CREATION MOMENTS: 3.25.17

 MORE BUTTERFLY COLORS THAN YOU CAN SEE

Psalm 27:4

"One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek; That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple."
The beautiful wing of the butterfly has a lesson to teach everyone who believes living things were created by chance. The design of the butterfly wing involves much more than just intricate complexity. In addition to showing a knowledge of flight, each wing design is the product of very precise specifications built around the specific wavelengths of visible light.

The iridescent colors you admire on a butterfly's wing are created by the scales of the wings. Each square centimeter of wing has tens of thousands of these scales, each attached to the wing by tiny stems and overlapping each other like cedar shakes. Each one of these scales was a living cell until a day or two before the butterfly emerged from its pupa. Each tiny scale is made of a vertical and horizontal framing within which are found various sacks of pigment hanging from the framework.

Butterfly wings that seem to glow with iridescent blues and greens have scales with tiny lattices and ribbed walls that are designed to cause interference patterns in light waves within the 300 700 nanometer range – exactly the range humans see as color. That interference pattern is what our eyes interpret as iridescence.

It takes a good knowledge of physics as well as micro architecture to design and build an iridescent butterfly wing! Science clearly teaches us that such ability and knowledge does not come from chance. Let's be bold to admit the truth – there is a Creator!

Father in heaven, a child can see the beauty of Your handiwork in the wing of the butterfly. Through my witness, help those who have been fooled by evolution to see You in Your creation and our salvation in our Savior, Jesus Christ. In His Name. Amen.

 

AN ORANGE ELEPHANT?

Genesis 2:19

"Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name."
In Genesis 2:19 we read that God brought to Adam the animals He'd made to see what Adam would call them. It's been noted for generations that this task showed Adam's great intellectual abilities.

You see, Adam had to know an animal's nature to be able to give it a meaningful name. Remember that Adam had a perfect knowledge of God. As he looked at each of God's creations, he could see an expression of part of God's nature. This allowed him to identify what God had made each creature to be, so he could give a meaningful name. While this may be hard for us to understand, science now offers evidence that the names of animals and their characteristics are indeed stored together in our brains.

Researchers studied a 70 year old woman who has had brain damage to both temporal lobes and spotty damage elsewhere in her brain. Because of the damage, she has a most unusual disability – she cannot name animals. When shown a picture of a cow, for example, or listening to its "moo", she cannot identify the animal. Nor can she remember the characteristics of animals. When asked what color elephants are, she said they are orange.

This incident provides strong evidence that the names and characteristics of animals are indeed stored together in our brains. It also should illustrate for us how Adam's abilities were far greater than ours are today. We need to treat so called "early man" with respect.

Dear Father in heaven, I confess that I am so much less than You made me to be. Forgive me, for the sake of Your Son's innocent suffering on the cross for me. Help me to more earnestly seek Your instruction in Your Word and order my life by Your will so that I may more clearly reflect the new live I have been given in Christ. Amen.

Bower, Bruce. 1992. "Clues to the brain's knowledge systems." Science News, v. 142, Aug. 29. p. 148.

 

FALSE ALARM

Romans 12:4-5

"For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."
The rainforest offers a rich variety of living things. Part of that richness can be seen in the flocks of birds that cooperate in the canopy, even though the flocks are made up of several species.

The rainforest is actually two forests in one. The canopy that's formed by the tree tops supports an entirely different type of life than the part of the forest growing beneath the canopy. This lower forest is called the "understory." Flocks made up of various species of birds search for food, usually insects, in their respective territories – either in the canopy or in the understory. Each flock has its own sentinel who watches for predators and warns the rest when danger is near.

This arrangement leaves the sentinel with little time to search out its meals. So it resorts to a little trickery to feed itself. It watches the other birds forage, in addition to watching the sky. When it sees the others turn up some good insects, it shrieks the predator alarm. Then, while the other birds are distracted, it chases down the insects before the others can get to them. It appears that the other birds can tell when they are being fooled. When they hear the alarm, they immediately look at the sentinel. If the sentinel is diving for cover, they know the alarm is real. If the sentinel is diving for their meal, it's too late to do anything about it.

In effect, the other birds are trading some of their hunting skills in return for the alarm services of the sentinel. It's the Creator's wise arrangement where everyone uses his gifts for the good of all.

Lord, help me to use the gifts and abilities You have given me in service to You and Your people. Forgive me for past selfishness and make me more effective as Your instrument in the lives that I touch. Amen.

Miller, Julie Ann. 1986. "Tropical trickery: birds sound false alarm." Science News, v. 129. p. 40.

