Good Heavens! The Human Side of Astronomy

If God does not exist, then why does the universe exist? Why is there something rather than nothing?  Any naturalistic theory about the existence of our universe inevitably finds itself addressing the concepts of infinity and eternity. It's unavoidable. You cannot explain the existence of the cosmos without invoking eternality.  This is precisely the meaning of Romans 1:18-20. Through what God has made, all mankind has clearly seen God's invisible attributes, which would include His timeless and eternal nature.  Discovered in the late 1970s and early 80s, the mathematical universe of fractals known as the Mandelbrot Set remind us of God's infinite nature - His infinite wisdom, beauty, creativity, intelligence, power, and glory. No one had anticipated that such a small equation, Z squared plus C, run through computers, would yield such a dazzling array of shapes and patters known as fractals.  An infinite universe of complexity, wonder, and amazing design await you! So come and see what more the fractals of the Mandelbrot Set have to tell us about the God of the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ. YouTube link for Part 1 https://youtu.be/_dACmhvSsTo YouTube link for Part 2 https://youtu.be/ztXawHYORzI For more on Dr. Lisle's work:  https://biblicalscienceinstitute.com/dr-lisle/ Fractals - The Secret Code of Creation:  https://biblicalscienceinstitute.com/product/fractals/ Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

In the late 1970s and early 80s, mathematicians and computer engineers made a remarkable discovery.  An entirely new universe of pure mathematics.  Not a computer glitch. Not human design. Not a fluke of nature. Not anything that could be explained by chance. But an infinite series of stunning fractal patterns and designs that came from computer calculations of a very simple equation.   Z squared plus C.  Plugging in different variables for Z, then substituting each answer back into the equation, the computers plotted out each answer on a graph. The results? Never-before scenes of breathtaking, complex designs, running on infinitely on different scales.  And as our guest on this episode of Good Heavens! argues, these patterns and designs ultimately come from the mind of God, reflecting His infinite glory. There can be no mathematics without God.  "Great are the works of the Lord, they are studied by all who delight in them" the psalmist proclaims (Psalm 111:2).   An infinite universe of complexity, wonder, and amazing design await you! So come and see what the fractals of the Mandelbrot Set have to tell us about the God of the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ. For more on Dr. Lisle's work:  https://biblicalscienceinstitute.com/dr-lisle/ Fractals - The Secret Code of Creation:  https://biblicalscienceinstitute.com/product/fractals/ See also this Good Heavens! program on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_dACmhvSsTo Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

This is a special extended broadcast of Good Heavens! featuring our very own Wayne Spencer (a BLAST from the past!). This is an excerpt from a message by Wayne about meteors from 1991.  Wayne discusses the Arizona meteor crater and the Tunguska meteor explosion over Russia in 1908.  A little something special for you, an extended bonus episode about our meteor series!  Enjoy! Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.  

Barringer Meteor Crater in Arizona, just over 30 miles outside of Flagstaff.  What slammed into what is now part of the Arizona desert to make this giant three-quarter-mile-wide and some 600-feet-deep hole in the ground? Scientists believe the meteor was between 150 and 200 feet wide.  Earth is impacted routinely by meteors and micrometeors, tens of thousands of tons per year in fact, but thankfully a majority of these are no bigger than a sand grain or fine dust.  But once in a great while, KABOOM! The Earth gets blasted by a much larger meteor. There are other geological signs of impact craters throughout our planet. Astronomers are working diligently to try and detect what are known as "near-earth asteroids and meteors" before they catch us off guard.  So how do such wonders point us to the glory of God? How can they remind us of who God us? How do they fit in with our understanding of the heavens that God has created?  Come and see!  On part two of our discussion about these enigmatic floating rocks, Wayne and Dan take you around the world to some of the more well-known impact sites and meditate on what we can glean from them about our Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Resources for our these episodes on meteors: Meteorites book:  https://www.amazon.com/Meteorites-Story-Our-Solar-System/dp/0228101743/  Book:  Night Sky with the Naked Eye https://www.amazon.com/Night-Sky-Naked-Eye-Constellations/dp/1624143091/ Best Meteor Showers in 2021 https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/best-meteor-showers-in-2021/ Meteor in Russia from 2013 - Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBLjB5qavxY

