Saturday, March 9, 2019

CREATION MOMENTS: 3.9.19 (5)

Eating Your Way to a Better Mood


The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”

Dutch researchers have concluded that you can indeed eat your way to a better mood. It’s not how much you eat, and in some cases the secret is what you don’t eat. But if you are easily frustrated and stressed, you may be able to avoid these moods.
Dutch researchers were investigating tryptophan, which the brain uses to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that improves your mood. They prepared two chocolate drinks, one that contained a milk protein rich in tryptophan and another with casein, another milk protein. Volunteers who had been pre‑evaluated for their susceptibility for stress drank one or the other of these with breakfast and again later in the morning. At mid‑day, the volunteers spent 20 minutes at a computer doing math problems as loud industrial noise blared in the background. Researchers then evaluated each subject’s mood, pulse rate, stress hormones and brain serotonin levels. None of the subjects who had the tryptophan‑rich chocolate drink showed any stress factor, no matter how prone to stress they naturally were. Other research has shown that sugar or starch‑rich foods also raise serotonin in the brain. Researchers concluded that simple diet modifications that include tryptophan prior to expected times of stress can help the average person respond to stress. They also warn that meat protein blocks the brain’s absorption of tryptophan.
While we can cast all our fears and frustrations on the Lord, it is good to know that He has provided us with a way to better cope with nagging, daily stress.
Lord, I cast all my cares on You, for You care for me. Amen.
 
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Those Clever Siberian Chipmunks

“My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart.”
Siberian chipmunks are pretty low on the food chain. Everything from snakes to foxes seek out a chipmunk meal. However, Siberian chipmunks are very clever at using one of their enemies to defend themselves. If a Siberian chipmunk discovers a dead snake, it will be understandably careful in making sure that it is dead. Once it is certain, the chipmunk will chew on the dead snake’s skin. Then, in behavior naturalists call “self‑anointing,” the chipmunk applies the chewed snake skin to its coat. The chipmunks will also self‑anoint with snake urine and feces. Field studies showed that while the chipmunks ignore the carcasses of frogs, birds or lizards, they will self‑anoint in this way from four species of snake.
Further field observations explained the reason for this strange behavior. Snakes are less likely to eat an anointed chipmunk. The snake odor on the chipmunk may also deter other animals that feed on the chipmunks. The chipmunks’ defense strategy raises some difficult questions for those who believe that the living world is a product of chance. How could these chipmunks figure out that coating themselves with the skin of their mortal enemy would protect them from that enemy?
The task of developing this strategy and then overcoming its natural fear to approach that enemy, albeit dead, seems far too large for a chipmunk’s mind. However, it is a small and simple task for the Creator, Who made all things and taught the chipmunks to protect themselves. That same God protects us from that old serpent, the devil, through His Son, Jesus Christ.
 
Dear Father, help me to daily put on Christ to have Your protection. Amen.
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Where Does Oil Come From?
 
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.”
 
"Evolutionists have little argument over the question of where oil comes from. In most cases, they would suppose that it came from organic matter – probably from dead plants and animals – several million years ago. Hydrocarbons are, after all, products of organic matter breaking down – and oil is made up of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, which are compounds of carbon and hydrogen only.
However, organic materials are not the only source of hydrocarbons, especially the simple ones. Indeed, evidence for traces of hydrocarbons has been found in some meteorites. If this is true, then it could point to a possible non-organic mechanism for the formation of oil.
Other clues are available. For example, crude oil contains porphyrin – a class of compounds found in blood. Yet some crude oils (such as that from the North Sea) contain amounts of poisonous heavy metals, such as mercury, which would once again point towards a non-living model.n
Clearly, a creationist model does not have millions of years at its disposal. Perhaps, some have suggested, the pressure of sedimentary rock forming during the Flood could have “squeezed” the hydrocarbons out.
It is oil’s existence as a liquid that causes us to look for its origin. We are so evolutionized in our thinking that it is difficult to conceive of a non-fossil origin for oil. Yet, when we consider rocks like granite, we do not spend time considering how it was made – we suppose that God made it in the Creation Week. It is reasonable to suppose that petroleum could be a creation material, made during the first six days.
Father, You have given us useful materials with which we can live our lives. Thank You for these. Amen
 
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Dinosaurs on the Ark
 
“Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.”
 
