A little over a year ago, I started writing a blog for the Truth of Genesis website at the request of my friend Dave Powell. I was happy to introduce to the world my evidence-based Creation “Fun Facts:” 49 fundamental facts that demonstrate evidence for the biblical account of Creation as recorded in the straightforward reading of Genesis. In my first post, I explained how I came to understand why we need to be ready to give a biblical defense for Creation.

If you followed along for the next six months, you may know I explained that Darwinian evolution doesn’t even qualify as a scientific “theory” and why the observations he made of the finches in the Galapagos actually just supported the biblical command we see for animals to produce “after their kind.” I introduced you to the truth of irreducible complexity and how we can observe it in the giraffe, the bombardier beetle, the chuckwalla lizard, the woodpecker, and the human brain, heart, and eye. I demonstrated how the observable processes of gene depletion and entropy support Creation and not evolution. Similarly, I showed that the fossil record and laying down of sedimentary rock also go against evolutionary ideas. I debunked the ideas of the “hopeful monster theory”, that the Big Bang could be compatible with the Bible, and I discussed the uniqueness of Earth’s atmosphere opposed to the possibility that intelligent life could exist on other planets. I also talked about the fact that while we’re living in a Romans 1 world, we need to keep up our guard and hold to our faith, remembering that the same God Who could have brought all the animals--even the dinosaurs—onto Noah’s Ark could also keep and protect us from the storms we’re facing now.  Our hope in the Lord’s salvation can be just as strong today as it was for Noah. Finally, I introduced you to “real scientists” Johannes Kepler and Louis Pasteur and also pointed out the dire consequences of the fraudulent work of scientists of the past, such as Ernst Haeckel. But most importantly, I shared how Jesus’ own words in the New Testament confirmed the Creation account as found in Genesis chapters 1 and 2.

And then I took what I thought was going to be a short sabbatical. But just as Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (NKJV), God had other plans for my time. So what I thought would be about a month turned into seven.

During that time I have had some health struggles and was diagnosed with a chronic illness. I had to learn about how to take care of myself, what was necessary to get myself through the flare-up I was having, and now how to do my part to prevent another flare-up. It’s been an educational time for me, but it has also come with some struggles, both physical and emotional, as well as a time of great blessings which reminded me of God’s faithfulness: directly to me and also indirectly using other people in the family of God to help encourage and support when needed.

Briefly, I wanted to share three things I have learned these past seven months:

God is still in control. This past year and a half have been full of such a bizarre turn of events. In some ways, I have felt like God used the pandemic as our own modern-day Tower of Babel. For a time, He redrew the boundaries of countries and made sure we stayed (for the most part) within our lines. But I also have this image in my mind of God gathering us (within each country) all into a giant paper bag, shaking it up real hard, and then pouring us back out. Some people came through it bruised and beaten, some resilient and ready to take on the world. But new lines have been drawn. People have learned which of their beliefs are actually convictions. In the marketplace of commerce and industry, jobs we once esteemed as prestigious have been found to be unessential, while some “grunt” workers have proven to be a much-needed part of society. Families and friends have had to face the realities of different worldviews and reassess their relationships. Some churches have learned the hard truth of the consequences of taking up our crosses and following Jesus. But in the end, no matter what has happened in 2020 and 2021, whether related to the pandemic or not, one thing we can all know to be true: God is still in control. Not one thing that has happened has surprised Him. He is the Creator of us, and He will be the Judge. Neither those truths nor His faithful, consistent nature from the beginning of time to the end, have changed.

Time with the Lord is essential. During these past seven months, my concentration and focus have taken a beating. There have been numerous days when—to my own disappointment and sometimes to the disappointment of others who rely on me—I have been reduced to the very basic of essentials: sleeping, eating, and time with the Lord. Not one of those three things is indispensable. We know that Jesus told us in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (NKJV). Let me tell you, from an emotional and psychological point of view, there were times that, had it not been for my time with the Lord, I wouldn’t have been able to keep going. My hope would have failed, and my faith would have fallen apart. Our emotional and physical health are so intertwined. When one suffers, so does the other. God has the answer. He is the answer.

