Bible Archives

October 28, 2026October 27, 2026

Neurogenesis and a Healthy Brain

The human brain is a remarkable organ, capable of many things at once. While it automatically controls all of your body’s functions, it also lets you read and process this article. Our brains can be damaged by strokes, malignancies, accidents, Alzheimer’s, and many other factors. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have neurogenesis, where our brains could generate new neurons to replace damaged ones?

Many scientists have debated whether adult brains can generate new neurons. Neurons develop in the womb and, to a certain extent, during childhood and adolescence. But many thought that, after maturity, we didn’t develop new neurons, even though adult brains do form new connections between neurons and remove those that are no longer necessary.

For seven years, molecular biologist Ionut Dumitru at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden has been looking for evidence of neurogenesis in adult brains. Recent research by Dumitru’s team provides strong evidence that it does occur in the adult brain’s hippocampus, a region essential to learning and memory. Earlier research showed neurogenesis in the brains of laboratory rats, but it is unethical to experiment on the brain of a living person. Dumitru and his colleagues analyzed brain cells from the hippocampi of people who had died at various ages of life. Their analysis showed that active neurogenesis occurs in the adult hippocampus. Scientists knew that hippocampal neurons could reorganize and form new connections, helping us take in new information. But this research indicates that the hippocampus may also generate new neurons.

What is the key to keeping a healthy brain? Our brains can benefit from enriching activities like socializing, being involved in a church, and learning new skills. Thinking can be tiring, and it’s hard to make the effort when artificial intelligence (AI) can automate many tasks that require deep thought. Mental challenges like reading, writing, solving puzzles, playing chess, and practicing active listening can benefit your brain health.

Physical exercise also boosts brain health and perhaps neurogenesis. Physical exercise and mental exercise through critical thinking can help keep you sharp. Even when it is easier to avoid exercise, decision-making, or reflecting on the important questions in life, do it anyway. Your body and your brain will benefit, and so can your faith. Consider the evidence for God’s existence. Study the Bible, meditate on it, and apply it to your life. It may be difficult, but it can improve your mental outlook and psychological perspective. Knowing the evidence for God’s existence and the Bible’s reliability can help you to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). We pray that our posts and printed materials will help you do that.

References: newscientist.com and insideh o ok.com

October 26, 2026October 25, 2026

Questions Science Will Never Be Able to Answer

Scientific American magazine addressed an old argument between science and faith. The article asks whether there are questions science will never be able to answer. This will irritate atheists and skeptics who claim that religion was invented by humans to explain what they didn’t understand. That claim has been true in some past cases. When people didn’t understand volcanoes, they invented Pele or Vulcan to explain them. People invented Neptune to explain things in the ocean. Minerva explained rain, and Thor explained lightning.

When science could explain these things, people ridiculed the gods of the past, though in some cases people abandoned belief in them slowly. While I was in Hawaii, I picked up volcanic rocks to bring home. A local man chastised me for it and warned that taking the rocks would bring me bad luck and misfortune. He showed me a letter and a rock from a lady in Ohio who had taken a rock home and had disastrous fortune until she sent it back. I have brought back a dozen rocks from Hawaii over several visits to the islands, and my life has been blessed with good health and happiness.

Are there questions science will never be able to answer? Sarah Scoles, writing in that Scientific American article, addresses some possible ones. They include: “What came before the Big Bang? What causes consciousness? Why are we here? What happens when we die? How did life begin?” It is important to understand that scientists have opinions about these questions, but they are faith statements, not science. In our quarterly publication, we have a column called “Scientists and God” that quotes prominent scientists who have expressed their belief in God. We have literally hundreds of testimonies to choose from.

Romans 1:20 says that we can know there is a God by the things He has made, and 1 Peter 3:15 tells Christians to “be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope you have.” Our “Dandy Designs” columns, plus our booklets and Facebook page, provide strong evidence that intelligence is the cause of what we see.

References: “Impossible Questions” in the October 2026 issue of Scientific American, pages 28-37, and our Facebook page. You can see current and back issues of our printed publication on doesgodexist.org.

October 19, 2026October 18, 2026

Viewing Earth from Space

In 1987, Houghton Mifflin published a book by Frank White titled The Overview Effect. White based the book on the perspectives of astronauts who have experienced what it’s like to view Earth from outer space. He described an “inner cognitive shift in awareness” that comes from seeing Earth from space. He has since interviewed more astronauts, including some who are retired and others who were in space when he interviewed them. These additional interviews led to the publication of a fourth edition of The Overview Effect in 2021.