 

 

 SANTA CLAWS; AND A TINY DRAGON

Psalm 18:30

"As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him."
The fossil record shows us examples of God's great creativity in designing living things. It also shows that life appeared suddenly on Earth, in finished form. The fossil record shows us that Earth originally had a much greater variety of life. Finally, the fossil record doesn't show any evidence of creatures evolving from one type into another.

Paleontologists have been looking for fossils of unusual creatures in some of the oldest rocks that have fossils in them. In other words, these rocks in British Columbia have evidences of some of the earliest forms of life. These layers show the rich variety of life that once existed on Earth. Paleontologists have found a much greater variety of arrow worms and jellyfish than live today. But even in the earliest layers, the worms and the jellyfish are fully formed.

In addition, paleontologists have found some startling creatures. One foot and a half-long creature had a circular mouth with radiating teeth and claws. Another looks like a tiny, inch long dragon. Scientists describe it as looking like the cameo of a stegosaurus. Perhaps the most unusual creature was named "Santa Claws" by one paleontologist. It has five pairs of claws attached to its head, two flaps on the side and a tail like a beaver.

Paleontologists and Christians who believe the biblical record of creation don't dispute the facts about fossils. We object to interpretations of the fossils that needlessly contradict Scripture.

Dear heavenly Father, even in death, brought about by man's sin, these creatures glorify You and bear witness to Your act of creation. Strengthen my faith so that I may not be intimidated by claims that contradict Your Word. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Weisburd, Stefi. 1985. "New creatures from the Cambrian." Science News, v. 128, Nov. 16. p. 309.

 

 

 

CREATION MOMENTS: 3.18.17

NOT A CHANCE!

Psalm 148:7-8

"Praise the LORD from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths; fire and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling His word…"
Is there any such thing as chance or luck? Does anything ever happen randomly? Many people don't realize that the Bible speaks to these questions.

In late August 1992, a tornado swept through a small Wisconsin town and caused a great deal of destruction. That made it newsworthy enough. However, the destruction it wrought on one church in town received special notice on some national newscasts. Pictures showed the church in ruins. But the altar still stood, barely visible in the rubble. Most astonishing was the fact that the Bible still stood on its stand in its customary place on the altar. The undamaged Bible was open to where Psalm 77 reads,
"The clouds poured out water, the skies sent out a sound; your arrows also flashed about. The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook."

Does that sound like chance?

In Matthew 10, Jesus tells us that God is so involved in His creation that not one of the billions of sparrows in the world falls to the ground without His knowledge. Psalm 148 tells us that the entire creation praises God in everything that happens. God is so personally involved in the creation that He even instructs each wind about the speed and direction to take.

Was it simply luck that the altar was spared and the Bible was open to Psalm 77? God is involved in every detail of the creation. Let's praise God that there is no such thing as luck!

Dear Father, I thank You that there is no such thing as luck because You are so intimately involved in the creation. Help me to cleanse my mind and speech of the pagan ideas of chance and luck. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

 

JUST MORE STORIES

2 Timothy 4:3-4

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."
Parables are a good way to teach. Jesus often used parables to teach a lesson. Parables can even be a good way to teach science. However, parables cannot be used to establish scientific fact.

Unfortunately, Charles Darwin frequently used parables as part of his scientific method. Many modern evolutionists continue that tradition. Let's look at an example. Those who believe in evolution have tried to find an explanation for why some birds have luxurious, bright plumage. Does the peacock really need those brilliant tail feathers? Well, say evolutionists, females prefer the males with the most beautiful plumage. So the brightest males had more babies. Evolutionists call this sexual selection.

However, what does the story prove? It doesn't prove anything in the scientific sense. It doesn't explain where the colors came from in the first place. It doesn't explain why females prefer showy males. Nor does it explain where peacocks originally came from. And it doesn't explain why some birds have very drab colors. However, the biggest problem with this explanation is that it begs the question. You see, many evolutionists admit that they have no good explanation for how sexual reproduction evolved in the first place.

So the evolutionists' story for how the peacock came to have such bright feathers is just a story – not scientific proof. And when it comes to stories, we prefer the stories reported in the Bible because thy have our Creator's own personal guarantee of truth.

I pray, dear Father, that You would give me a clear-thinking critical mind informed by Your Word. Help me use these abilities to clearly see the errors of the world's thinking and better appreciate Your wisdom. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE

Daniel 4:37

"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to abase."
That infant in the manger is God's voice to mankind. And despite appearances, He is the King of the universe.

The world waited 4,000 years to see the fulfillment of God's promise to restore humanity to Himself. That promise was first given to our first parents, Adam and Eve, when their sin separated them and the creation from God. Through the next 4,000 years, the faithful never grew weary of their belief that God would keep His Word. Hundreds of times over those 4,000 years God repeated His promise of a Savior.