Even our struggles belong to Him. There were times, early in these seven months, when I didn’t have answers. Even now, there are a few questions I have which will probably never be answered this side of Heaven. During the time that I knew something was wrong but had no idea what it was or what I could do about it, it would have been easy to ask, “Why is this happening to me?” But all I kept thinking about were Paul’s word in 2 Corinthians 1, when he says that God “comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (v.4 NKJV). Taking out the self-pity, I still asked, “Why is this happening to me?” Except my emphasis was, “How can I use this struggle to help other people in the future?” Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (NKJV).  Just as God makes us stewards over our finances, possessions, children, etc., He gives us struggles to steward as well.  In His great grace and mercy, He allows us to endure trials and tribulations so that we can become more patient and perseverant (James 1, Romans 5).

Now that I’m ready to get back to it, I’m looking forward to sharing the rest of my 49 Fun Facts with you over the coming months. I hope you’ll stick with me as I continue to keep the Lord and the truth of His Word in focus!
 
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

This coming Monday (November 9) happens to be “Chaos Never Dies Day.” I know—who thinks of these things, right? But somebody did. And on the website TimeAndDate.com, you can find some ways to “celebrate” and also the thinking behind the annual reminder: “Feel like your life sometimes spirals into a chaotic mess? . . . This made-up holiday encourages people to realize that chaos is part of life and that it will never die.”

Believe it or not, when I made my blog plans for the year, I did not realize how close this “holiday” was to this historic U.S. Presidential election. I also didn’t know that the “fourteen days to flatten the curve” would turn into almost eight months (and counting) of restrictions, regulations, and the chaotic control it has become. I also really didn’t know that my pastor would be in the middle of a sermon series called Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World. Nevertheless, chaos is the theme all over right now.

What I did know is that I wanted to use the opportunity of “Chaos Never Dies Day” to introduce you to my Fun Fact about the Second Law of Thermodynamics:

What does the Second Law of Thermodynamics state?
The Second Law of Thermodynamics, also known as the law of entropy, says that the total entropy of the universe can never decrease. This law confirms the universe had a beginning.

Several months ago, I introduced you to the word “entropy.” Entropy is a measure of disorder. When something is orderly (or “very good”) and it becomes disorderly, the amount of change in order can sometimes be measured by its entropy. In that blog post, I was specifically relating it to “genetic entropy,” also known as “gene depletion,” because we do see this kind of tendency toward disorder when it comes to our DNA, whether from generation to generation or within a person’s life.

But more commonly, we associate entropy with the Second Law of Thermodynamics. In this case, we talk about the amount of usable energy that is available. This is something I teach my chemistry students about, and it helps us understand what chemical reactions could or could not happen, based on the amount of energy they release or absorb from their surroundings. What is interesting is that when you study science and read more about the technicalities of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, there are some specific aspects to it that some scientists disagree on.

For example, some Creation scientists disagree about whether the Second Law was in place before Adam sinned or if it was put into place as part of the Curse. Some scientists are quick to point out that the Second Law is not the same thing as genetic entropy or necessarily the same thing as a general tendency toward disorder—or chaos. Evolutionists have a hard time overcoming the Second Law in their hypotheses about organisms becoming more complex over time, but creationists sometimes put too much emphasis on the Second Law as a definitive answer to disprove evolution. The law itself can be somewhat complicated to understand. Although I have several articles on my website regarding the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the one I would most encourage you to read if you would like to know more specifically about it would be this one by Dr. Jason Lisle.

