WHAT DOES THE MILKY WAY SAY ABOUT EVOLUTION?
Job 22:12
"Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!"
When we look at the size of the universe, it sometimes becomes easier to see evolution as credible. After all, when we see galaxies that are said to be billions of light years away, it seems possible that there really have been millions of years. But, in truth, the immensity of space is really not so friendly to evolution's claim that the universe, and the earth, are billions of years old.
The Milky Way galaxy, like many galaxies, is a spiral galaxy. You have probably seen the illustrations showing spiral arms of stars wrapped around the bright center of our galaxy. The stars closest to the center of our galaxy rotate around the center more rapidly than the stars further out on the spiral arms. When these differences in speed are worked out, we discover that our galaxy, no less our earth, cannot be billions of years old. If the Milky Way was that old, the spiral arms would have long ago become nothing more than a disc of stars. Evolutionary scientists recognize this problem, calling it "the winding up dilemma." But they have been unable to come up with an explanation that is satisfactory.
As we look at the creation for evidence of its age, the clues we have so far found can only give us an upper limit. They cannot give us an exact age. But even the size of the universe fails to support the idea that the creation is billions of years old. If instead we piece together the Biblical genealogies, which are really ancient calendars, we arrive at an age for the creation of a little more than 6,000 years.
Father, I praise and thank You that though You are great, You have loved me through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
D. Russell Humphreys, Ph.D., Evidence for a Young World, Creation Matters, July/August 1999. Image courtesy of Yuri Beletsky. (CC BY 3.0)
Job 22:12
"Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!"
When we look at the size of the universe, it sometimes becomes easier to see evolution as credible. After all, when we see galaxies that are said to be billions of light years away, it seems possible that there really have been millions of years. But, in truth, the immensity of space is really not so friendly to evolution's claim that the universe, and the earth, are billions of years old.
The Milky Way galaxy, like many galaxies, is a spiral galaxy. You have probably seen the illustrations showing spiral arms of stars wrapped around the bright center of our galaxy. The stars closest to the center of our galaxy rotate around the center more rapidly than the stars further out on the spiral arms. When these differences in speed are worked out, we discover that our galaxy, no less our earth, cannot be billions of years old. If the Milky Way was that old, the spiral arms would have long ago become nothing more than a disc of stars. Evolutionary scientists recognize this problem, calling it "the winding up dilemma." But they have been unable to come up with an explanation that is satisfactory.
As we look at the creation for evidence of its age, the clues we have so far found can only give us an upper limit. They cannot give us an exact age. But even the size of the universe fails to support the idea that the creation is billions of years old. If instead we piece together the Biblical genealogies, which are really ancient calendars, we arrive at an age for the creation of a little more than 6,000 years.
Father, I praise and thank You that though You are great, You have loved me through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
D. Russell Humphreys, Ph.D., Evidence for a Young World, Creation Matters, July/August 1999. Image courtesy of Yuri Beletsky. (CC BY 3.0)
NOT EVERY GIFT HAS VALUE
Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
Human bridegrooms are not the only males who give gifts to their intended. The birds and the flies do it, too. On a previous program we talked about how the bower bird woos his potential mate by building a hut for her and decorating it with bright objects.
The dance fly presents its intended with a gift, the gift is essentially worthless. The courtship takes place early in the morning as the males swarm. Each courting male carries what looks like a balloon in its back legs. These shiny balloons are only a few millimeters in diameter. As far as we know they are of no value to the female, being made of nothing more than the male's saliva. That may be why the females do not necessarily select the males with the largest balloon. Why did God build this behavior into the dance fly? Perhaps it reflects nothing more than the incredible creativity and variety that God built into His creation.
Or perhaps it was to remind us that not every gift has value so that we would be doubly thankful for His good gifts to us. And His greatest gift to us was the life, death and Resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.
I thank You, dear Father, for the gift of Your Son and the salvation He has made possible for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
S.M., Nuptial balloons, Size doesn't matter, Science News, v. 155, p. 267. Photo: Dance fly. Courtesy of James Lindsey. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
Human bridegrooms are not the only males who give gifts to their intended. The birds and the flies do it, too. On a previous program we talked about how the bower bird woos his potential mate by building a hut for her and decorating it with bright objects.