John's Gospel tells us that the same Word that became flesh for our salvation was the Word through Whom all things were created. This Word was the instrument Who created the incredible variety of living things that we see on Earth. He created the human brain and the petal of a rose. In but a day, before going on to greater things, He created the countless billions of stars and energized them with enough power to shine for thousands of years. And who are we, for we cannot even measure the energy those stars put out in only one second of their history!

Yet now we see Him, an infant clothed in our form. Here lies the King of the universe unable even to ask for nourishment. Why? The answer is no mystery. He was the Instrument who made us. We are eternally lost without help. So He would be the Instrument of our salvation – at any cost! We can only stand in deep reverence at such love that would come among us to rescue us from our own sin.

I thank You, dear Lord Jesus Christ, that You spared nothing, not even the loss of heaven and giving up Your life so that You could rescue me. Help me to have a heart and mind like Yours so that more might know of the forgiveness of sins You have won for us. Amen.

 

WHAT CAN A PLANT SEE?

Psalm 148:7a,9

"Praise the LORD from the earth…mountains and all hills; fruitful trees and all cedars…"
If a plant could see, what would it look at? Amazed scientists have learned that plants can indeed see and react to their environments just as do animals!

Plants need light for photosynthesis. They grow toward the light. However, this isn't what scientists are referring to when they talk about plant sight. They have discovered that plants have an additional system that allows them to react to their surroundings. Plants have pores, called stomata. Stomata allow carbon dioxide into the plant and oxygen out as photosynthesis takes place. They remain closed when there is little light or when water must be conserved. The more the stomata open, the faster photosynthesis takes place and the faster the plants grow. The plant also loses water faster when the stomata are open wide.

While both blue and red light are used for photosynthesis, scientists have found that the cells that open and close the stomata respond only to blue light. The amount of blue light present turns on a pump in the cells that causes them to swell, and the stomata opens. This amazing process involves pumping protons to create electricity. In one experiment, scientists more than doubled the growth rate of orchids by providing extra blue light to open the stomata.

In the plants' ability to sense and react to their environment, we see another way that plants give glory to their Creator and show that they are not simple living things that just happened to develop.

I thank You, Lord, that everywhere we look in the creation we see Your glory. Help me put words to this witness so that those who don't yet know the forgiveness of sins that's available through You may hear Your Word and believe. Amen.

Miller, Julie Ann. 1985. "Plant 'sight' from pores and pumps." Science News, Nov. 30. p. 341.

 

 

 THE SINGING LAKE

Psalm 66:4

"All the earth shall worship You and sing praises to You; they shall sing praises to Your name."
It's a quiet, cool, overcast morning at the lake. There's a hint of fog in the air and a fine, lightly falling drizzle. Then you notice the sound. It's almost a musical note, and it's coming from the lake. It's almost as if the lake were singing.

Many people report hearing a lake "sing" when there is a fine drizzle falling. Those who have never heard it are skeptical. However, now science has confirmed that lakes do indeed "sing" in a fine drizzle. Scientists even know what causes it. And in this case, the scientific explanation doesn't decrease our wonder and awe at this amazing phenomenon.

Canadian scientists placed an underwater microphone at a depth of about 100 feet in a Vancouver Island lake. They placed the microphone almost 1,000 feet from shore so they would be certain not to pick up any sounds from the shore. Then they waited for the weather to change. The scientists eventually recorded the sounds of rain, hail, drizzle and even snow hitting the surface of the lake. Yes, even snow makes a sound when it strikes the water! Their findings show that the fine drops of water in drizzle strike the surface of the lake almost as if they were tiny explosive charges. When they burst on the water, they give off a "ping." While you'd never hear a few of these droplets "ping," countless billions of them add their sound together to make the lake literally sing.

Scripture is correct in a literal sense when it tells us that everything in the creation sings praises to its Creator.

Lord, I join the rest of creation in praising You for Your wonderful work. I praise You most of all for taking my sin upon Yourself and carrying it on the cross, into death, so that just as You rose from the dead, I might live, too. Amen.

Peterson, Ivars. "The underwater sound of rain." Science News, v. 129. p. 4.

 

 

 

CREATION MOMENTS: 3.11.17

THE MIRACLE STAR

Matthew 2:1-2

"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men form the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.'"
What was the star the wise men followed to find the infant Jesus? Some suggest that it was a comet. Others say it was the conjunction of two or more planets or stars. Do any of these theories offer possible explanations?

