​Genesis 1:31

Why do ants like electricity and why can they sense microwaves? If evolution were true, how would ants evolve a love for electricity in only the short time that man has been producing it? For what purpose would they have evolved the ability to sense microwave radiation long before man was using it?

It has been well established that ants like to build their nests around electrical equipment. They are often found around electrical meters. They are famous for building their nests around airport runway lights. They seem to be particularly fond of electrical relays. No one knows why. Now we learn that unlike any other multi-celled creatures, they can survive inside a running microwave oven, perhaps enjoying your food as it cooks! How can they do this? It seems that ants can detect the invisible wave pattern of microwaves inside the oven. These patterns leave some areas of the oven low in microwave radiation while other areas are high in radiation. Ants simply avoid those areas where the radiation is strong enough to kill them. Incidentally, you can see these patterns by lining the tray on the floor of your microwave oven with marshmallows. You will notice that some will become very cooked while others are barely touched by the microwaves.
​
If evolution were true, how would ants develop the ability to deal successfully with conditions that did not exist? It makes more sense to conclude that our Creator, Who knows the future, made the ants as He did for reasons we still must discover.

Notes: Science Frontiers, 1-2/00, p. 2, "Ants Like Microwaves."
Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

The following quotes are from Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement by Dan Lucarini, 2002. Speaking as a former insider, the author said that he defended CCM primarily because he loved rock music. In chapter 17, Lucarini describes his part in moving two churches from “traditional” to contemporary. It was done incrementally, beginning with soft rock. “Traditionals are initially assured by the Contemporaries that the two styles can co-exist peacefully. In reality, what happens over time is a steady slide down the slippery slope, away from all traditional music into the latest, ‘edgiest’ contemporary styles” (Lucarini, p. 119). “With blended services, we have created two sets of musicians with different skills. Now began the competition for the hearts of the congregation: the battle of the bands, so to speak. … Contemporary always prevailed over Traditional, because it fed the sinful desire of our flesh. Add to that the veneer of respectability given to CCM by the leadership, and many believers gladly traded the old music for the new. … the blended service is not a long-term solution … Rather, it is quite simply a transitional phase to gradually move a church service from all traditional to all contemporary. … even this separation of services [in those churches that attempt to have two different services, one traditional and one contemporary] will not remain sharp for long. Soon it will blur, and the blurring is almost always towards contemporary shades” (Lucarini, pp. 122, 123).

(Friday Church News Notes, October 9, 2015, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

​John 1:3

Researchers studying genetics have concluded that the evolutionary tree of life does not reflect the facts of biochemistry.
By the 1960s, biochemists had concluded that living things could be grouped into two distinct types based on their basic structures and genetic information. Eukaryotes have one or more cells and a true nucleus. Prokaryotes have smaller cells with no true nucleus. They are so different from eukaryotes that researchers concluded that they must have developed separately from non living matter. By the late 1970s, a third type of life was recognized – the archaea. Archaea favor extreme environments such as undersea vents. Their biochemistry is unlike prokaryotes or eukaryotes. According to evolutionists, life may have had to develop from non-living material three times. Further, to explain the biochemistry of these three types of creatures, biochemists have to assume that at points these separate types had to exchange genetic material with each other, and with a fourth, unknown and extinct type of living thing!
One logical conclusion of this new evolutionary approach is that life had to arise from non-life many times. Yet, modern biochemistry still has not explained how life could arise from non-life even once. However, this is exactly the pattern we might expect if all living things are the product of a wise Creator Who used similar designs to solve similar problems.

