LIFE AND PHYSICS
Colossians 1:17
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
It is rumored that GK Chesterton sad “When a man stops believing in God, he does not believe in nothing – he believes in anything”. Of course, the quote is somewhat inaccurate. It was actually said by Émile Cammaerts, in his book The Laughing Prophet: The Seven Virtues and G. K. Chesterton, and what Cammaerts actually said, in commenting on Chesterton’s views, was “The first effect of not believing in God is to believe in anything”. Nevertheless, the point still holds. Stopping belief in God does not, as some would have it, lead to rational thought.
There is a study, known as astrobiology – the study of life in outer space. One might imagine that astrobiologists are not very busy, but, as we reported in another Creation Moments broadcast, there are those who believe that alien life is the explanation for life on Earth. It is unsurprising that such a conclusion should be reached, by those, whose philosophical starting point is that there is no God.
Those of us, who know the Bible as the correct starting point, say that it is unlikely that we will find life in outer space. That is because the Bible makes clear that the Earth is the Center of God’s purposes. He created the Earth, before He created all the other astronomical bodies. It is on the Earth that Jesus Christ was incarnate. And it is to the Earth that Jesus will one day return.
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us this Earth, to be inhabited. Thank You that You designed it for us, and You placed us on it to look after it. Amen.
Colossians 1:17
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
It is rumored that GK Chesterton sad “When a man stops believing in God, he does not believe in nothing – he believes in anything”. Of course, the quote is somewhat inaccurate. It was actually said by Émile Cammaerts, in his book The Laughing Prophet: The Seven Virtues and G. K. Chesterton, and what Cammaerts actually said, in commenting on Chesterton’s views, was “The first effect of not believing in God is to believe in anything”. Nevertheless, the point still holds. Stopping belief in God does not, as some would have it, lead to rational thought.
There is a study, known as astrobiology – the study of life in outer space. One might imagine that astrobiologists are not very busy, but, as we reported in another Creation Moments broadcast, there are those who believe that alien life is the explanation for life on Earth. It is unsurprising that such a conclusion should be reached, by those, whose philosophical starting point is that there is no God.
Those of us, who know the Bible as the correct starting point, say that it is unlikely that we will find life in outer space. That is because the Bible makes clear that the Earth is the Center of God’s purposes. He created the Earth, before He created all the other astronomical bodies. It is on the Earth that Jesus Christ was incarnate. And it is to the Earth that Jesus will one day return.
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us this Earth, to be inhabited. Thank You that You designed it for us, and You placed us on it to look after it. Amen.
ALIENS IN THE DARK MATTER
Romans 1:21
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke once said “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. I guess it is true that the concept of having all the information of the Internet on my pocket cellphone would have seemed like magic to me, during my teenage years in the 1970s. The quote has often been used to suggest that super-intelligent alien lifeforms would appear to us like deities, if they ever visited us. Astrobiologist Caleb Scharf has now suggested that some super-advanced alien technology might not appear to us like magic, but like physics.
The concept that the universe looks so well designed that it must, in fact, be designed, has been acknowledged by many unbelievers for quite some time. As they cannot attribute such design to a deity, there are many who attribute it to the work of alien intelligence. Scharf has gone a step further, proposing that the entire universe is a sort-of alien laboratory. In support of his position, he cites the existence of dark matter – the supposed “extra” matter, required to make the gravitational forces of the universe work in a Big Bang scenario, despite the fact that, by definition, no one can detect this dark matter.
It is noteworthy that creationist cosmogonies do not require the supposition of dark matter. And, once again, we see that certain scientists accept the inevitability of evidence for design, without ascribing the honor for that design where it is deserved. This reminds us of Romans 1:21 – “Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him”.
Heavenly Father, when we look at the Heavens, the work of Your fingers, we stand in awe of You, and ascribe to You all the praise and glory. Amen.
Romans 1:21
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke once said “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. I guess it is true that the concept of having all the information of the Internet on my pocket cellphone would have seemed like magic to me, during my teenage years in the 1970s. The quote has often been used to suggest that super-intelligent alien lifeforms would appear to us like deities, if they ever visited us. Astrobiologist Caleb Scharf has now suggested that some super-advanced alien technology might not appear to us like magic, but like physics.