The dance fly presents its intended with a gift, the gift is essentially worthless. The courtship takes place early in the morning as the males swarm. Each courting male carries what looks like a balloon in its back legs. These shiny balloons are only a few millimeters in diameter. As far as we know they are of no value to the female, being made of nothing more than the male's saliva. That may be why the females do not necessarily select the males with the largest balloon. Why did God build this behavior into the dance fly? Perhaps it reflects nothing more than the incredible creativity and variety that God built into His creation.
Or perhaps it was to remind us that not every gift has value so that we would be doubly thankful for His good gifts to us. And His greatest gift to us was the life, death and Resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.
I thank You, dear Father, for the gift of Your Son and the salvation He has made possible for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
S.M., Nuptial balloons, Size doesn't matter, Science News, v. 155, p. 267. Photo: Dance fly. Courtesy of James Lindsey. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
DON'T STRESS OUT YOUR UNBORN BABY
1 Peter 5:6-7
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you."
We all instinctively know that worry and anxiety is not good for us. Previous studies have shown that stress affects our health and makes our immune systems less efficient. But somehow that knowledge doesn't seem to be enough to keep us from fretting about the challenges and problems of life.
A study conducted by researchers from the State University of New York at Stony Brook examined the effect of a mother's stress on the birth weight of her baby. They studied 130 women between the ages of 18 and 42 years of age. This exhaustive study examined causes of stress, including daily feelings of anxiety, long term anxiety and financial stress. They also factored in 66 medical risk factors associated with the birth weight of their child. They found that premature births were most likely among women who faced both medical risks and emotional stress. In fact, they concluded that emotional stress was more likely to produce underweight births than just medical risks alone. Researchers admitted that every mother to be faces some stress, often without harm to the baby. But the key is how one deals with negative events in one's life. We can deal constructively with stress by giving all our cares to God. Because God has loved us so much that He even allowed His Son to be sacrificed for our salvation, we know He will carry all our cares.
I thank You, dear Father, that You have loved me so much. I cast all my cares upon You, for I know You love me. Amen.
B. Bower, Anxiety weighs down pregnancies and births, Science News, v.138, p.102. Photo: Pixabay (PD)
1 Peter 5:6-7
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you."
We all instinctively know that worry and anxiety is not good for us. Previous studies have shown that stress affects our health and makes our immune systems less efficient. But somehow that knowledge doesn't seem to be enough to keep us from fretting about the challenges and problems of life.
A study conducted by researchers from the State University of New York at Stony Brook examined the effect of a mother's stress on the birth weight of her baby. They studied 130 women between the ages of 18 and 42 years of age. This exhaustive study examined causes of stress, including daily feelings of anxiety, long term anxiety and financial stress. They also factored in 66 medical risk factors associated with the birth weight of their child. They found that premature births were most likely among women who faced both medical risks and emotional stress. In fact, they concluded that emotional stress was more likely to produce underweight births than just medical risks alone. Researchers admitted that every mother to be faces some stress, often without harm to the baby. But the key is how one deals with negative events in one's life. We can deal constructively with stress by giving all our cares to God. Because God has loved us so much that He even allowed His Son to be sacrificed for our salvation, we know He will carry all our cares.
I thank You, dear Father, that You have loved me so much. I cast all my cares upon You, for I know You love me. Amen.
B. Bower, Anxiety weighs down pregnancies and births, Science News, v.138, p.102. Photo: Pixabay (PD)
THE KEY TO REAL LEADERSHIP
Proverbs 12:24
"The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute."
Wasp colonies in temperate zones usually wait until the end of summer to raise male young. That's because male wasps are typically useless consumers of food. They don't do anything worthwhile in the nest, nor do they help gather resources. Female paper wasps often practice what experts call "male stuffing." When food is brought into the nest, a job carried out by females, other females will stuff their brothers head first into unused nest cells. Needless to say, in the typical nest males have short lives.
The first exception to this pattern was recently discovered in Costa Rica. Researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle have discovered a species of wasp in which the males are not only in charge, but also help out in the nest. The female wasps still gather the food, but the males demand and get all they want, even from the queen. But the males were also observed fanning an overheated nest to cool it. They helped remove water during a flood, and they helped take care of the larvae. The males of this species remain with their parent colony for an unusually long time for wasps. Yet, at any time, they can father a new colony. Other tropical species are now being studied to see if this behavior is unique.
The Bible teaches that proper authority is respected when it comes from a spirit of servanthood. This pattern seems to extend even to wasps. Modern human culture needs to be reminded of the principle that when males pitch in and help, their leadership will be appreciated and followed.