Part of our problem in understanding dinosaurs is the fact that the term does not mean a great deal. In the 19th Century, as fossils were being discovered of large reptilian-type creatures, it was felt that an all-encompassing term would be needed with which to label them. That term was supplied by Sir Richard Owen, founder of London’s Natural History Museum. As many other fossils of extinct creatures were discovered, a word was needed for all such extinct animals – and the word Owen chose was dinosaur – terrible lizards.
As more dinosaur fossils were discovered, their discoverers exercised their rights to have their specimens named the way that they wanted. The problems arise when similar looking fossils are discovered. Are these different species? Are they simply young and old specimens of the same species? Given, also, that many dinosaur fossils are frankly incomplete, even comprising just a minority of necessary bones, the confusion and the possibility of duplications abound. It has been estimated, even by evolutionists, that less than half the named dinosaurs are, in fact, unique species.
For creationists, the most important unit of classification is not even the species, but the kind. God created animals to reproduce according to their kinds. A kind is a much broader term than a species.
Given the over-classification of dinosaurs, it is likely that there are only 50 kinds of dinosaurs in the world. Some are big, but some are very small, and the average size is that of a sheep. Therefore, it is likely that Noah was sent 100 creatures by God, that we would now call dinosaurs, along with the other animals.
We know, Lord, that Your word is true. We thank You that, as we seek to understand Your Scriptures, bit by bit, our understanding of these and other animals increases. Amen.
 

 
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CREATION MOMENTS: 3.9.19 (4)

Earth Before Sun

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
Although there are those who believe that it is possible to harmonize the theory of evolution with the Genesis account, there are severe problems in attempting to do so. One such problem, which occurs frequently, is that the order of events required by evolutionary or deep-time theories is different from that found in Genesis 1.
For instance, an example of stellar evolution would be that the Sun was formed before the Earth. The Sun is thought to be the product of repeated coagulations of material in the universe, followed by nuclear fusion, and, eventually, explosion by novae. Deep-time astrophysicists suggest that the Earth came about by gravity eventually joining lots of small particles together in a planet-sized conglomerate.
The Bible gives a different order. It states that the Earth was created on the first day of the Creation Week, along with the material of the rest of the universe and light. I refer to the material of the rest of the universe because the Earth was created formless and void. God began to give structure to this Earth on the second and third day of the Creation Week. However, He did not create the Sun, Moon and stars until the fourth day.
Strict evolutionists also correctly see this disconnect, but use it to argue that the biblical account is wrong. We trust God to have told us the truth in His word. God’s order of creation is at heart an issue of the authority of the Bible.
 Thank You for Your word, Lord, that it is true from the very first verse onwards. Help us to trust Your word in everything. Amen.
 
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The Tsunami and the Animals
 
“But now ask the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee;”
Almost everyone in the world today knows of the terrible disaster that struck the coasts of South East Asia. The North American news media gave daily body counts, reported human tragedy and inflicted damage … yet, as far as is known, none mentioned the animals.
However, Asian reports from the damaged areas comment not only on the ability of trees to withstand the devastating waves but the almost total absence of animal deaths. It appears that the animals, from flamingos to elephants, took off for the hills long before the humans. The Chinese have done extensive investigations on animals and earthquake detection but are at a loss to explain it. Chinese scientists simply conclude that animals have far greater sensitivity than the best of scientific instruments.
Reuters reported from Thailand that the elephants used in the tourist business at Khao Lak began to “cry” at 9 am, about the time of the quake. Some elephants broke their hefty chains, but they all raced away toward the jungle-clad hills, taking their surprised tourists and guides with them. Some people were even picked up by the elephants using their trunks. They all came to a point on high ground where the waves stopped just short of where they stood. Three thousand, eight hundred people died in that area. God is merciful to those sensitive enough to His warnings.
We thank You, Father, for teaching us by this example of our insensitivity to Your warning signs and Your mercy to the animals. Amen.
 
