The problem of goodness (and beauty) - poster

Please feel free to use this poster, or comment on it, or suggest revisions.

Thank you!

 

Some important uses of the number twelve

 

Some important uses of the number twelve

This is the last of a series, attempting to show some of the most important uses of the numbers two through twelve (except eleven) in our culture. It is obvious that twelve has been, and is, culturally important. I did not include the twelve tribes of Israel, but they weren't exactly twelve -- Jacob had twelve sons, but the tribe of Levi was not included, for some purposes, in national matters, and Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, each founded a tribe. Further, Manasseh's offspring ended up living in two areas, one on each side of the Jordan River.

Thanks for looking!

Some important uses of the number ten

 

Some important uses of the number ten

One of a series, starting with uses of two. The next post, on twelve, will be the last.

I believe that phone numbers in some countries don't have 10 digits.

It's interesting to speculate as to how life would be different if we had 8 fingers and 8 toes, or 12 fingers and 8 toes, or whatever. But most people have 10 of each, and there are Ten Commandments, and our number system is mostly a decimal system.

Thanks for reading!

Some important uses of the number nine

 

Some important uses of the number nine.

Part of a series. Previous posts have been for the numbers two through eight, and, God willing, there will be two more posts, for ten and twelve. The uses of nine in this poster seem straightforward enough without my commentary.

Thanks for looking!

Some important uses of the number eight

 

Some uses of the number eight, which are important in our culture.

The idea of eight-ness has some importance in nature, and in our culture. Consider stop signs, for one thing. Molecules made from Oxygen, Nitrogen and Carbon (which molecules are essential for living things like ourselves) act in such a way that they have eight electrons in what is called their outer shell, which makes these molecules possible.

If you are interested in the eight-fold way as a unifying idea in physics, see here.

Thanks for looking. This blog has recently shown posters based on two, three, four, five, six, and seven, and, God willing, will soon have such on nine, ten and twelve.

Some important uses of the number seven

 

Some important uses of the number seven (7). One of a series.

This blog has previously had posts of posters displaying important uses of the numbers two - six, in our culture. Here's a poster for seven. God willing, there will be posters for eight, nine, ten and twelve in the next few days.

Clearly, seven was important in Biblical and religious culture. But sometimes the importance seems to be exaggerated. There are thirty-six occurrences of "seven" in Revelation, not just the one at the bottom of the poster. But none of these are about seven years, although some interpretations of the Bible hold that there will be a seven year tribulation during the end times. Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Thanks for looking! 

Some important uses of the number six

 

Some important uses of the number six are shown above. I guess that the most important one is for the six quarks. If current theory in physics is true, then, as the Wikipedia says, they are "a fundamental constituent of matter." In other words, you and I and the screen or paper you are reading this on are mostly quarks. If angelic beings with six wings literally exist, that would be important, too. In fact, it would be important if they were only an attempt at describing the indescribable. But dice, time, degrees, cubic crystals, and honeycomb are also important.

Thanks for looking.

Some important uses of the number four

 

Poster showing uses of the number four, and using four colors, four typefaces, four corners and four sides.

There are four freedoms in the First Amendment to the US Constitution; four fundamental forces, or interactions, holding the universe, you and me, and atoms and molecules together; four sides and four corners in many of the basic building blocks of buildings; four limbs in vertebrate animals, and, conventionally, four directions. There are more uses of four, or groups of four, that I have not thought of, no doubt.

Thanks for looking! I expect to post more of these posters in the future.

Some important uses of the number three

 

Some important uses of the number three.

Perhaps the most important use of the number three is in naming the Trinity. Do I understand the Trinity? Certainly not. In the so-called "love chapter," Paul said that there were three things which would endure beyond time, namely faith, hope and love. In addition, the US has three branches of government; there are three germ layers in embryonic development in vertebrates; there are three primary colors, and normal people have three types of cone cells in their eyes, which receive light of these three kinds; there are three commonly discussed states of matter (there is actually a fourth such state); monocot reproductive structures have three-fold symmetry (see here) -- monocots, including wheat, rice, maize/corn, and other plants, are very important to humans.