The concept that the universe looks so well designed that it must, in fact, be designed, has been acknowledged by many unbelievers for quite some time. As they cannot attribute such design to a deity, there are many who attribute it to the work of alien intelligence. Scharf has gone a step further, proposing that the entire universe is a sort-of alien laboratory. In support of his position, he cites the existence of dark matter – the supposed “extra” matter, required to make the gravitational forces of the universe work in a Big Bang scenario, despite the fact that, by definition, no one can detect this dark matter.
It is noteworthy that creationist cosmogonies do not require the supposition of dark matter. And, once again, we see that certain scientists accept the inevitability of evidence for design, without ascribing the honor for that design where it is deserved. This reminds us of Romans 1:21 – “Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him”.
Heavenly Father, when we look at the Heavens, the work of Your fingers, we stand in awe of You, and ascribe to You all the praise and glory. Amen.
WHY DOES GOD ASK QUESTIONS?
Ezekiel 33:11
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Why does God ask questions? He has been asking questions, since the beginning of time.
For example, in Genesis 3, God called to Adam “Where are you?” Did God not know? Of course He knew. So why did He ask? Again, in the same chapter, once Adam had told Him that they had hidden, because they were naked, He asked “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Once again, God knew what the serpent had said, and what Adam and Eve had done. There are many other examples in Scripture. If God knew the answers to the questions already – and, after all, He is omniscient – then the questions were not for His benefit. They were for the benefit of those who He asked. In this case, His questions were for the benefit of Adam and Eve. They were designed, so that they could confess their sins, and repent. Sin is disobedience to God’s Law. God’s Law, at that time, was not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Scripture does not tell us if Adam and Eve had repented – though, for other reasons, I suspect they did. Notice that God did not ask any questions of the serpent, who is Satan, because there was no opportunity for such a spirit being to repent. But for us, there is that opportunity for complete salvation, if we will repent and trust in Christ.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the salvation offered to all those, who will repent and put their trust in Jesus. Amen.
Ezekiel 33:11
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Why does God ask questions? He has been asking questions, since the beginning of time.
For example, in Genesis 3, God called to Adam “Where are you?” Did God not know? Of course He knew. So why did He ask? Again, in the same chapter, once Adam had told Him that they had hidden, because they were naked, He asked “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Once again, God knew what the serpent had said, and what Adam and Eve had done. There are many other examples in Scripture. If God knew the answers to the questions already – and, after all, He is omniscient – then the questions were not for His benefit. They were for the benefit of those who He asked. In this case, His questions were for the benefit of Adam and Eve. They were designed, so that they could confess their sins, and repent. Sin is disobedience to God’s Law. God’s Law, at that time, was not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Scripture does not tell us if Adam and Eve had repented – though, for other reasons, I suspect they did. Notice that God did not ask any questions of the serpent, who is Satan, because there was no opportunity for such a spirit being to repent. But for us, there is that opportunity for complete salvation, if we will repent and trust in Christ.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the salvation offered to all those, who will repent and put their trust in Jesus. Amen.
HE FORMED IT TO BE INHABITED
Isaiah 45:18
For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
There are those who believe that they can read the supposed evolutionary order of things into the account of creation in Genesis 1. However, when we look more closely, we realize that there are a number of discrepancies, which cannot be reconciled. Even evolutionary atheists have noticed this – for example, Richard Dawkins is adamant that it is not possible to harmonize Genesis with evolution.
One of the most obvious of these discrepancies is that Genesis tells us that God made the Earth before He made all other astronomical objects. The Earth was created on Day One, whereas the greater and lesser lights and the stars were created on the Fourth Day.
The Earth is the focus of God’s activity, and in particular the human race, who He has purposed to live here, to have dominion over it. He tells us in Isaiah 45:18 “For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other.’”
