FEAR
Matthew 6:31-32
“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”
One highly qualified British creationist scientist related to an audience how another scientist has approached him, to help with a course he thought their university should run, about the problems associated with evolution. My friend said he would be happy to help. A few days later, the other scientist returned sheepishly to my friend. He would not, after all, be able to run the course. It had been put to him that, if he were to do so, he would lose his career.
Some creationist scientists, working in secular universities, have estimated that many of their colleagues do not really accept evolution, but are afraid for their careers, their future, and their ability to provide for their families. Fear is a very real phenomenon. While not many Christians lose their lives for their faith in Western countries, like the United States, even peer-pressure can cause an element of fear.
There may be a case for intelligent circumspection, and there is certainly no biblical mandate for deliberately seeking out persecution. Nevertheless, we must remember that Jesus counseled us against fear and against worry. “Do not be anxious, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” Jesus wants us to face issues with confidence, knowing that we are doing His will. It is not everyone’s calling to stand up for the creation account, in an academic setting. But we all have our situations, where the rubber hits the road, where we are called to trust in Him, rather than in the agencies of the world.
Prayer: I pray, Lord, that You will take away our anxieties, and give us boldness instead; boldness to carry out Your will in every situation. Amen
Ref: Matthew 6:31-32 Image: Adobe stock photos, licensed to author
Matthew 6:31-32
“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”
One highly qualified British creationist scientist related to an audience how another scientist has approached him, to help with a course he thought their university should run, about the problems associated with evolution. My friend said he would be happy to help. A few days later, the other scientist returned sheepishly to my friend. He would not, after all, be able to run the course. It had been put to him that, if he were to do so, he would lose his career.
Some creationist scientists, working in secular universities, have estimated that many of their colleagues do not really accept evolution, but are afraid for their careers, their future, and their ability to provide for their families. Fear is a very real phenomenon. While not many Christians lose their lives for their faith in Western countries, like the United States, even peer-pressure can cause an element of fear.
There may be a case for intelligent circumspection, and there is certainly no biblical mandate for deliberately seeking out persecution. Nevertheless, we must remember that Jesus counseled us against fear and against worry. “Do not be anxious, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” Jesus wants us to face issues with confidence, knowing that we are doing His will. It is not everyone’s calling to stand up for the creation account, in an academic setting. But we all have our situations, where the rubber hits the road, where we are called to trust in Him, rather than in the agencies of the world.
Prayer: I pray, Lord, that You will take away our anxieties, and give us boldness instead; boldness to carry out Your will in every situation. Amen
Ref: Matthew 6:31-32 Image: Adobe stock photos, licensed to author
A TALE OF WHALE EVOLUTION
Genesis 1:21
“So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”
London’s famous Natural History Museum features an enormous gallery, where, among other large creatures, you can see a life-size blue whale hanging from the ceiling.
On a mezzanine, overlooking this gallery, a display can be seen, which purports to provide evidence for the evolution of the whale from a group of land animals, called mesonychids. One display contains three skulls. The first is a mesonychid skull. The second is of ambulocetus—a supposed intermediate form. This word comes from the Latin, and means “walking whale”. The third fossil skull on display is that of a dolphin. The implication is that these skulls illustrate a linear evolution of the whale. One would expect, therefore, that the first fossil would be the oldest.
It is actually the ambulocetus that has the greatest evolutionary age. So the display shows asymmetric error bars for these ages. The ambulocetus is shown to be one of the first of its kind, while the mesonychid is assumed to be one of the last. Thus, the colored error bars show the bulk of the mesonychid timeline as being before that of the ambulocetus, with some overlap. Their justification for this arrangement is that this is the order of evolution. So evolution is assumed, in order to justify the order of display of the fossils, and the display is then offered as evidence of evolution. This is circular reasoning.
The Bible gives us a much clearer, unambiguous account, relating that whales were created on Day Five of the creation week—a day before land animals.
We are amazed, once again, when we consider a creature like the whale. We know that You made these beautiful, enormous creatures, Lord, and we stand in awe at Your handiwork. Amen
Genesis 1:21
“So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”
London’s famous Natural History Museum features an enormous gallery, where, among other large creatures, you can see a life-size blue whale hanging from the ceiling.
On a mezzanine, overlooking this gallery, a display can be seen, which purports to provide evidence for the evolution of the whale from a group of land animals, called mesonychids. One display contains three skulls. The first is a mesonychid skull. The second is of ambulocetus—a supposed intermediate form. This word comes from the Latin, and means “walking whale”. The third fossil skull on display is that of a dolphin. The implication is that these skulls illustrate a linear evolution of the whale. One would expect, therefore, that the first fossil would be the oldest.
It is actually the ambulocetus that has the greatest evolutionary age. So the display shows asymmetric error bars for these ages. The ambulocetus is shown to be one of the first of its kind, while the mesonychid is assumed to be one of the last. Thus, the colored error bars show the bulk of the mesonychid timeline as being before that of the ambulocetus, with some overlap. Their justification for this arrangement is that this is the order of evolution. So evolution is assumed, in order to justify the order of display of the fossils, and the display is then offered as evidence of evolution. This is circular reasoning.
