Roland Earnst Archives - DOES GOD EXIST? TODAY

November 18, 2024November 17, 2024

God Reveals Himself in Two Ways

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork” (Psalms 19:1 KJV). That is how the psalm begins with a Hebrew parallelism where the same thought is repeated in slightly different words. The word translated “firmament” is sometimes translated as “sky.” Literally, the Hebrew word means “expanse.” As we look up at night, we see beyond what we usually call the “sky” and observe the “expanse.” We see God’s glory and handiwork in the things He has made. (See also Romans 1:20.) But an essential truth in Psalm 19 is easily overlooked. It tells us that God reveals Himself in two ways.

In that first verse, the Hebrew word David uses for God is “El.” The ancient Middle Eastern people used that word to refer to a generic “god.” The Jews used it to refer to the Creator. Read the first six verses of that psalm, and you will see the psalmist says that twenty-four hours a day, the visible physical creation reveals knowledge of God and speaks of Him without using words. He says that this natural revelation of the Creator is available to everyone worldwide at all times.

Something changes in verse 7 when David begins to speak of God’s law–His divine revelation. In that verse, the word for God becomes “Yahweh.” The psalmist no longer uses the generic term known to all but the personal name revealed to Moses. (See Genesis 3:14.) In the following verses, David speaks of how God’s law revives the soul, imparts wisdom, brings enlightenment, and is greatly to be desired. God reveals Himself in two ways.

The point is that God is clearly revealed in His creation, but only in His written word can we fully know His will and plan for us. The cosmos, physics, chemistry, biology, and life all point us to “El,” an intelligent Creator. However, to fully know “Yahweh” the “I Am,” we turn to the written word. Some people refuse to accept the evidence of God in creation and call themselves atheists or, at best, agnostics. Others recognize that the creation indicates a Creator and adopt a theistic view but go no further.

The point is that we need to recognize that God reveals Himself in two ways. Go beyond the generic and lame concept of “the man in the sky.” Recognize that God has revealed Himself in the Bible and most clearly in Jesus Christ. The Creator loves us, and He conquered death by dying for us. (See John 1:1-14 and the rest of the gospels.) Our lives can only be complete when we accept God’s natural and written revelations.

November 11, 2024November 7, 2024

Saturn Launched a Comet

Among the many evidences for design in our solar system are the outer gas-giant planets that protect Earth from comets. We have seen Jupiter draw in a comet, break it into multiple pieces, and then swallow it. If Jupiter had not stopped that comet in the outer reaches of our solar system, it could have been catastrophic to our planet. Astronomers have recently learned that Saturn launched a comet out of the solar system.

In June 2014, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) discovered a comet they call A117uUD. Looking through previous images of the comet, they were able to “wind back” the history of its solar orbit. They found that in 2022, it came close enough to our second-largest planet (the one with the famous rings) that Saturn’s gravity grabbed it and flung it away from us. Now, it’s traveling out of the solar system at 6,710 miles per hour (10,800 km/hr).

A117uUD is the second comet astronomers have seen a gas-giant planet launch into deep space. In 1980, Jupiter sent comet C/1980 E1 (Boswell) on a path out of the solar system. What would happen if a comet invaded our solar system and the outer planets, with their massive gravity, were not there to send it on a detour? How long would our planet survive? What if Jupiter and Saturn were not available to swallow, destroy, or re-route a destructive comet?

When Saturn launched a comet into the wild black yonder, it caused no danger to Earth’s inhabitants. We can be thankful that the solar system is well-designed for us to survive. Does design indicate an accident or a Designer?

Reference: space.com

November 4, 2024November 3, 2024

When Neutron Stars Collide

The periodic table has 94 elements that occur naturally and 24 others that exist only in particle accelerators, nuclear reactors, and atomic explosions. The natural elements include one group known as “rapid neutron capture process” or r-process elements. Most of those elements are created when neutron stars collide, giving off gamma rays.

In the periodic table above, you can see the r-process elements in lavender. Without those elements, life would be very different, if not impossible. Two of the r-process metals are thorium and uranium. Earth’s strong magnetic field that protects us from deadly solar and cosmic radiation exists because of radioactive thorium and uranium inside our planet. Those elements are also the reason for plate tectonics, which transformed the planet from a water world (Genesis 1:2) into a world with oceans and continents (Job 38:8-11).