It's not a very complicated task to evaluate these explanations. All you need is a Bible and a map of the Holy Land. Matthew 2:1 tells us that the wise men came from east of the Holy Land. Verses 2 and 9 further tell us that these men had seen the star indicating His birth in the eastern sky. Despite the pictures on Christmas cards, they had not followed the star to Jerusalem. Once they arrived in Jerusalem, we learn in Matthew 2:9 that the star they had seen in the eastern sky moved to lead them to the Christ Child.

Matthew clearly tells us that the wise men went from Jerusalem to Bethlehem in their search for the child. Bethlehem is due south of Jerusalem. He also tells us that the star moved over where the child was. That movement is very unlike a star. In fact, the movement of the star was even more unstar like in that it directed them to a specific house!

These wise men from the East were accustomed to the sights of the night sky. They could tell the difference between a conjunction and a comet or a miracle star. This star was clearly created by God to announce the birth of the Savior of the world to the world He came to save!

I know of the forgiveness of my sins, won by You for me, dear Lord, because You saw that the message of salvation was told far and wide. Increase my gratefulness for Your gift and my thanksgiving in hearing about it so that I do more to see that others hear of Your salvation, too. Amen.

 

THE GOVERNOR OF SYRIA

Luke 2:1-2

"And it came to pass on those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria."
Skeptics are forever trying to find errors in the Bible so that they can discredit it as God's Word. When a faithful Bible scholar discovers some puzzle in Scripture, he never assumes that he has found an error. He assumes that he doesn't have all the information necessary to resolve the question.

As believers would expect, every so called puzzle that has been resolved has been resolved in favor of the accuracy of the Bible. In each of these cases, those who said that they had discovered an error in the Bible were proven wrong.

One of the more interesting puzzles that was finally solved concerned Luke's account of Christ's birth. Was Quirinius really governor of Syria when Christ was born in 4 B.C.? Scholars knew that he was governor in 6 A.D. But there was no evidence that he had governed Syria in 4 B.C. Some 19th century scholars wrote that Luke must have made a mistake with the date of the census, since Quirinius wasn't governor when Christ was born. Then, in 1912, an inscription was discovered that was dated to around 10 B.C. It said that Quirinius was governor in Syria and Cilicia around that time. In other words, Quirinius ruled the area as governor at least twice, including when Christ was born.

As God's Word, Scripture's accuracy can be trusted. Nothing has ever disproved the truth of anything in the Bible. The Bible can be trusted even when it talks about historical events. That's true even when the Bible talks about the history of the creation of the world.

I thank You, Lord, that Your Word has been preserved for us in the Bible. I thank You that Your Word is completely trustworthy. I thank You that Your certain Word assures me that You fully carried the burden of my sin on the cross so that I could be forgiven. Amen.

Jackson, Wayne. 1991. "Calm confidence in the Scriptures." Reasoning from Revelation. v. 3, n. 3.

 

GOD'S HAZARDOUS WASTE EXPERTS

Job 12:7-8

"But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain to you."
The environment naturally produces hazardous waste without human help. Ashes from a wood fire can contain enough naturally occurring radioactivity to merit a hazardous waste classification. Uranium and other radioactive elements occur naturally in the environment and can be dissolved in ground water. Chloro fluorocarbons, manufactured for refrigeration, are also spewed from volcanoes. Also called CFCs, these chemicals are thought by some scientists to degrade the Earth's ozone layer. The fact is, nature produces more hazardous waste than man does.

Since hazardous waste is a natural part of the creation, one might expect a well designed creation to have the ability to process hazardous materials into harmless substances. Science is beginning to discover how the Creator has designed the creation to deal with this problem.

Scientists have learned how several bacteria decontaminate water that carries dissolved uranium. One species of bacterium combines the phosphate in the water with the uranium to make uranium phosphate crystals. These crystals are stored harmlessly in the bacterium. Another species uses enzymes to make uranium ore that then settles harmlessly out of the water. Another species has been discovered that breaks down CFCs.

The creation is indeed well designed. In fact, the Creator's solutions to hazardous waste will help us learn how to clean up the messes we make.

I thank You, dear Lord, both for the wisdom and the love with which You have designed the creation. Help modern science to learn more about Your solutions to hazardous waste so that we may take better care of the creation You have lent to us for temporary use during our lives. Amen.

"Chemistry of uranium eating microbes." Science News, v. 142, Aug. 15, 1992. p. 107.

 

THE LOS LUNAS ROCK

Deuteronomy 27:3a

"'You shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have crossed over, that you may enter the land which the LORD your God is giving you…'"
Did someone engrave the Ten Commandments, in ancient Hebrew, on a New Mexico rock 2,000 years ago?