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 Another Cost of Divorce
 
“So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
The Bible teaches that marriage is one man and one woman, united into one flesh for life. Traditional morality has reflected this view. However, modern Western culture has viewed divorce as a freedom that should be available to everyone. The popular term “no‑fault divorce” attempts to give the impression that divorce has few consequences. Two recent studies, however, clearly show the real cost of divorce.
Researchers with the Oregon Social Learning Center studied the effects of divorce on adolescents. They examined the behavior of junior high and high school males. They found that boys from families where there had been a divorce were much more likely to experiment early with sex than boys whose parents had never divorced. Another study by a sociologist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison looked at the effects divorce has on young women. The study tracked the behavior of nearly 4,000 young women. He found that young women from divorced marriages were much more likely to have babies out of wedlock than those from families untouched by divorce. Both studies show that one cost of divorce is a casual attitude toward sex on the part of children of divorced parents.
When God gave us marriage in the Garden of Eden, He intended it to be a lifelong union. While divorce brings heartbreak to the adults involved, God also knew that children of a divorce would follow the example of their parents in taking the gift of sex too lightly.
Lord, thank You for the gift of marriage. Help me always honor it. Amen.
 
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How to Set a Scientist Humming
 
“So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field.”
For over a century, textbooks have used the Galapagos Island finches as an example of evolution in action. The facts are that the differences between these finches are less than the differences in the human population – and nobody claims that we are evolving! A lesser-known example of evolution in action was recently challenged in the scientific literature concerning certain hummingbirds found on the island of St. Lucia in the Caribbean. For a long time it was claimed that one species of hummingbird was diverging and becoming another species. However, it now turns out that the birds were nothing more than the male and the female of the same species! The male of the species has a relatively straight bill perfectly designed to allow efficient feeding of the nectar from the red and orange blooms of a flower related to the bird of paradise. The female bird, on the other hand, has a longer, sharply curved bill that is perfect for feeding on the green flowers of a different plant, also related to the bird of paradise.
Those who believe in evolution point to such differences and argue that it is the environment that has caused these differences to develop. The creationist would certainly agree but point out that those variations are strictly limited. Giving one of these variations another species name does not make it a different species and, thus, cannot be used as evidence for evolution in action. Again, to use the human example, humans come in different colors but no one now applies different names or claims that we are evolving.
Lord, help me understand how Your hand is revealed in Your creation. Amen.
 
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 Eating Your Way to a Better Mood
 
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”
Dutch researchers have concluded that you can indeed eat your way to a better mood. It’s not how much you eat, and in some cases the secret is what you don’t eat. But if you are easily frustrated and stressed, you may be able to avoid these moods.
Dutch researchers were investigating tryptophan, which the brain uses to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that improves your mood. They prepared two chocolate drinks, one that contained a milk protein rich in tryptophan and another with casein, another milk protein. Volunteers who had been pre‑evaluated for their susceptibility for stress drank one or the other of these with breakfast and again later in the morning. At mid‑day, the volunteers spent 20 minutes at a computer doing math problems as loud industrial noise blared in the background. Researchers then evaluated each subject’s mood, pulse rate, stress hormones and brain serotonin levels. None of the subjects who had the tryptophan‑rich chocolate drink showed any stress factor, no matter how prone to stress they naturally were. Other research has shown that sugar or starch‑rich foods also raise serotonin in the brain. Researchers concluded that simple diet modifications that include tryptophan prior to expected times of stress can help the average person respond to stress. They also warn that meat protein blocks the brain’s absorption of tryptophan.
While we can cast all our fears and frustrations on the Lord, it is good to know that He has provided us with a way to better cope with nagging, daily stress.
 
 Lord, I cast all my cares on You, for You care for me. Amen.
 