Recently, the astronauts on SpaceX’s Crew-12 mission, which ran from February 13 to October 8, 2026, shared their reflections after returning to Earth. Mission commander Jessica Meir said in a press conference: “I wish that I could bring all the eyes of all the humans to look back at the Earth in this extraordinary way that we are so privileged to have. I think it really does change you philosophically and how you see each other, how you see yourself, how you see the human race when you look on it down from the vantage point that we have from above.” She said that it “gives everybody this understanding that we need to protect our planet, that it’s not only so beautiful, but it’s so precious.”

As we look at all the turmoil, wars, and crimes happening in the world, it would be good if everyone could see our planet from the perspective of space. However, that alone won’t change human nature. A temporary overview of Earth from space can’t change sinful hearts. The real solution to our Earthly dilemma requires a permanent change that only God can give.

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet, but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight” (James 4:1-20). “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God, and he will come near to you” (James 4:7). Viewing Earth from space might bring a new perspective on our planet, but looking at humans from God’s point of view is the overview effect that we need to have.

References: space.com HERE and HERE

October 14, 2026October 14, 2026

“Do I Have To?” and Church Attendance

Our congregation offers numerous opportunities for members to get involved. We have a Bible class on Sunday morning, a worship service, another Bible class on Sunday night, and a Bible class on Wednesday night. We also have an area-wide devotional at another preacher’s home on Thursday night. Plus, we have a variety of work projects, including highway clean-up, food pantry activity, and phone calls when a member or their loved one is sick or has died. A member recently asked me, “Do I have to attend all services of the church?” I responded with an article by Steve Higginbotham that I think answers that question very well. We all need to consider this:

Do you have to hug and kiss your little children?

Do you have to remember your wife’s birthday?

Do you have to call home when you are going to be working late?

Do you have to buy Christmas presents for your family?

Do you have to attend programs your kids are in?

Do you have to attend the funeral of a close friend or relative?

Do I have to say “I love you” to my spouse?

We don’t have to do many of those things, but we are blessed to be able to do them. We get a great deal of personal joy and/or satisfaction from these things. The same is true of church activities. Steve comments, “When my relationship with God is based on what I have to do and what I do not have to do, I need to take a look at that relationship.”

October 10, 2026October 10, 2026

Jesus Christ Is the Word

Genesis 1:1 declares, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” John 1:1–3 echoes that opening: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.” These passages share not only their opening phrase—“In the beginning”—but also a profound theological link: the Creator is revealed as the Word. In Genesis, God acts; in John, we learn who was acting—the eternal Word, fully divine and co-eternal with the Father. Then John 1:14 unveils the wonderful truth: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus Christ is the Word.

So God created the world “by His Word”—and that Word spoke each day of creation into being: “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light,” and so on. But the Word is far more than speech. John reveals Him as a divine Person—the very essence of God—who entered time and space to become our Savior. Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how the founders of many of the world’s major religions compare with Jesus Christ. Confucius, who lived five centuries before Christ, founded not a religion per se, but a moral philosophy—a system of ethics that has shaped Chinese and Southeast Asian cultures. Confucius was a moral teacher, but he was just a man. History records that he didn’t always live up to his own ideals.

The man who became known as the Buddha supposedly attained enlightenment around the fifth century B.C. He drew countless followers across Asia, but he never claimed divinity. In fact, Buddhism is essentially a godless religion.

Hinduism is often traced to Krishna, who may have existed around 3,200 B.C. Hinduism boasts millions of followers, especially in India, which is officially a Hindu nation. Those who teach Christianity there face persecution. Unlike Buddhism, which doesn’t have a god, Hinduism has millions of gods. Hindu followers can choose their gods, fashion idols, and worship them—a practice that echoes Isaiah’s scathing portrait of idolatry (Isaiah 44:9-20).

Islam was founded by Muhammad much later, around 600 years after Christ. Today, it is the world’s fastest-growing religion. Its number of followers is second only to Christianity—and, by some estimates, is projected to equal or surpass Christianity in the coming decades. It has made strong inroads into the United States.

