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| Vol. 15 No. 9 September 2013 | Page 10 |
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Home | Archive | Guest Book | Links | churches of
Christ | Contact Us | Salvation | Blog
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| Vol. 15 No. 9 September 2013 | Page 10 |
Roelf L. Ruffner
“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: Also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
God made an incredible creature when he created the Japanese Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia japonica). These predators (over 2 inches long) can decimate domesticated European honeybee hives, killing thousands of workers in order to obtain the bee larvae/pupae to feed to its own offspring. However, this is not the case with a native wild honey bee hive. Notice the following:
When a hornet scout locates and approaches a Japanese honey bee hive it will emit specific pheromonal hunting signals. When the honey bees detect these pheromones, a hundred or so will gather near the entrance of the nest and set up a trap, keeping it open apparently to draw the hornet further into the hive or allow it to enter on its own. As the hornet enters the nest, a large mob of about five hundred honey bees surrounds it, completely covering it and preventing it from moving, and begin quickly vibrating their flight muscles. This has the effect of raising the temperature of the honey bee mass to 47 ˚C (117 ˚F). The honey bees can tolerate this temperature, but the hornet cannot survive more than 46 ˚C (115 ˚F), so it dies. Often several bees perish along with the intruder, but the death of the hornet scout prevents it from summoning reinforcements which would wipe out the colony. More recent research indicates, however, that while the raised temperature of the bee ball contributes to the death of the hornet, it alone is not sufficient to kill the hornet. The bee balls also produce a much higher level of carbon dioxide which contributes to the hornet’s death, although whether this is because it reduces the hornet’s tolerance for high temperatures or actually suffocates it, is not known. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_giant_hornet)
Evolutionists would have us believe that this response to the giant hornets by the Japanese honey bee is a product of millions of years of trial and error by this insect. Perhaps an imaginary conversation went this way:
Queen: “Sisters have you come up with a plan to defeat our enemy, the giant hornet?”
Worker spokesperson: “Yes, your majesty. After 1 million years we have designed a plan for our defense. Knowing the physiology of the hornet and our physiology we calculate it will take 500 of us to defeat one of them. We are glad that this plan was created from data recorded at Honey Bee U. and field tested over the last ten thousand years.”
Queen: “Thank you for your work. Be sure and write your plan down since most of you will end your lifecycle in a few weeks. I plan to incorporate it into my genes to pass on to my offspring soon.”
This is how intellectually silly the theory of evolution is! Do evolutionists honestly believe that by chance the honey bee could have come up with a plan of defense that takes into account both insects’ tolerance to heat? Yet, this is the arrogance of this false philosophy. How puny faulty human reasoning is compared to the creative power of God!
When Job encountered the Eternal Mind he repented of his false reasoning.
Then Job answered the LORD and said: “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” (Job 42:1-3 NKJV)
Royce Pendergrass
“The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handy work” (Psalm 19:1). Nothing proves this affirmation more than the beauty of the fall that surrounds us.
Alice and I had made two trips in search of fall color and were disappointed, seeing only slight color in a few places. Then, with the forecast of a possible frost Wednesday night that would surely cause many more leaves to fall, Tuesday we decided to take one more trip in quest of fall beauty. We were not disappointed. We went from Mountain View up to Harrison and on to Branson. We came back through part of the Mark Twin National Forrest in southern Missouri and on to Bakersfield (my stomping grounds of growing up years). In some places, looking far off across the mountains, the view was just almost breathtaking. If you are looking for a fall color treat and still have a desire to go searching for it, we can attest that Harrison was the prettiest town we went through and the mountains of southern Missouri provided the most color.
As we made our drive and witnessed such beauty in nature, I wondered just how anyone can declare that an “explosion” created all of it. It’s beyond me for people not to see the orderliness and glory of nature and not accept that it took a Higher Being to organize and present it and to tend and keep it that way. From time to time, every one of us will complain about some phase of the weather and the conditions we are experiencing. Maybe it’s too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry or too dark or too light. Whatever! We’re human and we do go into the doldrums sometimes. Yet, most of us always realize that God is in charge and He will take care of His own creation in His own way and in His own time. On the other hand, it’s sad to realize that there are so many who don’t accept the power and majesty of our God.
From the very beginning, God created and was in control of all things. He said: “Let there be light; let there be a firmament; let the waters be gathered together and let dry land appear; let there be lights to divide the day and night; let the waters bring forth abundantly and fowl that may fly above the earth; let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind; let us make man in Our image and let them have dominion over all the earth” (Genesis 1). God only spoke and it was so! We all realize that the “spoken word” is a powerful thing, but more so with God than any human being. Everything was created at God’s commandment and everything is still in His care. He created all things and all things belong to Him!
David was such a faithful servant of God and often cried out in anguish at his unworthiness as God’s child. We read in 1 Chronicles 16:8ff, “Give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name and make known His deeds among the people; sing unto Him and talk of all His wondrous works; glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice; see the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually; remember His marvellous works that He has done, His wonders and the judgments of His mouth… He is the Lord our God.” David said to talk of God’s mighty works and seek His face continuously. In other words, don’t forget that you owe your existence and allegiance to God. We ought to be reminded of God’s mighty works as we observe the beauty and consistency of nature.
Paul told the Roman brethren: “The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen… even His eternal power and divinity so that they are without excuse because, when they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God and were not thankful. They became vain in their imaginations… professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:20ff). Paul says the fool denies God.
Let’s look at another of David’s affirmations of God’s glory and power in Psalm 145:10ff: “All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord, and thy saints shall bless Thee. They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom and talk of Thy power to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.” All of God’s works (His total creation) show forth praises to Him and we are to talk to others about His mighty acts and majesty. If we want salvation for our own souls and want to see others saved, we will glorify God as we acknowledge His presence and supremacy in nature and all creation and obey His commandments.