Bible Archives

March 15, 2022March 20, 2022

Creation of Heaven and Earth

As scientists find more and more evidence, the picture of creation becomes clearer. That is not to say that science has the entire creation of heaven and Earth figured out. However, studies have allowed us to see what was done, even if we don’t understand and will never in this life understand how it was done.

Science has identified four fundamental forces involved in creation. They are the electromagnetic force, the weak nuclear force, the strong nuclear force, and the gravitational force. These forces work on particles that science has observed or particles for which science has found evidence but has not observed. For example, photons are responsible for electromagnetism. Particles called gluons are responsible for nuclear forces, with eight gluons causing the strong nuclear force and three gluons causing the weak nuclear force.

The recently discovered particle called the Higgs boson gives mass to the force particles and controls their behavior. Physicists are studying how that happens and looking for a particle that causes the gravitational force. As research continues, science strongly suggests that those forces began as a single force. Our standard rules of physics cannot deal with this concept, and the time during which the forces originated is called the “Planck era.” The creation of heaven and Earth is not a simple process, and science is trying to understand it.

The so-called “standard model” of particle physics has so much supporting evidence that most physicists accept it as a starting point to understanding the process of creation. Some scientists have developed an approach called “string theory” to understand what took place in the Planck era. The mathematics of string theory forces us to believe that creation has come about from dimensions higher than our own. A prominent string theory called “bulk” has creation originating in an 11-dimensional arena. We live in a three-dimensional world with time as a fourth-dimensional quantity. The idea of 11 dimensions is beyond our comprehension. We can describe it mathematically, but we cannot visualize it.

The Bible summarizes the creation of heaven and Earth by simply indicating that an Intelligence in a far higher dimension than our own created time, space, and the physical world in which we exist. “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth” accurately describes what our research and observations tell us.

In summary, there was a beginning often described as the “big bang.” At that beginning, there was Planck time when our laws of physics did not apply. The creation event was caused by “Elohim,” an intelligence outside of space/time who operates in dimensions outside of our physical universe. The creation included the matter/energy from which everything is made and the three-dimensional space, “shamayim,” translated “heaven” in your Bible. It also included the planet we call home, “erets” in Hebrew, created from that matter/energy. The more we know of the creation, the more we know of the Creator.

Reference: “Imaging Our Infant Universe” by Sten Odenwald in Astronomy magazine, April 2022, pages 16-23 or on www.astronomy.com

You can see a chart of the text of Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 HERE. You will find a chart of Hebrew words from Genesis and their definitions HERE.

March 14, 2022March 13, 2022

Lawlessness and Theft

A pandemic of lawlessness and theft is gripping our planet, and recently I had a personal experience with it. My wife and I were doing laundry for a needy family at a laundromat in our community. As we waited for the machine to finish a load of clothes, my wife laid her purse down, and someone stole it. The thief was careful to remove her cell phone and scrub her contact information. We notified the police immediately and canceled all of our credit cards. The police told us that this was becoming a significant problem. They said the thief was obviously experienced at grabbing women’s purses and running because they removed any possibility of tracing their location.

The next day, I took our car in for some service. My mechanic said I should not leave the car in the parking space near the service area because of lawlessness and theft. Thieves had become efficient in stripping the catalytic converters and drilling holes in the fuel tanks to drain and steal the gasoline. Another major problem we all face today is identity theft. In professional fields, research scientists, authors, and songwriters must hire legal protection organizations to avoid losing the rights to their creative work.

Lawlessness and theft are not new problems, but their magnitude and acceptance as part of everyday life are new. Eighty years ago, people considered it a breach of morality and civilized behavior to be caught shoplifting or stealing from someone’s home or business. In today’s world, stores must set their prices to cover losses to shoplifting, while many consider theft a survival tool. We have seen cases of parents teaching their children how to steal from stores.

The justification for this pandemic of lawlessness and theft is rooted in evolutionary assumptions. Some people suggest that survival of the fittest is the operating principle for life. Animals steal food, territory, and mates, so if humans are merely animals, why not use the same survival techniques as other animals? Saying we live in a “dog eat dog” world implies that the behavior we see in dogs is an acceptable survival method for humans.

God gave humans a unique identification separating us from the animal world. One of the Old Testament laws was “thou shalt not steal.” God would judge harshly those who engaged in any kind of stealing. (See Exodus 20:15 and referenced in Romans 13:9.) In the New Testament, honesty and respecting the rights and security of others were part of the Christian ethic. (See Romans 2:21, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20, Ephesians 4:28).

As our society plunges into atheism and the rejection of God and Christianity, we can expect changes in what people consider right and wrong. For a growing segment of our population, lawlessness and theft are becoming accepted forms of survival, whether in goods, creative abilities, or relationships.

