We have a tendency to take for granted the phenomena of
nature which we encounter in our every-day life.
However, if we begin to look carefully at each of the innumerable facts of
the natural universe, and to inquire how these things came to be, we will
encounter some amazing things of which we may have been unaware.
By doing this, we may perhaps uncover the true nature of things and discover
the real meaning of our life.
And this may lead us further into the discovery that there is a way that
leads to eternal life after death, in place of the superficial view of life
as being limited to a few years of existence in the world.
So let us examine, in the light of the discoveries of modern science, these
things which have such an immediate, as well as lasting, impact on your life.
1. Why is there gravity on the earth?
It was Newton
who, while watching an apple fall from a tree, first conceived of the theory
of gravity. Why, then, does this phenomenon exist?
It is worth considering also the inconvenience we would suffer if the earth's
gravity were stronger than we find it.
Or, what would happen to us if the gravity were weaker?
However, we find that gravity is just such as meets our physical needs, and
this is a puzzle that no scientist can unravel.
2. Why does the earth rotate?
The 24-hour rotation of the earth on its axis gives us our days and nights -
very necessary to our lives.
Just what is the force that causes our planet to rotate?
The hands on your watch move accurately around the dial, but they will stop
moving if you don't wind up the mechanism of supply power from a battery.
Moreover, the accuracy of your watch is limited, perhaps, to a gain or loss
of one or two seconds in a month, even if it is a very good watch.
Compare this to the earth which travels 910,000,000 kilometers in its yearly
orbit of the sun without the gain or loss of a single second!
This makes it possible to predict
the exact year, month, day, hour, minute, and second(!) not only of eclipses
of the sun or moon, but the place on earth from which they will be visible.
Consider also how the 23.4 degree tilt of the earth on its axis as it
revolves around the sun gives us the changes in season that bring spring,
summer, fall, and winter, and thus the refreshing variations in our yearly
life cycle.
3. Creation or accident?
Even a watch needs someone to make the gears, the spring, the hands, etc.,
and to assemble the mechanism; perhaps the work of many persons is involved.
Is it conceivable that the earth, a mechanism much more accurate, much more
complex and wonderful than any watch, could come into existence accidentally
or by itself? Certainly even a watch could not do so!
4. Man-made satellites and God-made satellites.
Let's consider the satellites, which are the product of the knowledge and
skill of many scientists.
We may call these satellites an outstanding achievement of modern science.
To put a satellite into orbit with several men aboard is a tremendous effort,
a strenuous achievement for men.
The men in orbit of course, experience considerable discomfort and danger
while living in an environment with no air and no gravity.
Compare, though, this achievement with our
"satellite," the earth, bearing more than 5 billion people together
with oceans and mountains and many other things, and wrapped in a mantle of
air which makes it unnecessary for us to wear a cramped space suit.
Moreover, this mantle of air protects us from the innumerable meteorites that
our satellite encounters in space, and provides us with a system of "air
conditioning" that shelters us from extreme temperature changes as we
pass from day to night.
We cannot measure the blessings of hearing and breathing that come to us
because of the air around us.
Let us also remember that
all organic life could not exist without the light and heat given off by the
sun.
What would happen, though, if there were a mere 30 degree variation, either
plus or minus, in the heat? We would either fry or freeze!
But it so happens that we are just the right average distance from the 6000
degree surface heat of the sun.
And, as mentioned above, the strength of earth's gravity has surely turned
out to be convenient for our life-style.
Thus, if we stop for a moment and reflect, these things that we tend to take
for granted are really very remarkable, and we begin to see that we are
surrounded every day with blessings that we do not truly comprehend.
Since even a man-made satellite is the final product of the technology
brought about by the labor of many scientists and engineers, how can it
possibly be imagined that this wonderful earth, a "satellite"
immeasurably more complex and wonderful, came into existence spontaneously?
There is no explanation other than that there exists a God who is the Creator
of all things, and that this God also made our wonderful earth.
Just as we say that there are man-made satellites, we also must admit that
this earth is a God-made satellite.
5. You are now on a trip through space!
Modern men often speak about space travel as though it were a dream.
However you, at this very moment, while reading these lines, are on a space
journey.