Other valuable metals in the r-process group include silver, gold, platinum, palladium, and osmium. Those metals are essential for electronic components and catalysts that make our high technology possible. They are also involved in medical treatments, including chemotherapy.

The precisely fine-tuned properties of neutrinos and the weak nuclear force make the rapid nuclear capture process possible. When neutron stars collide, we are also blessed by the fact that they are far away from our planet, so the gamma rays pose no risk to our survival. The closest detected collision was in a galaxy 130 million light-years from Earth. We see evidence of God’s creative wisdom in all of these things and many more.

Reference: salvomag.com

October 28, 2024October 27, 2024

Leaves Must Die to Save the Tree

As I write this, we are at the peak of the beautiful fall colors. This week’s forecast calls for strong winds and rain, which will probably take down most of the leaves. I hate to see the beauty fade, leaving the naked branches pointing to the sky all winter, but I know it’s God’s design that the leaves must die to save the tree.

Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn. “Deciduous” refers to something falling away after it completes its purpose. In our area of southwestern Michigan, some of the most colorful trees are maples and oaks that get their nourishment from the photosynthesis taking place in the green leaves. The trees supply the leaves with moisture and minerals from the ground. The leaves need moisture, in the form of sap, to carry on the complex photosynthesis process, which nourishes the tree for growth.

The sap is mostly water, so it can freeze when the temperature drops below 32 degrees F (0 degrees C). Because water expands when it freezes, it could burst the tree’s cell walls, causing it to die. So, to save the tree, the sap travels down into the roots for the winter, where the ground insulates it from the cold. Without the sap to nourish the leaves, they die and fall to the ground.

It’s God’s design that the leaves must die to save the tree. Jesus told His disciples multiple times that He would have to die, but they could not understand it and even chose to ignore what He was saying. When the time came for it to happen, the disciples were shocked and fled in despair and fear. They could not see that it was God’s plan. It was God’s design to save the world.

The leaves must die to save the tree, even though we may not fully understand it. Jesus’ disciples did not understand why He had to die, but it was to save them and all who would choose to accept His sacrifice on their behalf. As the leaves die, we have the promise of new leaves and new life in the spring. Today, we have the offer of new life in this world and eternal life hereafter. Fortunately, we don’t have to fully understand it, deserve it, or earn it. We merely have to accept it as a free gift.

September 26, 2024September 24, 2024

Reproductive System of Victoria Waterlilies

Yesterday, we looked at the amazing design and structure of Victoria amazonica waterlilies. Named after Queen Victoria of England and the Amazon River where they grow, the huge leaves of these plants are amazing, and their flowers are beautiful. However, I think the most impressive is the reproductive system of Victoria waterlilies.

We have to call this a system because it involves a particular beetle species and several steps. The flowers of this plant last about 48 hours, changing from white to pink and from female to male.

On the first day, all the flowers of a single patch open at the same time. They are white female flowers that present a sweet, fruity fragrance that attracts scarab beetles of the genus Cyclocephala. When darkness falls, the flowers stop producing the scent and close, trapping the beetles inside. The beetles transfer pollen picked up from a previously visited flower.

On the second day, the flowers receive anthocyanins turning them pink to show that they have been pollinated. As the flowers remain closed, the beetles are treated to a starchy and spongy treat that nourishes them. The flowers then open to release the beetles, and the stamens of the now male flower deposit pollen on the beetle. The flower then closes and descends below the water while the beetle carries the pollen to a white flower in another location, where the process repeats.

This reproductive system of Victoria waterlilies cross-pollinates the plants while preventing self-pollination, as the flowers are female one day and male the next. The beetles are treated to nourishment as they carry out the pollination. The system depends on a plant species and a beetle species working together according to a timed sequence. Could this have happened by an accident of evolution, or does it show design? We think design is the best explanation, and design demands a Designer.

— Roland Earnst © 2024
References: worldatlas.com and wikipedia.org

June 17, 2024June 16, 2024

Why Would God Do That?

A Christian friend was looking for help to answer his sons’ questions. One son is in high school, and the other is in college, and they questioned why God would tell the Israelites to “attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys” (1 Samuel 15: 2-3). Why would God do that – requiring total destruction of the Amalekite society?