In 1871, Indians showed New Mexico rancher Franz Huning a basalt boulder on his land. The boulder had strange writing on it. The Indians told him that the rock, with its writing, had been there long before their tribes ever came to the area. Scholars were brought in to look at the rock. They identified the writing as paleo Hebrew script of the style in use between 500 and 100 B.C. What did the engraving say on what has come to be known as the Los Lunas Rock? It was an engraving of the Ten Commandments. But who could have made it?

There are additional finds that are even more astonishing and seem to make the answer obvious. Above the rock is a flat mountain top. On the mountain top are ancient ruins of stone structures that seem to be designed for defense. Its design has been compared to the ruins of Lachish, in southern Judea. Another Hebrew inscription on the mountaintop names the God of Israel as "our Mighty One." An astronomical petroglyph indicates a partial solar eclipse that is known to have taken place in 107 B.C. This coincides with an archaeologist's dating of the engravings to about 2,000 years ago.

Did travelers from southern Judea settle in what is now New Mexico some 2,000 years ago? Exciting evidence supports that possibility and challenges modern stereotypes about the abilities and accomplishments of the humans of 2,000 years ago.

I pray, dear Lord, that our proud modern age may be increasingly challenged by the evidence showing that the human beings You have created have always been highly intelligent, curious and capable. Amen.

Creation Science Fellowship Newsletter, Aug. 1992. p. 4.

 

NUTS TO YOUR HEALTH

Genesis 43:11

"And their father Israel said to them, 'If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man; a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.'"
Between 70% and 90% of the calories in nuts come from fat. That's why they have traditionally been on the list of foods to avoid for those who want to avoid heart disease.

Some Christians have wondered why so many of the foods we eat seem to offer natural hazards to our health. Why would God place us in such a dietary minefield? Well, perhaps many of our fears are more the result of our ignorance than of God's design.

A study involving 31,200 people compared those who ate nuts at least five times a week with those who rarely ate them. To control other factors that affect heart disease, researchers used Seventh Day Adventists in their study. Seventh Day Adventists suffer fewer heart attacks than other Americans. This is thought to be due largely to their diet. When it comes to nuts, though, some eat nuts often and some rarely eat them. Researchers then kept track of who in the study group ate nuts, what kind and how often, and who had heart attacks. They found that those who ate nuts at least once a week lowered their chance of a heart attack by 25%. Those who had nuts five times a week were half as likely to have a heart attack.

While there surely are things in the creation that can hurt us, our Creator has filled the creation with many things that benefit us as well. Modern science is showing that perhaps many modern fears about the creation arise from ignorance about our Creator's excellent designs.

I thank You, dear Father in heaven, for the many things You have created to help us in our lives here. Remove needless fears about the created world from my heart and mind and increase my trust in You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Raloff, Janet. 1992. "Heart risks: this is nutty." Science News, v. 142, July 25. p. 52.

 

 

After Winter, Before Summer - By Michael Hile - http://www.raptureready.com/soap2/hile1.html
 
 The Song of Solomon talks about the Bridegroom coming for His Bride after "winter is past."  The book of Luke tells us that "the kingdom of God is near at hand" when "the fig tree, and all the trees...shoot forth" and "summer is near at hand."  The expression "winter is past" lets us know that summer has probably not yet arrived. The statement "summer is near at hand" implies that winter has passed and summer is close, but not yet here. After winter but before summer points to spring as the season when the Bridegroom says "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away" (Song of Solomon 2:10-13, Luke 21:28-36).
 
 According to the Scriptural references just cited, spring is the season when "the fig tree putteth forth her green figs," "her branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves,"summer is near" and "the kingdom of God is near at hand" (Song of Solomon 2:10-13, Mark 13:28-29, Luke 21:29-31, Matthew 24:32-33). When "winter is past" and "summer is near," the season in between is spring, and we are told "when ye shall see all these things" we are to emphatically "know that it (the Bridegroom and the kingdom of God) is near, even at the doors." Will the Bridegroom arrive at some future date in the spring, perhaps on the Feast of Pentecost?  
 
Although no sign is given in the Scriptures concerning "the day and hour" of the Rapture, some believe Hebrews 10:25 implies that we will be able to see  the day  of the Rapture approaching: "...Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is: but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as  you see the day approaching." Anticipation of the approaching rapture of God's saints seems to be implied in Luke 21:28: "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for  your redemption draweth nigh." 
 
The timing of the Rapture, also called the "blessed hope" in Titus 2:13, will be as a thief in the night to those not watching, but the "times and seasons" of the Rapture will not be a surprise to those who are looking for His return (1 Thessalonians 5:4, Matthew 25:1-13). Christ told His apostles, as recorded in Acts 1:6-7, that it was not for them "...to know the times or the seasons..." for the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. Understanding the mystery of "the times and seasons" of the kingdom's restoration was not for the apostles to know but was to be reserved for a future generation. 
 