The Bible gives us a much clearer, unambiguous account, relating that whales were created on Day Five of the creation week—a day before land animals.
We are amazed, once again, when we consider a creature like the whale. We know that You made these beautiful, enormous creatures, Lord, and we stand in awe at Your handiwork. Amen
Born of God
�If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.� (1 John 2:29)
�If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.� (1 John 2:29)
This is the first of seven occurrences of the phrase �born of God,� or �born of him,� in the little epistle of 1 John. If anyone wishes to know how to recognize one who has truly been �born again,� these seven descriptors are available for that purpose.
The first such test, in our text, is that such a person is one �that doeth righteousness.� The second and third are found in 1 John 3:9: �Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.� That is, he will not practice sin because God�s own nature has been implanted in him.
Another evidence is genuine love. �Love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God� (1 John 4:7). Still another is genuine faith in Christ, which in turn produces genuine love. �Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him� (1 John 5:1).
Those who are truly born again will not be permanently defeated by the world. �For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?� (1 John 5:4-5).
Finally, �we know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not� (1 John 5:18).
The term �born again� is being used very loosely these days, and we need to realize that true regeneration is a permanent, life-transforming miracle accomplished by God Himself in a believer�s life. HMM
ORCHIDS AND BEES
Psalms 103:15-16
�As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.�
When I was a science teacher, in government schools in England, I used to like to show a particular video to my classes. This video featured some unusual plants that had strange reproductive methods. The most unusual of all was the bucket orchid.
This orchid grows in Central and South America. The flower forms a bucket, which fills with a sticky secretion from the plant. The flower then has to sit and wait for a bee. But it is not just any bee that can pollinate this plant. It has to be the special, beautiful, green orchid bee. The bee is attracted by the sweet liquid, but slips and falls into it. The exhausted bee eventually climbs out, through a passage way of Goldilocks proportions�not to big, not too small, just right.
As the bee tries to escape through this passage, the flower holds it tight, and glues two pollen sacks on its back. After holding the bee long enough for the glue to dry, the flower releases the bee.
If a bee arrives at the orchid, with pollen sacks already on its back, the flower lets it quickly through the system, and takes away the pollen sacks, before the bee can finally escape.
Evolutionists maintain that this is an example of co-evolution�two organisms evolving so that they cannot do without each other. Which evolved first? It is difficult to see how one could have evolved before the other. It is far more sensible to take the biblical presupposition, that both were the work of our Creator.
Father, like the bucket orchid and orchid bee, you have designed us to work together in teams, families and churches. We pray that, as we do so, we will realize that we are part of the same body, all valuable, and will work for You accordingly. Amen.
Psalms 103:15-16
�As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.�
When I was a science teacher, in government schools in England, I used to like to show a particular video to my classes. This video featured some unusual plants that had strange reproductive methods. The most unusual of all was the bucket orchid.
This orchid grows in Central and South America. The flower forms a bucket, which fills with a sticky secretion from the plant. The flower then has to sit and wait for a bee. But it is not just any bee that can pollinate this plant. It has to be the special, beautiful, green orchid bee. The bee is attracted by the sweet liquid, but slips and falls into it. The exhausted bee eventually climbs out, through a passage way of Goldilocks proportions�not to big, not too small, just right.
As the bee tries to escape through this passage, the flower holds it tight, and glues two pollen sacks on its back. After holding the bee long enough for the glue to dry, the flower releases the bee.
If a bee arrives at the orchid, with pollen sacks already on its back, the flower lets it quickly through the system, and takes away the pollen sacks, before the bee can finally escape.
Evolutionists maintain that this is an example of co-evolution�two organisms evolving so that they cannot do without each other. Which evolved first? It is difficult to see how one could have evolved before the other. It is far more sensible to take the biblical presupposition, that both were the work of our Creator.
Father, like the bucket orchid and orchid bee, you have designed us to work together in teams, families and churches. We pray that, as we do so, we will realize that we are part of the same body, all valuable, and will work for You accordingly. Amen.
QUICK FOSSIL FOREST
Psalms 95:4
�In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.�
The devastating blast from the eruption of Mount St Helens, on May 19th 1980, tore down huge, mature trees. Old growth forest was flattened north of the volcano in an area covering 230 square miles. Trees were demolished up to 17 miles away.
Spirit Lake is just 4 miles from the volcano, so all the trees on the hillsides around the lake were snapped like matchsticks. As the landslide rushed into the lake, a huge wave of water was pushed 800 feet up the hillside opposite. As the water washed back, to settle on top of the landslide, 300 feet above where it had been previously, it brought a million logs with it. Even today, 300,000 of these logs are still floating on the lake surface.
In time, the root ball end of these logs would take in water and get heavier, causing the log to float vertically. Eventually, it would sink vertically. There are many such logs at the bottom of Spirit Lake, without bark (which fell off), and without roots, yet standing upright, buried through several layers of sediment.
