EAU DE WHALE GUTS
2 Corinthians 2:15
"For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:"
As one perfume expert puts it, "It's beyond comprehension how beautiful it is. It's transformative. Its like an olfactory gemstone."
The perfumer was describing ambergris, a waxy excretion found in the intestines of sperm whales. Since most countries have made it illegal to slaughter sperm whales, ambergris is very hard to come by. In fact, it is almost worth its weight in gold. As one beachcomber observed, "There aren’t too many professions where you could go to work and stumble upon $30,000 one morning."
Bloomberg Business writes, "To outsiders, it may seem like easy money – ambergris can wash ashore anywhere there are sperm whales." Ironically, many ambergris hunters don’t even know which whale orifice it comes from. As neuroscientist Chris Kemp said, "Despite what most people think, it is not vomit. That's one of the biggest misnomers about ambergris. Unfortunately, it comes out the other end."
Sure enough, ambergris smells like perfumed cow dung. What makes ambergris so special is that it amplifies the other fragrances found in perfumes. As one perfumer noted, "It alters the quality of the existing notes and makes them bigger, deeper and more expansive than they can ever be on their own."
Unlike fragrant perfumes, sinful man has nothing within himself that smells good before a holy God. And if you amplify our natural scent, we only smell worse. But when Christ enters our lives, we give off the sweet-smelling aroma of Christ to others. Best of all, we smell good to God, too!
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to replace the foul stench of a sinner with the wonderful aroma of a new creature in Christ! In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Eric Spitznagel, "Ambergris, Treasure of the Deep," Bloomberg Business, 1/12/12. Photo: Ambergris, photographed by Peter Kaminski. (CC BY 2.0)
2 Corinthians 2:15
"For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:"
As one perfume expert puts it, "It's beyond comprehension how beautiful it is. It's transformative. Its like an olfactory gemstone."
The perfumer was describing ambergris, a waxy excretion found in the intestines of sperm whales. Since most countries have made it illegal to slaughter sperm whales, ambergris is very hard to come by. In fact, it is almost worth its weight in gold. As one beachcomber observed, "There aren’t too many professions where you could go to work and stumble upon $30,000 one morning."
Bloomberg Business writes, "To outsiders, it may seem like easy money – ambergris can wash ashore anywhere there are sperm whales." Ironically, many ambergris hunters don’t even know which whale orifice it comes from. As neuroscientist Chris Kemp said, "Despite what most people think, it is not vomit. That's one of the biggest misnomers about ambergris. Unfortunately, it comes out the other end."
Sure enough, ambergris smells like perfumed cow dung. What makes ambergris so special is that it amplifies the other fragrances found in perfumes. As one perfumer noted, "It alters the quality of the existing notes and makes them bigger, deeper and more expansive than they can ever be on their own."
Unlike fragrant perfumes, sinful man has nothing within himself that smells good before a holy God. And if you amplify our natural scent, we only smell worse. But when Christ enters our lives, we give off the sweet-smelling aroma of Christ to others. Best of all, we smell good to God, too!
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to replace the foul stench of a sinner with the wonderful aroma of a new creature in Christ! In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Eric Spitznagel, "Ambergris, Treasure of the Deep," Bloomberg Business, 1/12/12. Photo: Ambergris, photographed by Peter Kaminski. (CC BY 2.0)
NIAGARA FALLS – EVIDENCE FOR A YOUNG EARTH
John 4:14
"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
While visiting Niagara Falls in 1840, Charles Lyell was told that the falls were receding at about three feet per year. This was based on what eyewitnesses who lived in that region had reported. But for reasons Lyell did not disclose, this lawyer-turned-geologist concluded that a "much more likely conjecture" – his words, not mine – is that the rate of erosion was only one foot per year. At this rate, it showed that Niagara Falls had been flowing for 35,000 years. Now, why would Lyell make such a conjecture?