Notes: Scientific American, 2/00, pp. 90-95, "Uprooting the Tree of Life."
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“A well-loved and respected doctor with a background in sexual-risk behaviors has been expelled from one of the United States’ most prestigious and top-ranked medical centers after he raised evidence-based health risk concerns over the center’s decision to endorse and celebrate the homosexual lifestyle. Urologist Dr. Paul Church, a 65-year-old grandfather of 6, was expelled from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, Massachusetts, in March ... Dr. Church, a member of the Harvard Medical School faculty, has worked as a urologist at the center for nearly 30 years, conducting research on prostate and bladder cancer. He has also offered his medical talents to the poor on numerous occasions during volunteer missions to Mexico and Africa. It was 11 years ago that Church began to experience censorship and suppression from BIDMC officials, reported Mass Resistance. At this time, Church and other like-minded colleagues repeatedly raised concerns with officials over the center’s decision to not only endorse the homosexual lifestyle by hosting an annual ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Achievement Award ceremony,’ but to involve staff in LGBTQ events including participation in Boston’s annual ‘Gay Pride Week.’ ‘The evidence is irrefutable that behaviors common within the homosexual community are unhealthy and high risk for a host of serious medical consequences, including STD’s, HIV and AIDS, anal cancer, hepatitis, parasitic intestinal infections, and psychiatric disorders,” Church submitted to officials via the center’s communication system after receiving an LGBT-related communication. ... In April 2012, Church requested that BIDMC’s communications department not send him further notices regarding LGBTQ activities. His request was ignored. ... To one such communication received in 2013 he responded ... ‘Leviticus 18:22.’ To another that same year: ‘Romans 1:26-28.’ It is for these ... responses that the medical center decided to take action this year and expel Dr. Church. ... He told LifeSiteNews his case proves that what the LGBTQ movement wants is not simply ‘coexistence’ with the rest of society, but total affirmation without a single voice of dissent of what the movement not only believes, but also what it practices in the bedroom.”

“Leading U.S. hospital fires doctor,” LifeSite News, Jun. 25, 2015

​Proverbs 18:22

We have, in past Creation Moments programs, mentioned studies that have shown that married couples enjoy a happier, healthier life than cohabiting couples. What we haven't mentioned is that hundreds of studies have been done on this subject by university and government groups. And each study supports the same conclusions: cohabitation without the commitment of marriage is a formula for trouble in life.
A UCLA researcher evaluated over 130 studies on the happiness and health of married couples versus cohabitors. He concluded that married couples scored much higher in personal happiness than cohabitating couples. They also had much lower rates of suicide, alcoholism, psychiatric care and general health problems. But there is more: A Washington University study found that cohabiting couples have less healthy relationships than married couples. Then, a study released in 1999 by the National Marriage Project reviewed ten years of studies and concluded that cohabiting couples who eventually marry greatly increase their chance for divorce. A 1997 study by the National Survey of Families and Households found that couples who lived together before marriage were 46 percent more likely to get divorced than those who do not.
The Bible recognizes that not everyone is cut out for marriage. However, no one is cut out for cohabitation. We need the commitment of marriage. Modern science is discovering that the Bible was right all along in saying that a man and a woman need the commitment of marriage if their union is to be blessed.

Notes: Christian News, 3/6/00, p. 10, "Science, Scholarship and Scripture." Photo: Courtesy of Hohum. (CC BY 2.0).
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The popular myth that Islam is fundamentally a peaceful and tolerant religion that created a “golden age” of learning and science beginning in the eighth century was invented by prominent rationalists and theological modernists more than a hundred years ago. Men such as Voltaire claimed that Europe fell into a dark age because of “Christianity” (Catholicism) and was rescued by an enlightened Islam. “In time, some scholars began to see almost all European science and learning as an Arab creation, or at least something that appeared only under the influence of the Arabs. This opinion took root in the nineteenth century, and by the early years of the twentieth century had become, in some quarters at least, part of received wisdom” (Emmet Scott,Mohammed and Charlemagne Revisited). A prominent historian in 1919 said that “Spain, not Italy, was the cradle of the rebirth of Europe” (Robert Briffault, The Making of Humanity, p. 189). This has always been complete nonsense. A “Golden Age of Islam” in Baghdad was not because of Islam, but in spite of it. Tolerant, educational-minded Muslim caliphs are not the rule in history, but the extreme exception, and they were tolerant and educational-minded by not being strict followers of the Quran. Further, most of the inventions that have been promoted as Muslim inventions were actually inventions of China, Persia, and India.

​(Friday Church News Notes, October 9, 2015, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

​I Peter 5:8

You have probably never heard of the last animal you would ever want to meet undefended. This animal, found in the wild only in Madagascar, is called the fossa (pronounced FOO-sa). A typical specimen weighs only about 14 pounds. Its body is about 28 inches long, but its tail is another 28 inches long.