 

 
 
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CREATION MOMENTS: 3.9.19 (3)

Pangaea

The Creation and its Mysteries Unveiled, geologist Antonio Snider-Pellegrini theorized that all the Earth’s continents had once been part of a supercontinent and had been split apart during the Flood. He based this on his observation that continents on either side of the Atlantic Ocean seemed to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. He also noted that similar fossils appeared on either side of the Atlantic, indicating a common origin. Later, secular geologists, such as Alfred Wegener, accepted the supercontinent idea, calling it Pangaea (Greek for “Whole Earth”), but rejecting Pellegrini’s Flood theory.
Modern creation geologists have realized that Pellegrini’s model makes sense. But there are problems. Pangaea could not have been the original pre-Flood continent. The original continent – Rodinia – would have split as the tectonic plates moved rapidly under the floodwaters. However, at some point, these continental portions must have crashed together, temporarily forming a second, but submerged, supercontinent – that is Pangaea. Some of the reasoning is as follows. Fossils and minerals in the Appalachians and in the Caledonians (in the UK and Scandinavia) appear to be of common origin. This was probably one mountain range in Pangaea. But fossils would not have been formed until the start of the Flood, so this Pangaea could not have existed before the Flood. Such reasoning gives us a fascinating insight into the way that the continental pieces must have moved during the Flood. The idea of a common mountain chain linking the Appalachians with Scottish and Norwegian mountains is fully consistent with the Scriptural account.
 Father, we thank You for those scientists who give glory to You, and who, using Your word, dig deeper, thinking Your thoughts after You. Amen.
 
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Rodinia
 
We miss a great deal when we skip quickly through the historical account of creation, given to us in Genesis 1. And it is indeed a historical account, an eyewitness account related by the only eyewitness to the event possible – the Creator God Himself.
On the third day of the creation week, in Genesis 1:9, we read:
And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.
If the waters were gathered into one place, this would suggest that there was only one ocean in the world that God created. If this seems a little odd to us, we should remember that it is only our western-centered view of the world that suggests a globe covered in land. In fact, even today, the Pacific Ocean covers just about half of the world’s surface. So it is not too large a stretch to imagine a world with only one ocean, and hence, only one major continent. This pre-Flood giant continent, usually labeled Rodinia, is accepted by most secular and biblical geologists, differing only in timescale. The continent would have been broken by the volcanic and seismic events suggested by the term “Fountains of the Deep” at the beginning of the Flood.
Reflecting on the violence of the break-up of Rodinia during the Flood, we are reminded again that the two pivotal events of geological history are the Creation and the Flood, without which geology does not adequately explain the world.
Lord, we know that there are those who deliberately forget that You created and that You flooded the world. Help us to explain to people the truthfulness of the historical accounts of these events that You gave us. Amen.
 
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The Expanse
 
"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.”

 
And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.
So what was this expanse that divided the waters below from the waters above? Some versions call it which is not a good translation because sky refers to something not real, just an impression caused by the bending of light. Other translations call the expanse the firmament, and this is better. The Hebrew word translated as expanse or firmament is raqi’a and is really referring to the expanse of the cosmos itself – deep space!
The waters below the expanse must be those on the Earth, but the waters above form a boundary or limit to space because that is what the expanse is. The Hebrew word is related to the stretching out of materials, such as the hammering of gold metal.
Now, measurements and images from instruments, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, have suggested that space itself was stretched in order to achieve its current state. Two stars embedded in this expanse might appear to move apart with the expansion, though they actually remain at the same points where they were before. It is our suggestion that the majority of this stretching of space occurred on Day Two of the Creation Week – before there even were stars in the expanse. This stretching of the expanse has not required the billions of years that Big Bang theorists postulate. One single Creation Week explains it all.
 All that You have made declares how wonderful You are, Lord. We praise You that You have made everything well. Amen.
Ref: Faulkner, D.R. (2016), <em>Thoughts on the rāqîa‘ and a Possible Explanation for theCosmic Microwave Background,
 
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The great hymn writer Isaac Watts wrote:

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise;
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies….
Lord, how Thy wonders are proclaimed where’er I turn my eye;
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

Our great Creator has left the testimony of His handiwork everywhere for us to see. And it is clear not only in the beauty and grandeur of nature, but in the wonder of humanity – in all our physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual capacity. Mankind was created “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:26-27).