I submit myself to You, Lord, because You served me with Your life, death and Resurrection. Thank You. Amen.
S. Milius, Male Insects Rule in a Tropical Society, Science News, v. 155, p.116. Photo: Pixabay (PD)
Proverbs 12:24
"The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute."
Wasp colonies in temperate zones usually wait until the end of summer to raise male young. That's because male wasps are typically useless consumers of food. They don't do anything worthwhile in the nest, nor do they help gather resources. Female paper wasps often practice what experts call "male stuffing." When food is brought into the nest, a job carried out by females, other females will stuff their brothers head first into unused nest cells. Needless to say, in the typical nest males have short lives.
The first exception to this pattern was recently discovered in Costa Rica. Researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle have discovered a species of wasp in which the males are not only in charge, but also help out in the nest. The female wasps still gather the food, but the males demand and get all they want, even from the queen. But the males were also observed fanning an overheated nest to cool it. They helped remove water during a flood, and they helped take care of the larvae. The males of this species remain with their parent colony for an unusually long time for wasps. Yet, at any time, they can father a new colony. Other tropical species are now being studied to see if this behavior is unique.
The Bible teaches that proper authority is respected when it comes from a spirit of servanthood. This pattern seems to extend even to wasps. Modern human culture needs to be reminded of the principle that when males pitch in and help, their leadership will be appreciated and followed.
I submit myself to You, Lord, because You served me with Your life, death and Resurrection. Thank You. Amen.
S. Milius, Male Insects Rule in a Tropical Society, Science News, v. 155, p.116. Photo: Pixabay (PD)
THE AMPHIPOD'S UNIQUE ESCAPE
James 4:7
"Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
The hunted are smart to stay downwind of the hunter. Many predators hunt using scent, at least in part. The same principle works in water. Many predators smell chemicals given off by their prey and use that scent to help them locate their prey. If you were a predator in a stream you would be smart to stay downstream from your prey. The prey won't smell you. In addition, you might be able to smell him if he gets too close.
Amazingly, the little shrimp-like amphipod seems to be able to smell predators even downstream. Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have discovered that amphipods can even smell a brown trout downstream and try to avoid it. Scientists designed an artificial stream that divided into two branches. Down one branch was a brown trout, while no predator waited down the other branch. Then amphipods were placed upstream of the branch and allowed to go downstream. When the amphipods came to the branch, they avoided the branch with the trout. To check whether the amphipods were actually smelling scents from downstream, researchers put trout scents in the downstream water. This was enough to cause the amphipods to avoid that branch. Yet, when trout were placed in one of the downstream branches in glass tubes, keeping their scent from entering the water, the amphipods did not respond to the sight of the trout.
We, too, are being hunted as prey by the devil and his forces. We would do well to learn how to sense where the devil lies in wait for us, and like the amphipods, flee from him.
Dear Father, I confess that I have not fled the devil when I should have. Forgive me through Jesus Christ. Amen.
S.M., Downstream trout swim but can't hide, Science News, v.154, p.91 Photo: Courtesy of Uwe Kils. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
James 4:7
"Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
The hunted are smart to stay downwind of the hunter. Many predators hunt using scent, at least in part. The same principle works in water. Many predators smell chemicals given off by their prey and use that scent to help them locate their prey. If you were a predator in a stream you would be smart to stay downstream from your prey. The prey won't smell you. In addition, you might be able to smell him if he gets too close.
Amazingly, the little shrimp-like amphipod seems to be able to smell predators even downstream. Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have discovered that amphipods can even smell a brown trout downstream and try to avoid it. Scientists designed an artificial stream that divided into two branches. Down one branch was a brown trout, while no predator waited down the other branch. Then amphipods were placed upstream of the branch and allowed to go downstream. When the amphipods came to the branch, they avoided the branch with the trout. To check whether the amphipods were actually smelling scents from downstream, researchers put trout scents in the downstream water. This was enough to cause the amphipods to avoid that branch. Yet, when trout were placed in one of the downstream branches in glass tubes, keeping their scent from entering the water, the amphipods did not respond to the sight of the trout.
We, too, are being hunted as prey by the devil and his forces. We would do well to learn how to sense where the devil lies in wait for us, and like the amphipods, flee from him.
Dear Father, I confess that I have not fled the devil when I should have. Forgive me through Jesus Christ. Amen.
S.M., Downstream trout swim but can't hide, Science News, v.154, p.91 Photo: Courtesy of Uwe Kils. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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