For my blog post here, I want to draw your attention to the part of my Fun Fact that says, “This law confirms the universe had a beginning.” From the standpoint of the Second Law confirming the beginning of the universe, this truth doesn’t necessarily eliminate many evolutionary theories, as even many of them do acknowledge a beginning. However, one of the interesting points Dr. Lisle offers in his article mentioned above is that since the universe had a beginning, it also had to have a cause.

So, to me, this Fun Fact has two great take-aways:

1. There are actually four Laws of Thermodynamics. These “laws” are among the many rules of math and science that govern our universe. They are unwavering truths that allow scientists to consistently develop theories and make discoveries. If there is a law, there must be a lawgiver. Someone established consistency and order when creating the universe as we know it. Randomness and chance don’t make laws.
2. As Dr. Lisle points out, if the universe had a beginning, then it must have had a cause. Only the biblical worldview gives a clear, consistent, reliable answer for Who that cause was.

Remember, these “Fun Facts” I am introducing you to are actually “Fundamental Facts” that you can easily memorize. They are tidbits to help you answer the call of 1 Peter 3:15, always being ready “to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (NIV). It is great if I can pique your interest and help guide you to study more information and truth about the topics in the facts themselves. My primary goal is to get you thinking and to provide cues to help you remember more solid truths.

But at the end of the day, I always want to emphasize to you the hope that we have in our living God. Even in the midst of uncertainty and ever-growing chaos, we know nothing comes as a surprise to Him, and He has the end all planned out. Do you know this God? If not, today would be a great day to get to know Him!
 
Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/geology/secondLaw.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

Today, the last Friday of October, happens to be “National Frankenstein Day.” The day is to recognize Mary Shelley and her novel in which scientist Victor Frankenstein created a monster. And while you can celebrate the day by reading the book, drawing your own picture, conducting an experiment with electricity, or baking cookies or other treats in the shape of a monster, I’ve chosen to celebrate by introducing you to my Fun Fact about the “hopeful monster” theory:

What is the “hopeful monster” theory?
The “hopeful monster” theory is an evolutionary theory which states that occasionally an animal births a totally new creature.

You may recall that last week I told you an observed truth of genetics: apes make apes, people make people, and finches make finches. But what if that wasn’t always true? What if your beautiful little collie had a litter of pups, and one of them—instead of a collie—was randomly a banacrowtula? Or how about an eleraffepple? You probably hope that doesn’t happen because it might give you quite a startle!

Some evolutionists, however, hope such an occurrence does happen. For a long time, evolutionary scientists have been looking for answers to try to explain away the need for a Creator God to have made all the animal kinds we see today. That there is no observable evidence for Darwinian evolution doesn’t stop them from hoping there could be.

Part of the problem (for evolutionists) is that as they examine the fossil record, animals appear suddenly, all at once. There is no sign of animals transitioning from one kind to another. When apes appear in the fossil record, they are apes. When finches appear in the fossil record, they are finches. And so on, and so forth.

Rather than acknowledging Darwinian evolution might be false, and especially rather than acknowledging there might be a Creator God to Whom we are accountable, one of the ideas these scientists have come up with is that occasionally one animal birthed a totally new creature. Otto Schindewolf, a German paleontologist, was credited with this idea in the 1930s. Basically, he suggested that instead of slow progressions of evolutionary development, transformations happened in large single leaps between species.

UC Berkeley geneticist Richard Goldschmidt took hold of Schindwolf’s theory, calling the new animals “embryological monsters,” and thus named the idea the “hopeful monster theory.” Despite the fact that there has been no evidence to support this idea, and that the theory should have died with its originator, shortly after Schindewolf’s death in the early 1970s, two other scientists—Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge—revived the idea and repackaged the theory. They called it “punctuated equilibrium.” And although there still remains no evidence for it, because it answers Darwinian evolution’s problem of missing transitional fossils, it has been widely accepted and is often taught as fact in public schools and secular museums.