This formation looks like the fossil �forests� seen in such places as Specimen Ridge in the Yellowstone National Park. At Specimen Ridge, it can be seen that the fossil trees, lodged through many layers of sediment, do not, in fact, have roots. This is because these trees did not grow there. They were deposited there, sinking vertically through water, probably during the Flood.
The area around Mount St Helens is a wonderful laboratory, helping us to understand more about the mechanism and aftermath of the Flood.
Thank You, Lord, for the area around Mount St Helens. Thank You for enabling us to show people how rapid Your work can sometimes be. Help us to be able to show people that what You said in Your word was and is all true. Amen.
Ref: Taylor, P. (2016), Mount St Helens: A Message for Today, (Toutle, WA: J6D Publications) Image: taken by author
Psalms 95:4
�In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.�
The devastating blast from the eruption of Mount St Helens, on May 19th 1980, tore down huge, mature trees. Old growth forest was flattened north of the volcano in an area covering 230 square miles. Trees were demolished up to 17 miles away.
Spirit Lake is just 4 miles from the volcano, so all the trees on the hillsides around the lake were snapped like matchsticks. As the landslide rushed into the lake, a huge wave of water was pushed 800 feet up the hillside opposite. As the water washed back, to settle on top of the landslide, 300 feet above where it had been previously, it brought a million logs with it. Even today, 300,000 of these logs are still floating on the lake surface.
In time, the root ball end of these logs would take in water and get heavier, causing the log to float vertically. Eventually, it would sink vertically. There are many such logs at the bottom of Spirit Lake, without bark (which fell off), and without roots, yet standing upright, buried through several layers of sediment.
This formation looks like the fossil �forests� seen in such places as Specimen Ridge in the Yellowstone National Park. At Specimen Ridge, it can be seen that the fossil trees, lodged through many layers of sediment, do not, in fact, have roots. This is because these trees did not grow there. They were deposited there, sinking vertically through water, probably during the Flood.
The area around Mount St Helens is a wonderful laboratory, helping us to understand more about the mechanism and aftermath of the Flood.
Thank You, Lord, for the area around Mount St Helens. Thank You for enabling us to show people how rapid Your work can sometimes be. Help us to be able to show people that what You said in Your word was and is all true. Amen.
Ref: Taylor, P. (2016), Mount St Helens: A Message for Today, (Toutle, WA: J6D Publications) Image: taken by author
STONEHENGE AND BABEL
Genesis 11:7-8
�Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.�
It often surprises visitors to England, to see how close it is to the main road. Perhaps they imagine it should be remote, miles from civilization. However, when Stonehenge was built, whatever purpose it was built for, it was clearly at the center of civilization at the time.
Many people have pointed out that Stonehenge, and other similar ancient stone circle monuments, are observatories. Various stones match up with sunrise or sunset on particular days, or with certain stars at certain times of year. Much has been made of the reasons for such alignments, and all such monuments are associated with large numbers of books and videos, each with a different take on the reasons for the monuments� construction. Perhaps they were built by refugees from an advanced civilization. Some have even suggested links of alien or occult origin.
After the Flood, God commanded people to scatter over the face of the Earth. People were disobedient, and this disobedience found its focus at Babel, when a city and a tower was built �with its top in the heavens�. It seems that this was an attempt to reach the heavens without reference to God, and it prompted God to divide people�s languages, so that they were forced to scatter over the face of the Earth.
It is possible that monuments like Stonehenge were built by refugees from Babel. Although neolithic monuments vary enormously from each other, their astronomical uses suggest that they too were attempts to get to the heavens without God. Many of the tribal migrations from Babel produced such magnificent monuments to man�s folly.
Thank You, Lord, for enabling us to see and visit so many monuments from history. Help us to learn the lessons of history, rather than to repeat the mistakes, and, in all things, to give the glory and honor to You. Amen.
Genesis 11:7-8
�Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.�
It often surprises visitors to England, to see how close it is to the main road. Perhaps they imagine it should be remote, miles from civilization. However, when Stonehenge was built, whatever purpose it was built for, it was clearly at the center of civilization at the time.
Many people have pointed out that Stonehenge, and other similar ancient stone circle monuments, are observatories. Various stones match up with sunrise or sunset on particular days, or with certain stars at certain times of year. Much has been made of the reasons for such alignments, and all such monuments are associated with large numbers of books and videos, each with a different take on the reasons for the monuments� construction. Perhaps they were built by refugees from an advanced civilization. Some have even suggested links of alien or occult origin.
After the Flood, God commanded people to scatter over the face of the Earth. People were disobedient, and this disobedience found its focus at Babel, when a city and a tower was built �with its top in the heavens�. It seems that this was an attempt to reach the heavens without reference to God, and it prompted God to divide people�s languages, so that they were forced to scatter over the face of the Earth.
It is possible that monuments like Stonehenge were built by refugees from Babel. Although neolithic monuments vary enormously from each other, their astronomical uses suggest that they too were attempts to get to the heavens without God. Many of the tribal migrations from Babel produced such magnificent monuments to man�s folly.
Thank You, Lord, for enabling us to see and visit so many monuments from history. Help us to learn the lessons of history, rather than to repeat the mistakes, and, in all things, to give the glory and honor to You. Amen.
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