The fossa looks something like a small mountain lion and was originally classified as a member of the cat family. But it also has features and behaviors, including its tenacity in fighting, more similar to the mongoose. This led scientists to reclassify the fossa as a member of the mongoose family. These ferocious creatures live in the forests of Madagascar. Despite its small size, it is said to eat anything with a heartbeat. This powerful creature is known by science to bring down even wild pigs much larger than itself. The local people of Madagascar say it can even bring down oxen. Pound for pound, it is recognized as the deadliest animal in the world. Scientists have also learned that an even larger version of the fossa possibly existed 1,500 years ago when Madagascar was first settled. This fossa weighed as much as 200 pounds and had a body 6 feet long, not counting the tail. It could have brought down any creature it wanted.

While the fossa may be considered the personification of evil, the Bible tells us that the devil is behind all evil and is much more dangerous than any fossa. So we can thank God that His Son, Jesus Christ, has won for us the victory over sin, death and the devil.

Notes: Discover, 4/00, pp. 68 75, "The deadliest Carnivore." Photo: Courtesy of Chad Teer. (CC BY 2.0).
Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

​“The Bishop of Stockholm has proposed a church in her diocese remove all signs of the cross and put down markings showing the direction to Mecca for the benefit of Muslim worshipers. Eva Brunne, who was made the world’s first openly lesbian bishop by the church of Sweden in 2009, and has a young son with her ‘wife’ and fellow lesbian priest Gunilla Linden, made the suggestion to make those of other faiths more welcome. ... The upper echelons of the Church of Sweden, much like other national churches across Europe, seem to be fully invested in the diversity mission. Back in February, a parish church in multicultural paradise Malmö declared it would be holding a service in solidarity with the local Muslim community as a protest against a march by anti-Islamisation movement PEGIDA in the city. ... As a major bottleneck into the region, with a single bridge and ferry route connecting the country to the rest of Europe, the arrival of these [Muslim] migrants has heralded an unprecedented level of criminality in the city, as explained to Breitbart London by a recently retired senior police officer last month. Describing the ‘no-go’ zones that have sprung up around the city and calling for greater border controls to get criminal migration under control, Chief Superintendent Torsten Elofsson said: ‘Years ago you could go with two officers, no problem. Now you have to send four officers and two cars--if the fire brigade want to go, they have to take a police escort. They throw stones and try to stop the fireman from putting out fires.’”

​“World’s First Lesbian Bishop,” Breitbart, Oct. 5, 2015

The Muslim jihadists after Muhammad had the objective of conquering all of Europe and setting up a caliphate headquartered in Rome. Not knowing the difference between false and true Christianity, and not caring that there is a difference, they thought that by conquering Rome they would conquer “Christianity.” They attacked Europe almost simultaneously from the east and the west and were halted at the battle of Constantinople in 718 and at the Battle of Tours in 732. When the army of the sultanate of Cordoba invaded the territory of the Franks in 732, he “promised to stable their horses in St. Peter’s at Rome” (Serge Trifkovic, The Sword of the Prophet, p. 96). As they made their way north from Spain, the Muslims “burned churches and slaughtered the population” (Susan Bauer, The History of the Medieval World). They were stopped by Charles Martel (“Hammer”) and his army of Frank soldiers. In the East, when Mehmed II finally captured Constantinople in 1453, he took the title Kayswer-i Rum (Caesar Romanus) and intended to conquer Rome. His army invaded Italy, but withdrew after his death in May 1481. Mehmed’s son Suleiman also took the title Caesar Romanus, but his advance into Europe was halted with a defeat at Vienna in 1529. The last major Islamic military invasion into Europe occurred in the 1680s and was again halted at Vienna when they were defeated by a Polish-German army. Today Islam is conquering Europe by immigration, and there are no “Christian armies” to stop them. At the same time, we know that Islam will not conquer the world, because Bible prophecy presents quite another picture.

(Friday Church News Notes, October 9, 2015, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

​II Chronicles 11:15

The Old Testament frequently and disapprovingly mentions the fact that the Israelites often built "high places." The Bible indicates that high places were worship centers where a pagan religion or a mix of Israelite and Canaanite religion was practiced.