You may recall that Romans 1:20 tells us that everyone—in their heart of hearts—knows there is a God. But verse 21 goes on to say, “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (NKJV). These scientists keep hoping to find evidence to dismiss what they know: there is a God Who created them and will hold them accountable.

Let me reassure you: You have no reason at all to believe your little doggie is going to give birth to a new creature any more than you have reason to believe that Frankenstein’s or anyone else’s monster is under your bed. However, if you have placed your faith in the living God of the Bible, you can rest your head each night knowing your hope is in the Creator of the universe, Who will someday redeem you to Himself. Your eternal future is secure with Him.

If you have not placed your faith in Him, National Frankenstein Day is just as good a day as any other to visit this website and learn how to start your life with the Author of hope.

Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/theories/hopefulMonster.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

Yesterday (October 8) was “World Sight Day,” a day set aside all over the world to promote eye health and to raise awareness for the struggles brought on by blindness and other visual impairments. It seems clear, then, that I should focus this week’s blog post on my Fun Fact about the human eye:

What makes the human eye unique?
The human eye is situated backwards so we don’t always have to look through a pool of blood.

I know there are a few ways I could go here, and you would probably see any of them coming: I could devote the next few paragraphs to the high importance of seeing the world clearly through the lens of the Bible. I could write to you about the ironies of 20/20 being hindsight, yet the year 2020 has taught us invaluable lessons on foresight. Or I could clarify the importance of a backward eye and highlight some of the other fascinating design features of our eyes. My choice: number three!

Why, exactly, are our eyes backwards? Technically, it isn’t the eyes themselves that are backwards, but the wiring. When you look at your eyes in a mirror, you see the beautiful “storefronts” that God has created, with the lenses, pupils, irises, and corneas. But behind those, there are photoreceptors that face the retinas, which are thin layers of tissue that line the backs of the eyes. When light hits the retinas, it activates photocells. These highly active photocells require nutrients found in the blood, so pools of blood are stored between the lenses and the photoreceptors, with the photoreceptors facing the back wall of the eyes. If the photoreceptors faced forward, or if the pools of blood were between the photoreceptors and retinas, our vision would always be tainted by those pools of blood.

But did you also know?

• Our eyes are extensions of our brains, and their job is to send signals to our brains. Our brains store the signals and then piece them together like a puzzle to make sense of them. Even when our eyes are closed, our brains are still active, making pictures from the signals our eyes have previously processed.
• In some ways, our eyes function like camera lenses, but much more efficiently. They autofocus, changing shape as needed; they sharpen images along their edges; they adjust automatically for brightness or darkness; and they are self-cleaning, self-lubricating, and self-repairing.
• An examination of our eyes can signal eye doctors when more serious health risks are present, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and even an impending heart attack.
• Not only were our eyes built “automatically” in the womb, but every animal has something special about the eyes God gave it. For example, owls have more rods and cones to help them see better at night. Flies have compound eyes which help them “sense” things from a wider circumference. And beavers have two sets of eyelids, which we will discuss more in the spring.

Indeed, although the “backward design” of the human eye has often led unbelievers to cite it as an example of “chance” evolution, in reality, the irreducible complexity of our eyes point to a very creative and thoughtful Designer! Take good care of your eyes and remember: your brain stores the images it receives from your eyes. Be sure those images bring glory to God!

Matthew 6:22 (ESV) “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light...

Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/humanBody/eye.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more! This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

With the U.S. Presidential election quickly drawing to a murky close, now is a time we see a lot of headlines with numbers followed by a percent sign (%). So I thought this would be a good week to share a different percent with you.

What percentage of oxygen is necessary for human life?
Earth’s atmosphere must always contain 21% oxygen to maintain life.