March 12, 2022March 8, 2022

Drifting Along With the Breeze

Plants disperse their seeds in various ways. Many of them allow their seeds to be carried away by the wind. A method used by other plant species involves allowing the entire plant to go drifting along with the breeze. We call them tumbleweeds.

Tumbleweeds have often been associated with the American southwest, but they exist in primarily arid or desert areas in many countries of the world. A tumbleweed is simply a plant that breaks off from its roots and rolls along in the wind. Sometimes only part of the plant carrying the seeds breaks off. Also, some plants that produce spores rather than seeds become tumbleweeds.

As the plant is drifting along with the breeze, it scatters the seeds or spores over a wide area. This seed dispersal system works well in dry, open, windy areas. Unfortunately, sometimes it works too well. Humans have accidentally transported tumbleweeds from their native environments into new areas where they become invasive species. Sometimes they get caught in fences or get tangled with each other. These tumbleweed clusters can even grow large enough to block roads or houses. On the other hand, tumbleweeds can be beneficial by serving as food for animals or livestock in the dry rangelands. What could be better than for your food to come drifting along with the breeze right to you?

For the tumbleweeds to disperse their seeds and bring new life, they have to die first. As the dead plant degrades, the seeds are released, and new life begins in the desert. Jesus Christ said, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24). Jesus spoke those words knowing that He would soon give His life. However, from His death would come new life for all who will accept it because He rose to conquer death. Jesus was not just drifting along. He knew exactly what he was about to do, and He did it for you and me.

March 9, 2022March 8, 2022

Much to Learn from the Animals

Animals have much to teach us. We have learned many things by studying animal anatomy and behavior and made numerous advances in medicine through animal studies. For example, principles of flight, the use of sonar, robotics, and improved adhesives have all been aided by studying animals. But one thing is for sure is that we still have much to learn from the animals.

Conversely, animals also learn from humans. That is especially true of mammals and birds, which can develop special relationships with humans. Dogs were domesticated from their wild ancestors thousands of years ago and have lived side-by-side with humans ever since. They learn from us, and they help us as we help them. Dogs assist people with vision problems and other illnesses. They provide valuable help to police and rescue workers.

You may have noticed that yawning can be contagious. When a person sees another person yawning, they tend to yawn also. Try this test. While your dog is watching, start yawning. Dogs often yawn after they see a human yawn, and they are more likely to yawn in response to their owner rather than a stranger.

God commanded us to have dominion over the animals (Genesis 1:28), and He gave mammals and birds the ability to relate to humans uniquely. If we pay attention, we have much to learn from the animals. In Job 12:7-10, Job said:

“But ask the animals, and they will instruct you;
ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct you;
let the fish of the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?”

Job knew that the animals have much to tell us about the wisdom of God’s design for His creatures. Then in Job chapter 38:39 to 39:30, God uses descriptions of ten mammals and birds to show Job and his friends that they have a lot to learn. In Matthew 6:25-, Jesus told His followers that the birds can teach us a lesson about not worrying. In this time of chaos, war, and inflation, that’s a lesson we all need. Yes, we still have much to learn from the animals.

March 7, 2022March 6, 2022

The Aging of Churches

A child is born every eight seconds, and someone dies every 11 seconds in the United States. The average age of all people in this country is 38, but no mainline denomination has an average age that low. So we are concerned about the aging of churches. The average age of Muslims in the U.S. is 32, and the average age of “nothing in particular” is 43.

Data on major religious groups shows that those with an emphasis on the biblical concept of the family have a lower age than denominations that do not. For example, the United Methodist Church has an average age of 58, the Episcopal Church average is 57, Lutheran Church is 56, and the Presbyterian Church is 55. In contrast, Pentecostal Church members have an average age of 47, and Churches of Christ average 48.

Examining statistics about the aging of churches and projecting those numbers into the future, what do we see? Obviously, churches that fail to adhere to the nuclear family concept of the Bible will eventually age out. We already see many congregations where the leadership is made up entirely of people over 65. The kinds of issues that concern people over 65 are radically different from those of people around the U.S. average age of 38.

We don’t ask the age of people who use our websites, take our apologetic courses, or send us emails. However, it is evident from the questions we receive that most of them come from younger people looking for answers concerning science and faith. We do know that the age group with the largest share of likes on our Facebook page is 18-24. The second largest is 25-34. Together, those two groups make up almost half of the followers on our Facebook page (facebook.com/evidence4god). On the other hand, most of our negative emails come from older people who don’t feel there is a need for what our ministry is doing.