Until recently, high places found by archaeologists revealed little about these sites of false worship. However, the discovery of a high place at Rehov tells a much more complete story – one consistent with what the Bible tells us. Its dating could make this high place one of those for which Rehoboam, son of Solomon, appointed priests. The sanctuary was a raised ten-foot square of mud brick. In the middle was a stone platform that was three feet square. One side of the platform had four large stones, two of them taller than the others. These may have been the "standing stones" mentioned in the Bible. In front of the platform was an offering table. Many of the bones of offered animals, often wild goats, were found at the site. Such offerings would have been against God's law. In addition, various figurines were found at the site. These included a bull, two female figures and another animal. Israel was forbidden to make such images.

This discovery challenges the skeptics and upholds the integrity of biblical history. Once again, the Bible's history has proven to be factual, even when reporting Israel's sins.

Notes: Biblical Archaeology Review, 3 4/00, pp. 38 51, 75, "Will Tel Rehov Save the United Monarchy?" Painting: Rehoboam depicted on a fragment of the wall painting originally in the Great Council Chamber of Basel Town Hall. Painted by Hans Holbein the Younger in 1529. (PD). Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

“The Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) has executed more than 10,000 people, including women and children, in Iraq and Syria since the jihadist group declared a ‘global caliphate’ in June 2014, reports Daily Mail Online. ‘The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which has secret sources inside ISIS territory, said 3,207 have been killed in that war-torn country,’ notes the article. ‘Another 7,700 were executed in Iraq, according to the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights [IOHR], which tracks ISIS violations.’ ‘The soldiers and civilians who have been beheaded, shot dead, drowned, blown up, stoned to death and thrown off buildings for violating ISIS’s twisted laws all contributed to this mammoth death toll,’ it adds. ‘The figure does not include the thousands more who have been killed in battle and suicide bombings--or the innocent people mown down by ISIS extremists as they tried to flee.’ SOHR told Daily Mail Online that it keeps a tally of the terrorist group’s executions after its activists have verified them from local sources on the ground. ... ‘The slaughter of up to 1,700 cadets at Speicher army camp in Tikrit, Iraq, was not included in the overall death toll because it occurred on June 12, 2014, a few weeks before ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi declared the caliphate,’ it adds. ‘Neither was the massacre of 5,000 Yazidi people in Iraq’s Sinjar province last August because they were shot down by ISIS fighters as they tried to escape.’”

​“ISIS has killed more than 10,000,” Breitbart.com, Sep. 25, 2015

Psalm 147:4

Our solar system has a nice, neat structure. The planets all have nice, stable, relatively round orbits. This structure protects the Earth from being struck by another large planet. Evolutionary theories about the origin of the solar system have always said that it formed into its current neat structure from a swirling disk of hot gases that once orbited the sun.

Now, with the discovery of planets orbiting other stars, astronomers are rethinking their theories about how the solar system formed. The problem is that none of the other planetary systems have an orderly structure, and all the planets so far discovered are closer to their stars than we are to the sun. The coolest among them has a surface temperature of 180° F. Most of these planets have orbits so erratic that collisions with other planets are always a threat. So, astronomers wonder, how did our solar system become so well ordered for life? They argue that the large icy planets, Uranus and Neptune, are too large to have formed at the edge of the solar system. So it is concluded that they must have formed closer to the sun, meaning that the solar system was once as chaotic as the recently discovered planetary systems.

However, this new evolutionary approach simply introduces another problem: How could our present orderly solar system have developed out of the chaos of a system in which planets are crashing around like billiard balls? The Bible still offers the best answer. The solar system was designed and created for us by a wise and loving God.

Notes: Discover, 3/00, p. 54, "Solar Revisionism." Illustration: Courtesy of Kwamikagami. (CC-BY-SA 3.0).
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Psalm 102:5-6

The creosote shrub is common in the desert of the American Southwest and northern Mexico. This remarkable plant is not only well designed for life in the desert, but also it protects itself from those who would munch on its leaves.

Creosote bushes grow in stands because they reproduce by sending shoots out from a collective root system. One stand measured over 60 feet across at its widest point! Stands can be hundreds of years old. The bushes produce several hundred chemicals that evaporate into the air. Stands are said to smell like chemistry laboratories. Other desert plants avoid growing near them, probably because of the smell. As a result, stands do not have to share scarce water supplies with other plants. Compounds called phenols and phenoloxidasa are among the chemicals produced by the leaves. These chemicals must be stored in different compartments within the leaves so that they do not react with each other. However, when the leaves are chewed, these compartments break down. They react in the stomach, producing chemicals called quinones. The quinones then react with the plant proteins, changing them into a form that cannot be digested. The result is that whatever tries to eat creosote leaves can have a full stomach and be starving at the same time!

