Strong Ties

You are a magnificent creature, wonderfully made; you live in a physical world, but have strong ties to the spiritual world. One of these ties to the spiritual world is what the scientific community calls “epigenetics.”

Background

When DNA was discovered, it appeared that our destiny was fixed and determined wholly by our DNA. We were led to believe that since our DNA was locked in at conception, we were slaves to our ancestry. However, we knew that this couldn’t be true. It would invalidate the promises and principles in the Bible. There would be no reason to pray, no reason to believe, and no purpose for life. We knew that there had to be more than just DNA. So, we patiently waited, by faith, and our patience has been rewarded by what is now called “epigenetics”. Not only does epigenetics solve the “slave to our ancestry” problem, but it shows us how God’s creative genius connects us to the spiritual world. It is genius, and very, very complex ¹.

So, epigenetics is the study of how DNA is expressed by switching genes “on” and “off” as directed by our environment. We humans have an environment which is diverse: diet, atmosphere, stress levels, fear, music, love, microbiome, belief system, prayer, and faith. All these elements of our environment have the capability of switching our genetic switches “on” and “off.”

Diet and Epigenetics

DNA provides the genes, and epigenetics decides which genes are expressed and to what level. This epigenetic expression is dependent on how the DNA is packed in the cell. For instance, take the ant; pack his cells one way and you have ant larva; pack them differently and you have a worker ant; pack them a third way and you have an ant with wings that can fly. The DNA is the same, but the expression is quite different. Epigenetics switches determine which ant version is expressed.

The worker ants attending the larva know when the time is right, then they prepare a potion of fungus. When this fungus potion is fed to the larva, the larvae’s switches are positioned to pack the DNA to produce wings and a flight control system. Each cell works in unison with the others to produce the intended creature, in this case, a flying ant.

Social Environment

Researchers are just beginning to connect epigenetics with social environment. We have all known that our circle of friends, parents, and community made an impact on our mental health, but now we are seeing the epigenetic mechanisms that affect our physical health. Researches have correlated gene expression with social influences ². We, at Genesis and Genetics, are very interested in the results of these laboratory results knowing how the Bible warns about joining with those who practice evil.

The Nurturing Rat

Then there is the rat. It has been found that if the mother rat licks and grooms her babies, they do better mentally and physically. If the pups are not licked and groomed, they suffer both mentally and physically. This means that the rat DNA has genetic switches that are turned “on” or “off” responding to the environment of nurturing and grooming³.

Fear and Trauma

Another study where a small mouse was traumatized repeatedly ⁴, the small mouse did poorly mentality and physically. Again, there were switches that were being turned “on” and “off” depending on the packaging, but the interesting point is that the trauma was sometimes passed on to future generations ⁴ of the traumatized mouse. Some secular scientists are referring to this effect as the Biblical “sins of the father” effect ⁵. If you please, type, “sins of the father epigenetics” into your favorite search engine and you can read all about it.

Summary

You have nearly 40 trillion cells in your body, and how your DNA is packed in each one of these cells matters. This packaging can switch select genes “on” and switch other genes “off.” This switching can affect your overall mental and physical health. The mechanism for packing the DNA in your cells is not yet understood, but we now have evidence that the packing affects our physical and spiritual  identity. Therefore, know that you are not a slave to your DNA, your DNA is a slave to you and the environment you provide.

You are empowered by your faith in harmony with the Bible to harness and exploit your DNA. How? Simply by supplying a proper physical and spiritual environment. Your epigenetics is crying out to fulfill its vocation to find, bind, and wind your genes so that you and your children after you for 3 and 4 generations may do well.

Dear friends and children, it is true, the Bible got it right, our physical bodies respond to faith and prayer.

References:

1. http://www.genesisandgenetics.org/2017/12/12/epigenetics-complexity-of-biblical-proportions-part-1/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4555996/
3. https://www.reed.edu/biology/professors/srenn/pages/teaching/2008_syllabus/2008_readings/5_Weaver_etal_2004.pdf
4. https://www.nature.com/news/fearful-memories-haunt-mouse-descendants-1.14272
5. https://www.nature.com/news/epigenetics-the-sins-of-the-father-1.14816

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Background

The account of Noah’s Ark is central to our faith. It shows that God has power and authority over all creation and all life. He used his power and authority in a spectacular way: a global flood. This global flood is explained in detail in the book of Genesis. One point of curiosity is: how did God keep so many animals alive for so long on the Ark? In this blog, we will look at what we know about the Ark and God’s toolbox to see if we can solve this mystery.

Divine Wisdom

If one studies the detailed description of the Ark, with three decks and one window, it first appears that the Ark was best suited for growing mushrooms. However, we know God wanted to deliver more than mushrooms to the new world. And we know that God perfectly understands His creation since He is the author of life. Indeed, He delivered all those on the Ark to the new world without losing one (Genesis 8:18-19 ); and, amazingly, they were on the Ark for over a year. To do this took divine wisdom, but how did God chose to do it?

Divine Deep Sleep

First of all, the name Noah means quiet, rest, and comfort. This may be a key. Maybe the voyage of Noah’s Ark was quiet, restful, and comforting. Maybe God put the creatures in some sort of deep hibernation. If we check the Bible, we see that God has something in His toolbox that would accomplish this, and that is “Deep Sleep,” in Hebrew, tardemah.

History of Biblical “Deep Sleep”

We see tardemah used several times: once for alleviating pain, when Adam had his rib removed to form Eve (Genesis 2:21); once for revealing the future to Abraham, as he was entering into a new covenant with God (Genesis 15:12); and, once for protecting prey from the predator, when Saul and his army of 3000 had David surrounded (1 Samuel 26:12). The Ark had all three of these needs: (1) God needed to prepare the creation physically for the new ecosystem which included eating meat, shorter life expectancy, and a different climate; (2) God was initiating a new covenant and needed to brief the creation on what to expect as well as comfort them; and, (3) He needed to protect the prey from the predators. It all fits and make sense. Not only did the deep sleep suit these needs, but also solved all the problems concerning workload, air quality, fresh water and food requirements, light, and space.

Quiet and Peaceful – Safely Delivered

Even though the Ark carried many creatures, the Ark would have been quiet, and peaceful, and restful, just like the meaning of Noah’s name. So, here we can see a comforting picture: Noah’s Ark on the ocean with all the creatures asleep, knowing that they would be delivered safely to the new world, the new ecosystem, and the new covenant. When the time was right to disembark from the Ark, they would go their separate ways, and, for the first time, see the rainbow of promise.

For references and technical information, please read  The Genetics of Kinds – Ravens, Owls,and Doves

For Additional reading , please consider: Noah’s Ark Hermetically sealed and Safe

Key words: Deep Sleep; Noah’s Ark; Number of animals on Noah’s Ark; Global Flood; and new post-flood world

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