1 Peter 1:2

​Have you ever wondered why blood cells look like red discs that are indented toward the middle? Furthermore, is this distinctive shape an element of design or is it the product of millions of years of mutations and natural selection?

Creationist and biologist Alan Gillen makes a strong case for design in his aptly named book Body by Design. According to Dr. Gillen, scientists used IBM mainframe computers to determine the ideal shape for a cell whose job is transporting oxygen to cells and taking away waste products. They discovered that the red blood cell's bioconcave shape allows for maximum surface contact of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin with the cells. This facilitates the two-way exchange of blood gases.

He also points out that this shape gives red blood cells flexibility and elasticity, so they can be folded when flowing through narrow blood capillaries. Plus, they have smooth, rounded edges that reduce the amount of friction as they scurry through veins, arteries and capillaries.

Now, what if evolution's first attempt produced red blood cells that were shaped like cubes and had thin, sharp edges? What if the cells didn't have their distinctive bioconcave shape? Obviously, blood cells had to be designed just right the first time or else the living organism would have died.

And while we're on the subject, try asking an evolutionist which evolved first – the blood, the heart or the circulatory system with its veins, arteries and capillaries? Once again, God had to have created them all at the exact same time.

Notes: Alan L. Gillen, Body by Design, p. 76 (Master Books, Seventh Printing, 2011).
​Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

About 2,500 years ago, during the Persian Empire, an angel told the prophet Daniel, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12:4). We are seeing a dramatic fulfillment of this in our day. Recent inventions include the following:

Headway is being made in driverless vehicles. Google and every major automobile company are engaged in research toward putting driverless vehicles on highways. Volvo plans to put 100 driverless cars on the streets of Gothenburg, Sweden, by 2017 (“The truth about driverless vehicles,” BBC, Oct. 13, 2014). Mines in Pilbara, Western Australia, are already using driverless heavy-duty trucks, each weighing more than 500 tons, and the U.S. Army is testing a fleet of “zombie” trucks.

Scientists at Cornell University have invented a scale that can weigh things as light as a virus or a DNA molecule. The weight is measured by units of daltons, with one dalton being about the weight of a single proton or neutron (“How Much Does DNA Weigh?” WorldChanging.com, May 26, 2005).

The U.S. Navy has put the first weaponized laser into operation on a warship. The 30-kilowatt laser on the USS Ponce can destroy anything from large attack boats to missiles and aircraft (“Navy declares laser weapons ready to protect ships,” Fox News, Dec. 11, 2014). The cost of a laser beam is about 59 cents as opposed to the hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars needed to fire an interceptor missile. The Navy is planning to put much more powerful lasers on its larger warships.

The Navy is also nearing completion of an Electromagnetic Railgun which promises to revolutionize long-range weapons. A prototype was displayed to the public for the first time in Washington, D.C., in February 2015. “The EM Railgun launcher is a long-range weapon that uses electromagnetic energy, instead of conventional chemical propellants, to fire projectiles. The electromagnetic force is so powerful that it launches the projectile up to Mach 6, firing projectiles farther and faster than current options. These projectiles reach an amazing 4,500 mph and precisely hit targets more than 100 miles away” (“US Navy’s new ‘Star Wars’-style railgun hits Mach 6, Fox News, Feb. 5, 2015).

Researchers are nearing human testing of 3D-printed implants that can grow new body parts (“3D-printed implant will help you grow new knee joints,” Fox News, Dec. 17, 2014). New knee joints have been grown in sheep using 3D-imprinted scaffolds infused with human growth proteins. This prompts the body to regenerate the scaffold, which deteriorates as the tissue grows back.

3D systems has unveiled the world's first and only professionally-certified, kitchen-ready 3D food printers. The ChefJet Pro is a large-format full-color, multi-flavor printer. The printing material comes in flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, mint, sour apple sugar, and cherry sugar.

