While we may speak of "simple" forms of life, the more we learn about living things, the more clearly we can see that no form of life is "simple."

Evolution has long theorized that life began in a simple form that over millions of years, gradually became more complex. Evolutionary scientists say that the "simple" forms of life are still in existence today and to prove their claim they point to the "lowly" fungus. Ok, let us see how "simple" the "lowly" fungus really is.

The "cap-throwing" fungus has a built-in clock and bends through the day in response to the sun's movement. The built-in clock of the "cap-throwing" fungus waits until it is turned to the best possible angle before "blowing its top" to distribute its spores or seeds over the widest possible area. The light-sensing system in the fungus releases the spores at about nine in the morning - aiming the spores at an area that is most likely to be open so that they can be spread even further by animals. Whether the spores land where animals pass, or on a leaf, they are coated with a glue to aid in further dispersion.

The "lowly" fungus reminds us that there just aren't any "simple" forms of life. This fungus has been given a sophisticated way to carry out God’s command to reproduce after its kind.

Prayer: Dear Father, there are none of us who are so simple or unimportant that You have not enabled us to do Your will. Help me to always remember that the hindrance of sin is of my making, and to come to my Savior, Jesus Christ, for cleansing. In His name, Amen.

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The beautiful creation in which we live is not only filled with testimonies to the wisdom of God, it is also filled with special designs that deny the possibility of mindless evolution.

Consider the woodpecker. Its tongue can stretch from three to five times its normal length in order to fish bugs out of trees. Of all places, that tongue is rooted in its right nostril. Going backwards, the tongue splits into two parts, wraps around its head between its skull and the skin, passes on either side of the neck bones and then comes up through its lower jaw and exits through the beak. This gives the woodpecker a long enough tongue that will stretch far enough to do an effective job of pest control on bug-infested trees! Now how could that happen by blind evolutionary chance?

Even evolutionists admit that it's silly to suggest that gradually over thousands of years the woodpecker's tongue got longer and began to grow under his skin. As one evolutionary scientist said about the woodpecker's tongue, “There are certain anatomical features which just cannot be explained by gradual mutations over millions of years. Just between you and me, I have to get God into the act too sometimes.”

Why wait to call on God as a last resort? Why not begin with our wonderful Creator!

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, through the instruction of Your Word and the guidance of Your Spirit, help me to be different from those around me who think that the creation itself made them. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

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According to man's history as presented in the Bible, farming and shepherding were among the first occupations. Genesis specifically tells us that in the second generation of human beings there was a shepherd, Abel, and a farmer, Cain. Evolutionists disagree and tell us the first men were hunters and gatherers.

Scientists have sometimes eagerly reported the discovery of primitive tribes that they think are not advanced enough to farm or keep their own animals. When they were first discovered in 1962, the Agta people of Luzon were introduced to the world as "living fossils." Later, one researcher who lived with the Agta for some time so that he could study them, heard someone singing in English outside his tent one night. One of the Agta women was singing her baby to sleep with a religious song in English. So much for the innocent, primitive, "living fossil" theory! Similar long-term studies of other hunter-gatherer groups around the world have shown that the whole idea of "living fossil" hunter-gatherers is a myth. A 1989 issue of Science News carried an article on the subject with the interesting title, "A World That Never Existed."

Man's attempts to explain himself come and go, but what the Word of God says about man will stand forever. In fact, our eternal life itself is revealed in the Word of God!

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, You took our form upon Yourself, a form that You created, to win our salvation. Help me to be better able to show those around me how excellent the Bible's message about man truly is. Amen.

References: Bruce Bower. A World that Never Existed. Science News, Vol. 135. P. 264

Most listeners to Creation Moments know that honeybees communicate with each other through a complex dance. These dances are used by bee scouts who communicate the location, direction, and distance of a new food source to other bees. Researchers have now learned that there is more to this communication than simply dance.

Scientists have discovered that bees can also hear the buzzing sounds that accompany the dance. More than that, scientists have been able to mimic those buzzing sounds, but they have not yet been able to reproduce the language that bees use. In order to further study bee communication, researchers in Denmark plan to construct a tiny robot dancing bee which can be used to recruit real honeybees to food sources - if they can learn the bees' language.

