People are fascinated by insect eating plants such as the Venus flytrap. Venus fly traps are designed to snap their leaves shut, trapping the insect inside. This provides the nutrients for the plant that the soil does not provide. Another mechanism of trapping insects is seen in the pitcher plants. Their leaf-like structures form a cavity that fills with liquid in which insects are attracted and then drown. The dissolved insects provide nutrients which the plants need.

The Borneo giant pitcher plant, Nepenthes rajah, is so large it can hold almost a gallon of liquid. With a reservoir so large, any nutrients from insects would be too diluted to do the plant much good. So biologists were curious how the Borneo’s giant pitcher plant got its nutrients. They discovered an amazing process whereby the plant lures rats and tree shrews with sweet nectar, not to eat them, but to feed them. During the day, the tree shrews come to lick the nectar from the rim and defecate into the plant. During the night, rats come to lick the sweet nectar and also use the pitcher plant as a toilet. The tree shrew/rat gets a valuable food source, nectar, while the pitcher plant gets to catch and absorb the “poop” from the shrew/rat, which supplies it with much-needed nitrogen. The plant needs the rat, and the rat needs the plant. Did this mutualism happen by accident and chance? When we see such a mutually beneficial design we know it points to a Designer.

And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it.

~ Luke 13:8

Daily Devotional – February 18

Anatomy

Two United Kingdom twins turn heads because one twin sister is white and the other twin sister is black! Lucy is “white” with blue eyes, and Maria is “black” with brown eyes, yet they are twins. Their father is “white” and their mother is part-Jamaican. These two girls help answer a troubling question about the Bible. If there were only one man and one woman in the beginning, then where did all the “races” come from? Why do people of such diverse facial appearance and skin color exist?

Lucy and Marie show that it is simply a matter of genetics. Skin color is based on a pigment called melanin. If you have a lot of melanin you will be dark; if you have just a little melanin, you will have light skin. If Adam and Eve were medium brown, subsequent generations would have had melanin skin colors from very dark to very light. Following the Genesis Flood, the people built the tower of Babel, God caused confusion in their languages, and people spread out across the world (Genesis 11). This resulted in the genetic pools being isolated and the different people groups developing. We are all literally sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. Twin sisters Lucy and Maria Aylmer from the UK show us that we are all related. Skin color is only skin deep and nothing more. We are all one race, the human race.

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth…

~ Acts 17: 26

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

Daily Devotional – February 17

Biblical Accuracy

Are unicorns real? AnAPreport coming out of an Italian nature preserve announced, “Single-Horned ‘Unicorn’ Deer is Found in Italy.” Sounds like fantasy, doesn’t it? But unicorn merely means “one horn”, and that is what was discovered in Italy.

Interestingly, its twin has two horns, so in this case, the one horn is probably a genetic flaw or birth defect. What is interesting is that the horn is positioned in the center of its head. Unicorns are mentioned in the King James Bible multiple times (Deuteronomy 33:17; Numbers 23:22, 24:8; Psalm 22:21, 29:6, 92:10; Isaiah 34:7). Ancient artwork also has images of unicorns. Remember that a unicorn is just a one-horned animal but depictions do not look like rhinos. They could be a one horned deer, goat, or some other animal. Unicorns were some kind of four-legged mammal with either a genetic mutation for a single horn (like the one found in Italy) or an extinct variation of a species still alive today.

God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

~ Numbers 23:22

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

Daily Devotional – February 16

Biology

Each fin on a fish is needed to move the fish. If the tail fin (caudal) was not there, the fish could not propel itself forward. If the pectoral fins and the pelvic fins were not present, the fish would not be able to steer. If the dorsal or anal fin was missing, the fish would not be able to stay upright and would tip sideways. All the fins are needed AND at the same time. Darwinian evolutionists believe that living organism developed and diversified from simple to complex during earth’s history. Yet, a fish with only two or three fins would not survive. All the fins, with their functions, were needed from the beginning in order for the fish to successfully swim.

Evolutionists believe that hundreds of millions of years ago fish evolved from some worm or sponge or other invertebrate. Not one single fossil has revealed this intermediate form of half-fish and half invertebrate. And as J.R. Norman, an evolutionist from the Department of Zoology, British Museum of Natural History, London, states, “The geological record has so far provided no evidence as to the origin of the fishes…” Fossils of invertebrates have been found, and fossils of fishes have been found, but nothing in-between! There are no transitional fossils showing the evolution of a fish. Scripture states that God created the swimming creatures, including fish, on Day 5 of the creation week. He created them as fully formed fish.