(Friday Church News Notes, March 11, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

Revelation 4:11

​Not long ago, we told you about the ingenious way that electric eels release strong electric current into the water to make fish thrash about and come out of hiding. That's a pretty cool trick from such a supposedly primitive creature.

Now scientists have discovered another shockingly sophisticated trick used by electric eels. As reported by Reuters, "Vanderbilt University neurobiologist Kenneth Catania said some have viewed electric eels as unsophisticated, primitive creatures with a single tool in the toolbox, shocking their prey to death." But he added, "In reality, they manipulate their electric fields in complex ways that only now are being appreciated."

Basically, electric eels brings their positive end – located in their head – close to the negative end in their tail. By trapping their prey between the positive and negative ends of their "battery", the eels are able to more than double the voltage inflicted on prey.

According to Catania, "We know from basic physics that bringing two electrical poles together concentrates the electric field, and we know from basic muscle physiology that running a muscle too fast for too long causes exhaustion. But I would never have imagined an electric eel could produce the same results."

Dr. Catania, do you know why you would never have imagined that? Because you believe – despite the evidence – that electric eels are primitive creatures produced by non-intelligent chance mutations. But creationists who study electric eels aren't shocked by their sophisticated abilities. We know they were created just one day before man.

Notes: Will Dunham, "Zap happy: electric eels innovative in subduing hapless prey," Reuters, 10/28/15. Photo: Photographed by Steven G. Johnson. (CC BY-SA 3.0). Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

“The key component of music that makes it beneficial is order. The order of the music from the baroque and classical periods causes the brain to respond in special ways. This order includes repetition and changes, certain patterns of rhythm, and pitch and mood contrasts. One key ingredient to the order of music from the baroque and classical periods is math. This is realized by the body and the human mind performs better when listening to this ordered music. One shining example of the power of order in music is King George I of England. King George had problems with memory loss and stress management. He read from the Bible the story of King Saul and recognized that Saul had experienced the same type of problems that he was experiencing. George recognized that Saul overcame his problems by using special music. With this story in mind King George asked Frederick Handel to write some special music for him that would help him in the same way that music helped Saul. Handel wrote his Water Music for this purpose.”

​“Music and the Brain” by Laurence O’Donnell, cerebromente.org.br

James 1:26

​The evolutionists over at the ScienceDaily website must have been overjoyed to write this: "Many families believe religion plays an essential role in childhood moral development. But children of religious parents may not be as altruistic as those parents think, according to a new international study from the University of Chicago."

Creation Moments isn't surprised that university scientists are trying to show that religion actually harms children. After all, some evolutionists have also called the teaching of biblical creation "child abuse" and believe creationists should be put in prison.

Back to the study, a team of developmental psychologists studied 1,170 children ages five to twelve in six countries. They wanted to see how a child's religious upbringing affects their willingness to share and their inclination to judge and punish others for misbehaving.

"Our findings, said the research team leader, "contradict the common-sense and popular assumption that children from religious households are more altruistic and kind toward others. In our study, kids from atheist and non-religious families were, in fact, more generous."

Why is the study so misleading? For one thing, the children in the "religious" category consisted of Christians and Muslims. For another, were these Christians true Bible-believing Christians or simply cultural Christians? Furthermore, we must remember that Jesus condemned the religions of His day. Religion doesn't put anyone into a right relationship with God. Only a personal relationship with God through trusting in Christ can do that. Have you put your trust in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins?

Notes: "Religious upbringing linked to less altruism," ScienceDaily, 11/5/15.
​Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

The following is excepted from “Lucifer continues to be portrayed as a likable guy,” OneMillionMoms, Mar. 3, 2016: “Fox’s new drama Lucifer glorifies Satan as a caring, likable person in human flesh. The character Lucifer Morningstar makes being the devil look cool and irresistible to women. ... The series focuses on Lucifer portrayed as a good guy ‘who is bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell.’ He resigns his throne, abandons his kingdom, and retires to Los Angeles, where he gets his kicks helping the LAPD punish criminals. At the same time, God’s emissary, the angel Amenadiel, has been sent to Los Angeles to convince Lucifer to return to the underworld. Lucifer questions Amenadiel, ‘Do you think I’m the devil because I’m inherently evil or just because dear old Dad decided I was?’ The question is meant to make people rethink assumptions about good and evil, including about God and Satan. ... The message of the show is clear. Lucifer is just misunderstood. He doesn’t want to be a bad guy, it’s God who is forcing him to play that role.”

