political activists, ideologues, and pop culture.

Young people are encouraged with notions like loving yourself, living true to yourself, being your best self, following your heart, believing in yourself, living your truth… or phrases like “you do you,” “you are enough,” “you’re worth it,” “you’re beautiful just as you are.” This self-talk has changed the kinds of things people hold up as virtues. We need to be authentic: if your actions are true to “you” then they are good for you and are justifiable. It is the same idea that makes it possible to say, “My truth.” In other words, we define what is right and even what is “true” based on how we feel. Seeing ourselves as the ultimate authority instead of God.

The virtue of self-belief is a staple these days – no motivational speech or life advice is complete without it. The resources we need for our own achievements are found in our attitude to who we are.

The Big Mistake the world is making is that they believe that “self” is good. The Bible and Jesus specifically make it clear that “self” is not good, in fact, it is profoundly bad.

““What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 17:20-23

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:9-10