Dr. Henry Morris answers that question in his book The Long War Against God. "Lyell's work at Niagara," wrote Morris, "accomplished its main goal – that of calling Scripture into question. For biblical chronology cannot allow 35,000 years since Noah's Flood. And if Genesis is wrong, how can we trust any other portion?"
So how fast is Niagara Falls really receding? Though there is some dispute over this, I believe that the most accurate measurements show the rate of recession to be over six feet per year. This means that the age of Niagara Falls turns out to be less than 6,000 years, a near confirmation of the date proposed by Bishop Ussher for the age of the Earth.
Since Darwin's theory of evolution requires a very ancient Earth – and he used Lyell's writings to support that view – where does that leave evolution? Truly, the more one knows about evolution and its anti-God agenda, the less scientific it appears.
Heavenly Father, thank You for evidences that support the truth that Your Word is accurate in everything it describes. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Henry Morris, The Long War Against God, p. 189 (Master Books, 1989). See also Ian Taylor," The Age of the Earth," http://www.creationmoments.com/content/age-earth. Photo: Niagara Falls as seen from the United States. Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by Heditor6. (CC BY-SA 4.0)
John 4:14
"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
While visiting Niagara Falls in 1840, Charles Lyell was told that the falls were receding at about three feet per year. This was based on what eyewitnesses who lived in that region had reported. But for reasons Lyell did not disclose, this lawyer-turned-geologist concluded that a "much more likely conjecture" – his words, not mine – is that the rate of erosion was only one foot per year. At this rate, it showed that Niagara Falls had been flowing for 35,000 years. Now, why would Lyell make such a conjecture?
Dr. Henry Morris answers that question in his book The Long War Against God. "Lyell's work at Niagara," wrote Morris, "accomplished its main goal – that of calling Scripture into question. For biblical chronology cannot allow 35,000 years since Noah's Flood. And if Genesis is wrong, how can we trust any other portion?"
So how fast is Niagara Falls really receding? Though there is some dispute over this, I believe that the most accurate measurements show the rate of recession to be over six feet per year. This means that the age of Niagara Falls turns out to be less than 6,000 years, a near confirmation of the date proposed by Bishop Ussher for the age of the Earth.
Since Darwin's theory of evolution requires a very ancient Earth – and he used Lyell's writings to support that view – where does that leave evolution? Truly, the more one knows about evolution and its anti-God agenda, the less scientific it appears.
Heavenly Father, thank You for evidences that support the truth that Your Word is accurate in everything it describes. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Henry Morris, The Long War Against God, p. 189 (Master Books, 1989). See also Ian Taylor," The Age of the Earth," http://www.creationmoments.com/content/age-earth. Photo: Niagara Falls as seen from the United States. Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by Heditor6. (CC BY-SA 4.0)
VIRTUAL REALITY – BLESSING OR CURSE?
Ecclesiastes 2:1
"I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity."
While visiting Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry about 20 years ago, a Creation Moments staff member stood in a long line, waiting to take his first look at what we now know as "virtual reality". Today you can experience virtual reality – or VR for short – on your smartphone with a headset that can cost as little as ten dollars.
When you strap the glasses onto your head, your eyes are presented with two slightly different images, which your brain fuses into a single three-dimensional image. This is far beyond anything you experienced as a child, looking at 3D photos with that plastic toy. While wearing VR glasses, you can look up and down and all around you. You can skydive, go deep-sea diving and walk on the moon, all without leaving your home.
As exciting as virtual reality may sound, it is not without its risks. As futurist Ray Kurzweil predicts, "By the 2030s, virtual reality will be totally realistic and compelling, and we will spend most of our time in virtual environments…. We will all become virtual humans."
This is truly escapism brought to a new level. With all of life's pain and problems, we can certainly understand why people like Kurzweil are eager to escape from reality. However, virtual reality – just like alcohol, drugs and over-indulging in sports or entertainment – ultimately fails to provide relief that lasts. Only Jesus can fulfill our deepest needs, both now and in eternity.