CONCLUDING NOTE: According to Scripture, the devil is not the lord of hell. He is a high angel who led the first rebellion against God. He is called the “god of this world” and the “prince of the power of the air,” but he is not a true god; he is under God’s power and is being used as an instrument for God’s purposes. He has never been in hell, but ultimately he will be cast into the lake of fire and will not be the lord or king of anything. While Fox and Fox News (both owned by 21st Century Fox) are more politically conservative than the other major television news sources, they are not a force for godliness.

(Friday Church News Notes, March 11, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

“Building a wall for the safety and security of citizens cannot possibly be, in and of itself, an ungodly thing to do. If it is, we need to rip the entire book of Nehemiah out of the Bible. The Pope created a firestorm of controversy by going to our southern border and making the building of a border wall the litmus test of Christian faith. ‘A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel.’ Setting aside the plain truth that the litmus test of Christian faith is what a man does with Christ, not what he thinks about a wall, the Pope has hoisted himself on his own petard here. The Vatican is surrounded by the mother of all walls, and has the stingiest citizenship and immigration policy of any sovereign state in the world. ... The wall was originally built in the 800s for the same reason we need to build a wall along our southern border: to protect from invasion. Building a wall to keep people out is much different than building a wall to keep people in. One European country after another today is either building a border security fence or thinking about it because the tsunami of unvetted illegal Muslim aliens is threatening their safety and cultural identity. According to the Vatican press office, as of December 31st, 2011 the Vatican had granted citizenship to just 594 people: 71 Cardinals, 359 members of the clergy, 109 members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, and 55 lay persons. In other words, outside of the Swiss guard, the Vatican uses a strict religious test for citizenship. The Pontiff would hardly be in a position to complain if the U.S. did the same. The Vatican is very stingy about granting refugee status to anyone. Its total contribution to solving the refugee crisis is to admit two--count 'em, two--refugee families inside its walls, both of them Catholic.”

“Trump, the Pope, and the Wall” by Bryan Fischer, OneNewsNow, Feb. 19, 2016

The repetition of God’s call to sinners is evidence of the greatness of God’s great love and mercy to undeserving sinners. This call is repeated in the prophets so much that it is almost tedious. In Isaiah alone we see this in 1:16-19; 8:13-14; 27:5; 28:12; 30:15; 31:6; 33:13; 34:1; 40:26; 41:1, 21-24; 42:18, 23; 43:9, 26; 45:20-22; 46:12-13; 48:14-18; 49:1; 51:4-6; 52:10; 55:1-3, 6-7; 56:1-2; 57:19; 61:1; 65:1-3. God says, “I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people” (Isa. 65:2). God is not obligated to give any invitations, but He is motivated by love for His creatures. He went to great lengths to provide redemption, and He yearns for all sinners to be saved (1 Tim. 2:3-5; 2 Pet. 3:9). Think of your most beloved loved one, the person you love most in the world. If you knew that this person was in danger, you would plead with and beg him or her to turn back and be saved. One or two or three pleas would not suffice. That is God’s heart for every sinner.

(Friday Church News Notes, March 4, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

Proverbs 6:16-17

​I'm sure you've heard evolutionists say that all real scientists believe in evolution. Well, let me tell you about a different theory that many if not most scientists believed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries – eugenics. This is the belief that some people groups – like blacks and Jews – are inferior and should be eliminated to improve the gene pool of the human race. In theory, it made sense to many. But when the innocent blood of millions was spilled by Adolf Hitler, suddenly it didn't seem like such a good idea.

