CREATION MOMENTS: 12.31.16

BIG BANG BOOM?

1 Corinthians 15:41

"There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory."
The Big Bang theory holds that in the very early stages of our universe, there were few galaxies, and they were small by today's standards. In this theory, no star can be older than its home galaxy.

 But this tidy model of our universe appears to be in trouble. For this discussion, we are going to use the inflated ages used by astronomers. When astronomers look through their telescopes at a star that is, say, 10 million light years away, they say they are looking at what was there 10 million years ago. Now, the universe is said to be 14 billion years old. Galaxies formed nearly that long ago are a very long way off, expected to be small, and their stars young, just as it was supposed to be after the Big Bang. Work with the Hubble telescope in 2004 revealed many such young galaxies, including one only 800 million years old, but it is six times more massive than our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Most significantly, these young galaxies contain some old red stars. It's said to be like looking in a nursery of cooing babies and finding a few grown men!

 These findings not only call the Big Bang theory into question but support the view that God created a mature universe, just as Scripture teaches.

Thank You, Father, for the glory, beauty and variety You have created in the heavens which praise You. Amen.

Science News, 10/8/05, pp. 235-236, Ron Cowen, "Crisis in the Cosmos?"

 

A TUCK AND A NIP

1 Thessalonians 4:6

"That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified."
Most listeners have heard of the little "cleaner fish" or wrasse that clean the teeth of larger fishes. New research on the behavior of these fishes shows that they are not always honest-business fish. Other fish, including those who might ordinarily consider a meal of "cleaner fish", actually stand in line for their services. That's because they need to have parasites and diseased tissue removed. They also know that the little "cleaner fish" offer massages.

 It's amazing enough that even potential predators will become clients for a good cleaning and massage. Researchers from the University of Cambridge in England observed 28 cleaning stations and discovered some unexpected behavior. Now and again, as a "cleaner fish" nibbles parasites off a customer, it might also bite out a chunk of healthy flesh. Wisely, they avoid this behavior when cleaning predators that could bite them back. Researchers also observed that potential customers were aware of this risk and closely watched how the current customer was being treated. They were more likely to seek services from a wrasse that didn't nip any of the customers ahead of them. Of course, the wrasses were also aware of this and were observed to offer those customers they were likely to nip four-star treatment, including a massage.

 Scripture teaches that man's sin infected the whole creation. Thankfully, Christ came to bring us forgiveness.

Father, I thank You for Your laws, but as a sinner, I thank You even more for forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Science News, 11/2/02, p. 277, S. Milius, "Fish Fraud." See also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOC2Qc2Qedw

 

SOME MOMS ARE GREEN

Luke 13:34

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem ... how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"
Chickens aren't the brightest creatures in the animal world, but the mother hen knows to protect her eggs and keep them warm. Many species of snakes also care for their young. Amazingly, scientists have learnt that even some plants have been designed with "motherly" instincts.

 The plantain is a common North American weed, and when it blooms, the warmer it keeps its developing seeds, the more seeds its offspring will produce. Researchers have found that cooler air temperatures cause the mother plant to produce a darker bloom cluster. The darker color absorbs more radiant energy from the sun, and this gives its offspring a boost in life even before they sprout. The shooter plant, as it is commonly called in America's southeast, does something similar. It blooms for several months over the southern summer. The leaf-like bracts that sheathe each flower-cluster have a brown pigment. Researchers observed the plants over several months and found that the bracts that formed in cooler April were darker than the bracts that formed in warmer June. The increased levels of brown pigment in April enabled the bracts to absorb more infrared light that helps to warm the flowers.

 Just where did those plants learn the necessary physics, not to mention the genetics, to produce these motherly provisions? Of course, the answer is God's Intelligent Design from the very start.

Father, I thank You that You are a loving God Who teaches us love ultimately through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Science News, 7/23/05, pp. 59-60, Susan Milius, "Mommy Greenest."

 

WHALES; WAILS SPOOK SEALS

Genesis 11:7

"Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."
You hear a bird sing. Can you tell by its dialect where it spends the winter? Birds, like some other creatures, do have different dialects, depending on where they live. However, for most of us, animal dialects are not easy to detect.

 Killer whales also have dialects that are reflected in their 17 different calls. Some killer whales are homebodies, staying in the same area for all of their lives. These whales create few problems for local harbor seals on the North American west coast since they stick to a diet of local fish. Other killer whales form groups that cruise up and down North  America's west coast, hunting cooperatively. These gangs are not satisfied with fish, and they particularly like harbor seals. Researchers have recorded the calls of both groups and have noted that the calls of each group have differing qualities, which amount to differing dialects. They also found that harbor seals know about this. Though the calls are at a frequency that fish cannot hear, the seals can hear them very well. They ignore the calls of local fish-eating whales. But when a killer gang appears in their neighborhood, harbor seals tend to vacate the area rather quickly.

 The ability to communicate and interpret communication are gifts from God, not just to us humans but clearly also to His other creatures.

Thank You, Lord, for the gift of language. Let my words always bear witness of Your love to us in Christ. Amen.

Science News, 11/16/02, p. 308, S. Milius, "Ear for Killers."

 

LOVE YOUR ANEMONES

Psalm 46:9

"He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire."
The world that God created for us and intended us to live in had no wars and no death because there was no sin whatsoever. Once the first man, Adam, brought sin into the world, murder, wars and disease descended upon the entire creation, including the animal world.

 While sea anemones might seem to be relatively peacefully creatures, researchers have discovered that they have a sophisticated army with warriors as well as scouts. The California anemones that were studied live in colonies of genetically identical individuals. Often, another colony of such clones, but genetically different from the first colony, lives quite close. The colonies are separated by a narrow patch of non-clone anemones. While genetically identical individuals get along with each other within each colony, they engage in warfare with the neighboring colony. Some of the individuals, the warriors, have tentacles that are not used for catching food, but rather for lashing invading anemones with stinging cells. Sometimes, scouts will enter the non-clone no-man's land between the colonies. The non-clones appear to be guards that sting any scout that enters their territory from either colony. Researchers were flabbergasted to find such a complex social system and penchant for war among anemones.

 While warfare is something we added to the creation when we sinned, only Jesus Christ can bring us true peace with God.

Prince of Peace, give me Your peace in the midst of a world filled with wars and rumors of war. Amen.

Science News, 6/4/05, p. 355-356, S. Milius, "Anemone Wars."

 

 

 

 

CREATION MOMENTS: 12.21.16

 

A CAGE OF LIGHT

Psalm 27:1

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
Ask any evolutionist, and he will tell you that the Venus Flower Basket is one of the least-evolved animals. This animal is actually a sponge that is made up of a colony of creatures, and it does some amazing things.

 The Venus Flower Basket builds a basket-like skeleton made up of glass-like silica covered only by a thin layer of cells. The intricate internal structure of this skeleton is reinforced to provide the greatest strength using the least amount of material. The resulting skeleton turns out to be a fiber optic network whose sophistication has been compared to modern fiber optics used for telecommunications networks.

 Symbiotic luminescent microorganisms make a home inside the base of the sponge, sending their light throughout the Flower Basket's fiber optic skeleton. The Flower Basket traps shrimp inside this skeleton, where they spend their entire lives. The food they drop feeds those luminescent microorganisms at the bottom of the basket. The purpose of the light pulses is to attract prey to feed the shrimp, who, in turn, feed the source of the light pulses! All of this is even more impressive, given the fact that the Flower Basket has no nervous system whatsoever.

 That this beautiful creature with no nervous system is designed and works in such an intricate manner is a powerful testimony to our Creator, the only One Who could design this.

Father, in the beginning, You created light which brings beauty, but nothing like the beauty of Your salvation. Amen.

Discover, 8/05, pp. 42-47, George M. Whitesides, "Illuminated Life." See also: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/species-of-the-day/collections/our-collections/euplectella-aspergillum/index.html

 

 

FROM MOZART TO EINSTEIN

1 Chronicles 15:16

"And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music..."
Scientists have shown that the so-called "Mozart effect" of music in young children is just a myth. This popular idea said that exposing young children to classical music improves their ability in non-verbal tasks. Nevertheless, researchers did find a more interesting effect of classical music on students.

 At the beginning of the school year, researchers from the University of Toronto randomly assigned 132 first graders into one of four groups. Some received piano or drama lessons while others took chess lessons or joined science programs. At the end of the school year, the students' IQ was evaluated. Those who had taken piano lessons showed a 7 point increase in IQ. Those involved in the other programs showed only a 4¼ point increase in IQ. Researchers believe that the focused attention that learning music requires for extended periods is a major factor in the greater increase of IQ among the music students. They also suggest that the memorization required in a musical education also helps IQ. Further research into these and other factors will be the subject of long-term study.

 Music is a gift from God, and the study of music has traditionally been considered an essential element of a good education. Modern research is showing us that this traditional approach to music has more wisdom than is offered by a purely materialistic approach to education.