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!....

~ Psalm 8:1

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

Daily Devotional – February 15

History

Is there really a lost city of Atlantis, or is this just a myth? Let’s consider what happened after the Flood. Within a few hundred years, the rapidly expanding human population was spreading across the earth after being dispersed from the Tower of Babel. The end of the Flood also marked the beginning of the Ice Age. The Flood warmed the oceans of the world causing increased evaporation.

This resulted in a wetter, colder climate worldwide with massive snowfall in high north and south latitudes. Fine ash particles from the massive volcanic activity during and after the Flood also worked to keep the earth cool and snow from melting. This resulted in enormous amounts of water being removed from the oceans. Most experts believe the oceans were 300 feet lower during the height of the ice age. It is estimated that this one and only Ice Age lasted about 700 years. It seems likely that many people spreading out at this time of earth history would have settled along coastlines. At the end of the Ice Age, the icepacks began to melt - returning the water to the oceans and causing the sea level to rise about 300 feet. This caused flooding of coastal cities all over the world.

Today we are discovering more and more underwater archeological sites: Yonaguni near Japan, old Dwarka near India, Yarmuta near Lebanon and underwater cities off the coasts of Greece and Cuba. The submerged megaliths off southern India are a boon for the local fishermen. The temples and walls provide a place for the fish to congregate. The local fishermen are constantly snagging their nets on the buildings and must dive to loosen them. These local fishermen have the privilege of seeing the submerged kingdom of Kumari Kandam with its columns, pyramids, stone walls and lion statues. In other words, the ancients were building megalithic cities during the Ice Age that were submerged as the Ice Age ended.

Was the city of Atlantis a myth? Let’s just say these are exciting times for this new field of study, underwater archeology.

For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.

~ Job 37:6

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

Daily Devotional – February 14

Biology

A pig farmer in the UK heard an evolutionist academic talk about how the breeding of farm animals shows evolution. At the end of the lecture the pig farmer said, “Professor, I don’t understand what you are talking about. When I breedpigs, I get pigs—if it were not so I would be out of business!”

Evolutionists understand that the addition of new, increasingly complex information is required if a bacterium is to evolve into a man. For a reptile to change into a bird would require new genes to transform scales into feathers. The odds of random natural processes (like mutations) creating a new gene coding to make feathers (instead of reptilian scales) is essentially zero. Mutations always degrade the information found on the DNA molecule. Mutations never result in increasingly complex information. As ardent evolutionist Carl Sagan admitted: “… mutations occur at random and are almost uniformly harmful—it is rare that a precision machine is improved by a random change in the instructions for making it.” Rare indeed – and in most cases, NEVER!

There are many breeds of dogs, chickens, cats, and pigs, but they are all dogs, chickens, cats and pigs. The reshuffling of different genes produces the great variety within a kind, but the variety is limited to the genes that are present. If there are no genes for feathers, then feathers will not be present. Variation within a kind is not evolution! Galapagos finches are still finches, peppered moths are still peppered moths; they just show variety within a kind, not evolution. Things reproduce after their kind just as the Bible states. As the pig farmer said to the evolutionist, “I would be out of business if pigs did not produce pigs!”

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind:  and it was so.

~ Genesis 1:24

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

Daily Devotional – February 13

Paleontology

Most Christians are not aware that there is much evidence supporting the belief that dinosaurs lived only thousands of years ago - alongside of mankind. Here is a brief list:

1. The archaeological evidence: For example, the engravings in brass around Bishop Bell’s tomb at Carlisle Cathedral in the north of England dated 1491 show two intertwined long-necked dinosaurs. Worldwide, there are many dinosaurs depicted in ancient sculptures, paintings, and carvings. The variety and frequency of such evidence supports the reality that mankind has lived with these creatures.
2. Soft tissue has been found inside of multiple dinosaur bones, which means they must have been buried recently, not millions of years ago.
3. DNA has been found in dinosaur bone cells, which means they must be relatively young.
4. Carbon-14 has been found in dinosaur bone. C-14 is used to date organic matter (not rocks), and it has a short 5,730 year half-life. After about 100,000 years, there should be no detectable C-14 left. Yet, C-14 levels hundreds of times above the equipment detection limit has been found.
5. Before the word “dinosaur” was invented, creatures fitting the description of dinosaurs were mentioned in the Bible - the Behemoth of Job 40:15-41 and the Leviathan of Job 41.