Best-selling novelist, the late Michael Crichton, points out in his book State of Fear that supporters of eugenics didn't just include scientists. It included statesmen like Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Winston Churchill, inventor Alexander Graham Bell, author H.G. Wells, playwright George Bernard Shaw and many, many others who were among the elites of society. 

Eugenics even had the support of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Medical Association. And let's not forget Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, an organization that continues killing millions of babies every year.

Well, as deadly as eugenics turned out to be, it doesn't even come close to the millions of lives lost because of Darwin's theory of evolution. Not only has Darwinism led to the slaughter of countless millions by ruthless dictators, it even destroys the perpetrators of such cruel acts by giving them an excuse to deny the Bible's account of creation and reject salvation in Christ.

Notes: "Why Politicized Science Is Dangerous," Appendix 1 of Michael Crichton's novel State of Fear, pp. 575-577.
Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

“Albert Einstein is recognized as one of the smartest men who has ever lived. A little known fact about Einstein is that when he was young he did extremely poor in school. His grade school teachers told his parents to take him out of school because he was ‘too stupid to learn’ and it would be a waste of resources for the school to invest time and energy in his education. The school suggested that his parents get Albert an easy, manual labor job as soon as they could. His mother did not think that Albert was ‘stupid.’ Instead of following the school’s advice, Albert’s parents bought him a violin. Albert became good at the violin. Music was the key that helped Albert Einstein become one of the smartest men who has ever lived. Einstein himself says that the reason he was so smart is because he played the violin. He loved the music of Mozart and Bach the most. A friend of Einstein, G.J. Withrow, said that the way Einstein figured out his problems and equations was by improvising on the violin.”

​
“Music and the Brain” by Laurence O’Donnell, cerebromente.org.br

Psalm 106:38

​Best-selling author of Jurassic Park and many other novels, the late Michael Crichton added a fascinating non-fiction appendix at the end of his novel State of Fear. Listen to how it begins:

"Imagine that there is a new scientific theory that warns of an impending crisis, and points to a way out. This theory quickly draws support from leading scientists, politicians and celebrities around the world. Research is funded by distinguished philanthropists, and carried out at prestigious universities. The crisis is reported frequently in the media. The science is taught in college and high school classrooms."

Crichton then surprises his readers: "I don't mean global warming," he writes. I'm talking about another theory, which rose to prominence a century ago."

What is this theory that – like global warming – was supported by the scientific community? He was talking about eugenics – a diabolical theory that crawled out of the twisted mind of Francis Galton, half-cousin of Charles Darwin. With its core belief that some people groups are inferior and don't deserve to live, eugenics led directly to the concentration camps of Nazi Germany.

A great proponent of eugenics was Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood. She said, "Fostering the good-for-nothing at the expense of the good is an extreme cruelty. There is no greater curse to posterity than that of bequeathing them an increasing population of imbeciles."

Who are these imbeciles she was talking about? Find out on our next broadcast as we look at famous people who believed this so-called scientific theory.

Notes: "Why Politicized Science Is Dangerous," Appendix 1 of Michael Crichton's novel State of Fear, pp. 575-576.
Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