The creosote's advanced chemical warfare could not possibly be a product of mindless evolution. Its methods of protection reveal a well thought out design that can only be credited to a wise Creator.

Notes: Bombardier Beetles and Fever Trees, pp. 25-27. Photo: Courtesy of Eric in SF. (CC-BY-SA 3.0).
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Between 1801-1815, the newly formed United States of America fought the Barbary Wars against Muslim slavers based in Tripoli, Tunis, and Algeria. From the 16th to the 19th century, the slavers captured an estimated one to 1.25 MILLION white Europeans (Robert Davis, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean). The Muslim pirates had seized American merchant ships and enslaved the crews for ransom. Most of the men were pressed into hard labor and kept “in extremely poor conditions that exposed them to vermin and disease.” The Muslim Barbary states also demanded tribute from the American government in exchange for not attacking its ships. This piracy began immediately after America gained its independence from Britain in 1784. Two years later, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, two of America’s founding fathers, were sent to London to negotiate with Tripoli’s ambassador, Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja. When asked why the Muslims attacked nations that “had done them no injury,” Adja replied, “It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every mussulman who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise. He said, also, that the man who was the first to board a vessel had one slave over and above his share, and that when they sprang to the deck of an enemy’s ship, every sailor held a dagger in each hand and a third in his mouth, which usually struck such terror into the foe that they cried out for quarter at once” (Thomas Jefferson Papers, Series 1 1651-1827, Library of Congress). Note that the Barbary pirates cited the Koran as their authority for attacking and enslaving anyone who is not submitted to Allah. In 1795, America paid $1 million for the release of 115 sailors, an amount that was one-sixth of the U.S. budget. The pirates demanded an annual payment of the same amount. When Thomas Jefferson was elected America’s second president in 1801, he and his fellow citizens were of no mind to accept bullying and blackmail. The U.S. Navy was built to protect America against Muslim pirates. One of the most memorable acts of the Barbary War was in 1805 when a force of eight U.S. Marines and 400 Greek and Arab mercenaries, led by U.S. Navy Lieutenant William Eaton, traveled across 600 miles of desert from Alexandria, Egypt, to capture the city of Derne (or Derna) on the shores of Tripoli. This is memorialized in the U.S. Marine Hymn. By 1816, the Barbary states were forced to cease attacking American and British ships, and the deed was accomplished by force of arms.

(Friday Church News Notes, October 2, 2015, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

​Matthew 8:3

Researchers searching for new medicines have been scouring the jungles of the world. Many of our new and most powerful drugs have come from Old and New World jungles. Sometimes researchers learn something about these medicines from local healers, who already seem to know how to use them.

One of the most recent discoveries took place in the jungles of the African continent. Researchers from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland found out that traditional medicine practitioners used a yellow substance to treat syphilis and leprosy and to kill termites. They learned that the substance comes from the root of a tree that is common across Africa's jungles. The researchers collected some samples to see if the yellow substance might actually have compounds medicine could use. They found a compound that kills microbes and fungi. The scientists concluded that the compound is manufactured by the tree to protect its roots from dangerous fungi in the soil. However, they are going to have to learn to make the compound in the laboratory. Researchers say that six trees would have to be killed to harvest just 50 grams of the new antibiotic.

Our merciful God knew that we would fall into sin and become subject to illness. So when He made the creation, He gave us many plants that can provide medical help if we explore that creation as He commanded. However, these medicines don't treat the underlying cause of our problems – sin. So He sent His Son to save us from the guilt of our sin.

Notes: Science News, 3/4/00, p.159, "Rooting for new antimicrobial drugs." Photo: Bobgunnia madagascariensis, the tree that produces the yellow substance that kills microbes and fungi. Courtesy of J.H.Kirkbr. and Wiersema.
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​Psalm 111:4

While all living things defy evolution, some do it more clearly than others. The echidna is one example of a creature that obviously challenges evolution. This Australian marvel is often called the spiny anteater. However, it has little resemblance to anteaters in other parts of the world.