Dinosaurs have been the “poster child” used to promote the belief in evolution for decades. With these findings, dinosaurs can now be missionaries of biblical truth. Everyone loves dinosaurs. Let’s show people how they fit a recent biblical creation viewpoint far better than a millions-of-years evolutionary perspective.

Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook…. Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.

~ Job 41:1, 19-21

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

Daily Devotional – February 12

Christian Truth

Your skin is literally crawling with millions of harmful viruses and bacteria, yet infections and diseases ONLY start when contamination finds its way inside. In a similar way, the Christian church faces its greatest danger, not from persecution and skeptical attacks, but from those within the faith who twist and distort the Word of God to justify non-biblical beliefs. Combining God’s Word with evolution (and its required millions of years) is Christianity’s greatest internal threat.

You need only observe the reaction to creation conferences hosted on public universities to see this reality in action. Venomous and insulting attacks preceding such conferences by unbelieving faculty and students are not at all surprising – the very idea of a Creator to whom we are accountable strikes at the very core of their belief system. But all too often “Christian” groups show up at such conferences to pass out evolution-promoting literature. And every year thousands of churches set aside the Sunday closest to Charles Darwin’s birthday to celebrate “Darwin Day”! Most Christian Bible colleges and seminaries teach that it is perfectly acceptable to believe that God used billions of years to slowly change pond slime into human beings (i.e. molecules-to-man evolution). Well-funded organizations are spending millions to convince Christians that evolution and the Bible blend seamlessly. Yet, the exact opposite is true.

I recently helped my son tear out almost every wall in his “fixer-upper” home in preparation for a major remodeling. While we were rebuilding, three critical tools were needed: a level, square, and chalk line. The Bible gives us an unchanging standard for understanding not just morality, but history and science also. God’s Word is the only suitable level, square, and chalk line standard with which to interpret these subjects. Almost universally, Christians have compromised God’s Word by making science, majority opinion, or their own experience the absolute with which to judge and re-interpret God’s Word. This is exactly equivalent to bending the square, misaligning the level, or smearing the chalk line to fit a crooked wall. It may work for a while, but ultimately, the structure will become distorted as mistake, builds upon mistake and it will become hopelessly unstable and destroyed from within.

God repeatedly warns us to make His Word - not the teaching of church leaders, scientific consensus, or popular opinion - our primary guide of truth.

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

~ Matthew 7:15

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

Daily Devotional – February 11

Biology

There is a small bird known as the “little dipper”, or water ouzel, that loves to dip into the water beside a fast-flowing river. This little bird flies, swims, and strolls along the bottom of the stream turning over rocks with his beak looking for food. He does not have webbed feet, so he uses his wings as oars to move through the water. He uses his air sacs to rise to the surface and compresses the air out of these sacs to submerge. The dipper’s eyes have a special lens curvature for underwater vision and nasal flaps in his nostrils that close when diving. After all, who wants water up one’s nose? Evolutionists will say this bird evolved. Why would he “evolve” all this underwater equipment when he could just as easily have gotten his food off the ground? Our heavenly Father just loves to show His creativity!

Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.

~ Judges 5:3

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

Daily Devotional – February 10

Design

Have you considered that the earth is perfectly designed for life?

1. The right rate of spin. 24 hours is just right. If the earth spun slower, nights would become colder, and days would be hotter.
2. The right length of year. Winters are just short enough for creatures to survive while summers are just long enough for plants to produce food for us to eat.
3. The right axis of rotation tilt. This tilt produces the seasons. Winter and summer seasons trigger the timing of when plants bloom and creatures court.
4. The right distance from the sun. If earth were 10 % closer to the sun, earth would feel like a furnace. If it were 20% farther away, we would be an icy desert.
5. The right orbit. Earth’s orbit is nearly circular. This allows the sun to evenly heat us.
6. The right surface smoothness. The earth surface is surprisingly smooth. If the mountains were only 10% higher, the local weather conditions would be extreme.
7. The right materials. Apart from the organic materials such as wood, earth has an abundance of the right kind of metals: aluminum, iron, lead, tin, copper, zinc, titanium, gold, silver, etc. The most abundant also tend to be the most useful!

The earth is perfectly designed for life!

For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.

~ Isaiah 45:18

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett