Consider the Heavens. Psalm 8:3 When I consider thy heavens, the works of thy fingers, the moon and...

Consider the Heavens

Consider the Heavens

Psalm 8:3 When I consider thy heavens,the works of thy fingers,the moon and the stars,which thou has ordained,

what is man that thou art mindful of him...?

many people see the vastness of space and wonder if there is a God, and, if He

is there, why He should care about us

Psalm 8:3 When I consider thy heavens,the works of thy fingers,the moon and the stars,which thou has ordained,

what is man that thou art mindful of him...?

many people see the vastness of space and wonder if there is a God, and, if He

is there, why He should care about us

is there evidence in the heavens of a providential, caring God?

or is this all just a vast,dead, space without

a hint of the loveand care of the

God of the Bible?

is there evidence in the heavens of a providential, caring God?

or is this all just a vast,dead, space without

a hint of the loveand care of the

God of the Bible?

we will consider the creation from the first heaven(our atmosphere)...

we will consider the creation from the first heaven(our atmosphere)...

to the farthest reaches of the second heaven (the cosmos)...

...and see just how “mindful of us” He really is...

to the farthest reaches of the second heaven (the cosmos)...

...and see just how “mindful of us” He really is...

Consider the Atmosphere...Consider the Atmosphere...

our mass is just enough to keep this thin layer of gases above us

any more mass ( more gravity)means a heavier, more destructive atmosphere with more deadly gases staying here

less mass (less gravity)and we can’t hold onto oxygen and other life-support gases

our mass is just enough to keep this thin layer of gases above us

any more mass ( more gravity)means a heavier, more destructive atmosphere with more deadly gases staying here

less mass (less gravity)and we can’t hold onto oxygen and other life-support gases

our atmosphere is 20% oxygen

any less?humans aren’t here

any more?everything burns alot faster, and ourbodies age quicker

our atmosphere is 20% oxygen

any less?humans aren’t here

any more?everything burns alot faster, and ourbodies age quicker

the thin invisible ozone layer keeps us alive by absorbing nasty radiation from space

less ozoneand we roast in ultraviolet light from the sun

any moreand we don’t getenough of the sun’slife-giving energythrough to thesurface

the thin invisible ozone layer keeps us alive by absorbing nasty radiation from space

less ozoneand we roast in ultraviolet light from the sun

any moreand we don’t getenough of the sun’slife-giving energythrough to thesurface

carbon dioxide in our atmosphere acts like a blanket and keeps us warm

any less,we freeze andplant lifedies out

any more,we fry in arunawaygreenhouseeffect

carbon dioxide in our atmosphere acts like a blanket and keeps us warm

any less,we freeze andplant lifedies out

any more,we fry in arunawaygreenhouseeffect

lightning strikes about once a secondon this planet

more often?too many fires

less often?not enoughnitrogen wouldget “fixed”into a formusefulfor life

lightning strikes about once a secondon this planet

more often?too many fires

less often?not enoughnitrogen wouldget “fixed”into a formusefulfor life

water vapor permeates through the atmosphere, delivering rain & keeping us warm.

want more?we get a runawaygreenhouse effect

which will fry the planet

less?life on land would suffer

from meager to no rainfall

water vapor permeates through the atmosphere, delivering rain & keeping us warm.

want more?we get a runawaygreenhouse effect

which will fry the planet

less?life on land would suffer

from meager to no rainfall

our slow 24-hour rotation keeps our winds perfect - even hurricane

force islow - & our temps nice

faster or slower and life is possible,

but it’s no Eden

our slow 24-hour rotation keeps our winds perfect - even hurricane

force islow - & our temps nice

faster or slower and life is possible,

but it’s no Eden

our liquid center gives us a magnetic field which protects us from the deadly solar winds...

some solar wind can sneak in at the poles and give us the aurorae...

our liquid center gives us a magnetic field which protects us from the deadly solar winds...

some solar wind can sneak in at the poles and give us the aurorae...

a constant, visible, & beautiful reminder of our magnetic field’s protective purpose.

a constant, visible, & beautiful reminder of our magnetic field’s protective purpose.