Shooting stars. Meteors. Bright flashing streaks of light zipping through the heavens!  They are a wonder and delight to all of us. If you've ever stood under the canopy of a pristine dark sky filled with stars and have seen even one meteor take you by surprise, you know the childlike delight that stirs the soul.  But what exactly are meteors? From where do they come? What exactly are we seeing? What's the difference between meteors, meteoroids, and meteorites? And how might these celestial messengers declare the glory of God?  Come along with Wayne and Dan as they dive into the science and the glory of these cosmic fireworks that so take our breath away! They'll break down the science and lift up the glory of God in meteors and they'll even tell you when you can catch a glimpse of some of the most prolific meteor showers of the year.  Resources for our these episodes on meteors:  Meteorites book:  https://www.amazon.com/Meteorites-Story-Our-Solar-System/dp/0228101743/  Book:  Night Sky with the Naked Eye https://www.amazon.com/Night-Sky-Naked-Eye-Constellations/dp/1624143091/ Best Meteor Showers in 2021 https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/best-meteor-showers-in-2021/ Meteor in Russia from 2013 - Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBLjB5qavxY Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

This episode of Good Heavens! is part two of our conversation with physicist and author James Sinclair about God and cosmology. James has worked with Dr. William Lane Craig on a number of publications about cosmology and was integral in helping Dr. Craig and "team theism" prepare for this debate!   It was a delightful and wide-ranging conversation centered around the 2014 debate between cosmologist and atheist Dr. Sean Carroll and Christian philosopher Dr. William Lane Craig.   On part one we talked about billionaires in space, science fiction, and Dr. Carroll's thoughts on theism in general.  On part two James helps us better understand why time and entropy are problems for naturalistic accounts of the universe. We also tackle why Christians should be not only just interested but actively participating in the dialogue about the universe and creation in general.   So come and find out why the best science about the universe is better explained by God's existence! Some links for further study below. Contending with Christianity’s Critics: Article: At Home In the Multiverse? Critiquing the Atheist Many Worlds Scenario.  Author James Sinclair https://www.amazon.com/Contending-Christianitys-Critics-Answering-Objectors/dp/0805449361/    God & Cosmology: William Lane Craig & Sean Carroll in Dialogue Article: Cosmology & Cosmologists with the “Does God Exist?” Problem: A Consideration of kalam’s Second Premise.  Author: James Sinclair https://www.amazon.com/God-Cosmology-Dialogue-Greer-Heard-Grear-Heard/dp/1506410774/ Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

On this episode of Good Heavens! Dan sits down with physicist and author James Sinclair to discuss God and cosmology. James has worked with Dr. William Lane Craig on a number of publications about cosmology and was integral in helping Dr. Craig and "team theism" prepare for this debate!  It was a delightful and wide-ranging conversation centered around the 2014 debate between cosmologist and atheist Dr. Sean Carroll and Christian philosopher Dr. William Lane Craig.  On part one we talk about billionaires in space, science fiction, and Dr. Carroll's thoughts on theism in general. SPOILER ALERT! We discuss the endings of the films Interstellar and Contact, just in case you haven’t seen them!  For more information on James' work:  Contending with Christianity’s Critics: Article: At Home In the Multiverse? Critiquing the Atheist Many Worlds Scenario Author James Sinclair https://www.amazon.com/Contending-Christianitys-Critics-Answering-Objectors/dp/0805449361/    God & Cosmology: William Lane Craig & Sean Carroll in Dialogue Article: Cosmology & Cosmologists with the “Does God Exist?” Problem: A Consideration of kalam’s Second Premise Author: James Sinclair https://www.amazon.com/God-Cosmology-Dialogue-Greer-Heard-Grear-Heard/dp/1506410774/   Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.  