Father, I thank You for the gift of music. Lord, open my lips that I might sing forth Your praises. Amen.

Science News, 6/19/04, p. 389, B. Bower, "Tuning Up Young Minds."

 

GLOBAL POSITIONING LOBSTERS

Isaiah 40:22

"It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in…"
Homing pigeons are valued because of their highly developed sense of direction, and this includes the ability to read the Earth's magnetic field. Some other birds, turtles and even a few salamanders have also shown this same ability. However, bees, ants or people are not born with this ability.

 Until now, those animals classified as "lower animals" on the evolutionary scale were not expected to have such navigation abilities. However, this ability has now been confirmed in – of all things – the Caribbean spiny lobster. Researchers collected more than 100 lobsters from various locations; each lobster was tagged with a number indicating the exact location of their discovery. They were then placed in closed containers and boated about in circuitous routes for an hour so that they would not remember the direction of home. To further confuse the lobsters, some of the containers contained magnets. Each lobster was then fitted with a removable hood so that they were effectively blindfolded. They were then placed in a large tank to see which direction they would naturally seek. Typically, the lobsters would begin trying to walk home, aiming to within three compass degrees of where they were captured.

 Scientists were surprised that a so-called "lower invertebrate" has a navigation system as sophisticated as a homing pigeon. But they shouldn't be surprised. The same wise Creator made both creatures.

Lord, I thank You for Your goodness toward us and all Your creatures in giving them their survival abilities.

Science News, 1/4/03, p. 4, S. Milius, "Homing Lobsters."

 

THE FASTEST FLOWER IN THE WEST

Psalm 105:5

"Remember his marvelous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth..."
Can you imagine a plant that moves so fast that science didn't know what it was doing until recently? The plant is a forest wild flower found in North America and called the Bunchberry dogwood.

 A few botanists had noted a strange "poof" associated with the plant, but no one knew what was going on. Researchers at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, were studying the plant when they experienced the "poof." Wanting to track down what the plant was doing, they got a high-speed video camera that can shoot 1,000 frames per second. Amazingly, that camera was too slow to clearly catch what the plant was doing. So they got a higher-speed camera that could shoot 10,000 frames per second.

 When they reviewed the video, they discovered that the flower was releasing pollen at an amazing speed. They calculated that the gravitational force on the pollen as it is released is 800 times the force astronauts endure when they blast into space. This wonder is accomplished by the flowers' very elastic petals which are part of a design that looks like a trebuchet � a medieval catapult.

 The amazing wonders of God's creation should lead us to unceasingly praise Him, something which belief in evolution does not allow. Even if you try to add God to evolution, chance and natural forces still get the credit.

I praise You, Father, for all the wonders of Your creation. Help my life praise you before others as well. Amen.

Science News, 6/11/05, p. 381, "World's Fastest Plant Explodes with Pollen."

 

 

 ONE GENERATION AFTER THE FLOOD

Genesis 8:11

"And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth."
Many listeners will recall the volcanic eruption that rocked Washington State as Mount St. Helens exploded in the May of 1980. Fortunately, there was plenty of warning and the event was recorded in detail. Since that time, many studies have been made by the Park service and by creationists, including Creation Moments, on the rate of recovery. In 2005, a generation after the eruption, scientists took a close look at the area to get an idea of how the earth might have recovered a generation after Noah's flood.

 The volcano destroyed 230 square miles of forest. Much of that area was literally sterilized by hot pyroclastic flows. Twenty-five years later, 150 species of plants had established themselves in this area. This included five species of conifers such as the Western hemlock and Pacific silver fir. This was contrary to current ecological theory since these trees are supposed to sprout only after generations of other plants had improved the soil. Many trees were already 15 feet tall. In addition, birds, frogs, toads, mammals and even elk had returned. Again, many of these species were not expected to have returned to the area for a long while yet.

 The Bible mentions the appearance of green plants within two months of the rain stopping at the end of the Flood. Mount St. Helens illustrates such a speedy recovery after the Flood.

Thank You, Father, for making the living world that is so resilient and for preserving it for our good.

Smithsonian, 5/05, David B. Williams, "Phenomena and Curiosities: Rising from the Ashes."

 

 

CREATION MOMENTS: 12.17.16

BEING RIGHT ABOUT RIGHT AND WRONG

Romans 2:15

"Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another..."
Ethicists who believe in evolution are trying to figure out an evolutionary explanation for why people universally have a sense of right and wrong. This line of study is so new that it doesn't yet have a name, although some have suggested "neuroethics" or "moral neuroscience".

 Much of this study began by looking at the theories of philosophers John Stewart Mill and Immanuel Kant. Mill taught that moral good is defined by those actions that do the most good for the most people, even if some individuals must suffer in the process. Kant said that moral good could be defined by pure reason. Then they add in philosopher David Hume, who taught that people consider an action to be good if it makes them feel good.

 However, researchers in this field noted that even monkeys, who don't read philosophy, have a sense of fair play. In one experiment, monkeys who had been accepting cucumbers as a reward began rejecting the cucumbers after they saw other monkeys getting much tastier grapes. At this point in this new "science", some researchers have concluded that right and wrong are nothing more than the instinctive firing of brain neurons.

 Scripture, on the other hand, says that God has written His law on our hearts. This is a much more logical explanation of Man's universal sense of right and wrong.

I thank You, Father, for Your law, but I find comfort in the gospel of forgiveness. Amen.

Discover, 4/04, pp. 60-65, Carl Zimmer, "Whose Life Would You Save?" Photo: portrait of Immanuel Kant.

 

GETTING RID OF THE TRASH

Psalm 139:15

"My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth."
Years ago, evolutionary scientists labeled 180 human organs, such as the appendix, as vestiges left over from evolution. The fact is they did not know the function these organs actually served. Since that time, it has been learned that all of these organs have useful functions and have nothing to do with evolution.

 Now a similar situation is shaping up with DNA. As scientists learned what the different segments of DNA do, they also found segments that appeared to have no function. These segments have often been referred to as "junk DNA". Predictably, evolutionists have suggested that these apparently useless segments of DNA are left over from our evolutionary history. Now researchers at Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor,  Maine, have discovered that they may have a function after all. They were studying early mammalian development in fertilized mouse eggs and early embryos. As they traced the genes at work in these early stages of development, they discovered that about 10 percent of the so-called "junk DNA" was actively making protein during the first cell divisions of the egg. Further research is planned.

 Like the so-called vestigial organs, at least some so-called "junk DNA" has a purpose and has nothing to do with evolution. Once again, as ignorance is replaced with knowledge, we gain a greater appreciation of what our Creator has made.

Father, I thank You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made by Your loving design. Amen.

Science News, 10/16/04, p. 243, C. Brownlee, "Trash to Treasure." See also: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/19/139757702/dont-throw-it-out-junk-dna-essential-in-evolution (August 2011)

 

The Carnal Mind and Death
“To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Romans 8:6-7)

 

This passage defines for us both the carnal mind and the spiritual mind, not with formal definitions, but by giving equivalent terms.

 

First, the carnal mind is identified as being “enmity against God” (v. 7), a rampant disregard for God’s law. Furthermore, the carnal mind is equated with death, specifically eternal, spiritual death. A physically living person may have a carnal mind, bringing with it a spiritual deadness and eternal doom. This also serves us as a working definition of death—being hostile toward God, or minding the things of the flesh. “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you” (vv. 8-9).

 

Next, we see that the spiritual mind is “life and peace” (v. 6)—a supreme preference for God and subjection to His will. This state not only leads to eternal life but is life, along with peace, even now. There can be no peace for the carnally minded.

 

Some would wrongly teach that the physical death of the unbeliever leads to the total annihilation of his body, soul, and spirit. However, this passage teaches that the minding of “the things of the flesh” (v. 5) does not only lead to ultimate physical death, but is death right now.

 

Death is not the extinction of being but the alienation of that being from Christ. “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (v. 13). “If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (v. 10). JDM

 

CAN MONKEYS COUNT?

Ecclesiastes 3:21

"Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?"
Listeners will know from our Creation Moments programs that the scientific establishment is firmly convinced that Man evolved from the higher apes millions of years ago. For this reason, rhesus monkeys have long been used not only for pharmaceutical trials but in psychological tests to determine how Man's intelligence evolved.

 Researchers at Duke University, North Carolina, wanted to know if rhesus monkeys could count, and they set up an experiment to find out. Using two television screens, one showed two monkeys vocalizing and the other showed three. However, the audio of each television could be controlled so that in some trials two monkeys could be seen but three voices heard and vice versa. Each one of the 20 test monkeys spent more time watching the matching number of monkeys and voices. The researchers concluded that the rhesus monkeys could tell the difference between the numbers two and three.

 They also pointed out that that the monkeys can count small numbers because this ability relates to their social worlds. Yes, and by the same token, Creation Moments would add that some insects can count to hundreds, but none of this means that Man is related to insects or monkeys! Scripture carefully distinguishes between Man and animals. God placed Man over the animals and gave him an eternal soul that is saved by His Son, Jesus Christ.