This is not only a truth from Genesis, but is everywhere throughout the Bible. “For we are His workmanship (Greek “poiema” – artistic masterpieces, “poems”, of His creation) created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Being “created in Christ Jesus” not only includes our original creation as offspring of God’s original image in Adam and Eve, but our being “born again” as new creations through faith in the Living Word, Jesus Christ

And there is an important balance that develops as we walk in that wonderful status of redeemed creatures, adopted sons and daughters of the Living God. That balance is struck between Labor and Rest. The Bible says that while we are “created… unto good works” and required to work in this life, both as a consequence of sin (Genesis 3:19) and as service and character-training within God’s family, we are simply to enjoy and receive the life, love and illuminating revelation of the Lord!
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CREATION MOMENTS: 3.9.19 (2)


On the fifth day of the Creation Week, God created swarms of sea creatures. He also created flying creatures. In Genesis 1:20, God says: “Let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” The birds were not, in fact, in the firmament. When the KJV translates the phrase as “in the open firmament”, the word open reminds us that the birds are simply seen against the background of the firmament, and are not in it. We heard in the previous Creation Moment that God created whole swarms of sea creatures. It could also be assumed that He created a very large variety of flying creatures.
This brings us to the fact that many translations tell us that God made birds. The KJV refers to fowl. The use of a word other than bird in the KJV is significant. The Hebrew word is ôph(עוֹף). There is another Hebrew word that means birds. It is tsippor (צִפּוֹר). In fact, the word ôph is much wider in meaning than birds and includes all flying creatures. For instance, in Leviticus 11:13-19, the bat is included at the end of a list of birds. But the collective word used in Leviticus 11:13 is ôph, not tsippor. So ôph does not really mean birds – it means flying creatures. Hence, the creation of flying creatures in Genesis 1:20 includes not only birds, but also bats, and, by implication, flying insects also – and pterosaurs – the flying dinosaurs.
Once again, we notice the efficiency and economy of the words used in Genesis 1, which gives far more information than at first we think.
Your wonderful book, the Bible, astonishes us again and again as it explains to us how and why You created this world. Thank You for the wide variety of creatures that You put in the world. Amen.
 
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One of the interesting things that we notice as we read through Genesis 1 is how economical on words the chapter is. A great deal is said with very few words. So when the creation of sea creatures on the fifth day is reported, it is described thus: And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures.”
The Hebrew word for swarm is repeated, which adds extra emphasis. In English, we could probably interpret this as “swarms and swarms and swarms”. The impression is given of large numbers of creatures of a very wide variety. The fourth Century teacher Basil interpreted the verse thus: “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life.”
Not only that, but these creatures are described as living creatures – in Hebrew, this is nephesh chayyāh. The word nephesh (נפש) refers to life as described in Leviticus 17:11 – “the life of the flesh is in the blood.” It is this word that indicates the great difference between animal life and plant life, as far as the Bible is concerned. Plants can be described as food machines that can self-replicate. Animals, in contrast, are what life is really about. That is why, for example, the blood of certain animals could be offered as a covering for sin as a type of Christ, whereas plants could not. This, indeed, was part of the reason for God later accepting Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s.
There is a great excitement in the description of these first animals. God is a God of variety.
 Thank You, Lord, for the spectacular account of Your creation of the first animals. Thank You that, in Your creation, You were laying the foundations for our later salvation by the shedding of blood – the perfect shedding of the blood of the Savior. Amen.
 
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For Signs, Seasons, Days and Years
 
There was a time when the stars in the sky were much more important to us than they are today. We still rely on objects in the sky for signs, seasons, days and years, but they tend to be artificial objects – satellites that have been launched to help with issues such as global positioning and weather monitoring.
In times past, stars would have been used to help people find their way. Most people know that there is a star called Polaris which is pretty much above the Earth’s North Pole, but few know how to find it. When you have found it, then you know which direction is North. Not only that, but if you measure the angle of Polaris above the horizon, then you know what line of latitude you are on. And if you watch the stars appear to move around Polaris during the night, then you will get an idea of what the time is.
Where the Earth is in its orbit around the Sun changes what stars can be seen in the sky at different times. That is why, wherever we are in the world, we often speak of Summer and Winter constellations. So the stars also tell us what season of the year we are in and indeed when the year is about to begin again.
All this information is still available to us, and it is worth learning at least a bit of it because the heavens declare the glory of God.
Once again, Lord, we remember that the heavens declare Your glory. As we look at the night sky, we stand in awe of the One who created everything for our benefit and for Your glory. Amen.
 