You are riding this God-made
space ship through the universe at the speed of 30 kilometers per second.
This works out to about 108,000 kilometers per hour.
A man-made satellite travels a distance of about 43,000 kilometers in one
orbit of the earth, but the space ship upon which we are riding travels about
20,000 times as far in one orbit of the sun.
6. The Psalms and "space."
Space appears to us to be infinite both in time and in distance.
In our daily life we are usually taken up with trivial and very temporal
things.
It would perhaps be instructive to sometimes lift our eyes to contemplate the
starry sky at night.
Then we will maybe be able to sense in a more direct way this space travel
that we are now experiencing, and turn our hearts to think of the wonders of
God's handiwork.
In the Scriptures (Psalms) we find these words: "The heavens declare the
glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
We cannot see God, but he is the Creator of all things.
7. The basic principles of science.
We tend to think that as science progresses in its discoveries, all problems
will ultimately be solved, but when we begin to ask questions such as
"Why does gravity exist?" "Why does the earth rotate?"
which are unanswerable axioms, then we can only stand in awe and amazement at
the wonders of the universe.
These basic principles - axioms - are found not only in astronomy, but in the
study of biology, zoology, physics, chemistry or any natural science.
If we begin to ask "how" or "why?" these basic laws of
nature came into existence, we find that the deeper we probe, the more we are
forced to accept the existence of a God who created and now controls all
things.
Whatever may have been the process by which these things happened, as we
behold the glory of this creation and the order manifest in its workmanship,
how can it be possible for us to deny the works of God and imagine that these
things came into being spontaneously or by accident?
8. The action of electricity
Let's briefly examine this science. In the study of electricity, which is
truly the entry point for much of scientific technology, we find basic laws
such as Ohm's law or Flaming's law.
If, for example, we place a
coil of copper wire between two magnets and pass an electric current through
the coil, we can use the agency of the coil's movement to drive a
loud-speaker system, turn a motor, run a washing machine or water pump, or
run a machine in some factory.
We also use these basic principles to enable us to hear a radio or watch
television.
But if we ask "Why does this action occur" and begin to search for
the reason, we will soon discover the systematic and uniform plus-minus
phenomena (likes repel and unlike attract) that can be observed in all
nature.
9. Matter is energy
We find the same phenomena in chemistry.
Just as we find a tendency toward symmetry in the plus and minus charges of
an atom, we find this same symmetry in the make-up of molecules and in
chemical equations.
When we carry out
experiments in chemistry, we find regularity and uniformity without any
errors.
The plus-minus relationship can be found not only in electricity and
chemistry, but in the study of plants and animals; and if we analyze the
atomic structure of matter, we again find this phenomenon.
That is, the minus-charged electron orbits the plus-charged nucleus.
Again, this is mirrored in astronomy - the earth and planets orbit the sun,
and various satellites orbit the planets.
The atomic nucleus and the electrons which orbit it are not matter, but
energy - power, might - and so we realize that those things which we regard
as matter or material are really not so, but are pure energy.
Thus, it is a scientific truth we have come to understand today, in this
atomic age, that even our bodies, and all the solid material things around us
are energy.
Surely as we contemplate these facts, that is, this energy, and the orderly
working of the fundamental principles illustrated in the plus minus
relationships we briefly studied, we can truly discover that all things came
into this unity - this existence - not through some disorderly, haphazard
accident or spontaneous explosion, but through the creative act of an orderly
and almighty God.
10. The mystery of seeds
Most plants grow from seeds. Let us pick up and examine one by one a few
small seeds - apple seeds, orange seeds, and pear seeds.
If we plant a tiny apple seed in the soil, it rapidly sprouts, and grows into
a great tree from which we can gather many delicious apples year after year.
In the same way, a little orange seed can produce many oranges, and a
persimmon seed becomes a great tree from which we gather a crop of
persimmons, food which we need for our bodies.
As we examine closely these little seeds, are we not awed by the wonderful
mystery that they present?
In order to sustain our lives, we eat the seeds of the rice plant every day.
It is because one rice seed, when planted in the ground, produces many hundreds
of itself, that we are able to eat and keep our bodies alive.
No biologist, no scientist, no matter how great or gifted or intelligent can
make one of these life-containing and life giving seeds.