Father, I thank and praise You that You have made me because You wanted to love me through Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Science News, 7/2/05, p. 14, "Monkeys keep track of small numbers." Photo courtesy of Einar Fredriksen.

 

ANCIENT HUMMINGBIRDS WERE QUITE MODERN

Genesis 1:20

"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven."
Today, hummingbirds are found only in North, Central and South  America. Of course, since Noah's Ark landed in the mountains of Ararat, they had to cross Europe and the Atlantic or Asia to get there. However, until now, there was no evidence for this migration.

 Scientists have now discovered two hummingbird fossils in a clay pit in southwestern Germany. These tiny fossils are remarkable in many ways. Until now, evolutionists claimed the earliest hummingbird fossils to be one million years old. The new fossils are said to be 30 to 34 million years old. While we would not agree with the evolutionary dating, we would expect the hummingbird fossils in Europe or Asia to predate those in the New World. Even more interesting is that the fossils suggest that these older birds are fully functional hummingbirds. Their wing bones are like those of modern hummingbirds, which suggest that they could hover and fly backward just like the hummingbirds we know today. Their beaks were twice as long as their skulls, suggesting that they drank nectar just like modern hummingbirds. In other words, there is no sign of any evolutionary development, another fact we would expect.

 While the evidence for the history of hummingbirds is what we would expect, we do not need scientific evidence to uphold scriptural truth. We have God's Word on it.

I thank You, Lord, for the beauty of Your creation, which remains beautiful, despite our sin. Amen.

Science News, 5/8/04, p. 292, S. Perkins, "Ancient Buzzing."

 

DANCING INFRARED GROUND SQUIRRELS

Numbers 21:9

"And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."
The last creature a rattlesnake wants to see is the California ground squirrel.

 When an adult ground squirrel finds a rattlesnake, it begins to taunt the snake. The squirrel dashes into striking range, whips its tail about, bites the snake's tail and kicks sand on it. While a rattlesnake can strike with lightening speed, the little ground squirrel is even faster and well able to dart out of the way. Even if it was bitten, the venom wouldn't kill it since these squirrels have proteins in their blood that detoxify the poison. Frustrated snakes have been known to simply retreat when faced with this treatment.

 Researchers have learned that the squirrels' bag of tricks is even deeper. Rattlesnakes can see heat as infrared light. When the ground squirrel is taunting the rattlesnake, it sends additional blood to its tail, causing it to heat up, producing a very obvious infrared image for the snake, further confusing it. Interestingly enough, when the ground squirrel taunts a gopher snake, which cannot detect the infrared, it does not heat its tail.

 How does the squirrel know that the rattlesnake can be confused with an infrared show while the gopher snake cannot? The only explanation is that the Creator, Who made them both and calls us to saving faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, designed the ground squirrels' unique display.

Father, I thank You for the wonders You have made and for the innocent death of Your Son to take my sins away. Amen.

Science News, 6/26/04, p. 403, S. Milius, "Hot Bother."

 

 

CREATION MOMENTS: 12.9.16

BUSY MUSHROOMS

Joel 1:17

"The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered."
If it weren't for mushrooms, there would be so many un-decayed dead trees that there would be no room on Earth for anything else to grow. But mushrooms don't just recycle dead trees. They help make the trees grow in the first place.

 The mushrooms that we see are merely the part of the fungus that produces the fruit. Most of the mushroom is unseen. If you were to peel back the bark of a decaying tree, you'll see white tissue called mycelia. That is the main part of the mushroom plant. Many species of mushrooms combine efforts to help trees grow. Their mycelium forms a sheath around tree roots that help to deliver water and nutrients. In return, they get excess sugar produced by the tree. This relationship is so close that both the fungi and the tree depend upon each other. For example, researchers estimate that the Douglas Fir has about 1,000 species of fungus working together for its support. The fungi will even form underground mycelial networks to move nutrients between different kinds of tree.

 Clearly, God has designed a finely balanced partnership between trees and fungi for their mutual survival. In the Old Testament, God punished His people through the loss of their planted crops. Is it just possible He tipped the fine balance of other such partnerships to do His bidding?

Father, thank You for the beauty of trees and for the tree on which our Lord died to take away our sins. Amen.

Discover, 2005, pp. 48-53, Greg Mueller, "Dr. Mushroom." See also: http://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/mycelium.html (updated June 2011).

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING FATHER

Ephesians 6:4

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
How important is father to a child's religious growth? Due to the way in which census information is gathered in Switzerland, researchers were able to find out. And while their conclusions might shock modern sensitivities, they are really not too surprising.

 If both mother and father attend church regularly with their children, 33 percent of those children will grow up to attend church regularly. Another 41 percent will grow up to attend church irregularly, and the remaining 25 percent of the children will end up lost, not going to church at all. Amazingly, if only the father is regular in his church attendance, and the mother is irregular or doesn't go at all, the number of children who grow up to attend church regularly or irregularly actually increases. On the other hand, if only the mother attends church regularly, and the father doesn't go at all, only two percent of the children will grow up to attend church regularly. Researchers concluded that a father's practice of his faith has 12 times more influence upon his children than the mother's. Similar studies in England showed the same trend.

 While no one would dispute that mothers are a great blessing and provide things that fathers cannot provide, clearly, fathers are essential to healthy spiritual development. This is why, in Scripture, God charges fathers with spiritual leader-ship.

Lord, I thank You for faithful fathers everywhere. Help Christian fathers to take their responsibilities seriously. Amen.

Touchstone Magazine, 2003, Robbie Low, "The Truth About Men and Church."

 

CHICKADEE-DEE-DEE DANGER

Psalm 9:20

"And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."
Millions of North Americans are familiar with the call of the Black-Capped chickadee: "Chicka-dee". However, most bird-watchers know that the little chickadee communicates danger with its "chickadee-dee-dee" call. Bird-watchers also know that chickens use different warnings for dangers from the air or from the ground.

 Scientists decided to see if chickadees used specialized calls for different dangers. In their first experiments they used a stuffed hawk to see what the chickadees in an outdoor aviary would do. However, they were only fooled once, and after that researchers had to use live hawks. After studying over 5,000 responses, a pattern emerged. Small, agile raptors like hawks are more dangerous to chickadees than, say, a large, horned owl, which the chickadees can easily evade. When confronted by a smaller raptor, the birds' "chicka" call added up to four "dee"s in rapid succession, instead of two more leisurely "dee"s. Even more "dee"s might be added if the chickadees evaluated the danger as greater. Most frightening to the little birds was a pygmy owl that rated 23 "dee"s.

 God cares for all His creatures and, knowing that predation would enter the creation with man's sin, provided them with ways to warn each other. He also gave man His Word to warn us how to avoid sin and how to escape from it through Jesus Christ, should we become entrapped.

I thank You, Lord, for Your protection from all the dangers we face, especially the danger of our sin. Amen.

Science News, 6/25/05, pp. 403-404, S. Milius, "Dee for Danger." See also: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/sounds

 

THE MASTER OF LIGHT

Psalm 96:9

"O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth."
Over hundreds of years, science has learned a lot about manipulating light. And while lasers and liquid crystals might seem pretty sophisticated, some of God's creatures show us how much more there is to learn.

 The Morpho butterfly is one of the brightest butterflies in nature but looked at closely in artificial light it appears dull gray-brown. However, in the sunlight its color changes to a bright blue. It can do this because the scales on its wings form a type of diffraction grating called a photonic band gap. This diffraction grating is formed by a precise spacing of the scales so that they are similar to the wavelength of sunlight. When white light hits the grating, it breaks down into its various colors. The red light waves cancel each other out, and all the other colors are scattered, except the blue. As a result, the blue color never fades, and it is so intense that it can be seen up to half a mile away. Scientists comment that we do not yet know how to make an optical structure this complex.

 The Morpho butterfly, with all its precise engineering, is a testimony to the skill and love of beauty of our Creator. He considers Holiness the greatest of beauties – a beauty given us through the suffering and death of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Thank You, Father, for the light of Your truth and for giving us the beauty of Christ's holiness. Amen.

Discover, 8/05, pp. 42-47, George M. Whitesides, "Illuminated Life." See also: http://www.bluemorphobutterfly.net/

 

FRESH DUST?

1 Corinthians 15:40

"There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another."
The last few years have seen a good deal of excitement among astronomers over the possibility of discovering planets orbiting distant stars. Astronomers are looking at stars that are surrounded by disks of dust and debris.

 The idea is that planets form over millions of years from the dust and rock that orbits a star. This was supposedly how the Earth formed billions of years ago. Hundreds of such stars have so far been identified. Often, these debris fields extend further from the star they orbit than, say, Pluto is from our sun. The question is, are the discovery of planets and debris around other stars proof of evolution's story of the formation of the Earth?