While it might seem that some candidates use up a larger percentage of “hot air” than most people, the truth is that our unique planet was very carefully, intentionally, and thoughtfully designed with just the right balance of gases in our atmosphere. This may lead you to ask some other questions:

1. Is it exactly 21%? No, it’s actually about 20.8%, but generally needs to stay in a range of 19.5-22% in order for humans and animals to have the right intake of oxygen.
2. What makes up the other 79%? About 78% of it is nitrogen, and the other approximately 1% is a combination of other gases such as argon, carbon dioxide, ozone, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides.
3. Do any other planets have 21% oxygen in their atmospheres? No. No other planets in our galaxy or any planets scientists have observed in other nearby galaxies have been found to have the right amount of oxygen to support human life. More specifically, within our own galaxy:
   • Mercury has almost no atmosphere (no gases immediately surrounding the planet).
   • Although similar to Earth in size and composition, Venus has an atmosphere so dense it is more than ninety times the mass of Earth’s atmosphere, and it is composed primarily of carbon dioxide.
   • In some ways, Mars is also like Earth: its rotational period and axial tilt resemble that of Earth. However, its atmosphere is very thin and, like Venus, mostly made up of carbon dioxide.
   • Jupiter itself is made up of gases, so it cannot support human life. Its atmosphere is mostly a combination of hydrogen and helium gases.
   • Like Jupiter, Saturn is also a “gas giant,” and its atmosphere is also comprised of hydrogen, helium, and trace compounds such as ammonia and methane, which give the planet its interesting colors.
   • Like the other gas giants, Uranus has an atmosphere composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, but it gets its blueish color from methane, which it has more of.
   • Finally, Neptune is an “ice giant,” and like Uranus has an atmosphere of hydrogen, helium, and methane.

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All these beautiful planets, yet not one of them has the right percentage of oxygen to sustain human (or animal) life. Earth is the only one. This is another great example of (1) why it is unlikely we would ever find human life on another planet and (2) God’s hand in the unique and irreducible complexity of not just our bodies but the environment for which we are suited.

In a world with a 100% chance of sin, conflict, or strife, I hope this reminder of your unique living space has brought at least 10% of the blessings to get you through your day. Fortunately, our Creator is a good and loving God whose mercies are 100% new every morning. You can count on them, along with your 21% of oxygen.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!   Psalm 150:6 (ESV) 
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Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/astronomy/oxygen.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

Today marks the nineteenth anniversary of one of the top-five deadliest events in American History: the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Those of us old enough to remember where we were when we heard the news are probably also able to remember the great American spirit that it fueled and the wave of compassion and concern that swept our nation as a result. I remember, too, the messages pouring in from other nations of the world, offering their deep condolences and heartfelt sympathy. At that time—and for a little while after—the value of a man was understood. The value of a man was cherished. The value of a man was precious.

But why? After all, the prevailing wisdom of textbook science would say that we all originated from stardust and that human beings are the result of millions of years of evolution, the result of random, chance combinations of chemicals, just slightly more evolved than apes and other animals. If that is true, man has no intrinsic value. Man has no soul. But what if the sentiment that followed the tragedy of those terrorist attacks was actually evidence of Romans 1:20, a Fun Fact I introduced to you several weeks ago? In Romans 1:20, Paul tells us that everyone, in their heart of hearts, knows there is a God.

If Romans 1:20 is true, then it would logically flow that we know we also answer to God. And we know we were made by God. In fact, we were made in a very special way and for a very special purpose by God. Check out my Genesis 2:7 Fun Fact:
After God spoke everything else into existence, how does the Bible describe the uniqueness of man?
Genesis 2:7 says that “the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being” (NKJV).

Do you know that scientists estimate there are over one billion stars in our Milky Way Galaxy alone, and that there are over one billion galaxies in the universe, each with its own collection of millions to trillions of stars? No human could ever count them.

All throughout the Word of God we see references to stars and their importance in creation. In Job 38, God paints a picture of the morning stars singing while He was creating. In Genesis 15, God used the stars as a comparison to the number of offspring Abraham would have. Of course, we know from Matthew 2 about the very bright star that marked the place where the baby was born. And the psalmist tells us in several locations that the stars praise the Lord (e.g., Psalm 19:1, Psalm 148:3).