Echidnas are classified as monotremes, which are egg-laying mammals. While the adults have no teeth, a hatchling echidna escapes from its egg with an egg tooth. Adults have a long snout and an even longer sticky tongue that catches ants. The hatchling is protected and nursed in a marsupial-like pouch. As it grows it develops the long spines of an adult. If the echidna sounds like a strange creature, its mating habits are even stranger. At mating time echidnas form "trains." A large female leads the train, followed by up to seven males, the smallest being the last car of the train. They walk single file until the female finds a tree she likes. Then the males dig a trench around the tree and seek to drive each other out of the trench. Only the victorious male is allowed to mate with the female.

With its mammalian, reptilian and marsupial features, the echidna challenges evolution. Evolutionists would have a hard time explaining what forces would produce a creature that is apparently related to no other. The best explanation for the echidna is that it is the work of an infinitely creative and powerful Creator.

Notes: Science Frontiers, p. 129, "Echidna Eccentricities." Photo: Courtesy of Matma Rex. (CC-BY-SA 3.0).
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For a thousand years and more, Baptists, Protestants, and fundamentalists identified Rome with the Harlot of Revelation 17. At the end of the NINTH CENTURY, “Tergandus, Bishop of Treves, called the Pope antichrist, yea, a wolf, and Rome, Babylon” (Martyrs Mirror, 5th English edition, p. 240). In THE ELEVENTH CENTURY, Berenger of Tours denounced Rome’s dogmas and maintained that the Roman Church was the See of Satan (George Faber, The History of the Ancient Vallenses and Albigenses, 1838, p. 159). THE WALDENSIANS, throughout most of their long history, identified the pope as the Antichrist. The Waldensian treatise titled the Noble Lesson, dated 1100 AD, stated: “Antichrist, the predicted murderer of the Saints, hath already appeared in his true character, seated monarchally in the seven-hilled city.” In the 13th CENTURY, the BOHEMIAN BRETHREN held that “the Church of Rome is not the Church of Jesus Christ, but an assembly of wicked men, and the whore that sits upon the beast in the Revelation. ... They declare the pope to be the head and ringleader of all errors” (Peter Allix, Ancient Churches of Piedmont, pp. 242-259). English Bible translator WILLIAM TYNDALE identified the pope as the Antichrist in his treatise The Practice of Prelates and in the preface to the 1534 edition of his New Testament. All of the REFORMATION leaders considered the pope the antichrist, including John Huss, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and and their successors. The religious harlot of Revelation 17 is aligned with the antichrist (compare Rev. 17:3 - Rev. 13:1), and like the antichrist it has two aspects: historic and prophetic. In 1 John 2:18, the apostle said, “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” Though she does not fulfill this prophecy in its finality, every feature of the religious Harlot of Revelation 17 is found in the Roman Catholic Church. She has ridden through history upon the back of kings, is clothed in gorgeous robes of scarlet and purple and decked in expensive attire. She sits on seven hills, is full of abominations, and has a golden cup. She is drunk with the blood of the martyrs, and the inhabitants of the world are indeed drunk with the wine of her fornication, referring to the multitudes that blindly follow Rome’s doctrines of devils.

(Friday Church News Notes, October 2, 2015, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