 Scientists believe that it takes two or three million years for planets to form out of the orbiting debris. However, they also recognize that it only takes a few thousand years before a star's gravity draws the dust into itself, or the pressure of its radiation forces the dust away from itself. This leaves the hundreds of stars with dusty debris fields a mystery. Astronomers believe that all these stars still have their dust after millions or billions of years because they are getting fresh dust from somewhere else, but scientists don't know where.

 Perhaps a better explanation is that these stars are only about 6,000 years old.

Father, I thank You for Your trustworthy Word, which tells me of the forgiveness of sins through Your Son. Amen.

Science News, 7/2/05, pp. 10-12, Ron Cowen, "Panning Distant Dust."

 

 

 

CREATION MOMENTS: 12.2.16

OXYGEN OPTIONAL CARP

Psalm 77:14

"Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people."
The long, cold winters of Scandinavia not only freeze the lakes, but pile so much snow on the lake ice that no light can penetrate to the cold, unfrozen water beneath. This means that the creatures below the ice can use up all the oxygen in the lake water.

 As a result of the lack of oxygen, lactic acid builds up in the bodies of these creatures as they metabolize sugar to get energy. However, turtles can stand levels of lactic acid in their systems that would kill you or me, and they lower their heartbeat to 10 percent of normal. The Crucian carp, similar to a goldfish, takes a unique approach to this lack of oxygen. As the oxygen disappears, the carp slows its heartbeat. The fish then changes its entire metabolic chemistry to a process that can get energy from sugar without oxygen. This oxygen-free metabolism turns the lactic acid into ethanol, which the fish releases through its gills. The members of this carp family are the only vertebrates that can continue normal life without oxygen.

 That God's wonders seem without number and often seem impossible tells us of God's unlimited creativity and His ability to do anything. His plan of salvation in which His Son, Jesus Christ, carried our sin on the cross makes us thankful for His creativity and wisdom.

I rejoice, dear Father, because Your great wisdom and power are used in love toward us. Amen.

Science News, 10/2/04, p. 213, S. Milius, "Beat Goes On." See also: http://www.crucians.org/

 

THE MONSTER WITH 24 ARMS

1 Peter 5:8

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour..."
A real monster prowls the ocean floor from the Aleutian Islands to Southern California. It is a terror to even relatively large bottom dwellers. It eats many things, including hermit crabs, clams, sea cucumbers, sea urchins and even abalone. This monster goes by the seemingly innocent name of the Sunflower Star.

 The Sunflower Star begins life as a microscopic larva, much like other sea stars. But as it grows, it surpasses anything that other sea stars can achieve. Its five arms become more arms as it grows until it finally has 24 arms. By this time it can be 39 inches across. But its size does not limit its speed. It uses 15,000 tube feet to move over 5 feet per minute. This is possible because, like other sea stars, the Sunflower Star's skeleton is made up of just a few pieces of skeletal mesh, making it more flexible. It is such a terror to other creatures that when they sense its approach they flee at surprising speed. Even the Northern Abalone, which normally moves sluggishly, flees in the hope that the Sunflower Star will not capture it.

 The Bible urges vigilance on our part because our spiritual enemy is a monster who seeks to entrap us in sin. We can be thankful that Jesus Christ has provided both deliverance and protection from this monster.

Lord, I thank You that You have rescued me from the devil. Help me stay vigilant so I may resist his traps. Amen.

Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, British Columbia, "The Sunflower Star," http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

 

IT'S A WAR OUT THERE

Psalm 71:2

"Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me."
The enemy prowls the night skies, searching. But its would-be victims may have sensitive sonar detectors, allowing them to flee before detection. If the prey is spotted on sonar, the prey has counter measures, even jamming the enemy's sonar.

 No, this is not a scene from some modern battlefield. Rather, it is a description of things going on all around us. Many insects – including moths, beetles and katydids – have sensors that can detect a bat's sonar before they are spotted and targeted by the bat. When targeted, moths will either fold their wings and drop to the ground, or they will spiral upward erratically. The bat never knows what to expect. Other moths will send out high-pitched squeaks that some scientists think disrupt the bat's sonar.

 While most fish cannot hear at the frequency of the dolphin's sonar, the American shad can. Lab tests have shown that the shad will move away from sounds that simulate foraging dolphins. If the sound becomes louder, the shad will form themselves into a tight ball at the opposite end of the tank, making any single fish less likely to be the dolphin's victim.

 Our greatest enemies – sin and its results – are not so easily evaded. But thank God that we can flee to the wounds of Christ for forgiveness of our sin so we may know God's love.

I thank You, Father, that I can escape Your wrath for my sin through the innocent suffering of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Science News, 5/14/05, p. 315, "Biological Arms Race." See also: http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/text/347/moths_and_bat_predation.html

 

MAN: THE MISSING YEARS

Genesis 2:15

"And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."
According to the evolutionary timetable, mankind has been on Earth for about 100,000 years. Archeologists and Paleo-archeologists claim that 100,000 years ago the earliest true men began to bury their dead, often with flowers and other trinkets, suggesting that he was capable of abstract thought. Paintings on cave walls and ceilings show that early man was capable of creating exquisite art. Other excavations have yielded scale models, toys and jewelry. It is strange, then, that for these 95,000 years, man left no written record of himself.

 We are also told that, according to the evolutionary timetable, that it was only about 5,000 years ago that man discovered agriculture. Why would it have taken at least 95,000 years for man to have discovered that when seeds are planted in the ground, they sprout and produce more food? The truth is, even the most lush jungle on Earth today cannot produce enough plant material to feed people. Anywhere you find people in the jungle, you will also find gardens to supplement their diet.

The answer to this mystery is simple. Those first 95,000 years never happened. The written record we have of man and our knowledge of his agriculture can be easily accounted for within a literal understanding of the biblical history. And the Bible tells us that Adam was the first to engage in agriculture.

Father, I thank You for the blessings of the fruit of the earth, and of the written word, especially the Bible. Amen.

Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Creationism, vol. 1, pp. 73-78, James O. Dritt, "Man's Earliest Beginnings: Discrepancies in Evolutionary Timetables."

 

THE PROBLEM OF GENIUS

Genesis 1:26a

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…"
The piano you hear in the background was being played by Matt Savage. He wrote the music and called this piece "Ladybug Bounce". Matt is an autistic boy, does piano concerts and was then just twelve years old.

 How does evolution explain such extraordinary talent? Certainly it cannot be ascribed to "survival of the fittest" since musical or mathematical abilities are not related to survival. Textbooks based upon evolution generally remain silent about genius. However, when the question is considered from a biblical perspective, a reasonable explanation does present itself.

 God created Adam and Eve and declared them to be "very good". That would mean perfect in every respect – perfect memory, perfect ability to concentrate and so on. Scripture further tell us of Adam's disobedience and Fall. We are the living members of his offspring and note the historical decline in Man's mental abilities. Now, is it just possible that these remarkable qualities exist in everyone's psyche or soul but are normally hidden or covered over? Occasionally, an individual is born, such as Matt Savage, where part of that covering is removed. Science cannot adequately explain these cases, but Creation Moments suggests that God occasionally removes some of the sin-stain on their soul so that a little of the original perfection is revealed to convey to the rest of us what the original creation was like.

Dear Lord, teach us to be sensitive to those You may be using to show us the original perfection of Your creation.

CD album "Cutting Loose" track #14. Other CD albums available from: Savage Records, P. O. Box 35, Francestown, NH  03043, www.savagerecords.com. See also: http://autisticsavant.blogspot.com/2007/05/matt-savage.html

 

 

CREATION MOMENTS: 11.26.16

THE GREAT PRETENDER

Psalm 118:8-9

"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes."
As we have reported on previous Creation Moments broadcasts, some snakes hide when they are threatened. Others play dead, hoping predators will lose interest. Some snakes rear up or make hissing and rattling sounds to scare off would-be predators. But have you ever heard of a harmless caterpillar that can make itself look and act just like a deadly snake?

If you live in Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico or Guatemala, one of the most unusual creatures you will ever come across is the Hemeroplanes triptolemus moth while it's a caterpillar. Though it looks pretty ordinary, when it is threatened by a predator, it expands and raises its body while twisting it upside-down, revealing what looks like a fearsome snake's head! Not only does the caterpillar look like a snake, it even acts like one, harmlessly striking at predators as if it could kill. Even its shiny eye spots are menacing!

Evolutionists, of course, will tell you that these unusual markings and snake-like behavior are the result of millions of years of chance mutations. But to anyone who hasn't been fooled by such explanations, it is obvious that this caterpillar was designed.

That's why it's so important that we teach our young people to think for themselves and not blindly accept what evolutionists are telling them. Trickery and deception are common throughout the animal kingdom. But the most deceptive creature of all is man.

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Heavenly Father, I pray that You will protect me from those who are out to deceive me and rob me of the hope I have in Christ. Remind me to turn a deaf ear to those who deny that Your Word is truth. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Sarah Griffiths, "Caterpillar looks like a snake to scare off predators," Daily Mail, 5/28/14. Photo: © Caters News Agency. Used for educational purposes. (Fair Use)

 

 

FAST FOOD

Hebrews 4:16

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
Many fish are surprisingly fast when they're hunting for lunch. Which species do you think is the fastest-swimming fish in the ocean? Think you know the answer?