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He Made the Stars Also
 
The Bible gives us a tiny hint in Psalm 19 that the universe is vast when the Psalmist says:
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
The heavens must be vast indeed if they are there to declare the glory of God, because the glory of God is unlimited. Just as the builders of medieval cathedrals in Europe built vast structures to make a statement about how great God is, so our view of the universe, even from the surface of the Earth, shows us the sheer bigness of God.
And yet, the whole creation of the universe is summed up (in the King James Version) in just five little words, in Genesis 1:16: He made the stars also.
Those who believe in God, whatever their view of Creation, are usually able to accept that the existence of the Sun was designed by God to give us heat and light. Creationists would suggest that these attributes were created before the Sun, but, nevertheless, the Sun’s purpose today, since the fourth day of creation, has been to shine down on the Earth. Yet somehow the sheer bigness of the universe causes us to think that the stars have far less of a purpose. The stars are just there. But God placed them for a reason – for signs and for seasons. So if the vastness of the universe points us to the worship of the Creator, then that is good. But apart from God, their importance is only that of five little words.
 The heavens do indeed declare Your glory, Lord God. Therefore, we praise and magnify Your holy Name. Amen.
 
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Fruit According to Its Kind
 
It can be a bit bewildering, searching through a nursery, to buy a fruit tree. With some fruit trees, such as apple trees, one will often see a notice reminding you that you may need two such trees in order for there to be successful pollination. When I lived in the UK, where apple trees are a native plant, notices often stated that a crabapple tree would suffice as a pollinator for a dessert apple tree.
Crabapples are close to the wild apple varieties. Their fruit tends to be too sour to eat, though the tiny apples make good jelly.
Once, walking by the Peak Forest Canal near Manchester, I came across an apple tree in fruit, growing wild. The apples were small, but the same shape as commercial apples, and they tasted sweeter than wild crabapples. An expert friend suggested that the tree had grown from a discarded apple core, probably thrown away by someone hiking the canal tow path.
Each of these trees were varieties of apple trees. They could easily cross pollinate. But it would not be possible to cross these apple trees with, for example, an orange tree. The trees have developed in the wild into different species and have been artificially bred in managed orchards. But they produce fruit with seed according to their kind. And that is exactly what the Bible said would happen, as it relates God’s creation of plants in Genesis 1:12 – “The earth brought forth… trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind.”
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision of fruit and vegetables. Thank You for the wide varieties that You have made the Earth bring forth. Amen.
 
 
 
 
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CREATION MOMENTS: 2019

Most people remember from their high school days that amino acids are the building blocks from which proteins are built. However, most people are not aware of how special the arrangement of amino acid molecules is.
Amino acid molecules are asymmetric. They are compounds of the element carbon, and a carbon atom can have four bonds, all arranged in space, as if pointing to the corners of a tetrahedron. Sometimes a carbon atom will have four different groups attached to it. If that happens, then the molecule can exist in two mirror images. If the mirrored molecules are separated, then it is found that one arrangement rotates polarized light clockwise (“to the right”), while the other does so by the same angle counter-clockwise (“to the left”). But the arrangement of the four groups around the asymmetric carbon is not directly predictable. So the arrangement of the molecules is compared to molecules of right-rotating and left-rotating glyceraldehyde. The two arrangements (called enantiomers) of glyceraldehyde are given the prefixes D- (for dextro – right) and L- (for laevo – left). If the arrangement of a molecule is in the same format as D-glyceraldehyde, then it is also labeled as D-, even if it rotates light counter-clockwise.
All this complicated talk leads to this point. An experiment, producing an amino acid would always make 50% D and 50% L. Yet, all amino acids in nature have the L-form. And all natural sugar molecules have the D-form. This remarkable fact suggests that these natural molecules were not designed by random chance.
Prayer: Even if we peer down a microscope, we still see Your handiwork, Lord. Thank You for Your attention to every little detail, which brings honor to You.
 