The United States Navy operates two hospital ships, the USNS Mercy and the USNS Comfort, which are tasked to support U.S. armed forces as well as to provide medical aid and humanitarian assistance. “Both serve as 70,000-metric-ton symbols of how much America cares as a nation and as a people” (“Hospital Ships,” navy.com). The ships are huge, the second largest in the U.S. fleet after the super carriers, and the fifth largest ships in the world. Converted from oil supertankers, the two ships originally cost $560 million. Each one is 894-feet long (the length of three football fields) and the height of a 10-story building. In full capacity, each ship can carry 700 medical personnel. They are 1,000-bed hospitals (including four intensive care wards). They have 12 operating rooms, an emergency/triage room, full medical labs, pharmacies, and are equipped with the latest technology such as CAT scanners and digital X-ray. They offer radiological, optometry, and dental services. They have their own medical oxygen producing plants, blood banks with a 5,000 unit capacity, and water distilling plants (300,000 US gallons per day). A flight crew operates the ship’s helicopter pad which can handle the Navy’s largest helicopters. Kitchens can provide meals for 1,000 personnel. They assist in natural disasters such as the Southeast Asia tsunami of 2004 and the Haiti earthquake of 2010. On a visit to Southeast Asia in 2010, the USNS Mercy treated 109,754 patients and performed 1,580 surgeries. In 2015, the USNS Comfort provided care for more than 120,000 patients (including 1,200 surgeries) in 11 countries in the Caribbean and South and Central America. These projects are largely funded by the U.S. government, but they are also assisted by volunteer medical personnel and supplies donated by private organizations. This level of benevolence can be traced to the Bible’s great influence on America, even at this late stage in her history.

(Friday Church News Notes, March 4, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

Genesis 6:20

​Most spiders use their silk to make webs to catch prey. But there's one spider that spins its silk to make a virtually waterproof sack and fills it with air bubbles so it can survive underwater for hours at a time. In fact, the air-filled sack is so efficient, it allows this air-breathing spider to live virtually its whole life a few inches below the water's surface.

Scientists have known about the diving bell spider for a long time. But a few years ago they discovered that this silken sack is actually able to produce its own air supply. Acting much like a fish's gills, the finely woven sack draws oxygen from the water while letting nitrogen exit the diving bell.

Evolutionists can't explain how the spider learned how to scuba dive and produce silk that makes the diving bell virtually waterproof. Oh, they will say what they always say – natural selection and mutations over millions of years. But creationists have no need of such far-fetched explanations.

The Creator showed His fondness for this spider by giving it what it needs to avoid predators above the water while feeding upon underwater creatures. Now, think about how much more our Creator loves each one of us. He gave us the gift of His Son, who lived a sinless life and then died as a spotless sacrifice on our behalf so we would be found holy and blameless in God's sight through faith in Christ.

Notes: "Diving Bell Spider Uses Bubble Like Gills", Discover News, 6/9/11. Photo: Posted at the Deep Blue Home website. (Fair Use). Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

“While I was in America, a witness, who happened to be called at the assizes of the county of Chester (state of New York), declared that he did not believe in the existence of God or in the immortality of the soul. The judge refused to admit his evidence, on the ground that the witness had destroyed beforehand all confidence of the court in what he was about to say. The newspapers related the fact without any further comment. The New York Spectator of August 23rd, 1831, relates the fact in the following terms: ‘The court of common pleas of Chester county (New York), a few days since rejected a witness who declared his disbelief in the existence of God. The presiding judge remarked, that he had not before been aware that there was a man living who did not believe in the existence of God; that this belief constituted the sanction of all testimony in a court of justice: and that he knew of no case in a Christian country, where a witness had been permitted to testify without such belief.’”




​
​Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville, 1835

Genesis 4:22a

​I'm sure that many of you have seen aerial photos of massive drawings that can only be viewed while flying over the Nazca Desert south of Lima, Peru. Some of these images depict spiders, hummingbirds and monkeys. Others are perfectly straight lines that run as far as five miles. In fact, writes Dr. Donald Chittick in The Puzzle of Ancient Man, "the lines are as straight as our best modern methods of aerial surveying could make them."

Scholars believe the lines were created by the Nazca culture between 500 BC and 500 AD. And this is why most archaeologists find these figures so perplexing. They assume that the Nazca people were too primitive to have known anything about surveying techniques. But as Dr. Chittick points out, "Evidence indicates early surveying was available to the builders of the pyramids in Egypt", and the Nazca people "probably knew about surveying methods" as well.

The question remains of why the Nazca people created massive figures in the desert that could only be seen from an airplane or hot-air balloon. Dr. Chittick points out that researchers have discovered that the Nazca people knew how to make a high-quality black cloth with a very fine weave that could have been used for constructing hot-air balloons. The black cloth would absorb the rays of the sun and heat the air inside.

