Creation Devotional July 14 - Biology
Daily Devotional – July 14
Biology
Have you considered the chambered nautilus? This South Pacific Ocean creature has a unique shell that is divided into separate gas-filled chambers. The nautilus can sink to the ocean bottom or rise to the surface by changing the gas pressure within the sealed chambers; for example, the nautilus will flood some of the chambers with water to descend. This is exactly how submarines work. Submarines have tanks that can be filled with water or air. When the tanks are filled with air, the submarine rises, if the tanks are filled with water, it sinks.
Evolutionists believe that the nautilus evolved from mollusks that grew extra sections of their shell as floatation devices. Fossil nautiluses, however, look just like today’s nautiluses, showing no intermediate evolutionary change. No one would believe that a submarine happened by accident and chance, so why would anyone believe that “nature’s submarine,” the nautilus, happened by accident and chance? The nautilus simply gives glory to God’s ingenuity.
Thou rulest the raging of the sea….
~ Psalm 89:9
Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett
References for this devotional.
Creation Devotional July 13 - History
Daily Devotional – July 13
History
Did dinosaurs recently live in the Amazon? Vance Nelson, researcher/explorer, travels the world finding the untold secrets of planet Earth. On his latest expedition, he traveled to the Amazon River. In 1940, an American explorer traveled through this same region, and he reported that the indigenous people saw a strange creature that lived in the nearby river; the description fitting a sauropod dinosaur. Nelson hired a local, secular archeologist to guide him to the locations of rock art in the jungle.
One cave’s wall depicts a hunting scene with a large animal in the center surrounded by nine hunters with one of the hunters holding a raised spear. Obviously, these hunters were hunting a living creature; this creature had a long neck, small head, big body, and large tail. This is not a picture of a llama but of an animal very much like a longnecked, sauropod dinosaur. This indicates that the indigenous people saw and hunted dinosaurs very recently in the Amazon River Basin. This is one of the many untold secrets of planet Earth. It is not such a secret, after all, that dinosaurs and man lived together in the relatively recent past.
Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. He is the chief of the ways of God:
~ Job 40:15-19a
Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett
References for this devotional.
Creation Devotional July 12 - Biblical Accuracy
Daily Devotional – July 12
Biblical Accuracy
Why do I believe the Bible to be true? One of the reasons is the large number of fulfilled prophecies. No other book can claim that although many have tried. For instance, the Koran has one specific prophecy (that Mohammad would return to Mecca), but it is a selffulfilling prophecy, which the writer was capable of making come true - he did return to Mecca. This is quite different from the prophecy concerning Jesus, who said that HE would return from the grave. Jesus was dead for three days and then came back from the dead. Mohammed’s prophecy was easily fulfilled while Jesus’ prophecy was not humanly possible!
In the same way, other fulfilled prophecies in the Bible prove the Bible true. Consider the prophecies about Sidon and Tyre. The prophecy regarding the city of Sidon was that the people would be decimated, but the city would continue (Ezekiel 28:21-23). The city of Sidon was attacked, and 40,000 were killed, but the city still stands today. What about Tyre? At its height, the prophet declared that the coastal city of Tyre would be destroyed; the walls would be broken down so that, “I will scrape her dust from her and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets…..They shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water…I will make thee like the top of a rock.…never to be rebuilt and never again to be inhabited? (Ezekiel 26:4-5,12,14 emp. added). At its height, the city of Tyre was besieged by the powerful King Nebuchadnezzar. For 13 years, Tyre held off the attack; finally, the walls were breached, and many were killed. Thousands, however, had fled to an island ½ mile out in the Mediterranean Sea to rebuild their city. Two hundred fifty years later, Alexander the Great came to Tyre and commanded the city to surrender. The people, feeling secure on their island fortress, laughed. So Alexander came up with a bold and daring plan. He would build a causeway across one-half mile of sea to Tyre. Alexander used every timber, stone, and piece of rubble from old Tyre and scraped the site of the city clean – right down to the bedrock. Today Tyre is like the top of a rock, good only for the spreading of nets. “For I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD....” (Ezekiel 26:5).
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
~ Matthew 5:18
Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett
References for this devotional.