But contrast the religious founders’ teachings. Muhammad commanded violence against “infidels”—anyone outside Islam. Jesus commanded, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:43-48). The Buddha taught that one can escape suffering through self-effort by attaining nirvana, essentially a state of non-being. Hinduism teaches reincarnation. Moral conduct in this life determines one’s next life. Perhaps you might come back as a cow if you are really good, or as an insect if you are not so good. Some Hindus won’t till the soil, fearing they might crush an ancestor reborn as a bug.

Jesus Christ is the Word who came not only to model virtue and teach love. Because He knew we cannot keep God’s commands perfectly, He paid the penalty for our sins to restore our broken relationship with God. Our Creator entered human history—not as a philosopher, prophet, or enlightened teacher—but as the incarnate Word, bearing our guilt, conquering death, and securing eternal life for all who trust in Him.

One common factor among all the religious founders is that they all died. Only one, Jesus Christ, rose from the dead and is alive today. Those who die in Christ do not cease to exist. We will live with Him because of Him.

October 9, 2026October 9, 2026

When a Star Explodes

Last month, in September 2026, astronomers observed an exploding star. When a star explodes, it becomes a supernova. The supernova now being observed is in a spiral galaxy about 45 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Pegasus. The galaxy is known as NGC 7331, and the star in question has been designated SN2026aaiv.

It is important to know how far away this galaxy is, and astronomers can confirm the distance using various measurement methods. Since this exploding star is 45 million light-years away, it means the star exploded 45,000,000 years ago. Astronomers observe several thousand supernovae in distant galaxies every year, but the last one observed in our Milky Way galaxy was in 1604. We mentioned before that in 1987 a supernova occurred in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is only 160,000 light-years away, so it was only 160,000 years ago.

What is the purpose of exploding stars? When a star explodes and becomes a supernova, conditions are right to create heavier elements, without which we could not exist. Without heavier elements such as iron, copper, gold, lead, and uranium, Earth wouldn’t be here, and neither would we. Supernovae also produce oxygen and silicon.

In the long, distant past, God used supernovae to create the elements that made life possible. Suggesting that the universe is only a few thousand years old does not square with the facts. When God established the universe, He started the processes we see happening today. The original hydrogen present soon after the cosmic creation event has gradually formed heavier elements inside stars. When a star explodes and becomes a supernova, it becomes the birthplace of the heaviest elements.

The question we must consider is whether God is playing a trick on us. If the universe is only a few thousand years old, why are we seeing a star millions of light-years away become a supernova? If it didn’t happen 45,000,000 years ago, is God trying to fool us into thinking we are seeing something that never happened? Are we really observing the past when we look deep into space? If astronomers look at the Sun, they are seeing what it was like 8 minutes ago, because that’s how long it takes sunlight to reach us. Compute that out to a star billions of miles away.

If the supernovae we observe aren’t real, then God is trying to fool us by making us think they happened millions of years ago when they happened only a few thousand years ago, or never happened at all. I don’t believe that our creator God is deceptive. He keeps His promises, and you can’t keep promises if you deceive people. (See Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18. )There’s plenty of evidence that G o d exists, and when a star explodes, we see evidence that the universe is billions of years old.

Reference: space.com

October 5, 2026October 4, 2026

Something Rather than Nothing

If someone tells you that God doesn’t exist, ask them: if there is no God, why is there anything at all? In other words, “Why is there something rather than nothing?”

After many years, even centuries, of insisting that the universe is eternal and had no beginning, scientists finally reached the consensus that the universe had a beginning. There was once no time, space, or matter/energy. Nothing existed. According to currently accepted science, the universe, including matter, energy, space, and time, came into existence approximately 13.8 billion years ago. If none of those things existed, what caused them to come into existence?

The beginning is commonly known as the Big Bang, but I prefer to call it the Cosmic Creation Event. If nothing existed before then, how did the universe come into existence? Whatever explanation you suggest, it must be outside of space and time and immaterial. Those things could not have created themselves. Einstein’s famous E=Mc² equation (energy equals mass times the speed of light squared) tells us that matter and energy are two forms of the same thing.

If nothing existed before the Cosmic Creation Event or Big Bang, why does anything exist now? What originated the things we can see and measure—the universe and even ourselves? In other words, why is there something rather than nothing? I suggest that if you think about what could have caused the beginning, it would have to be outside of time and space and immaterial—something unseen. What could that be? “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Hebrews 11:3). The God described in the Bible perfectly matches the requirements for the ultimate cause. (See Genesis 1:1.)