Heavenly Father, You have given mankind the intelligence to invent exciting, new technologies. Though I am free to enjoy these things, remind me to enjoy them in moderation. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Monica Kim, "The Good and the Bad of Escaping to Virtual Reality," The Atlantic, 2/18/15. Photo: The HTC Vive VR headset from HTC and Valve Corporation is one of many virtual reality products. Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by Hakken. (CC BY 2.0)
Ecclesiastes 2:1
"I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity."
While visiting Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry about 20 years ago, a Creation Moments staff member stood in a long line, waiting to take his first look at what we now know as "virtual reality". Today you can experience virtual reality – or VR for short – on your smartphone with a headset that can cost as little as ten dollars.
When you strap the glasses onto your head, your eyes are presented with two slightly different images, which your brain fuses into a single three-dimensional image. This is far beyond anything you experienced as a child, looking at 3D photos with that plastic toy. While wearing VR glasses, you can look up and down and all around you. You can skydive, go deep-sea diving and walk on the moon, all without leaving your home.
As exciting as virtual reality may sound, it is not without its risks. As futurist Ray Kurzweil predicts, "By the 2030s, virtual reality will be totally realistic and compelling, and we will spend most of our time in virtual environments…. We will all become virtual humans."
This is truly escapism brought to a new level. With all of life's pain and problems, we can certainly understand why people like Kurzweil are eager to escape from reality. However, virtual reality – just like alcohol, drugs and over-indulging in sports or entertainment – ultimately fails to provide relief that lasts. Only Jesus can fulfill our deepest needs, both now and in eternity.
Heavenly Father, You have given mankind the intelligence to invent exciting, new technologies. Though I am free to enjoy these things, remind me to enjoy them in moderation. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Monica Kim, "The Good and the Bad of Escaping to Virtual Reality," The Atlantic, 2/18/15. Photo: The HTC Vive VR headset from HTC and Valve Corporation is one of many virtual reality products. Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by Hakken. (CC BY 2.0)
THE EVOLUTION ILLUSION
1 Corinthians 1:20
"Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"
Evolutionary biologists like to give people the impression that they are unbiased individuals who follow the evidence wherever it leads. If only this were true!
As I pointed out in my book In the Minds of Men, ever since the publication of Darwin's Origin of the Species in 1859, scientists have consistently interpreted natural phenomena in a way that appears to provide evidence to support the theory of evolution. Some of these interpretations have turned out to be based on faulty observation, some on faulty reasoning, and some on blatant fraud. When you look at the so-called evidence up close, you'll see that evolution is just an illusion.
Darwin's theory of evolution has, in many minds, displaced the biblical creation account of our origins. For those who hold to evolution, it is vitally important to cling to any evidence for evolution, no matter how flawed that evidence might be. For the same reason, there is an extreme reluctance in the scientific community to even consider new evidence that does not support evolution.
The idea that scientists think rationally and fairly is a simplistic myth. Looking inside the ivory towers of science, we find the familiar power establishments, personality conflicts and intellectual blind spots that are present in any other profession. In other words, they are fallen human beings who are unwilling to be illuminated by the light that emanates from every page of God's Word.
Heavenly Father, let me never put scientists on a pedestal or elevate them to be Your equal. Man's wisdom will fail. In You alone is found knowledge, wisdom and truth. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Ian Taylor, In the Minds of Men: Darwin and the New World Order, pp. 278-280 (TFE Publishing/Creation Moments, Sixth Edition, 2008). Call 1-800-422-4253 to purchase the book from Creation Moments. Photo: Ian Taylor, author and host of the Creation Moments radio program.
1 Corinthians 1:20
"Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"
Evolutionary biologists like to give people the impression that they are unbiased individuals who follow the evidence wherever it leads. If only this were true!