God says “I am the Lord, and there is no other”. To prove this to us, if proof were needed, He reminds us not only that He created everything, but that “He formed it to be inhabited”. It is through humanity, and therefore, ultimately, through the person of Jesus Christ, that the creation of the Earth has its fulfillment and meaning.
Thank You, Lord God, for this planet, on which You have placed us. We thank You that Your love and mercy are demonstrated throughout creation, but most especially in the work of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Isaiah 45:18
For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
There are those who believe that they can read the supposed evolutionary order of things into the account of creation in Genesis 1. However, when we look more closely, we realize that there are a number of discrepancies, which cannot be reconciled. Even evolutionary atheists have noticed this – for example, Richard Dawkins is adamant that it is not possible to harmonize Genesis with evolution.
One of the most obvious of these discrepancies is that Genesis tells us that God made the Earth before He made all other astronomical objects. The Earth was created on Day One, whereas the greater and lesser lights and the stars were created on the Fourth Day.
The Earth is the focus of God’s activity, and in particular the human race, who He has purposed to live here, to have dominion over it. He tells us in Isaiah 45:18 “For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other.’”
God says “I am the Lord, and there is no other”. To prove this to us, if proof were needed, He reminds us not only that He created everything, but that “He formed it to be inhabited”. It is through humanity, and therefore, ultimately, through the person of Jesus Christ, that the creation of the Earth has its fulfillment and meaning.
Thank You, Lord God, for this planet, on which You have placed us. We thank You that Your love and mercy are demonstrated throughout creation, but most especially in the work of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BACTERIAL RESEARCH DOES NOT REQUIRE EVOLUTION
2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Scientists at the University of Lincoln, in the UK, have discovered that there is no link between the shape of bacteria and their movement. The study, published in Nature’s Ecology and Evolution Journal, concerned the famous flagellum motors possessed by many bacteria. Their reasonable predictions that rod shaped bacteria would move faster than other shapes proved to have no support.
Such experiments are interesting, and indicative of good science, imaginative hypotheses, and the readiness to abandon those hypotheses in the face of contrary evidence. However, these biologists, like so many others, feel the need to present their findings in an evolutionary context. One of the scientists commented “We fully expected to confirm a widely-held belief, backed by strong theoretical predictions, that rod-shaped cells would move more effectively than coccoid (spherical) cells, and that shape and motility had co-evolved.” Those of us with a biblical creationist starting point can see that the attempt to fit real science into an imaginary evolutionary commentary is superfluous.
Such hyperbole once more underlines why research is better carried out under biblical presuppositions, without the need to pay homage to a false framework of biological history, in order to make sure that funding sources do not evaporate. If scientists were freed of these evolutionary shackles, they would find it so much easier to research into the wonderful world, in which God has placed us.
All of life has come from You, Heavenly Father. We praise You for all that we learn about You from Your Word and Your creation. Amen.
2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Scientists at the University of Lincoln, in the UK, have discovered that there is no link between the shape of bacteria and their movement. The study, published in Nature’s Ecology and Evolution Journal, concerned the famous flagellum motors possessed by many bacteria. Their reasonable predictions that rod shaped bacteria would move faster than other shapes proved to have no support.
Such experiments are interesting, and indicative of good science, imaginative hypotheses, and the readiness to abandon those hypotheses in the face of contrary evidence. However, these biologists, like so many others, feel the need to present their findings in an evolutionary context. One of the scientists commented “We fully expected to confirm a widely-held belief, backed by strong theoretical predictions, that rod-shaped cells would move more effectively than coccoid (spherical) cells, and that shape and motility had co-evolved.” Those of us with a biblical creationist starting point can see that the attempt to fit real science into an imaginary evolutionary commentary is superfluous.
Such hyperbole once more underlines why research is better carried out under biblical presuppositions, without the need to pay homage to a false framework of biological history, in order to make sure that funding sources do not evaporate. If scientists were freed of these evolutionary shackles, they would find it so much easier to research into the wonderful world, in which God has placed us.
All of life has come from You, Heavenly Father. We praise You for all that we learn about You from Your Word and Your creation. Amen.
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