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.