Some people say it's the sailfish. Sailfish have been clocked at a speed of 68 miles per hour while leaping. Others say black marlins hold the record. According to BBC Video, marlins are capable of swimming at speeds up to an incredible 80 miles per hour! But today's broadcast is about another fish that's been clocked doing 80.

I'm talking about the swordfish. Recently, scientists have discovered the secret behind the swordfish's incredible speed. For a long time, scientists have known that the swordfish's bill – or "sword" – is porous and rough. This reduces drag in the water. But now a scientist has discovered that swordfish have a gland – located where their "sword" attaches to their skull – and this gland secretes water-resistant oil which coats the swordfish's skin. According to Dr. John Videler, a biologist and professor at Groningen University in the Netherlands, the oil reduces drag in the water by 20 percent!

Until now, it was thought that the gland played a part in the fish's olfactory system. But these new findings make it more clear than ever that swordfish were designed and built for speed. Our Creator gave them powerful, streamlined bodies and everything else they need … just as He has given us everything we need!

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Oh Lord, Your creatures take my breath away! How can evolutionists fail to see Your hand in creation? Open their eyes, Jesus. Amen.

Mindy Weisberger, "Secret to Swordfish's Speedy Swimming Found," Live Science, 7/7/16. Photo: The swordfish that didn't get away. From NOAA Photo Library. (PD)

 

 

WHY DO WE SMILE?

Ecclesiastes 3:4

"A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;"
Did you know it's practically impossible to laugh without smiling at the same time? Try it sometime. Oh, you can make laughing sounds without smiling, but you can't laugh for real. Well, if you're anything like me, you just might laugh out loud when you hear what evolutionists are now telling us about why babies smile and laugh.

According to evolutionists at Kyoto University, babies smile not because they are amused or because they are trying to communicate with their parents. Babies smile for the same reason that monkeys smile – "to facilitate the development of cheek muscles, enabling humans, chimpanzees, and Japanese monkeys to produce smiles, laughs, and grimaces." They add, "Spontaneous smiles don't express feelings of pleasure in chimpanzees and Japanese monkeys; rather, the smiles are more similar to submissive signals and grimaces rather than smiles."

According to study author Masaki Tomonaga, "We can infer that the origin of smiles goes back at least 30 million years, when old world monkeys and our direct ancestors diverged."

Really now! Do evolutionists honestly expect us to believe this? There's nothing funny about evolutionary nonsense like this. The reason we smile – even when we're babies – is because God created human beings as emotional creatures capable of expressing an incredibly wide range of feelings. When's the last time you thanked God for such a wonderful gift?

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Heavenly Father, I know there is a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. But loving Your Son for His great sacrifice on my behalf is something I can do all the time! In Jesus' Name. Amen.

"Smiling baby monkeys and the roots of laughter," ScienceDaily, 8/4/16. Fumito Kawakami, Masaki Tomonaga, Juri Suzuki. The first smile: spontaneous smiles in newborn Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). Primates, 2016; DOI: 10.1007/s10329-016-0558-7. Photo: Japanese macaques. (CC BY-SA 3.0)

 

SCREWS AND NUTS IN A WEEVIL'S LEGS

1 Corinthians 1:20

"Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"
On a previous broadcast, we told you about a small hopping insect with gears in its legs, allowing both legs to jump at the exact same moment. Today, I bring to your attention the first animal ever found to have a screw-and-nut mechanism in its body. I'm talking about the weevil.

A few years ago, New Scientist reported how a scientist made this discovery while studying CT scans of a weevil species from New Guinea. He was "surprised to find that its legs appeared to be screwed into its body."

That's right! The top segment of each leg is attached to a small part called the trochanter … and the trochanter attaches the leg to the insect's body by screwing into a part called the coxa. On the inside of the coxa and on the outer surface of the trochanter, the scientist "found ridges just like those on screws and nuts."

So we see that our Creator invented screws and nuts, not mankind. But, of course, the New Scientist article claims, "The weevils are another example of evolution coming up with the same solutions to problems as human engineers."

Oh really?! The screws and nuts you'd buy in a hardware store were designed and made by intelligent beings. In the same way, the screws and nuts in the weevil's legs must have been designed and made by an intelligent being as well. Any other explanation is, well, just plain nuts!

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Oh Lord, thank You for giving me eyes to see the wonders of Your creation! I pray that You will give me boldness to share these wondrous things with everyone You put in my path. Amen.

Michael Marshall, "Beetles beat us to the screw and nut," New Scientist, 6/30/11. Photo: Acorn weevil. It is thought that all weevils have the screw-and-nut mechanism. Courtesy of Dave Pemcoast. (CC BY 2.0)

 

 

CREATION MOMENTS: 11.19.16

PARROT TO TESTIFY AT MURDER TRIAL?

Numbers 35:30

"Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die."
Should a parrot be allowed to testify at a murder trial if the bird appears to be an ear-witness to the crime? That's a question that is ruffling the feathers of animal experts and legal eagles alike!

After all, African grey parrots are very intelligent. They can speak with enormous vocabularies, and they even demonstrate inferential reasoning, reports Live Science. The problem is – people aren't sure if Bud, the parrot, is repeating a conversation he heard during an actual murder or something he heard on television.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the parrot has been saying in a man's voice, "Get out," followed by a woman's voice saying, "Where will I go?" Then, in a man's voice, "Don't – expletive deleted – shoot!" The prosecuting attorney said he wasn't aware of a precedent allowing a parrot into a trial, but he would look into whether Bud's testimony could be presented as admissible evidence.

Most experts doubt that Bud can give reliable testimony. According to Harvard psychologist Irene Pepperberg, "Basically, the issue is whether a parrot can learn a phrase that it has heard only once." She added, however, that "the only evidence that a bird could learn a phrase heard once, under stress, comes from [the deceased] Nobel Laureate Konrad Lorenz."

So what do you think? Personally, I don't think the parrot should be allowed to testify. I mean, how do you swear in a parrot?

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Oh Lord, parrots are such amazing creatures. Let me always praise You for the many wonders You have created! Amen.

Laura Geggel, "Polly Says What?! Should Parrots Testify at Murder Trials?" Live Science, 6/30/16. Photo: African grey parrot (not Bud). Courtesy of L.Miguel Bugallo Sánchez. (CC BY-SA 3.0)

 

SECOND SKIN FOR SOLDIERS

Proverbs 29:25

"The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."
While Creation Moments is outspoken in criticizing evolution, we are just as vocal about extolling the work of scientists who are doing real science – especially the science that benefits mankind. For example, scientists are now working on developing a "second skin" for soldiers that would protect them from biological and chemical weapons.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has already developed a material that they say is "highly breathable yet protective from biological agents" and that it's "the first key component of futuristic smart uniforms that also will respond to and protect from environmental chemical hazards."

This new material is made of polymeric membranes with aligned carbon nanotube channels. The size of these channels, or pores, is less than 5 nanometers, which is 5,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. The pores are also half the size of biological threats like bacteria and viruses, so it would keep them out … but large enough to allow air and water vapor to pass right through.

Group leader, Kuang Jen Wu, said the fabric will be able to block mustard gas and "toxins such as staphylococcal enterotoxin and biological spores such as anthrax." The research team expects that the new uniforms could be deployed in the field within ten years.

Christians, however, don't need to wait that long to be protected. That's because those who put their trust in Jesus are already safe in His care.

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Heavenly Father, I know that I don't need a second skin. I need a second birth. Thank You for sending Your son to die in my place so I could be born again. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. "'Second skin' protects soldiers from biological, chemical agents," ScienceDaily, 8/3/16. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160803095341.htm>. Photo: Pixabay. (PD)

 

 NEW GLUE FROM IVY

Romans 8:39

"Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
All of us have seen ivy clinging to the sides of houses and trees, but did you know that these climbing plants can withstand the force of hurricane and tornado-force winds? What gives them such sticking power? Well, an article at the Engineering360 website points out that scientists are now learning that ivy "might hold the key to manufacturing stronger adhesives, more durable paints and even cosmetics with better staying power."

According to Mingjun Zhang, biomedical engineering professor at Ohio State University, "When climbing, ivy secretes … tiny nanoparticles, which make initial surface contact. Due to their high uniformity and low viscosity, they can attach to large areas on various surfaces." Then after the moisture evaporates, a chemical bond forms.

Zhang and his research team have used the nanoparticles to reconstruct a simple glue that mimics ivy adhesive. Ultimately, he is interested in creating bio-adhesives that can aid in repairing wounds.

Since ivy is also a pest plant that can be destructive to buildings and bridges, Zhang hopes that his team will also come up with an approach to keep ivy from attaching itself to structures.