it appears we have aperfect atmosphereit appears we have aperfect atmosphere

Consider the Moon...

the Moon has slowed us,kept us steady,given us tides,stabilized our orbitwithout it, life could not exist

Consider our Neighbors

Consider our Neighbors

Venus, closer to the sun, has...

an atmosphere so heavy with carbon dioxide it’s like being

under a kilometer of watera surface temp around 900°Fa cloud cover of sulfuric acid

no waternot a shopping mall in sight

Venus, closer to the sun, has...

an atmosphere so heavy with carbon dioxide it’s like being

under a kilometer of watera surface temp around 900°Fa cloud cover of sulfuric acid

no waternot a shopping mall in sight

Mars, smaller & farther out,

has almost no atmosphere or plate tectonics, and its water reservoirs are essentially frozen, so there is

no life-giving water cycle

Mars, smaller & farther out,

has almost no atmosphere or plate tectonics, and its water reservoirs are essentially frozen, so there is

no life-giving water cycle

but it’s a happy planet!

apparently we arenot too close,not too far,but just the perfectdistance fromthe sun for life

but it’s a happy planet!

apparently we arenot too close,not too far,but just the perfectdistance fromthe sun for life

Consider Jupiter & Saturn

Jupiter and Saturn are at the

perfect distance to:leave our sensitive orbit alone, butprotect us from nasty, earthbound

comets and asteroids...

Jupiter and Saturn are at the

perfect distance to:leave our sensitive orbit alone, butprotect us from nasty, earthbound

comets and asteroids...

for example, in 1994, Jupiter captured an incoming comet and ate it like it has

done many, many times before.

for example, in 1994, Jupiter captured an incoming comet and ate it like it has

done many, many times before.

these dark plumeswhere the comet fragments struck

are bigger than the Earth!

these dark plumeswhere the comet fragments struck

are bigger than the Earth!

we still get hit by the big ones occasionally,

but not nearly as often and

always at the perfect time.

apparently,we have the

perfect big brothers out

there

we still get hit by the big ones occasionally,

but not nearly as often and

always at the perfect time.

apparently,we have the

perfect big brothers out

there

big rock,bad day

Consider the Sunour sunour sun is the

perfectage,

mass,brightness,

& generationfor life

anything else, we’re not here

the faint sun paradox says that through an amazingly

complex list of “coincidences,” the sun increased in luminosity at the same rate the greenhouse gases

were removed from our atmosphere so Earth could

maintain a life-friendly constant temp

for 4 billion years

our sun is a bachelor, a single star; most stars have at least one other companion

of course, having no star means a bad day, but…

if the sun had a buddy,our orbit would destabilizeand we would not be here

our sun is a bachelor, a single star; most stars have at least one other companion

of course, having no star means a bad day, but…

if the sun had a buddy,our orbit would destabilizeand we would not be here

Consider Other StarsConsider Other Stars

our sun wasn’t born near other big and destructive stars like these four here in the Orion

Nebula, the Trapezium Cluster

our sun wasn’t born near other big and destructive stars like these four here in the Orion

Nebula, the Trapezium Cluster

the Trapezium Cluster are clearing away planet-making material from their siblings

no planet-making material, no planets

no planets, no TVno TV, no life

the Trapezium Cluster are clearing away planet-making material from their siblings

no planet-making material, no planets

no planets, no TVno TV, no life

sun-sized starseventually go out in

ablaze of glory

the sun will, too, a long time from now...

sun-sized starseventually go out in

ablaze of glory

the sun will, too, a long time from now...

but humans were put here at exactly the right time to

completely avoidthis inevitable

scenario.it’s as if we got stuck on a

perfect planetcircling a

life-giving starwhich has the

perfect life-cycle

but humans were put here at exactly the right time to

completely avoidthis inevitable

scenario.it’s as if we got stuck on a

perfect planetcircling a

life-giving starwhich has the

perfect life-cycle

betelgeuse

many stars, like Betelgeuse in

Orion, are bigger than our

sun - they live much faster and violently and die

much younger

many stars, like Betelgeuse in

Orion, are bigger than our

sun - they live much faster and violently and die

much younger

and when they die, they scour clean everything within hundreds of trillions of miles.