First Peter 3:15 encourages believers to “Be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you of the hope that is within you.” Younger people need to see evidence to lead them to a dynamic and functional faith. Their parents may have faith, but tradition is a poor apologetic.

References: Christianity Today November 2021, page 20, and The Search for November 2021, page 1.

March 4, 2022March 2, 2022

Shallow Torpor and Deep Torpor in Hummingbirds

You have probably heard that hummingbirds have such a high metabolism that they must eat constantly. On a human scale, a hummingbird would have to drink a can of Coca-Cola every minute just to stay alive. However, it isn’t just the rapid wing beat that requires so much energy, but hummingbirds must maintain their body heat so that organs like the liver and heart can function. A research team has studied the design built into hummingbirds to address this problem. It has to do with shallow torpor and deep torpor in hummingbirds.

Anusha Shankar at Cornell University and her team found that the smallest hummingbirds cool down at night to as low as 3 degrees Celsius. Shankar called that “an incredible ability.”
Hummingbirds can fall into deep torpor at night, something analogous to hibernation. They also have a shallow torpor they can use if they need to wake up quickly. In deep torpor, the hummingbirds can save an average of 60% of their energy relative to their basal metabolic rates. In addition to saving energy, when the hummingbirds are in deep torpor, they are invisible to temperature-sensing predators like snakes.

Hummingbirds sleep with their bills turned up and their eyes closed. While in deep torpor, their breathing is greatly reduced with ten-second periods when they don’t breathe at all. Researchers were impressed with the hummingbird’s energy flexibility. The birds not only have the options of shallow torpor and deep torpor while they sleep, but during the day, they can spend 80% of their time hovering or 80% of their time perching. Studies of gene expression show that genes are being turned off and on in hummingbird tissues in shallow torpor and deep torpor and when the bird is awake.

Hummingbirds are amazing creatures that show incredible complexity in their design. As we watch them around our feeders, we need to be impressed with how their bodies maintain their activity and survive the range of temperatures in their environment. It is just a reminder that “we can know there is a God through the things He has made” (Romans 1: 20). Hummingbird design speaks loudly of the truth of that statement.

Reference: American Scientist, March/April 2022 page 70.

March 3, 2022March 2, 2022

What Does Your Faith Do For You?

No matter who you are, you live your life based on faith. I don’t mean just religious faith, but belief in things that are the foundation of how you live and make decisions. We must determine whether that faith is justified no matter what we put our faith in. So what does your faith do for you?

In our age, many people have rejected faith in God, but what has replaced that faith? The longer I live, the more times I have found my faith in something or someone was not justified. People I have had faith in have let me down. When the object of their faith crashes, including stock markets and marriages, some people take their own lives.

We all must ask if the things we have faith in relieve our fearfulness. It is hard not to be fearful when we see the political chaos in America and war in the world. If we have faith in the dollar, the effect of inflation can challenge that faith. Faith in a person can sometimes be ill-advised because people are prone to failure. Sometimes a marriage ends in divorce because faith in a person’s mate is destroyed by behaviors.

What does your faith do for you? The history of Israel was disastrous, and Deuteronomy 32:16-20 indicates it was because they failed to have faith in God. Jesus talked about the power of faith in Matthew 17:16-20 when He said that faith the size of a tiny seed could move the mountains we face in life. In Mark 4:34-41, when Jesus calmed the sea, He asked His followers why they were fearful. “How is it that you have no faith?” He asked.

If we base our faith on people or emotions, we are likely to fail. Instead, we must build our faith on evidence. A study of Thomas’ faith in John 11:16 and 20:24-28 shows that he based his faith on evidence. The purpose of this site is to help searchers find faith. I don’t mean just emotional faith but faith based on the evidence of God’s creation and design in all aspects of life.

No philosophy or belief system other than Christianity can produce stability in life and the ability to do things you never thought would be possible. Hebrews 11 gives us a picture of the role faith played in the lives of biblical people. Let me ask, “What do you place your faith in, and what does your faith do for you?”

February 26, 2022April 12, 2022

What Jesus Opposed – What Jesus Taught

Today’s misrepresentations of the teachings of Jesus Christ are often rooted in human traditions, atheistic beliefs, and denominational teachings alien to the Bible. Jesus opposed seven things:

1) Jesus was against abusive religious leaders. Matthew 23:4 “They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger to move them.”

2) Jesus was against abusive religious rules. Matthew 23:13,23 “You shut up the kingdom of God in men’s faces … you have neglected the more important matters … justice, mercy, and faithfulness.”

3) Jesus was against violence. John 18:36 “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight.”

4) Jesus was against materialism and greed. Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.”

