An Airplane from Ancient Egypt

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An Airplane from Ancient Egypt

April 19, 2024 • Ian Taylor

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Psalm 55 6-7

"And I said,'Oh, that I had wings like a dove? For then I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness."

These days we don't have to wait very long before we hear some nonsense about how flight or—more recently—space travel are but stages in human evolutionary development. As Christians we know that when Adam, the first man, is described as perfect, he is perfect in every way—spiritually, morally and intellectually. This probably explains why Scripture says that within the first few generations of human existence on earth the arts and sciences were flourishing.

In 1898 an object that was thought to be a small wooden model of a bird was discovered in Egypt. The "unremarkable" find was tossed into a box marked "wooden bird models" and was rediscovered in more recent times. The Egyptian Ministry of Culture set up a special panel to study the object. As a result of that study, the object is on display at the Cairo Museum today as the centerpiece of a special exhibit. It is now officially labeled as a model airplane.

The plane's design shows that it is an excellent glider, and with a small engine it could carry huge loads because of the unique design of its wings. This 2,200yearold model airplane had wings that angle slightly downward at the ends—exactly the same improved wing design that was first used in modern times on the supersonic Concorde!

Everyone agrees that humans have always been interested in flight. But now it appears that we creationists were right—we have always been smart enough to do something about our interest in flight as well!

Prayer: Dear Lord; help people to understand that they are not simply glorified animals but they are Your creations. Help us all to see that You made each one of us for a purpose and help me to live for Your purpose. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Notes: Photo: Courtesy of Dawoudk and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Science and Miracles

May 9, 2024 • Ian Taylor

Luke 1:37 "For with God nothing shall be impossible." Do you realize that the Bible's own arguments have been stolen by evolutionary scientists in their attempt to prove that there are no such things as miracles? It's past time that Christians reclaim those arguments in order to deflate the doubt that has been created. Evolutionists say that since the world is an orderly place with predictable physical laws, we know that miracles can't happen. And they're right on everything but their conclusion. It is because the world is an orderly place with predictable physical laws that miracles are important. The Bible clearly teaches that the world follows orderly laws. For example, Genesis 1:11 tells us that plants reproduce in an orderly, predictable pattern – after their kind. In Genesis 1:14 we read about how the stars move across the sky in an orderly pattern so that we can tell what season it is. And if the world was not an orderly, predictable place, we couldn't tell if something was a miracle or not. In a world where things happen willynilly, miracles would have no meaning. It is only in a predictable world that science can study where miracles can be what the New Testament calls them – signs. So the very reason evolutionists use to deny the existence of miracles is really the only reason we have to accept the possibility – and the reality – of the Creator's miraculous working in His creation! Prayer: Father, ours is an age of doubt. Forgive me for the times I have been intimidated by the arguments of unbelieving scientists. Help me to see through their poor arguments and uphold Your truth before men. Amen. Notes: Bartz, Paul A. 1990. “The Bible teaches a predictable world – but not naturalism.” Bible Science Newsletter, Mar. p. 10. Painting: “Elijah Resuscitating the Son of the Widow of Zarephath” by Louis Hersent (1777-1862) (PD) © 2024 Creation Moments. All rights reserved.

Where Is the Garden of Eden?

May 7, 2024 • Ian Taylor

Genesis 2:8 "And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." One mystery that has intrigued humans for thousands of years is the location of the Garden of Eden. Even Sunday school children stare at maps and carefully read Genesis 2:814, trying to locate it. But when we wonder where the Garden of Eden was, there are other passages in the Bible that we need to consider. Genesis 3:2324 makes it very clear that God closed the Garden to humans – meaning no one could ever go back. But there is even more important information in Scripture on the location of the Garden. Genesis 7:11 says that "all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened." These words about the breaking up of all the fountains of the deep suggest violent and widespread volcanic action. The geological record says that such violent action was indeed widespread. And very clearly the opening of the windows of heaven describes much more than just heavy rain. In the Genesis Flood, the entire Earth's surface underwent violent reshaping. We find evidence of this in fossils that are found today on mountaintops. We know that some of these creatures lived five miles below the ocean's surface! You can find rivers on maps today with the same names as those mentioned in Genesis. But the fact is, those rivers on our maps today are only named after their preFlood counterparts. God closed Eden to sinful humanity and violently reshaped the Earth's surface in the Flood. The only way back to God is through Jesus Christ. Prayer: Lord, help me to abandon all hope of finding You by my own efforts and instead trust only in what Jesus Christ has already completed for me on Calvary. Help me to teach others to do the same. In His Name. Amen. Image: Painting – The Garden of Eden by Thomas Cole (PD) © 2024 Creation Moments. All rights reserved.

The Ultimate Engineer

May 6, 2024 • Ian Taylor

Job 38:4, 36 "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?" Did you ever wonder why, while there are lots of round and cylindrical living things, there are almost no square plants or animals? Why isn't there any animal that has a skeleton made out of metal? And while there are so many ways for living things to move about, why do almost none of them have wheels? We make lots of square things, use metal frames in the things we build, and use wheels on lots of moving things. But these features don't offer good solutions to the problems most living things have to deal with in life. Wheels are useless for going through the jungle, climbing trees, flying or burrowing. In engineering language, all living things show a high degree of design sophistication. For example, the skeletons of all mammals have a ratio of 30% shock-absorbing collagen to 70% calcium phosphate for strength. This ratio provides the very best balance for holding up a mammal's weight during locomotion. Engineers also know that in order to get the best flow of a liquid – such as blood – a pipe's cubed radius must equal the sum of the cubed radii of each of its branches. And this is exactly the relationship found in all living and fossilized creatures, from sponges to humans! The impressive engineering found in all living things – and even in the oldest fossils – offers elegant testimony to the Creator's wisdom and power! None of us should be shy about recognizing Him when we are with others. Prayer: Father, I thank You that You have not left the world without witness to Your great wisdom and power. Make me a better witness to You and what You have done for me through Your Son. In His Name. Amen. Ref: Wickelgren, Ingrid. 1989. "The mechanics of natural success." Science News, v. 135, June 17. p. 376. Image: A composite of the skeletons of a Human and a Horse arranged into a lifelike pose, at an exhibit in the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/australian_museum, Sydney, Australia. (PD) © 2024 Creation Moments. All rights reserved.