Though most types of glue lose their stickiness over time, there is one kind of "glue" that is guaranteed to work forever. We find it in the Bible, where it says that nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me with a love that will endure forever. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

John Simpson, "Chemistry Behind Ivy's Powerful Grasp Could Yield Stronger Adhesives," Engineering360, 6/16/16. Photo: Climbing ivy. (PD)

 

 JUST A MINUTE

Hebrews 9:28

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
According to the Journal of the American Heart Association, it takes just one minute of breathing secondhand marijuana smoke to cause blood vessel impairment for the following 90 minutes. That is, if you're a rat. But Dr. Matthew Springer, senior author of the study, noted, "Arteries of rats and humans are similar in how they respond to secondhand tobacco smoke, so the response of rat arteries to secondhand marijuana smoke is likely to reflect how human arteries might respond."

The research team noted that one minute of breathing secondhand tobacco smoke impairs the arteries for the next 30 minutes, making marijuana smoke three times more damaging to those who breathe it.

Dr. Springer added, "While the effect is temporary for both cigarette and marijuana smoke, these temporary problems can turn into long-term problems if exposures occur often enough and may increase the chances of developing hardened and clogged arteries."

The same can't be said of sin, however. Even just one minute of sin can lead to a lifetime of regret. In fact, mulling over the very thought of disobeying God is tantamount to the sinful act itself. Surely, all of us need a Savior to save us from the relentless power and penalty of sin. This is why Jesus came to die on the cross. If you haven't already asked Jesus to be your sin-bearer, don't put it off a minute longer!

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Heavenly Father, I know that salvation is something I could never earn, so thank You for sending Your Son to die on my behalf! In Jesus' Name. Amen.

"A minute of secondhand marijuana smoke may damage blood vessels: Study in rats," ScienceDaily, 7/27/16. Source: American Heart Association. Photo: Pixabay. (PD)

 

 WATERS SHALL BE TURNED TO BLOOD

Exodus 7:17

"Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood."
If you're listening to today's broadcast on the radio, let me suggest that you go to the Creation Moments website and do a search on the title of today's program: "Waters Shall Be Turned to Blood." You will see an incredible satellite photograph showing Lake Urnia in Iran looking like it's filled with blood rather than the green waters just a few months earlier.

As reported in Live Science, the color change is likely caused by microorganisms in the lake that thrive on salt and light. According to the NASA Earth Observatory, scientists point to a bacteria family called Halobacteriaceae and the algae family Dunaliella as the most likely suspects for Lake Urmia's current crimson color.

Live Science points out that many other bodies of water have turned red from time to time. Now, I know what you may be wondering. Could it have been bacteria that caused the River Nile to turn blood-red at the exact moment that Moses struck the waters with his rod? Could bacteria have been the means by which God accomplished the miracle? Frankly, we don't believe so because the Bible says specifically that the waters turned to blood. If the Nile had only become blood-red in appearance, Moses could easily have written it that way.

But this we know with certainty – that Jesus shed real blood on the cross for the salvation of all those who put their trust in Him.

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Oh Lord, thank You for shedding Your blood so that my sins – past, present and future – can be forgiven. Amen.

Mindy Weisberger, "'Blood Lake' Blooms in Iran," Live Science, 7/27/16. Photo: Lake Urmia in Iran turned from green to red in just a few months. Courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory. (PD)

 

 

CREATION MOMENTS: 11.11.16

FISHERMAN'S DREAM

Jonah 1:17

"Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."
For me, catching a fish of any size is a great accomplishment … but can you imagine what it would be like to find a gigantic Mola mola at the end of your fishing line? Also known as the ocean sunray, the Mola mola is the world's largest bony fish, weighing as much as 5,000 pounds and measuring up to 14 feet from top to bottom!

Scientists aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus recently spotted and photographed one of these gigantic fish in the eastern Pacific ocean. One researcher told Live Science, "They fascinate me because there is so little known about them despite their large size."

Another researcher agrees. Rich Bell, a fisheries scientist aboard the research vessel, said: "Their actual biology is relatively little known. Mating, their growth, migration patterns, are not particularly well-known."

And yet, Live Science wasted no time in saying that the fish – which scientists know so little about – "is considered to be evolutionarily advanced as they are thought to be one of the most recent fish families."

Now, as I'm sure you recognize, this isn't a scientific statement at all. It is a statement of faith. By their faith in Darwinism, they simply assume that evolution gave rise to this enormous fish. Creationists, too, exercise faith but it is faith in the never-failing Word of God. And that's why we say with full assurance that the Mola mola comes from the hand of our Creator.

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Heavenly Father, I know that all living things have their origin in Your Son. From land creatures to fish that live in the sea, He created them all! In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Kacey Deamer, "Holy Mola: Scientists Spot World's Largest Bony Fish," Live Science, 8/1/16. Photo: Mola mola at Monterey Bay Aquarium. Courtesy of Fred Hsu. (CC BY-SA 3.0)

 

WHAT'S THE SMALLEST THING YOU CAN SEE?

Psalm 94:9

"He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?"
Evolutionists never get tired of mocking the supposedly poor design of the human eye. They are attempting to poke a finger into the eye of the Christian's Creator God when they say, "If God is such a good designer, why did he do such a sloppy job with the eye?"

On previous broadcasts, we have provided many reasons why the human eye is one of God's most magnificent creations. On today's broadcast, we'll take a look at new research showing that the human eye can detect the tiniest speck of light there is – a single photon.

Previous experiments have shown that humans can see blips of light made up of just a few photons. But according to new research published in Nature Communications, the subjects were able to detect a single photon – something the researchers never expected.

Physicist Alipasha Vaziri of Rockefeller University in New York City says, "If you are somewhere outside of a city in nature and on a moonless light and you have only stars to navigate, on average the number of photons that get into your eye is approaching the single photon regime." This is why he feels that having eyes sensitive enough to see single photons "may have some evolutionary advantage."

It's not surprising that evolution gets all the credit. However, whether they think the eye was poorly or beautifully designed, evolutionists must recognize that the eye was designed … and this implies a Designer!

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Oh Lord, thank You for opening my eyes to see so many wondrous things in the Scriptures and in the universe You created! Amen.

Emily Conover, "Human eye spots single photons," ScienceNews, 7/28/16. J.N. Tinsley et al. Direct detection of a single photon by humans. Nature Communications. Vol. 7, 7/19/16. doi: 10.1038/ncomms12172. Photo: Pixabay. (PD)

 

DID DINOSAURS STOP TO SMELL THE ROSES?

Isaiah 40:8

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."
For years, evolutionists have told the public that during the time of the dinosaurs, plants were only of the non-flowering kind. According to these experts – including the most famous evolutionist of his time, Carl Sagan – flowering plants had not evolved yet. Dinosaurs only saw non-flowering cone trees and cycads.

When Dr. Carl Werner heard Carl Sagan say that "dinosaurs perished around the time of the first flower" on his Cosmos television series, he reasoned that if plants are, indeed, evolving, then evolution must be a fact.

To verify the accuracy of what he and 500 million television watchers had been told, Dr. Werner began his own investigation, eventually taking him and his wife to museums and dig sites all over the world. In his travels, he discovered abundant evidence of perfectly preserved flowering plants in the same rocks where dinosaurs are found. As he describes it in his book and DVD Living Fossils, his first reaction was: "What? Rhododendrons living with dinosaurs? Debbie and I have these growing in our backyard!"

Over time, he found poppies, lily pads, leaves from sassafras, sweetgum and poplar trees as well as many other flowering plants in Cretaceous rocks that looked exactly like modern-day plants. His investigation shows that dinosaurs walked among the rhododendrons and flowering poppies just as the Bible's account of creation suggests. For all we know, the fearsome T. Rex might have even stopped to smell the roses!

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Heavenly Father, make it clear to Your people that much of what they have been taught by evolutionists is simply not supported by the evidence. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Living Fossils, Vol. 2 of Evolution: The Grand Experiment, pp. 210ff (2008, New Leaf Press). Living Fossils, Vol. 2 of Evolution: The Grand Experiment DVD (2011, New Leaf Press). Photo: Dinosaur-era flowers preserved in charcoal, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Science and Natural History. Used with permission of Dr. Carl Werner.

 

THE FATHER OF ENTOMOLOGY

Isaiah 7:18

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria."
More than 150 years after his death in 1850, William Kirby is still known as one of the first scientists to devote his life to the study of insects. But let me add that he was also devoted to something else. Shortly before publishing his first major work on the bees of England, Kirby wrote the following:

"The author of Scripture is also the author of Nature: and this visible world, by types indeed, and by symbols, declares the same truths as the Bible does by words. To make the naturalist a religious man – to turn his attention to the glory of God, that he may declare his works, and in the study of his creatures may see the loving-kindness of the Lord – may this in some measure be the fruit of my work…"

Between 1815 and 1826, Kirby and fellow British entomologist William Spence coauthored the four-volume An Introduction to Entomology: or Elements of the Natural History of Insects. These books are still regarded as the foundational work in the field of entomology. In 1835, Kirby wrote The History, Habits and Instincts of Animals. In the first chapter – titled "Creation of Animals" – he writes that the existence of animals testify to the existence of their Creator.