But the best thing we know about the stars is that God has numbered them and knows each of them by name! (Psalm 147:4, Isaiah 40:26) Yet, even then, with all the detail and explanation of the Creation account in Genesis 1, the creation of this myriad of celestial beings is summed up in five words: “He made the stars also” (Genesis 1:16 KJV).
In Psalm 8, when David stood in awe of creation and the work of God’s fingers, he said, “What is man, that You are mindful of him?” (v. 4 ) God spoke the stars into existence, but later formed man, “crowned him with glory and honor” (v. 5), and gave him dominion over all creation (v. 6 NKJV).

We were made for a very special purpose: for the glory of God. (Isaiah 43:7)

This is something, as a young adult, I dismissed for a time in my life. I was taken in by the culture of the day. I was convinced that I was just a cog in a wheel. How could my actions bear any impact on the world? And how could a busy God be noticing whether I followed His Word or not? I forgot the value of a man (or a woman). I forgot my value. And I used that as a license to do what I wanted, to justify sin, and to rationalize my own version of morality.

Here we are in 2020, and we look around and see a mess. We see the world trying to define the value of a man: some too low and some too high. The world is telling people that their happiness in this life is all that matters, and their value does not extend beyond the grave, so live it up! Do what makes you happy! Be true to yourself and be whomever, whatever, whichever you want to be. Oddly enough, in this message, the world is also promoting the value of a man to be equal to or higher than God. You get to determine what makes you happy. You get to determine not just your actions and character, but even your DNA. Choose your own ethnicity. Choose your own gender. Choose your own age. Choose your own value.

But guess what?! God didn’t just create Adam in His own image and then let nature take its course. Down through the ages, every human being that has ever been conceived has been known by God. Has been created by God. Has been loved by God. God made you, He formed you in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13), and even before the foundations of the world, He knew you (Ephesians 1:4). All human beings are equally made in the image of God, and, as such, they have dignity and deserve respect. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (NASB).

It is a treacherous time we are living in, but one thing we can still be certain of is what Paul tells us in Philippians 1:6: “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (NASB). In fact, Isaiah compares us to potter’s clay (64:8). With God as our Potter we have two options: we can remember our value to our Maker and submit ourselves to Him, pliable and moldable on the Master’s wheel. Or, we can be unyielding, hardened in heart, deceived by the world into choosing our own destinies but ultimately crumble under the Master’s hand.

If you have forgotten your value to the Lord, today is a good day to remember it. He has not forgotten. Psalm 103:14-18 is a good place to be reminded:
     For He Himself knows our frame;
     He is mindful that we are but dust.
     As for man, his days are like grass;
     As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
     When the wind has passed over it, it is no more.
     And its place acknowledges it no longer.
     But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
     And His righteousness to children’s children,
     To those who keep His covenant
     And remember His precepts to do them (NASB).
 
Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/bibleVerses/genesis27.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

Wait. I haven’t written this article yet. Wait. Don’t read it yet. … Okay, now you can! Are you a procrastinator? I know I tend to be. And sometimes I feel like I have good reasons or excuses to be, but then I’m reminded that being a procrastinator is nothing unique. Whether for good reasons or not, it is the way of many. In fact, I have three proverbs on a sticky note on my computer:

• Procrastination is the thief of time.
• The road of by-and-by leads to the house of never.
• The way to hell is paved with good intentions.

And I often recall one that a friend of mine told me years ago: “If it wasn’t for the last minute, I’d never get anything done.”

Well, if you can relate to any of these statements—or if you feel convicted by any of them—this Sunday’s “weird holiday” will be an assurance to you that you are not alone! It’s called “Fight Procrastination Day,” and I thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce you to my Fun Fact about the specialness of the human brain.