Sound far-fetched? Considering that the Bible tells us that even the earliest men were building cities and making things of brass and iron, it isn't implausible at all.

Notes: Donald E. Chittick, Ph.D., The Puzzle of Ancient Man, pp. 177-188 (Creation Compass, Third Edition, 2006).
​Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

A study by the University of British Columbia found that flashing lights and loud rock music, as in casinos, encourage rats to make “risky decisions.” The study found that rats generally learn to avoid risky behaviors that result in punishment, but under the influence of bright lights and loud music they take more risks (“Lights, music in casinos interact with brain like drug addiction,” UPI, Jan. 20, 2016). The reason is that the light and music activate the dopamine D3 receptor in the brain, the same receptor suspected to be involved in drug addiction. This was demonstrated when the dopamine receptor was blocked and the rats returned to their natural conservative stance toward risk taking. Casino owners have obviously known of this connection for a long time, which is precisely why they create the specific light/music environment found in gambling rooms. Many top secular rock & rollers have testified that rock music is a drug, but contemporary Christian rockers scoff at any such danger. Now a scientific study has confirmed a music/drug connection, at least with the addition of bright flashing lights, which are common in “secular” rock concerts as well as in contemporary worship. Sober-minded Christians whose brains have not been corrupted by the world’s music are able to analyze these facts more properly and biblically.

(Friday Church News Notes, March 4, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

Revelation 21:4

​Did you know that your tears, when dried and viewed under a microscope, reveal whether you were crying tears of joy, tears of pain, or just peeling an onion?

Photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher discovered what our tears reveal about us when taking pictures of the dried tears of one hundred subjects for her project called "The Topography of Tears". When viewing her own tears, Fisher said they "looked like an aerial view, almost as if I was looking down at a landscape from a plane."

The Telegraph news website points out that "tears contain oils, antibodies and enzymes and fall into three categories; basal, which are released continuously to keep the eyes lubricated; reflex, which occur in response to irritants such as when chopping onions or when getting poked in the eye; and psychic, triggered by emotions."

The website also noted that "scientists have identified that different types of tears are made up of distinct molecules. For example, those caused by emotions contain hormones which act as a painkiller and are released when we are stressed."

Wasn't that good of our Creator to supply us with tears to help us deal with both emotional and physical pain? Even better, He is always ready to comfort us in times of sorrow. Tears are not the result of mutations over millions of years. They were given to us by a Creator who experienced great emotional pain in the garden of Gethsemane and incredible physical pain when He died on the cross for you and me.

Notes: Claire Carter, "Structure of tears influenced by what makes us cry," The Telegraph, 5/16/14.
​Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

First Liberty Institute is appealing the case of Aaron and Melissa Klein on the basis of religious liberty and free speech. The Kleins, owners of Sweet Cakes in Oregon, were forced to pay $135,000 for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. The Kleins tried to explain to the lesbians that baking their wedding cake was against their religious convictions, but instead of going to another bakery, the lesbians brought a complaint against the young Christian couple. Melissa Klein says, “My faith teaches that God designed marriage to be between a man and a woman. For me to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding would go completely against what I believe” (“The Kleins,” firstliberty.org). First Liberty Institute is appealing the case to the Oregon Court of Appeals and higher if necessary. They are joined by Boyden Gray, former White House Counsel for President George H.W. Bush, U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, and law clerk to Chief Justice Earl Warren.