Pope Francis heads up an institution founded on lies, so it is little surprise that his messages during the recent trip to America were filled with the same. Rome’s lies include the papacy itself, the priesthood, the sacraments, Mariolatry, purgatory, and “holy relics.” There is not a hint in Scripture that Peter had “supremacy” over the apostles or that he was otherwise any kind of “pope.” It was a wretched lie from its inception. For hundreds of years, the popes used forgeries such as the Donation of Constantine, a shameless lie claiming that Constantine gave the bishop of Rome supremacy “over all the churches of God in the whole earth,” granting him a crown, and donating to him “the city of Rome, and all the provinces, places and cities of Italy and the western regions.” Pope Hadrian I (778) used this lie in his dealings with Charlemagne. It was used by other popes until it was publicly exposed as a lie during the Reformation. Then there were the Decretals of Isidore, used by Pope Francis’ brother in scarlet, Nicholas I, to claim that popes “hold the place of God on earth.” These ancient lies have never been renounced by the papacy. By holding the office, regardless of how “humbly,” Francis agrees with its foundational lies, so it is no surprise that his messages are filled with more lies. Consider his message at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, September 25. First, there was his whitewash of the Catholic Church’s “clergy sex abuse scandal.” Addressing his fellow priests, he said: “You suffered greatly ... by having to bear the shame of some of your brothers who harmed and scandalized the Church in the most vulnerable of her members.” The “some” actually amounts to thousands of priests who used their positions of trust to commit filthy acts with children, mostly boys. A 2004 study by John Jay College found 11,757 allegations of sexual abuse involving 5,148 priests, and the report only pertained to about half of the priests in the U.S. By then, the Catholic Church had already spent $1 billion settling lawsuits and providing “treatment” for its filthy priests, and the report observed that “the end is nowhere in sight.” The pope also lied in his address at St. Patrick’s by addressing Muslims as “brothers and sisters.” Muhammad blasphemously denied that Jesus is the Son of God who died for man’s sins. The Quran says, “Warn those who say, ‘Allah has fathered a son.’ They do not have any proof about that and neither did their fathers. It is a terrible thing that comes from their mouths. They say nothing but lies” (Surah 18:4). Instead of calling Muhammad and his people brothers and sisters, the pope should rather state that the “proof” Muhammad demanded is the virgin birth, sinless and unique life, vicarious atonement, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, all based on amazing prophecies written down before He was born. If Jesus Christ is not the Son of God, there is no such thing as evidence. But then, the pope doesn’t believe the gospel of salvation by the free grace of Christ without works, so he has no truth with which to confront any false religion. Another lie that the pope spoke at St. Patrick’s was the lie that Mary hears and answers prayer. He said, “Let us commend to our Lady the work we have been entrusted to do.” Its vain protestations aside, Rome’s doctrine of Mary is a blasphemous usurpation of Christ as sole Saviour and Mediator, and this fact alone should impel every Bible-believing Christian to renounce the papacy in no uncertain terms. The very fact that plain speaking about the Roman Catholic Church is so rare among “evangelical” Protestants and Baptists is irrefutable proof of end-time apostasy and of the rapid building of the one-world “church.”

(Friday Church News Notes, October 2, 2015, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

“A new study published on the Y chromosome of chimpanzees has surprised many. After a lot of work, the chimpanzee Y chromosome has finally been finished. This may come as a surprise to many who thought the chimpanzee genome was completed way back in 2005. Actually, the original chimpanzee genome construction was less than optimal as they did not sequence it to the same standards of the human genome. ... Half of the chimpanzee ampliconic sequence, and 30% of the entire MSY, has no counterpart in the human MSY, and vice versa. These are sizable differences.... Finding this much difference in one of the sex chromosomes was huge. The 30% difference among human and chimp MSY regions was a shock. ... For the creationist, we now know that the old ‘humans and chimps are 99% identical’ canard is passé. Interestingly, a significant paper appeared in 2007 calling the 99% rule ‘a myth;’ and claiming that we have known for decades that humans and chimps were much more different. But this has been a significant and powerful evolutionary argument. How many people had their faith wrecked on those ‘mythical’ rocks? Now we have half of the chimpanzee Y chromosome and learn that it is only 70% identical to human. This is evidence that humans and chimpanzees are very different. How different? To quote the famous geneticist, Svante Pääbo, ‘I don’t think there’s any way to calculate a number … In the end, it’s a political and social and cultural thing about how we see our differences.’ This statement was made before the chimp Y chromosome data became available. If the number is incalculable, can we not jettison every evolutionary story of chimp-human common ancestry based on genetics? The new data on the chimp Y chromosome makes the case for common ancestry that much worse.”

​Dr. Robert Carter, “The Chimpanzee Y Chromosome Is Radically Different from Human,” Dec. 16, 2010, creation.com

Genesis 5:32

How did Noah have sons and build the Ark when he was 500 years old? Today, scientists can measure a marked decline in mental abilities even in a healthy 50 year old man. Undoubtedly there are several factors, with God behind each of them. However, one of the answers appears to be nutrition.

Research done by Tufts University showed that middle aged men with the lowest amount of vitamin B6 in their blood only scored half as well as men of the same age with the highest level of vitamin B6. Another four year study looked at a population of people in which 15 percent could be expected to develop Alzheimer's disease. It found that not one person who took vitamin E or C developed the disease. A Framingham Heart study found that people who ate three extra servings of fruits and vegetables a day reduced their stroke rate by 22 percent. University of New Mexico researchers looked at the effects of vitamin B supplements in older people. They found that those who took the supplements not only scored higher on mental functions than those who did not, but they even did as well or better than young people. Over 50 studies have confirmed that ginkgo biloba helps memory and concentration, reduces confusion and mitigates effects of Alzheimer's disease.