we have no big starry life-threatening neighbors

and when they die, they scour clean everything within hundreds of trillions of miles.

we have no big starry life-threatening neighbors

as to these explosions called supernovae:

closer to us?life is exterminated

farther?not enough

planet-building debris

more frequent?life goes bye-bye

more infrequent?no planets

as to these explosions called supernovae:

closer to us?life is exterminated

farther?not enough

planet-building debris

more frequent?life goes bye-bye

more infrequent?no planets

Consider our Galaxy

Consider our Galaxy

we live on the only street in our galaxy which allows life, about 2/3

out...

closer to the nucleus,we get supernovaed,radiated to death,and thrown out ofa stable orbitby other stars

farther,no planet-building material

we live on the only street in our galaxy which allows life, about 2/3

out...

closer to the nucleus,we get supernovaed,radiated to death,and thrown out ofa stable orbitby other stars

farther,no planet-building material

we live in the perfect type of galaxy for life, the spiral

spiral is perfect for life elliptical not so

we live in the perfect type of galaxy for life, the spiral

spiral is perfect for life elliptical not so

FYI FACT!

our Mormon friends claim that we came from Kolob, a planetin the center of the galaxy

no can do! there’s asupermassiveblack hole there!

nothing survivesthis place

FYI FACT!

our Mormon friends claim that we came from Kolob, a planetin the center of the galaxy

no can do! there’s asupermassiveblack hole there!

nothing survivesthis place

it appears we are located in the perfect place within the perfect

type of galaxy

can things get any better?!

it appears we are located in the perfect place within the perfect

type of galaxy

can things get any better?!

Consider the Universe

we live in a cluster of galaxies like this, but at the safest place - the edge!...

at the edge, spirals survive - how?

we live in a cluster of galaxies like this, but at the safest place - the edge!...

at the edge, spirals survive - how?

living in the nasty inner placesleads to...

collisions!!! or...

living in the nasty inner placesleads to...

collisions!!! or...

cannibalism, in which one galaxy consumes another

either way,no life

cannibalism, in which one galaxy consumes another

either way,no life

worse! clusters can collide with clusters to produce the most massive things ever seen!

worse! clusters can collide with clusters to produce the most massive things ever seen!

it’s as if we live in the perfect galaxy in the perfect part of a perfect cluster in the perfect part of the universe.

it’s as if we live in the perfect galaxy in the perfect part of a perfect cluster in the perfect part of the universe.

Considering Everything

considering...our atmosphere,our Moon,our neighbors,our Sun,our Galaxy,our place in the universe,and many other things not even

mentioned...

considering...our atmosphere,our Moon,our neighbors,our Sun,our Galaxy,our place in the universe,and many other things not even

mentioned...

many scientists are seeing for the first time that Somebody must

be behind it alland because many

scientists are seeingdesign everywhere

they look...some are

seeinga Designer

and are being drawn into the Third Heaven - the presence of

God

many scientists are seeing for the first time that Somebody must

be behind it alland because many

scientists are seeingdesign everywhere

they look...some are

seeinga Designer

and are being drawn into the Third Heaven - the presence of

God

Consider the Third Heaven

if this whole universe is flooded with design, then maybe the Bible is correct, they say

if the Bible is correct, so are His promises to take care of us and fill us with abundant life

if He has so meticulously taken care of this Whole Place, how much more will He take care of you, for whom He sacrificed Himself?

if this whole universe is flooded with design, then maybe the Bible is correct, they say

if the Bible is correct, so are His promises to take care of us and fill us with abundant life

if He has so meticulously taken care of this Whole Place, how much more will He take care of you, for whom He sacrificed Himself?

what’s better thanHim taking careof us now?

some day we will becaught up intothe other dimensionsof the Third Heaven,into a New Creation,a place He’s prepared for us,to spend eternity with Him

what’s better thanHim taking careof us now?

some day we will becaught up intothe other dimensionsof the Third Heaven,into a New Creation,a place He’s prepared for us,to spend eternity with Him