(Friday Church News Notes, March 4, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

Former Hillsong pastor Pasquale “Pat” Mesiti has pleaded guilty to assaulting his second wife and is awaiting sentencing (Christian Headlines, Feb. 29, 2016). He was forced to step down in 2002 because of adultery and visiting prostitutes. In an interview with Sight Magazine in May 2006, he said he had a “sexual addiction.” That was the year he was back in “ministry” after divorce and remarriage and a “restoration” process. He is now known as “Mr. Motivation” and promotes a “millionaire mindset” that comes from the charismatic prosperity doctrine. Hillsong, a prominent voice in Contemporary Worship, began in Australia and has branched out in recent years to establish megachurches in many cities, including New York and London. The following is from a report by Hughie Seaborn titled “Warning: What Do You Know about Hillsong?” which was published in response to Hillsong’s World of Worship Conference at the Cairns Convention Center September 4-7, 2002. This report by a former Pentecostal exposes the immorality that is rampant in these circles: “Hillsong had its beginnings in 1986 and was the inspiration of Mark and Darlene Zschech and Geoff Bullock. Bullock was a leader in the ‘music ministry’ of Brian and Bobbie Houston’s Hills Christian Life Centre at Castle Hill, Sydney. Along with Pat Mesiti who eventually founded Youth Alive, the Zschech’s were formerly part of a band that had an outreach to high school kids. (Mesiti, who rose to the exalted position of National Director of Australian Christian Churches, was sacked after it was discovered he was involved in adultery.) The Zschech’s were introduced to Hills Christian Life Centre by Mesiti and were soon thrust into the ‘music ministry’ alongside Bullock. When Jeff Bullock ‘resigned’ from Hillsong after divorcing his wife, Darlene Zschech stepped into his position and was ‘worship pastor’ of Brian Houston’s Hillsong Church. Brian is the son of Frank Houston, an ex-General Superintendent of the AOG in New Zealand. Frank moved to Australia from NZ in 1977, in controversial circumstances of a sexual nature, and established Sydney Christian Life Centre. Despite the sexual offences committed in NZ, Houston rose to a position of eminence and great respect in the Pentecostal churches, as well as to the most senior position in the AOG in NSW. In 2000, Frank Houston was sacked after the NZ sexual offences became public, offences that were so serious he was not even given the option of quietly retiring [Sydney Morning Herald, March 27, 2002].”

(Friday Church News Notes, March 4, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

Leaders of the American Evangelical Laodicean Church last week announced the publication of a new hymnal. “This collection of hymns really captures the essence of our tradition,” said Presiding Bishop Luke W. Armm. “People in today’s society get uncomfortable with too much talk about commitment and dedication.” he continued. Here is a listing of some of the selections found in this hymnal: “I Surrender Some,” “My Hope is Built on Nothing Much,” “O For a Couple of Tongues to Sing,” “Onward Christian Reservists,” “Take My Life and Let Me Be,” “Where He Leads Me, I will Consider Following,” “Be Thou My Hobby.”





​
(Friday Church News Notes, February 26, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

Matthew 11:29-30

​HRL Laboratories, owned by Boeing, startled the world years ago when they unveiled the lightest metal ever produced. More recently they're in the news again after Boeing released a video talking about what Popular Mechanics called one of the top 10 world-changing innovations of 2012.

I'm talking about microlattice – a metal that is so light, fluffy white dandelion seeds can hold it up. According to Popular Mechanics, the metal is a hundred times lighter than styrofoam packing peanuts and could be useful for medical applications and in the automotive and aerospace industries.

What makes this metal so light is answered in the Boeing video. HRL Laboratories' Sophia Yang compares microlattice to the basic composition of bones. While the outer structure of our bones is rigid and solid, the interior is filled with thin, lattice-like tissue. The outer walls of microlattice are only about one-one thousandth the width of a human hair.

As one news website correctly points out, "Bones are both strong and light due to this composition, and microlattice works on the same basic principle. It is made up of 99.99 percent air, so it's extremely light, but it has remarkable compression properties."

We have posted a link to Boeing's video at the Creation Moments website (video below). Just search for "world's lightest metal." It's a good video, but we would have liked it even more if Boeing had given credit to our Creator for designing the bones that inspired HRL Laboratories to design the world's lightest metal!