A farmer is limited to only helping these plants grow.
It is said that "We obtain our food by our work," but it behooves
us to remember that, after all, our food is made for us by God.
We feel compelled to bow our heads and thank God the Creator whenever we eat
the food he has provided.
11. Wonderful fruit
When we pass by a shop that sells fruit, the delicious and fresh aroma of the
fruit pleases us. Let us take up one by one, these various fruits in our
hands and examine them.
An apple has its unique
beautiful color, its own robust aroma and its distinct and delicious taste.
Likewise, a banana or an orange has its unique taste and smell and smell, and
its own beauty.
Consider also how a fruit is made easy to eat according to its nature.
An orange is appreciated for its juice, but suppose, for a moment, that when
we peeled it we found the juice spilling or squirting out. It would be
difficult to eat, and much would be wasted.
Instead, when we open it, we find the juice contained in many convenient
bite-size packs, wrapped in a clean, edible wrapping.
We can enjoy its nutrition and taste without discomfort or waste.
And in this same manner we could go on describing the many different fruits.
Let us be thankful to the Creator.
12. With a thankful heart
These same things can be
said about the vegetables that we find on our tables every day: onions,
beets, radishes, tomatoes, egg-plants, and cucumbers.
Each has its own unique color, aroma, taste, and each brings us the
nourishment our bodies need.
Let us not neglect to thank the Creator, first and foremost.
Then, before we eat, remember our debt to those who cultivated and harvested
them, those who brought them to us, and those who prepared them for us to eat.
When we know and understand the true nature of things, and partake of them
with thankful hearts, then the taste becomes a special pleasure.
13. God's works of art
Again, God is a wonderful master artist.
As we pass along the road and behold the beauty of the flowers in bloom and
smell their perfumes, we find here too something that no man can truly
imitate.
Man cannot make the beauty or aroma of the living flowers.
God, in order to bring us
joy and pleasure, has caused an incredible variety of beautiful flowers to
bloom in this world.
And no matter which of the flowers of a particular variety that we examine,
each one has the same number of petals, of pistils, and of stamen.
How this speaks of the careful craftsmanship of the Creator!
A painted landscape in a museum or a beautiful sculpture is certainly a
worthy work of art.
But these cannot be compared to the artistry we find in scenes of nature or
in the beauty of the various animal bodies that God has created.
Each one of us is a true work of art made by God. Face a mirror and examine
your own self!
14.The human eye, and a camera
Our eyes are made up of minute crystal-like cells, but they are able to see
objects in three dimensions and in full color.
A color television set has many hundreds of parts but it cannot nearly
approximate human vision - it can neither bring us complete color nor show us
three-dimensional pictures.
How wonderful is the tiny human eye when compared to color television!
No camera - not the most skillfully and intricately made - can compare with
the human eye.
While you are reading this page, the lens of your eyes
automatically focus on the writing, but if you lift your gaze for an instant
to some distant scene, the lens of your eyes will instantly and automatically
focus on the distant object, no matter how many hundreds of meters away.
How well does a camera compare with this?
The newer model cameras come
equipped with an automatic shutter that opens wider or closes according to
the amount of light available, but if the light is too dim, no picture can be
taken.
How does this mechanism compare with the human eye?
The lens in our eyes automatically opens or closes according to available
light, and we can see, of course, even when the light is very dim or when
there is almost no light at all.
If we go out into bright light, our eyes adjust very quickly, automatically.
The pictures our eyes take - how quickly they are developed and how brightly
and cleanly are they presented to us!
Surely no man-made camera or optical instrument, no matter how skillfully
conceived and constructed can compare with the cameras that God has created
for us.
How small, yet how wonderful are these eyes of ours!
15. Our ears, and our tongues, too
The ear - the movement comes from the vibrations of small drums, but an
average person is able to hear sounds from about 16 cycles per second to
around 20,000 cycles per second, in stereo.
Perhaps you have been impressed with the sound of a good stereo set, but even
one equipped with several large and small speakers cannot approach the
hearing range of the human ear.
In the ear, there are about 24,000 nerves that carry the sound messages to
the brain.
How small, yet how wonderful are our ears!
And our tongue - how wonderfully made.