However; Christ called the Pharisees and Scribes hypocrites for not being able to "discern the signs of the times" and for not recognizing "the time of their visitation." Because Israel did not recognize the coming of their Messiah, they were temporarily blinded and this was disclosed when Jesus said "now the things which belong unto thy peace" are "now hid from thine eyes" (Matthew 16:1-3, Luke 19:41-44). 
 
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" (Luke 13:34-35).
 
When Jesus cursed Israel for not recognizing the time of their visitation and for killing the prophets and stoning the messengers sent to them, He was also condemning the Pharisees and Sadducees, representatives of religious Israel, for not producing good fruit in their lives. John the Baptist spoke of this earlier. 
 
"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance...And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire" (Matthew 3:7-10).
 
Israel's lack of spiritual fruit was reflected in its religious leaders and symbolized by the cursing of the fig tree when it did not bring forth fruit.  In the parable of the barren fig tree, the tree had not produced any fruit in three years, which paralleled the three years Christ had been ministering to the fruitless, Jewish, religious leaders. If the fig tree would not produce fruit during the next, spring, growth cycle, (which paralleled many of Christ's miracles) it was to be cut down and burned.  
 
 "He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?  And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:  And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down" (Luke 13:6-9).
 
When Israel failed to produce any spiritual fruit after the third year of Christ's ministry to the Jewish people, the kingdom of God was denied them, and they were sentenced to be "cut down" like a fruitless tree and cast into the fire. This happened when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and fulfilled Christ's prediction that "there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down" (Mark 13:2).   
 
The cursing of the fig tree symbolized Christ's rejection of Israel for not recognizing the time of their visitation by the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
 
"And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it...And when even was come, he went out of the city. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away" (Mark 11:12-21).
 
Did the Lord forsake Israel permanently? Absolutely not!   Paul informs us that Israel will one day be restored.  
 
"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins" (Romans 11:25-27).
 
"And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the  Lord shall lead you. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But if from thence thou shalt seek the  Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul
 
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the  Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them" (Deuteronomy 4:27-31).
 
Job discloses the path a tree can follow to be restored after it has been cut down.
 
"For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant" (Job 14:7-9).
 
The prophet Isaiah predicted that Israel would one day "blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit" (Isaiah 27:6).
 
"And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the  Lord thy God" (Amos 9:14-15).
 
"Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: 
 
And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. For thus saith the  Lord; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them" (Jeremiah 32:37-42).
 
"And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled" (Luke 21:29-32-also Matthew 24:32-34, Mark 13:29-32).
 
Israel is sometimes represented by the olive tree, fig tree or vine in the Scriptures, and other kingdoms/nations are also represented by trees (Judges 9:8-15, Daniel 4:10-28, Romans 11:13-24, Luke 21:29-31). An example of Israel being represented by the fig tree is revealed by the Lord to Jeremiah where He shows him good figs and bad figs with the good figs representing the Jews carried to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel, Ezekiel and the others who were deported were considered to be "very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe..." (Jeremiah 24:2). Looking into the future, Israel will not be considered "good figs" until after the Lord returns with His saints to redeem the Jewish remnant and set up His millennial kingdom.
 
When Israel became a nation on May 14, 1948, the fig tree was symbolically planted back in its land. The parable of the fig tree does not mention any figs being present when it is restored or planted back in its land.  The only signs of life present in the fig tree are the branch being tender and the leaves beginning to grow.  However, when the Bridegroom returns in the air for His Bride, there will be green figs present on the fig tree (Song of Solomon 2:13). The figs will still be green (untimely figs) when God's judgment falls on the Jewish people when they are in tribulation (Deut. 4:27-31, Rev. 6:13).
 
The presence of green figs is a sign that the figs (unbelieving Jewish remnant-Zech. 13:8-9) should be ripening soon, and harvest time (for both the godly and ungodly) is near (Dan. 12:1-3; Matt. 13:36-43, 25:31-46; Rev. 19:15).  The Jewish remnant will be unripened "green figs" up until their conversion when the Lord returns at His second coming. The appearance of the fig tree (Israel) back in its land is a sign that the generation living at that time "will not pass away before the kingdom of God is established (Dan. 2:44; 7:18, 26-27; Rev. 19:11-21).
 
When the Lord returns in the air for His saints, there will be two categories of people on the earth. The saved and unsaved, also called believers and unbelievers. All of the unbelievers will be caught off guard when the Lord returns for His saints "as a thief in the night." Some of the unbelievers are also "scoffers" who mock and make fun of the Lord's return for His saints. Among the believers, there will be those "watching," "those not watching," and some "not watching but scoffing."
 