If William Kirby, the founder of entomology, had lived nine years longer to see the publication of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species, I'm quite sure he would have been an outspoken opponent.

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Oh Lord, though evolutionists want us to believe that all true scientists are evolutionists, I thank You for the many scientists – both living and dead – who recognize that You are the Creator! Amen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Kirby_(entomologist). Lithograph: William Kirby. (PD)

 

NEW ANTIBIOTIC DISCOVERED INSIDE YOUR NOSE!

3 John 1:2

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."
According to researchers from the University of Tübingen and the German Center for Infection Research, there's a bacterium in your nose that may have already saved your life numerous times in the past and will likely save your life many times more in the future. That bacterium – Staphylococcus lugdunensis – is well known for inhabiting your nose. But now it has come to light that the bacterium produces a previously unknown antibiotic named Lugdunin.

The antibiotic is said to be "able to combat multi-resistant pathogens, where many classic antibiotics have become ineffective." According to the research team, infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus ranks as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. However, the researchers found that the deadly strain of Staph is rarely found when Staphylococcus lugdunensis is present in the nose.

According to Professor Andreas Peschel, "Normally, antibiotics are formed only by soil bacteria and fungi. The notion that human microflora may also be a source of antimicrobial agents is a new discovery." The discovery is good news in itself. Even better, it may open up new ways to develop strategies for infection protection and to find new antibiotics within the human body.

Who could have thought that microscopic bacteria produced in our noses could protect us from deadly microbes that swarm all over our skin? There's no question in my mind that our Creator thought of it because He cares so much about us!

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Heavenly Father, I praise You for providing me with life, breath and protection from deadly diseases. I praise You most of all for sending Your Son to Earth to die in my place for the forgiveness of my sin. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

University of Tübingen. "Human nose holds novel antibiotic effective against multiresistant pathogens." ScienceDaily, 7/29/16. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160729093039.htm>. Photo: Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are a leading cause of death worldwide. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Image Library. (PD)

CREATION MOMENTS: 11.5.16

HABITS ARE REAL BRAIN-CHANGERS

Romans 8:29

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
Ever wonder why habits are so hard to break? If you think it's just a matter of weak willpower or cravings that refuse to subside, scientists from Duke University have startling news for you. They have found that habits leave a lasting mark on specific circuits in the brain, priming you to keep engaging in the habitual activities.

While studying the behaviors of mice, including some mice who had developed a craving for sweets, the scientists found pathways in their basal ganglia which carry either a "go" or a "stop" signal. In mice who had developed a sweet tooth, both the "go" and the "stop" signals were more active than in the non-habit mice. In the non-habit mice, however, the "stop" signal actually preceded the "go" signal.

According to the researchers, these changes were so long-lasting and obvious, it "was possible for the group to predict which mice had formed a habit just by looking at isolated pieces of their brains in a petri dish."

Dr. Nicole Calakos, the study's senior investigator, said, "One day, we may be able to target these circuits in people to help promote habits that we want and kick out those that we don't want."

One day in the future? Well, Christians don't have to wait. Through the power of Christ who dwells within us, we can break old habits and establish new habits that make us more like Christ, our Savior.

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Heavenly Father, I pray that You will break the power of habits that are not pleasing in Your sight and replace them with behaviors that conform me to the image of Christ. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

"Why are habits so hard to break?" ScienceDaily, 1/21/16. Duke University. Justin K. O'Hare, Kristen K. Ade, Tatyana Sukharnikova, Stephen D. Van Hooser, Mark L. Palmeri, Henry H. Yin, Nicole Calakos. "Pathway-Specific Striatal Substrates for Habitual Behavior." Neuron, 2016; DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.12.032. Illustration: Basal ganglia in the human brain. (PD)

 

WARNING: SPACE TRAVEL MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH

1 Peter 5:8

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour…"
From 1961 to 1972, the Apollo space program captured the world's attention with its 11 manned flights into space, its tragedies and its triumphs. Though the program is best remembered for the failed mission of Apollo 13, NASA succeeded beyond measure when it landed a man on the moon in 1969.

Now, after the passage of over four decades, it has been discovered that a high percentage of the Apollo astronauts who flew to the moon and back have died as a result of cardiovascular disease. Professor Michael Delp and his research team from Florida State University believe this was caused by being exposed to radiation during their time in space beyond Earth's orbit.

The researchers found that 43 percent of the now-deceased Apollo astronauts who flew beyond Earth's orbit died because of cardiovascular problems. This is four to five times higher than the non-flight astronauts and those who had traveled into low Earth orbit. To verify their findings, the researchers also exposed mice to the same type of radiation that astronauts experience in deep space and found that their arteries were damaged in the same way that would have led to cardiovascular disease in humans.

Let this be a reminder that Christians also have a dangerous enemy who cannot be seen but who would devour us if he could. But when we walk by faith in the risen Son of God, we need not fear our invisible enemy.

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Heavenly Father, whenever the troubles of this world start to overtake me, remind me that I do not need to fear because greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

"Apollo astronauts experiencing higher rates of cardiovascular-related deaths," ScienceDaily, 7/28/16. Kathleen Haughney, Florida State University. Image: Apollo space program insignia. (NASA-PD)

 

DOES THE FOSSIL RECORD SUPPORT EVOLUTION?

Luke 19:40

"And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out."
Ask evolutionists what they consider to be the single most important evidence for Darwinism, and you'll hear them give many different answers. But the one answer we hear most often is: "the fossil record."

Does the fossil record really support evolution? Creationists know that it actually supports biblical creation! In fact, the fossil record is a rock-solid testament in stone that billions of creatures all over the world drowned in the rising waters of the worldwide flood of Noah's time. And apparently, Charles Darwin himself realized he was unable to use the fossil record to support his theory.

On his Evolution: The Grand Experiment DVD, creationist Dr. Carl Werner interviewed Dr. Andrew Knoll, professor of biology at Harvard University. Here's what Dr. Knoll said about Darwin and the fossil record:

"Darwin devotes two chapters of The Origin [of Species] to the fossil record. And you might think that's because Darwin, like most of his intellectual descendants, would have seen the fossil record as the confirmation of his theory…. But, in fact, when you read The Origin [of Species], it turns out that Darwin's two chapters are a carefully worded apology in which he argues that natural selection is correct despite the fact that the fossils don't particularly support it."

While Darwin's intellectual descendants think that the fossil record is their friend, in reality, it is one of the most important evidences for biblical creation!

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Heavenly Father, all the evidences in the world won't get a person to stop believing in evolution or put their trust in Your Son for salvation. Only Your Holy Spirit can do that. My job is simply to tell them what I know to be true. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Evolution: The Grand Experiment DVD, produced by Dr. Carl Werner, 2009 (New Leaf Publishing Group). Photo: Evolution: The Grand Experiment DVD.

 

BRAIN FOOD

Song of Solomon 4:14

"Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:"
On our previous Creation Moments broadcast, we had good news for coffee drinkers – specifically, that the caffeine in coffee does not make a person dehydrated. The long-held myth that coffee is a diuretic was the product of 90-years-old bad science. Well, today we've got even more good news about something you might already be consuming at breakfast. Once you hear how feeding it to laboratory mice improved their learning ability, you might want to make it a regular part of your family's breakfast.

I'm talking about cinnamon. Kalipada Pahan from Rush University Medical Center said that consuming cinnamon "would be one of the safest and the easiest approaches to convert poor learners to good learners."

He reached this conclusion after his research team discovered that feeding cinnamon to laboratory mice increased the levels of a protein called CREB in the brain's hippocampus. This is the part of the brain that is known to be the key to learning.

Pahan reported, "We have successfully used cinnamon to reverse biochemical, cellular and anatomical changes that occur in the brains of mice with poor learning." With this in mind, the research team is now investigating to see if cinnamon might be useful in the treatment of people with Parkinson's disease.

Wasn't it good of our Creator to give us so many foods and spices that are not only a joy to eat but healthful to our bodies?

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Oh Lord, You filled the Earth with an abundance of foods and spices that are delightful and healthful. This is a gift You have given to everyone, so let everyone praise You for creating them! Amen.

"Cinnamon may aid learning ability: Spice consumption made mice better learners," ScienceDaily, 7/12/16. Deb Song, Rush University Medical Center press release. Photo: Pixabay.

 

MORE GOOD NEWS ABOUT COFFEE

2 Timothy 3:16

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
One of the most popular broadcasts Creation Moments has ever done was the one about the health benefits of coffee. That's not surprising when you consider all the coffee drinkers out there. However, some people did write to tell us that we should have mentioned that the caffeine in coffee is a diuretic and that coffee drinking can lead to dehydration.

But this just isn't so, according to Lawrence Armstrong, a professor at the University of Connecticut. He told Live Science that the idea of caffeine causing dehydration comes from a study conducted in 1928 showing that people who drank a lot of caffeinated beverages tended to go to the bathroom more often.