What is special about the human brain?
Consisting of billions of neurons that connect with each other via trillions of synapses, just one human brain is far more complex and designed much better than all the computers in the world combined.

Boy, that’s a lot of syllables! Let’s break down that first half. Neurons are the cells in your brain that control the flow of information you take in from the world around you and the flow of information that you send out to your muscles and more for how to respond. You have billions (nine zeroes) of them! Synapses are like the wires that connect the neurons with each other and with other types of cells. You have trillions (twelve zeroes) of them!

Now then, if I took you to a computer store and we browsed the latest and greatest models of PCs and Macs, you’d be pretty impressed with some of the marvelous features: the high-speed processors, the large-capacity hard drives, the super-quality video cards, and the impressive built-in memories. Especially if we did a little historical comparison to computers of the past such as the Eniac, a Tandy, or a Commodore 64. What if I stood there in that store and tried to convince you that those original machines not only came to exist as a random chance accident of a combination of chemical elements, but that every computer from that time until now slowly evolved on its own into a newer and better machine? Pretty silly, huh? We know that behind all the computers—from the very first to the ones we have today—there were engineers and other smarty-pants people who were designing them. In fact, many of them were implementing something called “biomimicry,” which is a way that humans model patterns in nature when designing materials and structures. Many of the world’s computers have been modeled after the brain, which even to this day is still more complex and designed much better than all the computers in the world combined. How silly would it be for someone to try to convince us that that computer—the true “supercomputer”—had no Designer?

Well, I don’t buy that, and hopefully you can use your brain to realize your brain isn’t the result of random chance combinations and millions of years of evolution. But what else are you going to use your brain for today? More intentionally, how are you going to use your mind today? Do you realize there is a difference between the two? Your brain is a part of your physical body, but your mind is a part of your soul and spirit. Did you know you can use your mind to control and repair your brain? Some time you might like to do a little research into the study of neuroplasticity. I’ve only read a little about it myself and am even less of an expert about the topic than I am about any topic, so I’ll just encourage you to do your own research.

But here’s something I do know: God gave us instructions all throughout His Word for how to use our minds! For example, when we consider the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, how many of them directly instruct us how to behave with our minds? The first is “You shall have no other gods before Me” (v. 3 NKJV). Considering something to be a “god” comes from the mind. When we worship, we worship with our minds. Commandment number four says to “remember the Sabbath day” (v. 8). And Commandment number ten tells us, “You shall not covet . . .” (v. 17). Coveting is an action of the mind, isn’t it?

In the New Testament we see countless exhortations about what to do with our minds as well. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 not to “be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (NKJV). Again, he says in Ephesians to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (4:23 NKJV). James warns us not to be “double-minded” (James 1:7-8). And Peter tells us to be “sober-minded” in 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV).

There are many, many more examples, but this brings us to the most important one for this week: In 1 Corinthians 10:5, Paul exhorts us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (NKJV). Every thought. Not the thoughts you’ll have in an hour or in a day. But every thought. That means the thoughts you are having right now. Don’t let them wander. Don’t let them stray. Don’t let them go to waste. Use them! Take them captive and focus them on obeying Christ. Be productive.

God designed us each with a supercomputer built right into our bodies which enables our minds to obey Him, serve Him, and glorify Him. So, what are you waiting for? Go get to it—don’t delay!

Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/humanBody/brain.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

Whether you’ve heard of it before or not, this Sunday is the annual “National Mustard Day.” If you didn’t know, don’t feel badly; after all, it’s considered as a “food holiday that might get overlooked.” Yet, there are people all over the country who will celebrate by using their favorite variety of the yellow condiment at lunch and dinner, and perhaps even invite their friends over for a mustard-tasting party. If mustard is your favorite condiment, you might like to know the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, is taking their annual parade online for 2020, so you can get in on the uber-celebrating too!