Mars has inspired more than just astronomers and scientists. Mars has had and continues to have a profound impact on our collective imaginations, influencing a musical composer, countless artists and writers!  What was God thinking when He made Mars? Why make such a world? How does Mars declare the glory of God?  Dan and Wayne explore Mars from the comfort and safety of their armchair rocket ships.  Our armchairs cost much less than a rocket and are far more comfortable and safe.  So come and continue the adventure exploring the little red dot that goes back and forth across our evening and night skies.  Links for further Martian Exploration:  See Wayne's notes on missions to Mars: https://creationanswers.net/goodies/MarsMissions&TheRedPlanet.pdf  NASA Mars Exploration Website https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-exploration/missions/ Mars' catastrophic geology (article by Wayne Spencer) https://creation.com/mars-catastrophic-geology Video:  NASA's Perseverance Rover Lands on Mars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm0b_ijaYMQ   Carl Sagan talking about exploring Mars in 1972 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhv5V_8RPiI Why do we want to go into space?  (Feb 2020 Good Heavens program) https://www.patreon.com/posts/why-do-we-want-34422720 Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

As long as we have been observing the heavens, we have known of the immortal wandering stars of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. What is it about these "planets" that fascinate us so? Why do we spend billions of dollars sending robotic probes and satellites to the surface of a distant, lifeless, and desert wilderness?  From the safety of our armchairs, Dan and Wayne discuss our fascination with the red planet, and the various space exploration missions to Mars from multiple nations.  The name "Mars" is a reference to the god of war in ancient Greece. We hope you'll join us for our adventure to the vermillion wanderer as we explore its fascinating features and ponder how we see Mars as the creation of God's "fingers" (Psalm 8) ultimately a manifestation of the glory of God in Christ!  Links for further Martian Exploration:  See Wayne's notes on missions to Mars: https://creationanswers.net/goodies/MarsMissions&TheRedPlanet.pdf  NASA Mars Exploration Website https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-exploration/missions/ Mars' catastrophic geology (article by Wayne Spencer) https://creation.com/mars-catastrophic-geology Video:  NASA's Perseverance Rover Lands on Mars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm0b_ijaYMQ Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

This is part five in our five-part series on the Genesis flood found in Genesis chapters six through nine. On this episode, we discuss the significance of the prevalence of these flood narratives for us today. They are more than just mythical tales. It cannot finally be mere coincidence that all of these stories share common elements found in the book of Genesis.  On our first episode we featured a Young-Earth perspective on the flood with Dr. Tim Clarey of the Institute for Creation Research here in Dallas, Texas. On parts two and three, we featured an interview with Old-Earth creationist and astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross about his perspective on Noah's flood. Our guest this week is author Nick Liguori who has compiled an impressive and unique anthology of flood stories from indigenous people and tribes throughout North, Central, and South America. It is an unprecedented collection of carefully documented stories told by tribal elders, missionaries, anthropologists, and historians of these native people groups. If the Genesis flood really happened, we should expect to find these stories from different people groups. Many of these tales have similar elements to the details found in Genesis, messenger birds, a raven, a dove, a boat or canoe, only a handful of people being saved, divine displeasure and a rainbow of promise. Nick has shared these articles summarizing his book: https://answersingenesis.org/the-flood/flood-legends/flood-legends-americas-part-1/ https://answersingenesis.org/the-flood/flood-legends/flood-legends-americas-part-2/ https://answersingenesis.org/the-flood/flood-legends/flood-legends-americas-part-3/ For ordering the book: https://store.icr.org/echoes-of-ararat.html https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Ararat-Collection-Legends-America/dp/1683442717 From the back cover of Echoes of Ararat Nick Liguori is a civil engineer and and avocational researcher of biblical history and creation science. Nick has focused his research on the Book of Genesis and the Flood, including compiling a massive archive of references to the Flood from the histories and traditions of nations all over the world. Nick believes that a right view of God is critical to a right view of ourselves, and a right view of history is critical to a right view of God. Nick and his family live in Virginia.   Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.