For the post on the number four, see here.

Thanks for reading and looking!

Some important uses of the number two

 

A poster showing some of the important uses of the number two. Some of these are biblical, including the statement by Jesus that no one can serve two masters, and also the statement by Jesus that if two of his followers agreed on a request, it would be granted. Then there are some things we take for granted, such as that we, and many animals, have two sides, right and left; the two sexes; that the things we see on our devices, and in books, are (mostly) two-dimensional; and that computer information is stored, transferred and used as binary information, 1s and 0s.

Thanks for looking! God willing, I'll be posting more such posters, using other numerals. For the post on the number four, see here.

Perhaps people should post the greatest commandments, not the Ten Commandments?

The Greatest Commandments. (Or the greatest attitudes to have!)

The Ten Commandments have often been posted in people's yards, and other places. But I've never seen these two commandments, to unselfishly love God, and other people, in anyone's yard, nor seen a movement to post them in courtrooms, even though the Bible says that they are the greatest commandments.

With the attitudes needed to keep these two great commandments, keeping the Ten Commandments will take care of itself. I hope I have these attitudes.

Lest there be any doubt, I have nothing against the Ten Commandments!

For another post on this topic, see here.

Thanks for reading, and looking.

Repentance: with poster, from Thomas à Kempis, from The Imitation of Christ

 

Repentance is the activity of reviewing one’s actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrongs. … [It] is generally seen as involving a commitment to personal change and the resolve to live a more responsible and humane life. In other words, being sorry for one’s misdeeds. – Wikipedia.

All my sins displease me grievously: I will never more commit them; but I grieve for them and will grieve so long as I live, steadfastly purposing to repent truly, and to make restitution as far as I can. Forgive, O God, forgive me my sins for Your holy name's sake; save my soul, which You have redeemed with Your precious blood. Behold, I commit myself to Your mercy, I resign myself to Your hands. Deal with me according to Your loving-kindness, not according to my wickedness and iniquity. - Modernized from Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Chapter VIII, 1418-1427, public domain.

Some Biblical examples of repentance:

2 Chron. 32:24 In those days Hezekiah was terminally ill, and he prayed to Yahweh; and he spoke to him, and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah didn’t reciprocate appropriate to the benefit done for him, because his heart was lifted up. Therefore there was wrath on him, and on Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that Yahweh’s wrath didn’t come on them in the days of Hezekiah.

Job 42: 5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. 6 Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Matthew 3:1 In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

6 They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

11a I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I

Matthew describes the temptation of Jesus in chapter 3. This is part of chapter 4:17: From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

In Mark 6, Jesus sent the 12 out, in pairs:

12 They went out and preached that people should repent.

Mark 5:32 “… I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 15:7 I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance. (also see verse 10)

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit….” (Sermon at Pentecost. And, of course, lots of people did repent then.)

Acts 8:20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart isn’t right before God. 22 Repent therefore of this, your wickedness ….”

2 Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

2 Peter 3: The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

In addition to those mentioned above, others who repented: David (2 Samuel 12:15-23, Psalm 51); Manasseh (2 Chron 33:1-20. For some reason, 2 K 21:1-18 does not mention his repentance.); (Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:28-37); Jonah (2:7-3:3); The Ninevites (Jonah 3:4-10); Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1-16); The jailer (Acts 16:22-34).

Examples of people who didn’t repent: The people of Noah’s day, and the Sodomites (2 Peter 2:4-8) (Genesis 19:1-8); Esau (Heb 12:14-17); Pharaoh; Judas, probably (Matt 27:3-19, Acts 1:21-26); The religious leaders (Matt 21:28-32).

Thanks for reading!

