How to be ready for Christ’s return

 

Some suggestions on how to be ready for Christ’s return.

 

Sunspots 670

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

The Arts: (Thanks to one of my brothers for this one!) National Public Radio reports that a farmer uses the positions of his cows to write messages visible from a satellite. There's a video. Really.

Christianity: He Lives reminds us that the Gospel is for believers, too.

BioLogos on why the bodily resurrection of Christ is so important.

Health: Gizmodo reports on infant deaths in the US, state by state. The US, as a whole, has a higher death rate than Europe, and no state is as low as Europe.
   Science: Scientific American reports that meditation may not make us "nicer."

New Scientist reports on a newly discovered human organ, and some of its importance.


Thanks for looking!

Image source (public domain)

All good stories are like the Gospel - George MacDonald

Every tragedy of higher order, constructed in Christian times, will correspond more or less to the grand drama of the Bible; wherein the first act opens with a brilliant sunset vision of Paradise, in which childish sense and need are served with all the profusion of the indulgent nurse. But the glory fades off into grey and black, and night settles down upon the heart which, rightly uncontent with the childish, and not having yet learned the childlike, seeks knowledge and manhood as a thing denied by the Maker, and yet to be gained by the creature; so sets forth alone to climb the heavens, and instead of climbing, falls into the abyss. Then follows the long dismal night of feverish efforts and delirious visions, or, it may be, helpless despair; till at length a deeper stratum of the soul is heaved to the surface; and amid the first dawn of morning, the youth says within him, "I have sinned against my Maker—I will arise and go to my Father." More or less, I say, will Christian tragedy correspond to this—a fall and a rising again; not a rising only, but a victory; not a victory merely, but a triumph.

- George MacDonald, Adela Cathcart, Second Volume, Chapter VI, “The Broken Swords.” - public domain.

How ideas spread from person to person

A recent article in the New Yorker discusses, with examples, how ideas spread. The article, written by a medical doctor, describes how some healthcare ideas, like the use of anesthesia, spread very rapidly -- and that was in the nineteenth century. It also describes how some ideas, like being as sterile as possible when you are going to do surgery, spread much more slowly, and indicates some of the reasons why this might be so. Then it discusses some healthcare ideas which should be spread to third world societies, for their own sakes, and how difficult that can be.

The bottom line? For at least some medical changes, technological aids don't do much good towards getting people to change. It takes one-on-one demonstration, showing how to do something, and explaining why it's important..

The article is fascinating, but I can't help but be reminded of how the gospel should be spread. Using technology is OK, but what's really needed is one-on-one demonstration, showing how, and why it's important.

Thanks for reading! Read the New Yorker article.

What the four Gospels have in common, and what they don't have in common

Weekend Fisher has produced a fine chart, showing how the four gospels differ in emphasis, and what they have in common, using word analysis. For example, the four words used most commonly in all the gospels include "Jesus" and "God." John uses "world" and "believe" more often than any of the other gospels. In previous posts, she explained her methods, and gave further information. The chart in her post is a link to a larger version of the chart.

For the mathematically literate, her chart is a Venn diagram.

Thanks for reading. You should find her chart to be interesting and easy to understand.

Water in the book of John

I heard a recent sermon by the author of "the other side of the lake." As an aside, I guess it was, he mentioned the importance of water in the book of John. So I checked it out. I found that there were at least the following references to water:

In John 1, there is a discussion of the baptism of John the Baptist, which was with water.

In John 2, Jesus performed His first miracle, namely turning water into wine.

In John 3, Jesus told Nicodemus that one must be born of both water and the Spirit, and there is more about John the Baptist's baptism with water.

In John 4, Jesus met a woman of Samaria at the well, where she had come to draw water. Jesus said that He was an unending source of water.

In John 5, Jesus healed a man, who was lying by the pool of Bethesda.

In John 6, Jesus walked on the sea during a storm.

In John 7, Jesus proclaimed Himself as the source of living water.

I didn't find a mention of water in John 8.

In John 9, Jesus told a blind man to wash in the pool of Siloam.

In John 10, Jesus crossed the Jordan River.

In John 11, Jesus wept.

I didn't find water mentioned in John 12.

In John 13, Jesus washed the disciples' feet.

I didn't find water mentioned in John 13 through 18.

In John 19, blood and water came out of Jesus' side, when it was pierced.

I didn't find water mentioned in John 20.

In John 21 (the last chapter) Jesus met his disciples by the sea.

Water is an amazing and very important substance. It makes sense to believe that God's original blueprint for the universe included a special role for this combination of Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms, and that he designed them in such a way that they could carry out this special role. I don't think it's possible to prove that, though.

Thanks for the suggestion, other side! Thanks for reading.