I shared my thoughts on this question, but first, I suggested he go to our website, doesgodexist.tv, using this LINK. Then scroll down to video #7 in the series titled “Anticipating Some Objections.” Between 11:50 and 15:40 in that video, you will find a very brief answer to the objection of why God would command the killing of all of the Amalekites, including women, children, and livestock.

It seems that in addition to other sins, such as attacking the Israelites in Exodus 17, the Amalekites were sexually corrupt, even including bestiality. That resulted in diseases, even affecting the animals, for which there was no cure at that primitive time. If the Amalekites and their animals were allowed to live in the land God had promised to His people, they would morally corrupt the Israelites and even spread diseases.

God was preparing a people through which He would bring salvation to all people. Why would God do that? Because of His love. Allowing the Israelites to be corrupted by their neighbors could destroy God’s plan to redeem all humanity through Jesus Christ. The gospel came into the world because God had prepared a people who believed in the one true God who created all things. Any other religious system would not work to prepare people to accept Christ’s message.

The Israelites failed to follow God’s instructions to the letter, and that failure returned to haunt them. (See 1 Samuel 30.) Paganism corrupted even Israel’s kings. However, God allowed His chosen people to suffer captivity and punishment. Why would God do that? Allowing His people to suffer eventually led to the Jewish people at the time of Jesus being completely cured of paganism. They had other faults, but they refused to worship any pagan gods. They had the prophecies of the Old Testament and the miracles and message of Jesus to cause many of them to believe and be baptized into Christ’s body, the Church. Although many rejected Christ, those who accepted the gospel became powerful witnesses to the pagans of their day to the point where they “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). (Actually, they turned it right side up.)

The Church today would not exist if God had not taken harsh steps that may seem immoral to our modern Christian sensitivities. I believe that without the influence of Christianity in the past two millennia, people would have destroyed civilization and the planet before now. As people reject God today, we are on the verge of doing that. Today, God does not command us to save the world by destroying our enemies but by bringing them into God’s family through His Church. Why would God do that? Because He loves all people. When you consider the entire history from God’s perspective and realize His ultimate purpose, you realize it was because of His love that He commanded the destruction of the Amalekites.

June 2, 2024June 2, 2024

Planet Parade Syzygy

Just before sunrise Monday morning, June 3, 2024, six planets and an asteroid will form a “planet parade.” That means they will appear in a straight line as viewed from Earth. The planets involved are Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, an asteroid, Mars, Neptune, and Saturn, going from the horizon up. Understand that is how we see them from Earth because Mercury and Jupiter are nowhere near each other.

With the naked eye, you should be able to see Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter, with Jupiter being the brightest. With binoculars, you might be able to see Uranus. With a telescope and knowing where to look, you will see all seven; if the sky is clear, you are away from light pollution and have a clear view of the eastern horizon. However, a crescent moon will make viewing a little more difficult. By Thursday, the Moon will be out of the way to better view the planets, but Mercury and Jupiter will have switched places. The change of position will be caused by the outer planets (Jupiter) appearing to move more slowly than the inner planets (Mercury).

The planets’ ability to appear close together in the sky shows how flat our solar system is. In other words, the planets orbit the Sun in nearly the same plane rather than in random directions. That fact allows the outer planets, especially Jupiter, to serve as comet sweepers, protecting Earth from dangerous objects coming in from beyond the solar system.

A syzygy is a true alignment of planets, which happens very rarely. This planet parade is an interesting apparent alignment, and “syzygy” is a good word to remember the next time you play Scrabble. This beautiful view of our solar system reminds us of God’s wise artistic and engineering design.

Reference: cnn.com

May 30, 2024May 29, 2024

What Created the Universe from Nothing?

At the beginning of the 20th century, many scientists, including astronomers and physicists, believed that the universe was eternal. Since it had no beginning, there was no need to explain what created the universe. In other words, there was no need for God.

That began to change in 1905 with Albert Einstein’s theory of Special Relativity. His calculations indicated that the universe was either expanding or contracting, but he could not accept that. He invented a “cosmological constant” to balance the effect of gravity. Other scientists recognized his error, which he later admitted was the greatest blunder of his life. Then Georges Lemaître theorized, and Edwin Hubble confirmed that the universe was expanding. Since it is expanding, going back in time to the distant past, the universe would become progressively smaller until it began as an infinitely small and dense “singularity.” That was the beginning of time, space, matter, and energy.