September 30, 2026September 29, 2026

Profanity Is Increasing

“All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been named by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:7-8). You have probably noticed that profanity is increasing in our society today.

An article in The Week (August 14, 2026) reported that the public use of profanity is increasing among politicians—something that should be obvious. Politicians have used public profanity in 692 instances, and all but 87 have occurred in the last decade. In the entertainment industry, profanity has skyrocketed. You now hear the “F word” in popular music, on TV, and in many movies. In the emails I received this morning, that word was used 72 times. Why does a person use the “F word”?

Reason #1 – The person is unsure about their position on the subject at hand.

Reason #2 – The person is verbally challenged and doesn’t know enough words to express their feelings.

Reason #3 – The person wants to get an emotional response from you.

Proverbs 12:18 says, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” James 1:19 tells us, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”

When I was an atheist living with an atheist family and actively involved in organized atheism, profanity was commonplace. When I became a Christian, I was disowned by my parents and struggled not to use profanity around others. Seven years in the army didn’t help my speech habits. When I started teaching, I couldn’t use profanity around students. I know from personal experience how hard it is not to use profanity. Being around girls used to motivate me not to cuss, but now the girls are using profanity—even the “F word.”

As profanity is increasing, why not stand out from the crowd? Show you aren’t verbally challenged by finding words that let you vent without being profane. It will improve your attitude and how you feel about yourself, and it will earn greater respect from those around you.

September 29, 2026September 28, 2026

The Size of Animals in the Fossil Record

One question better answered by creation by God than by other explanations is why animals were so big in the past and so small today. In Smithsonian Magazine for September/October 2026, Dr. Floyd Shockley, the collections manager of entomology at the National Museum of Natural History, gives the traditional explanation for the size of animals in the fossil record.

The data on this issue involves two things. One is the fact that the level of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere was higher in the past than it is today (35% in the past as opposed to 21% today). The other is the fact that all major groups of animal life have become smaller today. We are all familiar with the fossil remains of huge dinosaurs. Less publicized is the fact that insects were also huge compared to their relatives today. Is an animal’s size related to how much oxygen it breathes? If so, animals living at higher elevations should be smaller than those at lower elevations. That is simply not the case.

Size is more directly related to diet than to a 14% difference in oxygen levels. The ecology of various environments is also a factor. Habitat design involves interactions between plant and animal life. Scientists have conducted interesting experiments in which they tried to design a closed habitat that would last for many years. Without external interference from the scientists, those habitats have collapsed.

The size of animals in the fossil record shows great intelligence in how animal and plant sizes interact. God was preparing the planet for humans and the resources we would need. No single factor accounts for how life was created, and no chance process can explain the facts we see. It reminds us of Romans 1:20, which tells us that “…since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

September 28, 2026September 27, 2026

Rock Hyraxes Are Wise

These mammals are mentioned four times in the Bible and are widespread throughout central and southern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Although rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) look like a larger guinea pig, they are not rodents. Surprisingly, it is more closely related to elephants.

Rock hyraxes average 20 inches (50 cm) long and weigh around 8.8 pounds (4 kg). They resemble rabbits, with short, rounded ears and no tail. They have four toes on each front foot and three on each back foot. Their toes have long, claw-like nails used for grooming and scratching. The bottoms of their feet have a rubbery texture that helps them climb steep rock surfaces and trees. Their sandy, tan color helps them blend into their desert environment.

Although rock hyraxes do not burrow, they inhabit abandoned aardvark and meerkat burrows. They live in colonies of about fifty in the natural crevices of boulders. The colony maintains a high level of hygiene, designating areas of the shelter as “latrines” for waste disposal. They are very active during the daytime, communicating with family members using many vocalizations.

Rock hyraxes forage for food as a group, using a sentry strategy. Members of the foraging party eat in a circle facing away from the group, giving them a clear view of their surroundings for any threats or predators. They play an ecosystem role as a food source for many predators and as seed dispersers. The rock hyrax could not perform its role as a seed disperser without its three-chambered stomach, which contains symbiotic bacteria that break down plant matter.

The Bible mentions rock hyraxes four times (translated as “coneys” in the King James Version). Leviticus and Deuteronomy list them as unclean animals that should not be eaten. Psalms 104:18 and Proverbs 30:26 say that they make their homes in the rocky cliffs. They find protection there, and for that, Proverbs 30:24 commends them for being wise.