Reading about this “holiday” reminded me of an object lesson I once did with my homeschool drama class. It was in the spring semester of 2014 when I directed a Kathie Hill musical called “AmeriKids,” which was the story of the founding of the United States of America. The object lesson was that when we have faith even the size of a mustard seed, great things can happen. (Matthew 17:30; Luke 17:5-6) In this context, we know our founding fathers had a dream and, in faith, planted a seed that has flourished into a great nation. At the start of the semester, I brought a single mustard seed to class and planted it in a pot of soil in front of my students. Every week I carted that little plant to and from class, and every week my students and I marveled at its progress. On the night of our musical I carried that leafy green plant on the stage and introduced it and the musical. The audience was as impressed as we were. But in the gospels, we find that the Lord Himself tells us that the kingdom of heaven is like the mustard seed because even though it’s smaller than the other seeds, it can grow to be larger than the other plants. (Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:16-19). Isn’t that amazing? Even without a spoken word, we can see in God’s created nature signs and symbols of both His love and His kingdom.

And what about the rocks? Isaiah tells us, “You will indeed go out with joy and be peacefully guided; the mountains and the hills will break into singing before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands” (55:12 HCSB). And Jesus Himself told the Pharisees in Luke 19 that even if the disciples stopped singing His praise the “stones would cry out!” (v. 40 HCSB) Indeed, God has created our world in such a way that if we never read a word of His Word, we could see Him revealed in nature.

At no time in my life was this truth more real to me than later that year. In May we did our musical, and in June my son and I were given an opportunity to travel to Europe and to do some sightseeing. We visited some long-time missionary friends in southern Austria who took us on a day trip to Slovenia and Italy. Just inside the Slovenian border we stopped and walked around a site of a former concentration camp. While the somber reality that we were walking on a ground that once was the foundation of horrible atrocities was gripping, across the street was a metal sculpture by Boris Kobe depicting a prisoner with his arms raised to the heavens, crying out for relief. But on that day what accosted my emotions the most were the giant tree-covered stone mountains that encompassed that little valley. I remembered the verses from Isaiah and Luke and thought not so much about the prisoners but about their captors. Even if those men had never heard the truth of God’s love for all from John 3:16, or the definition of sin from James 4:17, or the wages of sin from Romans 6:23, even so—they had God’s majestic creation surrounding them, crying in chorus with those prisoners, telling them that God is real and that God is in control of this world.

Paul tells us this same thing in Romans 1. In fact, through the ages, philosophers have offered a picture of Paul’s passage of verses 18-23 as humans having been created with a “God-shaped vacuum.” How true this is! God made us for the purpose of knowing and worshiping Him. As humans we crave and desire to do that, and the created world around us points our attention to the Creator Who can fill that vacuum. So that brings us to our first Bible verse Fun Fact:

According to Paul, why is no man excused from knowing God?
In Romans 1:20, Paul says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (NKJV).

Nobody is without excuse. Nobody. God has given us all the ability to know Him.

In the world of creation science and apologetics, this passage pops up a lot. Of course, Darwinian evolution has become so commonplace, and the “accepted science” of the public schools in our country. But as I mentioned briefly in my July 17 post about the incompatibility of the Big Bang and the Bible, the idea of Darwinian evolution is simply that: an idea. It is not scientific fact and doesn’t even fulfill the requirements of being called a scientific theory. We will discuss this more with future Fun Facts, but this week I want to remind you that when it comes down to it, evolution—as a scientific model—was developed to try to find a way to explain origins without a Creator, without a God to Whom each one of us is accountable.

But what does God’s Word say? It says everyone--everyone—knows God exists. And verses 21-22 say, “because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools” (NKJV).

Faith the size of a mustard seed is all it takes to fill the God-shaped vacuum you have in your heart, and then you can sing along with the rocks. Don’t forget to mention that to your friends this Sunday as you’re topping your hot dogs, mixing your egg salad, or seasoning your tofu with your favorite yellow condiment!
 
Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/bibleVerses/romans120.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.