"The truth of the matter," he said, is that "a small increase in urine output has little to do with dehydrating the body." He added that any increase in fluid input will lead to an increase in urine output. "If you drink a liter of water, [urination] will increase," he said, but it "doesn't mean you shouldn't drink water."

Armstrong did note, however, that it is possible to consume an unhealthy amount of caffeine. But to get a lethal dose of caffeine, you would have to drink 100 cups in a day! Now, Creation Moments is not saying that caffeine is perfectly fine for everyone. However, as I'm sure many of you will agree, we can certainly thank our Creator for creating such things as the coffee bean!

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Heavenly Father, let this remind me that many things I think are true may, in fact, be incorrect. But I know for sure that every word in the Bible is true and is profitable to me in so many ways! In Jesus' Name. Amen.

"Does Caffeine Really Dehydrate You?" Live Science, 7/21/16. Photo: Pixabay.

CREATION MOMENTS: 10.29.16

FISH RECOGNIZE HUMAN FACES

Genesis 42:8

"And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him."
On a previous broadcast, we told you about the archerfish and its ability to shoot well-aimed squirts of water through the air at bugs. That's not all these amazing fish can do. Scientists have recently learned that they can distinguish one human face from another. Even more surprising is that the team of researchers from the University of Oxford admitted that "fish are unlikely to have evolved the ability to distinguish between human faces."

The article goes on to note that "human facial recognition has previously been demonstrated in birds. However, unlike fish, they are now known to possess neocortex-like structures." Now, why is this important? As researcher Dr. Cait Newport points out, "Fish have a simpler brain than humans and entirely lack the section of the brain that humans use for recognizing faces."

Dr. Newport added, facial recognition was once thought to be so difficult, it could only be accomplished by primates with large and complex brains. To see if a fish was up to the task, they tested archerfish because of their smaller and simpler brain and because these fish – and I quote – had "no evolutionary need to recognize human faces."

Yes, indeed, evolution had absolutely nothing to do with a species of tropical fish being able to tell one human from another. And, we might add, molecules-to-man evolution had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with anything we see in God's creation.

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Oh Lord, like the number of stars in space and the grains of sand on all the world's beaches, Your creation is filled with far too many wonders to count. I praise You for them all! Amen.

"Fish can recognize human faces, new study shows," Phys.Org, 6/7/16. Illustration: Archerfish shooting water at a bug on a tree branch. (PD)

 

OUR AMAZINGLY RESILIENT PLANET

2 Peter 3:13

"Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
Many environmentalists would have us all believe that the Earth is as fragile as a raw egg. While creationists agree that we must be good stewards of the planet God has put us on, we believe He created our planet to be amazingly resilient. Even when we do something that some people consider to be feel harmful to our planet, the natural processes that God has put into place – combined with man's own creativity – will keep our world from self-destructing.

As you know, carbon dioxide is now mistakenly considered to be a pollutant. Environmentalists are saying that the carbon dioxide being produced by mankind is putting our planet in jeopardy, so they've concentrated their efforts on reducing carbon emissions.

But now, scientists in Iceland have discovered a way to quickly turn carbon emissions quite literally into stone. According to Science News, researchers have found that "95 percent of the carbon dioxide injected into basaltic lava rocks mineralized into solid rock within two years." One of the study's co-authors noted, "It's working, it's feasible and it's fast enough to be a permanent solution for storing CO2 emissions." He also said, "We have enough basalt globally to take care of all anthropogenic CO2 emissions, theoretically."

How ironic that volcanoes – which add so much carbon dioxide to our atmosphere with each eruption – might just turn out to provide the solution to so-called carbon pollution!

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Oh Lord, I know I can rest assured that the planet You placed me on will not be destroyed until the day that You create new heavens and a new earth! Amen.

Thomas Sumner, "Volcanic rock can quickly store CO2," Science News, 7/9/16, p. 14. Photo: The plant in Iceland where the discovery was made. Credit: Juerg Matter/Science. (Fair Use)

 

EYE SHADOW

Psalm 17:8-9

"Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, from the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about."
Glass squid are amazingly good at not being seen by creatures who desire to eat them because, as their name makes clear, their bodies are transparent. In fact, as an article in Science News tells us, "Marine predators often scan the waters above them for the silhouettes of prey blocking sunlight, but there's little to betray a glass squid." There's just one problem, however. The squid's eyes are not transparent, exposing the creature's whereabouts.

Now, this would be a disaster for the squid if it weren't for the fact that their Creator provided some species of glass squid with silvery patches of cells called photophores. These cells are found only by their eyes, acting "as undersurface bioluminescence" and making "the shadows under their eyes less conspicuous to hunters below."

Evolutionists try to account for this by saying that the light-carrying photophores operate inefficiently, leaking light. This has caused one researcher to say that the cells were "really bad at being fiber-optic cables."

In other words, ask an evolutionist and they will tell you that natural selection gets the credit whether it does its job well or poorly. Sorry, but this is not science. It is a weak attempt to rationalize what can only be described as a product of ingenious design! As Creation Moments see it, these photophores leak light for a reason … and they were placed exactly where their Designer knew they would be of greatest benefit.

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Oh Lord, since You care so much about providing for the needs of even lowly creatures like the shrimp, I know that You must love me far more and will provide everything I need, both now and in eternity! Amen.

Susan Milius, "Squid stays hidden by leaking light," Science News, 7/9/16, pp. 12-13. Photo: A cranchiid (glass) squid, about 4 inches across. Courtesy of Edie Widder. From NOAA photo library. (PD)

 

SOMETHING'S FISHY ABOUT FISH EVOLUTION

Matthew 13:47-48

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away."
Dr. John Long, Paleontologist and Head of Science at the Museum Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, should know a lot about fish … and he does. But even though he wrote a book about the evolution of fish, there are many things he readily admits remain shrouded in mystery.

Dr. Carl Werner, creationist filmmaker and author of Evolution: The Grand Experiment, interviewed Dr. Long about fish evolution. As you're about to find out, evolutionary paleontologists are still in the dark about the origin of fish despite their total confidence that evolution is true.

Here's one quote: "The transition from spineless invertebrates to the first backboned fishes is still shrouded in mystery, and many theories abound as to how the changes took place."

Here's another: "There's still a lot of debate over the origins and diversity of the first fishes. That's still one of the great mysteries and problems to be solved in vertebrate evolution." Dr. Long also said: "The mystery remains as to how sharks first evolved." And here's one more: "The origin of the bony fishes is also shrouded in mystery. So there's still mystery and some debate over where the true bony fishes came from."

Despite all these mysteries, Dr. Long is confident that many of them will be solved within the next ten years. Creation Moments predicts, however, that the mystery confronting evolutionists will only deepen. After all, fish didn't evolve; they were created by God!

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Oh Lord, I pray that You will catch many evolutionists in Your net of salvation and reveal to them that You created fish … and them! Amen.

Dr. Carl Werner, Evolution: The Grand Experiment Volume 1, p. 98 (Third Edition, New Leaf Press, 2013). Quotes are from the video Evolution: The Grand Experiment DVD by Dr. Carl Werner and The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution by Dr. John Long (Johns Hopkins University Press). Photo: Pixabay. (PD)

 

THE BLACKEST BLACK AND WHITEST WHITE

Psalm 51:7

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
Did you know that scientists are working to create new colors? Well, perhaps it's more accurate to say that they are working on new colorants that are being used to add color to other materials.

One such colorant is called YInMn blue – so named because it consists of the chemical elements ytrrium, indium and manganese. According to an article at the Co.Design website, YInMn blue "is the first blue pigment to be discovered since cobalt blue first entered manufacturing 200 years ago" and has the advantages of not being poisonous and not fading.

Another new pigment is called NTP yellow. Unlike YInMn blue, this stuff is very poisonous. Its technical name is lead chromate.

A third new pigment – called Vantablack – is particularly interesting because it really isn't a pigment at all. Vantablack is "essentially a specially applied coating that mimics a black hole, gobbling up light and causing it to bounce around endlessly in a forest of vertical carbon nanotubes." Created by NASA in 2011, Vantablack "was developed … to help absorb light and radiation before it could disrupt the sensors of deep space satellites."

While Vantablack is the blackest black ever, we find the whitest white in the Bible. Not only does it describe the appearance of Christ's clothing at the transfiguration, it describes those of us who have been washed in the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins.

Today's "Creation Moment" is one of almost 300 you'll find in "Letting God Create Your Day, Volume 8" - the biggest collection of scripts we've ever published.

Heavenly Father, thank You for cleansing me from the guilt of sin through the shed blood of Your Son. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

John Brownlee, "How Scientists Invented A New Blue (And Other Colors Created In A Lab)," Fast Company, Co.Design, 7/19/16. Photo: Portable icon with the Transfiguration of Christ, Byzantine artwork, circa 1200, depicting Elijah, Jesus and Moses with the three apostles. Courtesy of Marie-Lan Nguyen. (CC BY 2.5)