Creation Devotional July 11 - Biology
Daily Devotional – July 11
Biology
Have you considered the vegan spider? We normally think of spiders as “meat eaters” because they spend their lives trapping and eating insects. Yet, in Mexico, living in Acacia trees, are special spiders (Bagheera kilingi) that jump from leaf to leaf, eating the tips and drinking nectar from petioles (the leaf stalks). Biologists documented the life of over 140 of these spiders, and only on four occasions did these spiders display any carnivorous behavior. Occasionally, when the opportunity presented itself, they would snatch an ant larva from a passing ant nursemaid. Analysis of spider tissues also confirms that they eat plants and are not carnivores. One scientist was shocked after hearing of a vegetarian spider. To Bible-believing scientists, this should not be at all shocking; a vegetarian spider would be reminiscent of life before Adam sinned.
to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
~ Genesis 1:30
Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett
References for this devotional.
Creation Devotional July 10 - Geology
Daily Devotional – July 10
Geology
One of the most significant confirmations of the Earth’s recent creation has been the measurement of carbon-14 (14C) within diamonds.1 Why is this so significant? There should not be a single atom of 14C left within diamonds!
Almost all sources of carbon contain a small amount of an unstable 14C. 14C has a half-life of 5730 years. This means one-half of any remaining 14C disappears every 5730 years. Modern measurement equipment is so accurate that you’d have to divide the starting amount of 14C in half 18 times before it could no longer detect the presence of any remaining 14C.
Diamonds are made of carbon and also contain minute amounts of 14C that had to have been present at their very formation. Since diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to mankind, it is impossible that any modern carbon contamination could have worked its way inside of a diamond. There is also no known way that 14C could magically be generated deep inside an already formed diamond. Thus, any 14C within diamonds essentially proves that diamonds are far younger than 100,000 years. Evidence indicates that diamonds formed deep within the Earth. Therefore, because the Earth is believed to be billions of years old, it is routinely taught that diamonds are also billions of years old. Yet, if this were true, there would not be a single atom of 14C left within their structure. It is a fact of science that diamonds contain levels of 14C more than a hundred times greater than the equipment detection limit.2 Thus, both diamonds, and the rock layers deep within the Earth are thousands, not billions, of years old.
The next time you see someone wearing a glittering bit of carbon (a diamond), remember, this is one of the strongest evidences that God recently created this Earth for our amazement and enjoyment.
...upholding all things by the word of his power...
~ Hebrews 1:3b
Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett
References for this devotional.
Creation Devotional July 9 - Design
Daily Devotional – July 9
Design
Have you considered the snowflake? It has been said that no two snowflakes are alike. Is this true? The average snowflake contains 1018 or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 water molecules. How many ways can these molecules be arranged? Let’s compare this to arranging 15books on a shelf. There are 15 choices for arranging the first book, 14 for the second book, 13 choices for the third book and so on. When we multiply this out there are over a trillion ways to arrange only 15 books. If we took one hundred books and figured all the possible ways of arranging them, the number is 10158 or a 1 with 158 zeros. This number is greater than the atoms in the universe! Remember, a snowflake contains 1018 water molecules, which can be arranged. The number of possible ways is far greater than arranging 100 books.
From simple water vapor condensing on dust and changing into ice, we find endless amounts of six-sided, complex, symmetrical patterns. Who is the creative genius who came up with such endless variety and design? God is the master designer. Just as He asked Job, “Have you entered the treasury of the snow?” May we take the time to see these treasures of beauty that God created for our enjoyment.
Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow?
~ Job 38:22
Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett
References for this devotional.
Creation Devotional July 8 - Microbiology
Daily Devotional – July 8
Microbiology
Not so long ago, scientists discovered that eating undercooked pork could cause an infection from a parasite called trichinosis. This parasitic worm can infest pigs and be passed on to us when we eat insufficiently cooked pork. When someone eats pork with this parasite, digestive juices dissolve the cyst, releasing the parasite larvae into the body. These larvae penetrate the small intestine walls where they grow, mate, and produce more parasites. Yuck! The adult female can produce thousands of larvae that enter the bloodstream and then burrow into the muscles and other tissues.