With it we taste our food; with it we guide food to be chewed and mashed
between our teeth; with it we guide food to our stomachs; and how could we
talk without the infinite and rapid movements of our tongue?
Also, how thoughtfully God placed these sensory parts of our body.
How would we fare if our eyes were in our back, or if our mouth was where our
navel is?
16. The brain
Perhaps the brain in our head is an even more wonderful part of our body.
Instant by instant, over the space of years, or even decades, though there
may be differences in the extent of memory, our brain records the various
happenings in our lives, and according to our felt need, is able to recall
these records.
And how do we think? How do we calculate.....?
Some people will say, "I'm not very smart," but indeed all of us
have a wonderful brain.
Each of our brains has more than 100 bullion nerve cells which communicate and
work with each other in marvelous ways.
A computer is a truly wondrous machine, but the brain that conceived of and
planned such a machine is far more wonderful, a truly small and exquisitely
designed mechanism.
17. Created, and made to live
We can go on to consider the
structure of the human hand that has boot our civilization, or the ingenious
design of each structure and movement of the inner organs of the body, and in
each new study we will be amazed at the cleverness and the wisdom which
fashioned us.
How, then, is it possible for us who are so wonderfully made to think that we
are the spontaneous and accidental product of our environment?
It is beyond any possibility of reasonable doubt that our bodies were created
and given life by God.
From the day you were born until this very hour, you have never once stopped
breathing, even when you were asleep.
Do you imagine that it is through your own efforts that you breathe and live,
hour by hour?
"I was tired last night, and I stopped breathing"... What would
happen if such a thing were possible?
Again, your heart has never stopped beating from the time you were born until
now; do you assume that this pump continues to beat steadily on because of
your own efforts or will?
Thus, if we begin to examine our own selves, we come to realize our
"parent" in the true meaning of this word, and that it is this
"parent" who created us and gave us life.
This God, who is our "parent," we call "our Father in Heaven;"
and when we pray silently to him in our hearts we can know that this heavenly
father, who is filled with love toward us, hears us.
18. The Bible, and the end of
this world
The Bible is the unchanging, true word of God, historically handed down to the
earliest forefathers of mankind to be passed on to all ages and all nations.
In the Bible, we find written the true purpose of life, the way for mankind
to find the only true happiness, and the way for man to find the eternal life
that transcends death itself.
Also, prophecies that were recorded thousands of years ago, we find
wonderfully and accurately fulfilled in the history of the world that
followed.
History itself has proven
the immutable accuracy of the Bible.
Moreover, the Bible prophesies that as the end of the world approaches, we
will see a world increasingly troubled by sin and calamity, just as we now
presently see, and that finally this world will be burned with fire.
Perhaps this is the result that we should expect from mankind, who ate from
the tree of knowledge that was forbidden by God in the primeval Garden of
Eden, and who, though gaining knowledge, together with it fell into sin, and
now has created nuclear weapons whereby he may destroy himself and his world.
Since we now see with certainty that the various prophecies of the Bible have
come to pass in history with utmost exactness, no doubt these prophecies of
the end time are just as dependable, and will hit the target with the same
bull's-eye accuracy.
But the Bible also prophesies that even though this world will end, those who
have obeyed God will be saved, and even the righteous dead will be raised by
God to enjoy everlasting life and joy with him in the new heaven and new
earth.
In the same way, the Bible promises that those who have separated themselves
from God will receive the just reward for their sins in the everlasting lake
of burning fire and sulfur.
19. Death
The thought of death is repulsive to us, but it is something that every man
must certainly and directly face.
Young and old, men and women - since none of us can know when we must face
this certain truth, let us look for a solution.
All of us live constantly with the knowledge that the simple push of a button
could engulf us in the crisis of atomic warfare.
And, as individuals, none of
us can know when we will enter the hour of death.
Since our bodies begin to decay within two days of death, they must either be
burned or buried in the ground.
How precious, yet how ephemeral is life!
Since the question of whether this precious life ceases to exist when we
"die," or whether it is possible to find away to receive eternal
life after leaving these bodies, is surely of utmost importance, let us now
think sincerely and soberly.
20. First, from what we have learned thus far
We have seen that the earth where we live is a wonderful
"satellite" prepared for us by our Creator.