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How Native American people came to be in the American continents is one of the most fascinating mysteries of anthropology. Scientists from both secular and Christian backgrounds tend to agree that, for the most part, Native Americans must have migrated to the continents from Asia. This would almost certainly involve crossing from present-day Siberia to present-day Alaska during the Ice Age, which creationists say happened shortly after the Flood.
The existence of large ice sheets in North America would have seemed to create a barrier to migration. In a previous Creation Moment, we discussed the Clovis sites, which are consistent with people having migrated into the interior of what is now Canada, in an ice-free area between two large ice sheets. Now, more recent research has suggested that the migration could have been along the coast. Certain islands off the coast of Alaska contain evidence of this possible migration route.
In the near future, it is unlikely that we will be able definitely to say which of the coastal or inland migration routes is correct. But why would such people groups have migrated so far in any case? Why would they not just stop on the Asian side of Beringia?
The answer is likely to be that they spoke different languages, so they could not understand each other. At the Tower of Babel incident, in Genesis 11, God had spread confusion into human language, and this is what forced the migration of all peoples of the world.
Thank You, Lord, that You have revealed that all peoples of the world are descended from the one man, Adam. Therefore, anyone can be saved by calling on the Name of the One Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ref: University at Buffalo. “In ancient boulders, new clues about the story of human migration to the Americas: Geologic evidence supports a coastal theory of early settlement.”
 
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Some people find insects, such as butterflies, fascinating. But there are also those who cannot stand the sight of other insects. Wasps and leather jackets are not particularly loved. I have often wondered why God created such nasty creatures, and I have to remind myself that, like everything else, they were created perfect originally.
But when did God make insects? What classification do we put them in?
Were they created with land animals on the sixth day? Are they the creeping things? Probably not, because all such animals are described as nephesh, and the life (nephesh) of the flesh is in the blood. Were they created on the fifth day? After all, most insects can fly. But, again, the creatures on Day Five  were nephesh. Insects do not have blood.
In Genesis 7:14, we read about the flying creatures taken aboard the Ark. They were to be “every bird… every winged creature”. In a previous Creation Moment, we saw that there are two Hebrew words for birds –  and tsippor. The first refers to all winged creatures. The juxtaposition of both terms in Genesis 7:14 suggests that insects are specifically excluded, especially as insects do not breathe through nostrils, which was a condition for creatures being taken on the Ark.
In short, the creatures mentioned in Genesis 1 all have nephesh. So non-nephesh animals, like insects, and, for that matter, spiders, are not mentioned. Everything was created in that one week, but we don’t know when insects were made. As non- animals, they do not have the blessed quality of life of those animals with blood.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for making all things. Thank You that they all had a perfect purpose in Your perfect design. Amen.
 
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The sixth day of the Creation Week seems to have been the busiest, as far as the variety of creation goes. On this day, God made land animals, and He made the first two people. During that day, we have to assume that all the events of Genesis 2 happened. That is, God made the animals, planted the Garden of Eden, made Adam, brought some animals to Adam for him to name, and finally God made Eve from Adam’s side.
It is not easy to understand what is meant by the threefold division of the land animals into livestock, creeping things and beasts of the Earth. It seems likely that these subdivisions are not along the lines of the classes of vertebrates. They probably, instead, refer to the way that these animals interact with humans – a more pragmatic, use-oriented classification system that would be more typical of biblical classification.
One point that we notice is that these land creatures, like the sea and flying creatures, are described as living creatures. In other words, they have nephesh. In Genesis 1:22, we read that God blessed these creatures. By implication, this blessing would seem to extend to all nephesh lifeforms – those animals that contain blood. We also read that the creatures were created “according to their kinds”. This concept of kinds is wider than species. A biblical kind(creationists often use the term baramin, from the Hebrew for “created kind”) is probably closer to the taxonomic term family. Species within kinds can vary widely, but one kind cannot evolve into another.
Prayer: Just as You blessed the creatures You made, Lord God, You have blessed us even more. Thank You for all the blessings You have given, common to mankind. Amen.
 
 
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