In a previous Creation Moments program we spoke about the recent discovery of an ancient bee encased in amber. Scientists said that even though the bee dated back to the beginning of flowering plants, it was just like modern bees. The Lord's message through all these lines of evidence - sophisticated bee society with complex communication and the evidence that it has existed since there were bees - is clear. If a robot dancing bee must be manufactured by intelligence, then the real dancing bees must also have been made by an intelligent Creator.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, it is sometimes perplexing to see how deaf the world is to what You have to say so clearly. Yet, I confess that I too, don’t always hear Your voice when I should. Help me to hear You more clearly and to lead others to hear Your call to them. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

References: Honey Bees Listen to the Dance. Science News, vol. 135. P. 318

What does the Bible's teaching on creation have to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Well, let’s see what happens to Christ's work of salvation if creation is untrue and God actually used evolution. Death in the animal kingdom must have come into the world long before the first man and before sin. If death is not a result of sin, why did Christ have to receive the penalty for sin by death on a cross? So, in challenging man's origin, evolution challenges the origin of sin and its effect on man. Thus, evolution challenges the very heart of Christ’s work! The Bible tells us that all Scripture was given to make us wise unto salvation. That includes Genesis. John's Gospel tells us that all things were created through the Word Who became flesh.

We see that Word in action in Genesis One when we read, “That Word Who made us and everything is the very same Word Who came and purchased our salvation.”

So Genesis, right from the very first words, is actually the beginning of God's revelation to us of the Person and work of the Son of God - our Savior, Jesus Christ. If we reject God's revelation about His Son in Genesis One, we have only part of a Savior - and only part of Christ is no Christ at all!

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, many in our world today attack You by denying Your work of creation, hoping to deny Your wonderful saving work for sinful mankind. This even happens in the church. Give Your people eyes to see the truth and not be led into error and left with a powerless word of man in place of the gospel. Amen.

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There are certain things in creation that people seldom talk about, including earthworms.

There are over 170 species of earthworms. Most of us are familiar with those that pop up from our lawn but did you know that Australia has some earthworms that grow up to 12 feet long! Every earthworm has a well-developed nervous system - not a simple system as evolutionary theory would expect. The earthworm also has five pairs of pumps that serve as hearts and microscopic bristles to help it crawl through the soil. While considered to be among the lowliest of creatures on Earth it is nevertheless very important for our soil. They prevent it from compacting, help nitrogen and water reach plant roots, help vegetable matter to decay and increase those good bacteria that further enrich the soil for plant growth. That makes earthworms important.

Psalm 104:30, mentions how God renews the creation with new spiritual life through His Holy Spirit. In the same breath He tells how He renews the soil to support material life. Earthworms are God’s small workers designed specifically to renew the soil. How wonderful to see God's Hand everywhere we look!

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, help me to have clear vision so that I can see all things by faith, discerning God’s agents and acts, no matter how lowly they appear to earthly eyes. Amen.

References: Joanne E. DeJonge. Bats and Bugs and Snakes and Slugs. Baker Book House. P. 16-20

Did you know that there is a creature that can have a huge number of offspring, yet never have any children? That unusual creature is the aphid. The first aphid of spring is a female, has no wings, and hatches from an egg early in the season. After about ten days, she will give live birth to another fully formed adult female aphid. There have been no males around. Within ten days the new female, too, is ready to give live birth to another fully formed adult female.

By the end of the summer, that first female aphid could have almost six million offspring! Obviously, one plant can't hold that many aphids. So those offspring born with wings fly off to another plant to continue this mysterious process. Once cold weather begins, the female aphids begin giving birth to both male and female aphids, some with wings and some without. The winged males fly back to the original plant, mate, and this time the females produce eggs that can withstand winter so the entire cycle can start again the next year.

The word “understanding” is often used in Scripture and refers to the sense in which God created all things in such a way that they interact and react to countless situations in precisely the way He designed them. The lowly aphid is an astonishing example of this principle!

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I am filled with awe and wonder when I think that You, the Instrument of creation, came to our earth and took on our form to save us from the consequences of our sin. Help me to aspire to the same kind of love and wisdom. Amen.

References: Joanne E. DeJonge. Bats and Bugs and Snakes and Slugs. Baker Book House. P. 39-43

Most of us are familiar with the Big Bang theory. It says the entire universe is the result of a gigantic explosion that took place about 16 billion years ago. This explosion eventually resulted in stars, galaxies, our Earth, and even our genetic codes. The problem is, we are all familiar with explosions and no one has ever known an explosion to create anything more than chaos. Creation-scientists have been saying for years that an explosion could not have created the universe we see today.

The news is that evolution-scientists are beginning to agree. Most of them still think that an explosion could create the Earth we know today, but they are finding that the organized way in which stars and galaxies are scattered throughout space is exactly opposite of what their theory leads them to expect. One scientist has suggested that maybe they are not taking everything into account. He added that they are looking for ideas - to use his words, even “crazy” ideas, “because, we're getting a little desperate.”