Notes: Jeremy Laukkonen, "Lightest Metal Ever, Boeing’s Microlattice Weighs Less Than Styrofoam [Video]", Inquisitr, 10/13/15.
​Photo: Courtesy of HRL Laboratories/Boeing. (Fair Use).
Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

Reiki is a popular “alternative therapy” practice that is also called “healing touch.” According to the American Hospital Association for 2007, 15% of hospitals were using Reiki. A report in The Washington Post for May 16, 2014, was entitled “Reiki Goes Mainstream.” The practice has been praised by Oprah and Dr. Oz. The word “reiki” is Japanese for “spiritually guided life force energy.” It is an occultic practice that allegedly channels “universal healing energy” for purposes such as relaxation and physical healing. The following warning is from “My Mother Is Doing Reiki,” Lighthouse Trails, Feb. 9, 2016: “My mom is into the New Age movement and has had Reiki done on her for years; recently she started practicing Reiki. She does it on friends and family members (I am the only Christian in the family). I live with back pain, and she has wanted to do it on me. I have always said no, but after researching Reiki I finally decided to tell her that my beliefs conflict with Reiki and that the ‘energy’ is actually demonic (that was a difficult conversation). ... she regularly meditates and talks to ‘her angel,’ whom she credits with anything good happening. She is getting deeper into this. My mother says she prays to ‘Jesus’ before doing Reiki.  ... She does not believe in the Bible or most of it anyway, nor Jesus’ deity, but rather He came to point the way to God.  ... Obviously this is a false Jesus. ... one of her angels is ‘like a best friend’ and has a name.”

(Friday Church News Notes, February 26, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

Genesis 6:11

​On our previous Creation Moments broadcast, we told you about researchers who are claiming that our hands evolved so that they can be formed into fists for fighting. Now that same group of researchers is also telling us that our faces evolved to withstand being punched.

This idea represents a big departure from the long-held theory that human faces look the way they do because our ancestors spent much of their time chewing nuts and other hard foods. The lead author of the study writes, "The australopiths were characterized by a suite of traits that may have improved fighting ability, including hand proportions that allow formation of a fist." He adds, "If indeed the evolution of our hand proportions were associated with selection for fighting behavior, you might expect the primary target, the face, to have undergone evolution to better protect it from injury when punched."

A member of the research team added: "Our research is about peace. We seek to explore, understand, and confront humankind's violent and aggressive tendencies. Through our research we hope to look ourselves in the mirror and begin the difficult work of changing ourselves for the better."

Good luck with that! If history has taught us anything, it's that mankind – starting with Cain – has had a violent streak and, if anything, we are getting worse. Only God can take such violence out of our hearts when we turn to Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

Notes: Jennifer Viegas, "Human Face Evolved to Withstand Punching," Discovery News, 6/9/14.
​Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

“A New York court Thursday affirmed a Division of Human Rights ruling against an upstate couple for declining to coordinate a same-sex wedding ceremony in their own backyard. ... Robert and Cynthia Gifford live in a barn they built on their farm and have occasionally hosted weddings on the first floor and the surrounding backyard area. Cynthia serves as a wedding coordinator for those events and does everything but officiate the ceremony. After the agency ruled that the Giffords were guilty of ‘sexual orientation discrimination,’ it fined them $10,000, plus $3,000 in damages and ordered them to implement re-education training classes designed to contradict the couple's religious beliefs about marriage. The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department, upheld that order and the fines, finding that the government can punish the Giffords for declining to coordinate a ceremony that conflicts with their conscience. ... On Sept. 25, 2012, Melisa McCarthy called Cynthia Gifford, inquiring about the use of the farm for her upcoming same-sex ceremony. Because of her Christian faith’s teachings on marriage, Cynthia politely told McCarthy that she and her husband don’t host and coordinate same-sex ceremonies but left open an invitation to visit the farm to consider it as a potential reception site. Instead, McCarthy and her partner filed a complaint with the Division of Human Rights.”

​Charisma News, Jan. 15, 2016