The best way to protect against this parasite is to kill it off before you eat pork. This can be done either by freezing the meat below 5 degrees Fahrenheit for 21 days prior to eating pork or making sure the internal temperature is at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit when cooking. Also, today’s hog farms are meticulous, preventing the trichinosis parasite altogether. Did the Israelites know about this prevention? God knew the problems with eating undercooked pork, so He prohibited His people from eating pork in order to keep them safe. In fact, it has been found that those who followed the Israelite’s dietary rules were far healthier than other cultures that did not. God always has our best interests at heart even though we may not understand the specific reasons.
And the swine, .... it is unclean unto you : ye shall not eat of their flesh
~ Deuteronomy 14:8
Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett
References for this devotional.
Creation Devotional July 7 - Biology
Daily Devotional – July 7
Biology
Students are taught about light and dark-colored peppered moths in almost all biology textbooks. Here’s the story: prior to the Industrial Revolution, light-colored peppered moths were prevalent in England. During the Industrial Revolution, soot covered the trees, and the dark-colored peppered moths were better camouflaged. Therefore, they had an advantage and survived better than the light-colored moths. This is often called an example of “evolution in action.”
Today, England’s trees are not soot covered, and light-colored moths are as prevalent as before the Industrial Revolution. This shift in colors is not evolution in action; remember, both varieties of moths were present from the start. As the environment changed, the dark-colored moths had greater opportunity to pass on their genes for darkness than the light-colored ones. With the environment changing again, we now see the lighter ones flourishing. This is natural selection in action, not evolution. Evolution needs proof that one creature changes into another completely different kind of creature. No such proof has ever been seen.
Furthermore, these light and dark-colored peppered moths did NOT spend time on exposed tree trunks and rocks as the famous textbook pictures show. Those promoting this idea in textbooks have now admitted that they glued the moths on the tree trunks; the photographs were fakes. In reality, peppered moths are nocturnal and rest in tree tops during the day. Don’t believe everything you read in your textbooks! But do believe everything in the Bible. God, not evolution, created peppered moths from the beginning.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
~ Genesis 1:1
Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett
References for this devotional.
Creation Devotional July 6 - Cosmology
Daily Devotional – July 6
Cosmology
Have you considered our solar system? It has a nice, neat organized structure. Our planets all have stable and relatively round orbits. This structure, prevents planets from colliding with each other. In fact, this design protects Earth from being hit by another large planet. As scientists examine outer space, they are now discovering other planets orbiting other suns. They are finding that many of these exoplanet orbits are so erratic that collisions with other planets are a real possibility. How did our solar system become so organized? Evolution is about chaos and random changes – not design, organization, or systems. Our solar system shows order.
Even the name we give it, the solar “system,” shows we know it is organized. We do not call it the “solar accident,” “solar non-system” or “solar disorder”…but the solar system. Even those who believe in evolutionary processes as the explanation for everything cannot help but use words that signify design and order. Order does not happen by accident and chance. Order means there must be someone who put this into an orderly system, and that orderly solar system-maker is God.
Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
~ Isaiah 48:13
Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett
References for this devotional.
Creation Devotional July 5 - Biology
Daily Devotional – July 5
Biology
What are the “evolutionist’s tree of life” and the “creationist’s orchard”? Darwin originally proposed that all life had a common-origin ancestor and the various forms of life could be lined up into a “tree of life” showing what turned into what. “Common descent” is still the foundational principle ruling modern biology. Evolutionists believe that all of today’s species are descended from one common ancestor and that every organism we see today evolved from one simple cell.
In contrast, the creationist’s orchard has diversity occurring with time, but always within the basic body types or the Genesis “kinds.” In the beginning, God created the creatures “according to their kinds” (Gen. 1: 11- 12, 21, 24-25). Each of these kinds was created with a vast amount of information but always within limits. Written into the DNA coding of each “tree” within the biological orchard of life, is enough variety that descendants can adapt to a wide variety of environments. Creatures only breed with other creatures of their own kind. For example, dogs, wolves, and coyotes belong to the canine kind while cats, lions and tigers belong to the feline kind. There is no connection between the canine tree and the feline tree. There is no shared ancestry. We do not find “cogs” and “dats” but cats and dogs. The biblical orchard best fits what we observe in nature.
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
~ Genesis 1:25
Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett
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