Of course there is a solution to their problem. And the solution isn't so “crazy,” either. You don't get words in a book without an author. You don't build a house without a plan. And you cannot get a universe like ours that is literally crammed with information and information storage systems without a Creator.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, as I gaze into the star-filled night sky, or at a beautiful flower, or ponder the wonder of my own body, I cannot help but see that You, and not an explosion, have created me and all things. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

References: From Fireball to Galaxies: Making Late Waves. Science News, vol. 135. P. 262

There is a popular idea that the biological differences between men and women are merely a “biological experiment” - and some say it is not a very good one! You may have even heard that all it takes is two sets of human genes to make a human being. This kind of thinking results from the evolutionary world-view. The Bible takes a very contrary view, extolling the unique virtues and abilities of both men and women.

In biology class we were taught that each of us started in life when genes from our father were united with an equal number of genes from our mother to produce a fertilized egg. But in 1984, researchers tried to fertilize mouse eggs with equal sets of mouse genes from other females. They got no mice and learned what Scripture has known all along - there's more to it than simple chemistry. Scientists now know that there are very real differences between what were formerly believed to be identical chemicals produced by males and by females. For example, the male proteins on the surface of the developing fetus and placenta modify the mother's immune response so that she does not reject the growing child.

God's wisdom in creating male and female, with their very important differences, cannot be denied - and it's finally being acknowledged by modern science!

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You that we have been made male and female. If it had been up to us to make ourselves, we obviously could not have done it. Help me to be able to witness Your truth to those who believe that the creation made itself. Amen.

References: Rick Weiss. A Genetic Gender Gap. Science News, Vol. 135. P. 312-315

As Christians, we walk by faith. But did you know that even evolutionary scientists walk by their own kind of faith?

In 1922, a tooth was discovered in Nebraska that was said to have belonged to a missing link between man and ape. What did this creature look like? The paleontologists began to reconstruct "Nebraska man." They "reconstructed" what the jawbone around the tooth might have looked like, and then the bone touching that bone and so on. Before long, they had "reconstructed" from that one little tooth, not only what "Nebraska man" looked like, but also what his wife looked like. And they put this "proof” in museums and textbooks. Eventually, they discovered more parts of the animal from which the tooth had come. It was admitted to be an extinct pig but even that turned out to be wrong – it wasn’t extinct!

Sure, anyone, including scientists can make mistakes. But what this true story shows is how, without any evidence and only a faith that rejected God's account of man's creation, a pig could be made into a man. You see, even the evolutionist walks not by scientific fact, but by his own faith in a theory. We Christians should not be ashamed to admit that we walk by faith, because our faith is built on the solid statements of the uncontradicted Scriptures!

Prayer: Dear Father, I thank You that You have allowed me to hear Your Word and have given me faith in Your promises. Teach me, through Your Word, so that I am better able to identify false religious beliefs and carry Your witness to others. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

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We all like to live at a comfortable temperature. Excavations from the most ancient human sites show that homes and entire cities were often positioned to catch the prevailing winds in the summer or to avoid cold blasts in the winter.

In a similar way, honeybees like to keep their hives at a constant 95° F and their way of doing it is quite ingenious. When the weather is cold, bees collect at the centre of the hive where they generate extra heat by increasing their metabolisms through rapid breathing. Other bees position themselves around the sides of the hive to serve as insulation. If it remains cool outside, the bees at the warm centre of the hive rotate with the bees at the cooler walls of the hive. If the weather gets too warm, some of the bees act as fans, circulating outside air into the hive. If this does not provide enough cooling, other bees leave the hive to bring water back that will be spread on the hive walls by other bees. Now the fanning of the other bees will actually cause the walls of the hive to cool by evaporation of the water.

The intelligence we see at every level of the creation offers strong evidence against the claim that intelligence is a product of evolution. Intelligence is a gift of the Creator to His creatures!

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You that You have made me with the intelligence to appreciate at least some of what You have made in the creation. Help me to make better use of my intelligence to Your glory. Amen.

References: Joanne E. DeJonge. Bats and Bugs and Snakes and Slugs. Baker Book House. P. 61-63

Aphids are tiny creatures that are often tended - even protected - by ants. Like many creatures, aphids provide a wonderful testimony to God's ability to create endless variations on a theme.