We have also found that the laws of nature and the so-called basic
principles, or laws, of science have provided wonderful blessings to our
lives.
Vegetables, fruit, our daily food, - all things were made by God for us, and
given to us to enjoy.
And when we looked in the mirror and contemplated our own physical make-up,
we have seen, first, how exquisitely - far beyond the most cleverly made
camera - our eyes have been designed, and how sophisticated and elaborate is
the workmanship of each organ that God has created.
When we considered how we breathe, and how our heart beats on so steadily, we
came to understand that we live not by our own will or effort but by the hand
of God.
21. Eternal life
Thus we can know that it is a simple matter for the almighty God who created
all things, and who made us and gave us life, since nothing is impossible to
him, to raise us again to life even though we should die.
22. The burden of sin
But who among us, if he
pauses for a moment of sincere self-examination, will not immediately become
aware of many hidden sins in his life - of hate, envy, disobedience to
parents, etc.?
It would be impossible, we realize, to stand before a Holy God while bearing
this burden of sin.
That is why God, in accordance with prophecies recorded in the Scriptures,
sent His only Son Jesus Christ to this world to free us from our burden of
sin.
23. The Cross
As is recorded in the Bible, Jesus Christ came to the earth teaching the way
to true happiness and everlasting life; and finally, in order to bear all the
sins of those who believe in God, he suffered the extreme penalty of
crucifixion.
God's Son poured out his own precious blood and offered himself as a death
sacrifice in order to atone for our sins.
This means that if you put your faith in Jesus as the Saviour (the Christ)
who cleanses you from your sin, you have forgiveness of sin; you will find
the purpose of life and can return to the loving arms of God.
24. The resurrection
Jesus carried out the death sacrifice on the cross, but, as prophesied in the
Bible, rose from the dead three days later, appearing alive among many
witnesses for 40 days.
In this way God gave proof of the fact of "resurrection from the
dead" through his Son Jesus Christ, and many even of those who had
persecuted Christ came to believe that he is the Son of God.
To almighty God, it is a simple matter to raise the dead.
25. The ascension and Jesus' second coming
After this, Christ prophesied that he would come again to the world at the
end of the age, to take those who continued steadfastly in their faith in
God, to the Kingdom
of God in heaven, and
then he was himself taken up into heaven.
Until that day when Jesus returns, God has given us his Holy
Spirit to guide and teach us. The Holy Spirit is our "Comforter."
26. The basic principles of
science, and miracles
Concerning the records of miracles in the Bible, we simply point out, as
before, that in the same manner as our "why?" questions about the
basic laws of science, our pursuit of answers to these puzzles will also only
bring us face to face with the mystery of the workmanship of God.
We must reflect that it should not be thought strange that almighty God or
the Son of God Jesus Christ, should perform
miracles.
27. Together with God
Our discussion thus far has perhaps helped you to better understand things
concerning the true God.
We would like to urge you to seek God earnestly with an honest and child-like
heart, and to pray to him.
If you do this, God will reveal his love to you, and he will listen to your
prayers.
In the presence of God, we realize that our knowledge is indeed small, and
that we understand very little about many things.
If, however, we grasp hold of the basic things, the rest will fall in place
of itself.
The key to the true purpose of life can be found in the Bible.
We will never find the true purpose of life in wealth or fame.
28. The most important thing
Let us kneel down with a child-like and honest heart and meditate on our
past.
Then, aware that God is present and watching us, let us confess all our sins,
even the smallest, to him.
Next, let us pray these
words to him from the depths of our heart:
"I am a sinner. I truly put my trust in Jesus Christ who sacrificed his
life on the cross for my sins."
If you will do that, God will forgive your sins, and together with the
overflowing joy that you will truly experience, you will receive God's gift
of everlasting life.
We urge you: make "this joy","this happiness", a reality
in your life.
29. In closing
In the presence of God we are all equal - true brothers and sisters.
It is our fervent hope and heartfelt prayer that not one should perish, but
that each one should find true happiness and everlasting life.
"All things are from God;
all things are by God;
and all things are for God."
"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth." - Bible
To be continued
to:
"Creation or Evolution - Which?"
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