5) Jesus was against judgmentalism. Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge .. for in the same way that you judge others, you will be judged.”

6) Jesus was against racism. John 4:9,27 Jesus is talking to the Samaritan woman. “For Jews do not associate with Samaritans … his disciples marveled that He talked with the woman.” See also Galatians 3:28.

7) Jesus was against male chauvinism. John 8:7 “If any one of you (men) is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Here are seven things Jesus taught:

1) Jesus is for loving all people. Matthew 5:44 “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

2) Jesus is for the value of every person. Matthew 5:22 “Anyone who says ‘you worthless one’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

3) Jesus is for forgiveness and reconciliation. Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

4) Jesus is for fairness and good relationships. Matthew 7:12 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you….”

5) Jesus is for peace and well-being. Matthew 6:34 “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have enough worries of its own.”

6) Jesus is for healing and happiness. Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.”

7) Jesus is for hope and a future for all of us. John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house there are many rooms … I am going there to prepare a place for you… I will come back and take you there.”

Either the teachings and claims of Jesus are true, or Jesus was a liar or a lunatic. You can’t just write Jesus off as a good man. There is too much evidence to the contrary, and attributing sayings and actions to Christ which contradict the above is common in our world. We need to listen to what Jesus actually taught and claimed and lived.

Reference: John Cooper’s video series “Beyond Reasonable Doubt,” which is available on our doesgodexist.tv website.

February 25, 2022February 23, 2022

Do Animals Have Equal Value to Humans?

Today, many people accept the view that animals have equal value to humans because we are just another animal species. However, the biblical concept of humans as God’s special creation emphasizes our uniqueness. We all tend to talk to our dogs or cats as if they are human, even though they are not. They also may be carriers of viruses that are not good for us. People have brought everything from snakes to chimpanzees into their households. Human interaction with animals has complicated our dealing with diseases because viruses such as the one that causes COVID can jump from animals to humans.

Apparently, viruses can also go from humans back to animals. The United States Department of Agriculture has found COVID infections in the deer populations in 14 states. Samples of 4,000 deer killed by hunters or hit by cars in Iowa showed that 60% of them had the COVID virus. However, there is no evidence that any of the deer showed symptoms. Virus-caused illnesses such as HIV, bird flu, chickenpox, others came directly or indirectly from animals.

It is interesting to notice how people treat their domesticated animals as if they were human. Animals that are not related may share physical characteristics designed for the environment in which they live. For example, a shark and a porpoise look similar in many ways, but one is a primitive fish and the other an advanced mammal. No one suggests that they are related. In the same way, we may share physical or emotional characteristics with members of the animal kingdom, but that does not mean we descended from them.

God told humans to “have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28). We are to care for all of life and manage all living things with care and compassion. However, that command denies the view that animals have equal value to humans.

Reference: The Week for February 25, 2022, page 22.

February 23, 2022February 22, 2022

Grow Your Faith in God

In today’s world, many people are asking for more faith. Jesus never treats faith as a commodity. You don’t pour faith into someone like water in a glass. Faith is a part of our thinking and our education. Faith is something that needs to be fed and nurtured. What do you do to nurture and grow your faith, and what does Satan use to defeat your faith?

In Luke 4, we read of Satan’s attempt to destroy the faith of Jesus. The temptations that didn’t work against Jesus are the same ones Satan uses on each of us. The first thing Satan did was tempt Christ with physical cravings. Jesus had not eaten for 40 days, and He was hungry. Satan knows when we have physical cravings, and he works to offer destructive things to meet those cravings – be it food or drink or sex or emotional needs.

The second thing Satan offered Christ is political power. Today, we are expected to embrace political positions that fly in the face of God’s commands. We see recreational drugs, prostitution, abortion, euthanasia, and immoral lifestyles asking for our support and endorsement. We don’t see people in the entertainment industry or political figures resisting these destructive forces, and many are leading others to practice them.

The third temptation Satan presented is expecting God to interfere in the normal processes of life. Satan has sold a big lie about disease and the consequences of the choice of gender change. Jesus responded to Satan’s challenge to violate the law of gravity and expect God to step in and prevent it from working. Jesus responded to each of the temptations by quoting scripture. This third one was Deuteronomy 6:16, which says not to test God. Expecting God to violate the laws He created when we practice destructive behavior is not logical or reasonable.

We need to profit from the biblical account of Satan’s activity and follow the lead of Jesus. Our daily articles on this site and our video series available free on doesgodexist.tv present positive evidence to build faith. You can also grow your faith by reading the Bible. We recommend Romans 1:19-20, Proverbs 8, Psalms 19:1, and Psalms 139:14-15. We have the tools to build our faith, and we urge you to use them!