"If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee" (Rev. 3:3).  Those who ignore the prophetic Scriptures and make light of those who follow "the signs of the times" are in effect mocking the return of Christ and not taking the Word of God seriously.
 
"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?"  (2 Peter 3:3-14; Luke 12:31-48).  "For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off" (Romans 11:21-22).
 
 Those scoffing at the Lord's return will not see "the day approaching." That is why Daniel said that at "the time of the end" the wicked would not understand but the wise would understand (Daniel 12:10). Those who are seriously following the Lord will be following the example given in Malachi 3:16-18 and Hebrews 10:25 and will be encouraging, exhorting and comforting one another as 1 Thess. 5:11 instructs us. 
 
"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the   Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the   Lord, and that thought upon his name.  And they shall be mine, saith the   Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not" (Malachi 3:16-18).
 
Which category do you fall into?
 
Are you a believer or an unbeliever? Are you serving God or not serving God? Are you a " hearer only" and not a "doer" of the word (James 1:22-25)? Are you "watching," "not watching" or "scoffing" at those who are "watching?" Is your name recorded in the book of remembrance mentioned in Malachi?
 
Although we don't know "the day or hour" when the Lord will return in the air for His Saints, we can "see the day approaching." Are you  "watching," and will you be prepared to give an account of your life when the trumpet sounds (1 Thess. 4:13-18-5:1-11, Matt. 12:36, Hebrews 9:28) ?
 
"And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28).  

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CREATION MOMENTS: 3.4.17

ELECTRIC HORNETS

Proverbs 11:2

"When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom."
How many hornets does it take to power a digital watch? In the case of the Oriental hornet, six hornets can generate enough electricity to run the watch.

Entomologists at Tel Aviv University have been studying Oriental hornets. They have been most interested in the outer skeleton, or skin, of the hornet. And they have discovered that this cuticle works as a living solar cell. When sunlight hits the hornet's cuticle, electricity is generated. To prove their point in dramatic fashion, they wired six hornets together in series. That arrangement generated enough electricity to run a digital watch for several seconds. Their research also revealed the fact that the cuticle's electrical generation is most efficient at the temperatures in which the hornets normally operate. Different layers in the cuticle generate and store electrical current. Voltages have reached as high as several hundred millivolts, and the current has been recorded as high as several tenths of an ampere. In effect, Oriental wasps are living semiconductors!

The researchers now find themselves in the classic situation of finding out how little they know by learning something. They report that they don't know how the hornet converts its electrical energy into a form it can use. Nor do they know how the cuticle stores the energy or transmits it.

Modern science loves to take pride in its accomplishments. However, every time science investigates God's seemingly simplest creations, scientists are reminded of their need for humility.

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I stand in humble awe before the works of Your hands! Help me to remember the humility that even the greatest scientists should feel in the presence of Your creation, especially when I feel intimidated by the proud pronouncements of those who claim to have proven that You are not the Creator. Amen.

Reese, K.M. 1992. "Hornet cuticle may work like organic solar cell." Chemical & Engineering News, Mar. 23. p. 94.

 

YOUR INVISIBLE EYE

Proverbs 26:12

"Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."
Did you know that you have three eyes? In fact, someday your third eye may provide spare parts that might be necessary to repair the two eyes you normally think about.

Scientists have known for more than a century that the western fence lizard has a third eye. Its third eye can be seen as a white spot on the top of its forehead. While this third eye is an extension of the pineal gland, it has a retina, lens and cornea. While this third eye is unable to focus light, it does sense light. Pineal eyes are also found in other lizards, frogs and lampreys, but not in mammals. Since human beings are supposed to be evolutionarily closer to mammals, scientists did not expect to find the third eye in human beings.

However, when medical researchers investigating the human pineal gland compared their findings with eye researchers, they were astonished. Both the pineal and the retina make melatonin, an important chemical in our daily rhythm that also affects mood. Your pineal also makes a number of proteins that were thought to be made only by the eye that are necessary for processing light. And like the pineal, the eye also serves as one of the body's time-keeping mechanisms. There are so many similarities between the eye and the pineal in humans that scientists hope to one day use a person's pineal as a source of genetic spare parts to treat some eye diseases!

That scientific advance might have already been made if scientists had long ago given up their belief in evolution.

I am truly fearfully and wonderfully made, dear Lord! I thank You for the wonders You have designed and placed within me. But most of all, I thank You for Your Holy Spirit, Who has convinced me of the forgiveness of my sin by grace, through faith in Your innocent suffering and death on the cross. Amen.

 

EVOLUTIONISTS HAVE A BACK PROBLEM

Psalm 111:10

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever."
Back pain is one of humanity's most common complaints. And the most common explanation one hears for back pain is that our backs hurt because we stand and walk erect.