As I pointed out in my book In the Minds of Men, ever since the publication of Darwin's Origin of the Species in 1859, scientists have consistently interpreted natural phenomena in a way that appears to provide evidence to support the theory of evolution. Some of these interpretations have turned out to be based on faulty observation, some on faulty reasoning, and some on blatant fraud. When you look at the so-called evidence up close, you'll see that evolution is just an illusion.
Darwin's theory of evolution has, in many minds, displaced the biblical creation account of our origins. For those who hold to evolution, it is vitally important to cling to any evidence for evolution, no matter how flawed that evidence might be. For the same reason, there is an extreme reluctance in the scientific community to even consider new evidence that does not support evolution.
The idea that scientists think rationally and fairly is a simplistic myth. Looking inside the ivory towers of science, we find the familiar power establishments, personality conflicts and intellectual blind spots that are present in any other profession. In other words, they are fallen human beings who are unwilling to be illuminated by the light that emanates from every page of God's Word.
Heavenly Father, let me never put scientists on a pedestal or elevate them to be Your equal. Man's wisdom will fail. In You alone is found knowledge, wisdom and truth. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Ian Taylor, In the Minds of Men: Darwin and the New World Order, pp. 278-280 (TFE Publishing/Creation Moments, Sixth Edition, 2008). Call 1-800-422-4253 to purchase the book from Creation Moments. Photo: Ian Taylor, author and host of the Creation Moments radio program.
COFFEE – BRIMMING WITH HEALTH BENEFITS
Genesis 1:12
"And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good."
I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but after hearing about its many health benefits, I just might make coffee my drink of choice.
According to a cover story in Science News, "Scientific findings in support of coffee's nutritional attributes have been arriving at a steady drip since the 1980s, when Norwegian researchers reported that coffee seemed to fend off liver disease." Since then, coffee has shown value against liver cancer, type-2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. It also appears to protect against depression, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. In fact, I don't even have time on today's program to list all of coffee's health benefits.
The latest studies show that people who drink two or more cups of coffee a day live longer than those who don't. In a recent Japanese study of more than 90,000 people, those who drank three to four cups a day were 24 percent less likely to die during the next 19 years than people who didn't drink coffee at all.
Think about it – God created the coffee bean on day three of Creation Week, before Adam and Eve sinned and brought disease and death into the world. Is it possible that God, knowing that Adam would sin, provided a remedy for many of the diseases that would come about because of that sin? I believe He did. He also knew long before He created the world that you and I would need a Savior. Is Jesus Christ your Savior? If not, put your trust in Him today!
Heavenly Father, You have provided everything we need for this life and the next. Thank You especially for providing Your Son to die on the cross in our place to make us blameless in Your sight. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Nathan Seppa, "The Beneficial Bean," Science News, 10/3/15, pp. 16-19.
Genesis 1:12
"And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good."
I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but after hearing about its many health benefits, I just might make coffee my drink of choice.
According to a cover story in Science News, "Scientific findings in support of coffee's nutritional attributes have been arriving at a steady drip since the 1980s, when Norwegian researchers reported that coffee seemed to fend off liver disease." Since then, coffee has shown value against liver cancer, type-2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. It also appears to protect against depression, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. In fact, I don't even have time on today's program to list all of coffee's health benefits.
The latest studies show that people who drink two or more cups of coffee a day live longer than those who don't. In a recent Japanese study of more than 90,000 people, those who drank three to four cups a day were 24 percent less likely to die during the next 19 years than people who didn't drink coffee at all.
Think about it – God created the coffee bean on day three of Creation Week, before Adam and Eve sinned and brought disease and death into the world. Is it possible that God, knowing that Adam would sin, provided a remedy for many of the diseases that would come about because of that sin? I believe He did. He also knew long before He created the world that you and I would need a Savior. Is Jesus Christ your Savior? If not, put your trust in Him today!
Heavenly Father, You have provided everything we need for this life and the next. Thank You especially for providing Your Son to die on the cross in our place to make us blameless in Your sight. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Nathan Seppa, "The Beneficial Bean," Science News, 10/3/15, pp. 16-19.
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