Our wise Creator has given us powerful nutritional tools to help our earthly time be healthy and productive. Perhaps Noah and the other long lived ancients knew more about how to eat healthily than we do.

Notes: USA Weekend, 3/5/00, p. 7, "Important News your brain can use."
Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

A friend sent me the following information about Willow Creek Community Church, located west of Chicago and led by Bill Hybels. Not only is Willow Creek one of the largest and most influential churches in the country, but it is also an association of more than 14,000 churches that are committed to the same philosophy.

My friend wrote: “I called Willow Creek Community Church last fall (2014) and asked if a celibate homosexual could be a member. The person that answered didn’t know, so they directed me to one of their staff pastors--Chris Hurta. I asked him numerous questions about where Willow Creek stood. Until recently, they have been against gay marriage, but he said that celibate homosexuals and gay couples could be members. I asked if they could serve in the church. He said yes, but none could be in a leadership position. He also said same-sex attraction ‘is a beautiful thing.’ Needless to say, Bro. Cloud, I was floored. But they have been a leader in redefining Biblical issues. They consider most movies part of God’s general revelation, hence OK to watch. They have compromised in the area of music, ordination of women, and now, marriage.”

CONCLUDING NOTE: This is not surprising, but like many others, Willow Creek still wants to stand two ways on this issue, with a public face and a private face.

(Friday Church News Notes, September 25, 2015, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

​Acts 20:13

Both Spain and Portugal claim to have discovered Brazil in the 16th century. However, mounting evidence suggests that neither country can claim discovery of Brazil.

Guanabar Bay is on the Brazilian coast, less than 10 miles from Rio de Janeiro. In 1976, a diver discovered two unbroken amphoras at the bottom of the bay. Amphoras were tall storage pots that were commonly made and used by the Romans. In 1982, an archaeologist discovered thousands of fragments from still more Roman amphoras in the same area. Among the fragments were 200 amphora necks. The styles of these amphoras indicate that they were made in second century A.D. Rome.

Ancient Roman shipwrecks have also been found in the Azores islands off the west coast of Spain. The Azores would have been a good European starting point for crossing the Atlantic. The shortest route across the Atlantic from the Azores lands one on the coast of Brazil. Modern sailing ships make the crossing in only 18 days. So even before the amphoras were found, it would not have been unreasonable to suppose that the Romans, who were skilled sailors, had made the crossing. The discovery of the amphoras proves that at least one Roman ship made the trip.

The belief that up to Columbus' time people assumed the world was flat is a myth. God created intelligent and curious human beings with the ability to explore and learn about God's creation.

Notes: Science Frontiers, p. 25, "Romans in Rio?" Photo: Courtesy of Ad Meskens. (CC-BY-SA 3.0).
Creation Moments, Inc., P.O. Box 839, Foley, MN 56329 www.creationmoments.com

The problem with what is happening at Lancaster Baptist Church in Lancaster, California, and many other places is not a few songs in soft rock style. If that were the issue, and if that would be the end of it, I would not waste my time and endanger my reputation warning about it. I would simply write it off to “style” differences. The issue is far more serious than that, though. The fundamental problem is two-fold.

First, soft rock is addictive and creates an appetite for sensual music. History teaches us that soft rock leads to hard rock. That’s not debatable. It is why former contemporary worship leader Dan Lucarini, when he converted churches from traditional to contemporary, started with soft rock. It was a plan. He knew that the change had to be incremental. The contemporary music had to start out soft so as not to shock the traditionalists. He describes this in chapter 17 of his 2002 book Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement.

Second, the contemporary songs they are using are bridges to the one-world church that is represented by the large majority of the contemporary worship musicians. It is not possible in this day and time for a church to use contemporary worship songs without people going online to find out more about the songs and the musicians and thus to come into contact with the full-blown ecumenical rockers and the “real” renditions of the music. (For more on this see the free eBooks Baptist Music Wars and The Directory of Contemporary Worship Musicians, available from www.wayoflife.org.)

(Friday Church News Notes, September 25, 2015, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)