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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