Aphids come in many different colors: white, red, green, and yellow. Aphids look defenseless. Instead of relying on teeth or stingers, aphids rely on cleverness to protect themselves. Aphids have two spikes on their backs. These spikes are not for stinging, but for gluing. Ladybugs love to eat aphids. If a ladybug tries to eat the aphid, the aphid tries to position its spikes to glue the mouth of the hungry ladybug closed. Aphids that are not protected by ants have longer, more effective spikes.

Perhaps the most clever strategy aphids use to protect themselves is the "aphid kick.” When a group of aphids sitting on a plant feel threatened, they will kick their hind legs in unison. This seems to make the would-be predator think that something bigger is after him! But who organizes the aphids?

Nothing the Creator has made is unimportant. The simple fact that He created something means that it must be important to Him. You can be thankful that no matter what other people may think of you, God has made you - and that makes you important to Him. More than that, He loves His creation.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You that You have made me. Do not allow me to separate myself from You by neglecting to read and study Your Word of Life, wherein I learn of my salvation. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

References: Joanne E. DeJonge. Bats and Bugs and Snakes and Slugs. Baker Book House. P. 38-39

Most of us are familiar with the fact that our Earth is being observed by dozens of satellites that keep track of weather systems, natural resources, ocean currents, sunlight, climate, and animal migrations which makes every crop grown anywhere on Earth able to be identified.

In 1995, a series of data-collecting satellites called EOS, for Earth Observing System, were put into operation and are able to monitor just about any weather, climate, or atmospheric activity taking place on Earth. These satellites collect about one trillion bits of information per day. In less than its first week of operation, the amount of data gathered was greater than all the geoscience information recorded in human history! Scientists are beginning to wonder how they are going to organize all that information in a usable way.

Yet even though the sheer quantity of data collected is greater than our ability to organize it, we might be reminded that this is but a tiny fraction of all the information that God created for the Earth system. More than ever, the EOS project brings us face to face with a Creator Who put that information into the Earth's weather and geological systems in the first place. But more than that, He is able to handle all that information on a daily basis and maintain the most complex and delicately balanced system we call Earth.

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, I am awed by the size and scope of the creation You have made. But I am even more in awe of Your love that led You to send Your Only Son for my salvation. In His Name. Amen.

References: Richard Monastersky. Global Change: The Scientific Challenge. Science News, Vol. 135. April 15, 1989. P. 233

We all know that it takes time to plan even simple projects. But did you ever think about the planning that God had to do when He created all the different kinds of living things? How many plans did He make? A billion? A billion times a billion?

The first chapter of Genesis tells us that in just a few days God created all the different “kinds” of living things. It seems that He designed the genetic code within each “kind” to produce all the variations we designate as “species.” Just think, there are more than twenty thousand different species of bees, these are the bee kind. There are over seven thousand species of segmented worms, the worm kind.

The numbers and the beauty of it all make one wonder at God. Why are there more than four thousand different species of sponges? Why are some creatures, never seen by man until this century, so eerily beautiful? For that matter, why do we have so many different kinds of beautiful flowers?

The variety in the creation reflects some of the joy of creating that God felt as He made the world. This variety shows us the incredible creativity of our wonderful God. And amidst all this, the fact that there is only one species of man - all related - helps confirm the history of man given to us in the Bible.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I look forward to the day when I shall see You face to face and my understanding shall grow in Your presence. But do let me be satisfied to inactively wait until that time comes to praise You before men. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

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The ability to control someone else's will is the stuff of classic horror movies. Thankfully, science has never devised a way whereby one person can take over another person's will and control their every action. But there is a certain parasitic wasp that may, in fact, be able to control the actions of the aphid that it uses.

This tiny, parasitic wasp injects its eggs into the body of the aphid. The larval wasps are nourished by the aphid's body. Aphids do not like this and some will actually commit suicide after they have been injected with eggs. Others, according to scientists, seem to follow the commands of the tiny wasp parasites within them. Aphids, carrying wasp eggs that will require hibernation over winter, often leave their plants to die in a protected spot. There the young wasps will have the best chance of making it through the winter. Aphids carrying eggs that will hatch before winter remain on their plants to die to provide the best place for the young wasps to start their adult life.

Jesus Christ pointed out that until He returns to this world, His enemy and ours, the devil, will try to get us to follow his evil commands. But unlike the aphids, we have a way out of his control because of what Jesus Christ Himself has done for our salvation.

Prayer: Dear Savior, I thank You that You have not left me without hope. I ask that no matter how attractive the devil's lures appear, each of his attacks may drive me closer to You. Amen.

References: R.Weiss. Dying Aphids obey wasp's commands. Science News, April 15, 1989