Pastor’s Notes

From fish with four eyes to mammals with two thumbs I have been all over the place of late so I thought I may as well tell you of the curious pattern of reproduction that we see in one of our newest emigrants to the area. Barring no problems, the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) gives birth to four identical quadruplets with every birth. This is because the armadillo only produces a single egg, which separates into four separate cells after fertilization thereby producing four identical, same sex offspring (.monozygous quadruplets). As a biologist I always try to find the adaptive benefit of God’s design. Since armadillos don’t normally establish and defend individual territories and the young are not driven away (as is the case in many vertebrate species), it is possible that brother sister mating could present a problem. It may be that since the quadruplets are the same sex there is no danger of the litter mates inbreeding. Some creatures are designed to live within environments that frequently change. God has built into these creatures a high genetic diversity and consequently the ability for the species to adapt to the change taking place in their environment. It is also a possibility that armadillo are simply well adapted to a stable niche within the environment (one that changes very little) and God is diminishing genetic diversity within their populations by producing identical offspring. This would maintain a population of armadillos that are each one centering the purpose God put into them as His creatures and would help ensure their survival against environmental forces that naturally prey upon weakness.
I have just explained that I believe God “manages” His creation and the creatures thereof by manipulating their constituency or their internal makeup. God’s Holy Word also teaches that He “produces and manages” His church in a similar fashion. He calls men and women to Himself, apportions gifts, talents, and resources to these individual Christians then guides them to church membership as a local body of believers. The individuals, along with their apportioned resources, then coalesce as a “body” designed to combat the forces of evil that reside within a given community (environment) and prey upon human weakness. The resources may be varied or similar and members may come and go as community and church needs change and adapt one to the other. Hebrews 10:25 makes it very plain that we are not to be “lone rangers” but are to serve God’s purposes as a united population of believers, i.e. the body of Christ (I Cor. 12:27). To “fight the good fight (I Tim. 6:12) alone is not what God has in mind for His children. Lets raise God for His bountiful provision and be quick to take advantage of it!!
Your Pastor Dr. H