The concept of a beginning posed a significant challenge for many scientists due to its religious implications. Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century, science continued to confirm that the universe had a beginning. Robert Jastrow, a prominent American physicist and director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, was one such scientist. Despite describing himself as an “agnostic, and not a believer,” He found the idea of a beginning unsettling as it implied a Creator. In his 1978 book God and the Astronomers, he expressed his discomfort in these words:

“This is an exceedingly strange development, unexpected by all but the theologians. They have always accepted the word of the Bible: In the beginning God created heaven and earth… The development is unexpected because science has had such extraordinary success in tracing the chain of cause and effect backward in time. For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”

Even though scientists have scaled that mountain and made great progress in determining when the universe was created, they still cannot explain what created it from nothing. If there was nothing, how can there be a “what” to do the creating? Many scientists are believers in God, but others need to turn to the Bible to find the eternal Creator, the uncaused cause, the One Who created the universe and us for a purpose.

May 20, 2024May 19, 2024

Green Sea Turtles and Migration

They are sea turtles with a carapace that is olive to black. So, why are they called green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas)? These sea creatures live in tropical and subtropical areas of the Atlantic and Pacific. They eat seagrasses along the shore by biting off the tips rather than pulling them up by the roots. By doing that, they keep the seagrasses healthy, and the green vegetation makes their body fat turn green, which is where they got their name.

Green sea turtles migrate far from their feeding grounds to various remote islands where they lay their eggs. Many of them live along the coast of Brazil, and a large percentage of those lay their eggs on Ascension Island. Ascension is a small volcanic island 1400 miles (2250 kilometers) out in the Atlantic Ocean. Because the prevailing equatorial current runs from Ascension to Brazil’s coast, it takes the adult turtles 50 days to swim from Brazil to Ascension Island. They make the return trip in less than 30 days, swimming with the current.

We could ask, “What advantage does this migration have?” The answer is easy. Ascension Island has sandy beaches where the turtles can lay their eggs. There are few predators on the island, so the percentage of the eggs that hatch and survive is high. When the hatchlings are ready, they paddle out into the equatorial current and float back to Brazil.

There are more challenging questions we might ask. How do these turtles locate Ascension Island? What caused them to go there in the first place? Can we explain this migration by chance? Researchers have made suggestions, but the answers remain unclear. Maybe the best answer is that God has provided a way for these slow and harmless creatures to survive. They keep the seagrasses healthy in their home areas while serving a role in the fauna of the isolated volcanic desert island called Ascension. Green sea turtles are part of God’s amazing web of living things.

May 13, 2024May 12, 2024

Biblical Wisdom on Anger

“Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.” That’s the advice Paul gives in Ephesians 4:26, and it’s good advice. Recent research offers new meaning to that biblical wisdom on anger. Paul goes on to write, “…and give no opportunity to the devil.” Jesus said concerning the devil, “He was a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). Anger is one more method the devil uses to murder us.

A team of researchers set out to “examine the acute effects of provoked anger…on endothelial cell health.” Endothelial cells line the interior of the body’s blood vessels and play an essential role in blood flow and blood pressure. Previous research had shown that in the hour before a heart attack, people were more than twice as likely to have experienced anger or emotional upset compared to the same time the previous day.

In this new research, the team recruited 280 healthy adults and put them through an eight-minute anger recall test. They monitored blood samples, blood pressure, and the capacity of blood vessels to dilate. That dilation ability is essential for heart health. Research links lower dilation to a higher chance of heart attacks.

After eight minutes of thinking and speaking about a recent experience that made them angry, the test subjects had reduced blood vessel dilation capacity for forty minutes. If eight minutes of recalling and describing an anger experience can result in forty minutes of reduced blood-vessel capacity, what might be the effect of ruminating on anger to the end of the day, overnight, or even longer? This research gives new reasons for releasing your anger before sunset.

Biblical wisdom on anger gives more evidence for the accuracy of God’s Word.

References: Microsoft News, and Journal of the American Heart Association