George MacDonald: following God leads to the source of good dreams

What has been, shall not only be, but is,
The hues of dreamland, strange and sweet and tender
Are but hint-shadows of full many a splendour
Which the high Parent-love will yet unroll
Before his child's obedient, humble soul.
Ah, me, my God! in thee lies every bliss
Whose shadow men go hunting wearily amiss.
- George MacDonald, Diary of an Old Soul, 1880, public domain, entry from April 5.

Thanks for looking!

The fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5, as a graphic

Galatians 5 sets forth the Fruit of the Spirit -- qualities that a follower of Christ should strive for, with Divine assistance. This is an attempt to remind us of these qualities, in pictorial form.

Thanks for looking!

George MacDonald poster: Lead me

George MacDonald was a writer who influenced C. S. Lewis greatly. Among other works, he wrote Diary of an Old Soul, a book with brief entries for every day in the year, published in 1880. This is one such entry, modernized a little.

This is Independence Day in the U. S., a celebration of national independence. But believers seek the opposite of  personal independence -- guidance and direction from God.

Thanks for looking, and reading.

God will care for us, if we put His Kingdom first

A graphic interpretation of Jesus's question to the disciples, in the Sermon on the Mount: "won't God take care of you?"

(He will.)

And His command, to put the kingdom of God first.

Thanks for looking.

Augustine on God's goodness

 

The graphic above is my attempt to illustrate a simple, but profound truth from Augustine, in his Confessions, Book VII. His statement is "For never soul was, nor shall be, able to conceive any thing which may be better than You, who are the sovereign and the best good."

I used a triangle to represent the Trinity, and the apex is colored gold for God's royalty and sovereignty. The apex is also the point furthest from the dark area at the bottom. Don't take the graphic, with its symbolism as anything but a feeble attempt to represent something -- the symbols are imperfect, and imperfectly arranged.

Mark has a related passage: 10:17 As he was going out into the way, one ran to him, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. ..." I'm not sure why Jesus seemed to leave Himself, God in flesh, out of the goodness group.

Thanks for looking!

Thomas à Kempis on the cross

 

The above graphic is an attempt to set a quotation from Thomas à Kempis, in his classic The Imitation of Christ, into poster form. The quotation emphasizes the Cross -- the death of Christ. It is true, of course, that the resurrection of Christ is as, or more, important than His death, but His death, on the Cross, was crucial to our salvation, and to the possibility of living the Christian life.

Modified into current English, à Kempis said:
In the Cross is health, in the Cross is life, in the Cross is protection from enemies, in the Cross strength of mind, in the Cross joy of the spirit, in the Cross the height of virtue, in the Cross perfection of holiness. There is no health of the soul, no hope of eternal life, but in the Cross. Take up, therefore, your cross and follow Jesus, and you shall go into eternal life.

May it be so. Thanks for reading!

It is impossible to overemphasize the importance of the resurrection!

 

It is impossible to overemphasize the importance of the resurrection!

The poster above is a graphic portrayal of the slogan used in the title of this post -- "It is impossible to overemphasize the importance of the resurrection!" I have also used 1 Corinthians 15:13-14, part of Paul's great essay on the importance of the resurrection -- that's not the only place in the New Testament where it is emphasized.

Thanks for looking, and reading.

Death, Life, and 1 Corinthians 15

 

The graphic above should is an attempt to portray 1 Corinthians 15:53, which says "For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality." The leaves were dying when the photo was taken. The flower bud was ready to wait for 5 or 6 months to wake up and open.

In preparing the graphic, I came across a most relevant statement in a public domain dictionary: "Local death is going on at all times, and in all parts of the living body, in which individual cells and elements are being cast off and replaced by new; a process essential to life." Indeed! Even biologists often don't attach enough significance to the work of decomposer organisms, such as fungi.

Paul (and other Biblical sources) teach that there will be a physical resurrection -- believers will have some sort of physical body, superior to the ones we now have. Christ already has such a body. I don't have a clue as to what that will be like, and you don't, either, although your ideas may be better than mine.

The plant was a dogwood tree, growing near Clemson, South Carolina. That's Lake Hartwell in the background.

Thanks for looking, and reading.