Even high school textbooks repeat this myth. Students are taught that our backs bother us because we haven't fully adjusted to our evolution into human beings. Supposedly, when we were still getting around ape like on all fours, our backs didn't hurt. Then we stood up. The new stresses on the spine caused it to curve forward, leading to backaches. Our backbones still have not evolved to support the stress of upright pressure. Many backache treatments are based on this assumption. So they use exercises that try to reverse the natural curvature of the back. Whether these exercises solve the long term problem is debatable.

The Bible tells us that we did not evolve. We were created by an intelligent Creator who certainly knew how to make a backbone for human beings. Upright posture isn't our problem. Even dogs suffer back problems. That's why some therapists have been reporting good long term results using a therapy that doesn't assume that our backs hurt because of evolution. Rather, they assume that the human spine is supposed to have a forward curve. They recommend exercises that correct the forward curvature of the spine.

Faulty assumptions that evolution is true do not provide better medicine. However, medicine is improved when it uses the accurate knowledge that human beings have been specially created by God.

I pray, dear Lord, that You would use those of Your people who are educated in the various scientific disciplines to deliver us from the suffering and misfortunes that we endure because of the ignorance spawned by the rejection of the truth about creation. Amen.

"Your aching back, what doctors can do about it." U.S. News & World Report, Oct. 17, 1983. p.. 85.  Smail, Ronald. 1990. "The origin of back pain." Bible Science Newsletter, Jan. p. 1.

 

MOON PUZZLE

Psalm 148:3

"Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars of light!"
Our moon is moving away from the Earth at the rate of four centimeters per year. That might not seem like much. However, that rate of movement away from the Earth presents problems for those who believe the Earth and moon have been around for 4.5 billion years.

At the rate the moon is receding, it would have been so close to Earth only 1.5 to 2 billion years ago that tidal friction would have melted Earth's surface rocks. Mathematical fiddlings help a little, but not enough. By mathematically increasing the rate of Earth's spin over supposed "billions" of years and figuring in a factor for assumed different tidal rates, one can inch the Earth moon relationship back to about 4 billion years.

Evolutionary scientists believe the problem can be solved to keep their 4.5 billion years of evolutionary history intact. But they admit that the assumptions being tried need investigation since the matter is far from solved. In other words, evolutionists admit they have a problem making the Earth moon relationship fit into their long age history.

The mathematical models rule out the theory that the moon was formed billions of years ago from the same dust cloud that supposedly formed the Earth. Also ruled out is the theory that the moon was captured by the Earth's gravity. Only one explanation seems to satisfy the data – that the moon was formed relatively recently, orbiting the Earth from the time of its creation.

I thank You, dear Father in heaven, that Your Word to us in the Bible is true and can be trusted. With the creation I will bear witness to You as Creator, and with my mouth I will tell others of salvation in Christ. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Dye, Brad. 1988. "The moon revisited." Creation Science Dialogue, Spring. p. 4. Kerr, Richard A. "Where was the moon eons ago?" Science, v. 221. p. 1166.

 

A TRAIL THAT TELLS A TALE

Psalm 19:1

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork."
Two rocks float through silent space, unaware that they will soon cause a scientific debate millions of miles away on Earth. On Earth, these two small asteroids added together may weigh only a few hundred pounds. However, the conclusions that can be drawn from them might be weighty enough to overthrow a powerful theory.

That summarizes the status of a scientific debate over patterns in which meteorites fall. Evolutionary theory says that when those two asteroids smash together in space, the resulting chunks will separate during the millions of years before they ever strike Earth. As a result, meteor falls cannot possibly follow a pattern. However, a pattern has now been discovered.

Researchers from Purdue University and the State University of New York say they have discovered that 17 meteorites that struck the Earth in May between 1855 and 1895 form a broad line that extends for several thousand kilometers. Because the Earth revolves, however, the line is mathematical rather than geographical. The meteorites are classified as H chondrites. When scientists analyzed 13 of the stones, they found that each had similar amounts of rare trace elements not found in 45 other H chondrite meteorites. The other meteorites did not fall into the geographic line researchers had discovered.

The findings strongly suggest that these stones had not been drifting through space long enough to separate before they hit the Earth. If the solar system is billions of years old, there is virtually no chance of the stones remaining together, which suggests a young age for the solar system.

Lord, the many wonders in the heavens do more than inspire our awe. They also bear testimony to the truth of Your Holy Word, what You have made, and our need to be restored to our Creator by grace through faith in Your innocent suffering and death for us on the cross. Amen.

Cowen, R. 1992. "Meteorites: to stream or not to stream?" Science News, v. 142, Aug. 1, p. 71.