Sunday, April 27, 2008

Jesus’ Return and the Rapture

I have done a search of the Scriptures to try and pull all of the verses that describe Jesus' Second Coming, and the rapture of Christ-followers. First, here is a quick summary of these verses. I am providing this summary in hopes that it encourages those believers who read this, in that there are lots of verses that speak of Jesus' return. And there are lots of details that can only be brought out when these verses are all brought together. Here is my summary:


 

Topical Review of Rapture Verses:

Jesus will come on the clouds;    Matt. 24:29; Acts 1:11

Dead in Christ will rise first;    1 Thess. 4:16

Christ-followers alive at the Second Coming will rise up to meet Him in the air;    1 Thess. 4:17

Christ will come a second time to save those who eagerly await Him;    Hebrews 9:28

At Jesus' Coming, Christ-followers will be changed in an instant, and we will have our perishable bodies replaced with imperishable bodies; 1 Cor. 15:51-53

At Jesus' return, believers' lowly bodies will be transformed into something like His glorious body; Phil. 3:21

When He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He really is;    1 John 3:2

Once Jesus returns, Christ-followers will always be with Jesus;    1 Thess. 4:17

Jesus has prepared a place for Christ-followers in His Father's house;    John 14:2

When Christ appears, Christ-followers will appear with Him in glory;    Col. 3:4

At His return, we will receive an unfading Crown of glory;    1 Peter 5:4 (perhaps also described as a Crown of Righteousness in 2 Timothy 4:8)

Creation waits and groans for the appearing of the Sons of God;    Romans 8:19, :23

One will be taken from the field, the other left;    Matt. 24:40; Luke 17:34

At His coming, other believers we have brought to the Lord will be our hope, joy and crown of boasting; 1 Thess. 2:19

The Day of Jesus' Coming will not happen until the rebellion first takes place, and the revealing of the man of lawlessness;    2 Thess. 2:3

Immediately after the Tribulation, the Son of Man will come on the clouds and His angels will gather together His elect;    Matt. 24:29-31 (Does anyone know how the pre-Trib believers understand this verse?)


 

OK, I have one additional topic I would ask you to consider: the main Gospel description of Jesus' return for believers is contained in the Olivet Discourse, Matt. 24:29-:31. But these verses clearly say that Jesus returns for believers only AFTER the Tribulation is over. This is a rather clear statement that Jesus will not come until after the Tribulation is finished. As you remember, the main end-time evangelical view is Pre-Tribulation/Pre-Millennial, meaning that they understand that Jesus comes with a secret rapture of believers, before the 7 years of Tribulation. I have a difficult time reconciling this with Matthew 24:29-:31, which says:


 

Matt. 24:29-:31 - 29"Immediately after the tribulation of those daysall the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.


 

And so, these verses show that immediately after the Tribulation (and remember in Matt. 24:22, that only for the sake of the elect, the days of the Tribulation are shortened) Jesus and His angels return to gather the elect. So this looks to be a challenging verse for those with a Pre-Trib view. I did find one commentary with a Pre-Trib explanation, but I do not find it very persuasive:


 

…"A trumpet call will send angels to gather the saved from throughout the earth (24:31). This refers not to the rapture of the church, which will occur before the Tribulation (see exposition on 1 Thess. 4:13–18), but to the actual coming of Christ to earth about seven years later at the end of the Tribulation, at which time he will inaugurate his millennial Kingdom." Wilmington's Bible Handbook.


 

So Wilmington's Bible Commentary says that Matt. 24:31 description of Jesus' return to gather the elect from the four winds, is not a description of the rapture? And this is instead a description of the much less numerous who come to a saving faith during the Tribulation? Are they allowing their presumption that the rapture takes place before the Tribulation to cover over the plain language of Matt. 24:29-31, which says that only after the Tribulation does Jesus and His angels come for all of the elect? Is there anyone out there that would like to try and reconcile a Pre-Trib rapture view with Matt. 24:29-31? God's blessings to you, and any comments are appreciated.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Odds n Ends (5)

Good Day to you (snow and nasty wind here in Minnesota this morning). Here are the stories I found interesting from the past week:


 

  1. Best-selling author Joel Rosenberg gives 4 Signs of the End-Times on Glenn Beck last night. Perhaps the leading voice of Pre-Trib/Pre-Millennialism end-times views is writer Joel Rosenberg and his new book 'Dead Heat' was on cable news shows of Glenn Beck last night. Here is his list of 4 warning signs Jesus' return is near:
  • A Dictator appears in Russia who threatens Israel;
  • An speedy building of the city of 'Babylon';
  • Re-building of the 3rd Temple in Jerusalem;
  • Missiles striking Israel from Hamas.

Joel Rosenberg's website (www.joelrosenberg.blogspot.com) has a portion of the interview from Glenn Beck's show.


 

  1. Increase in "Plague of Autism" may just be change in reporting methods. There is more evidence this month demonstrating that we are not, in fact, presently suffering through an age of increased incidence of autism, but rather as the definition of autism is refined, we discover individuals who were previously misdiagnosed… Using today's criteria, the researchers found nearly a quarter of the participants to have an autistic disorder rather than one based on spoken language. "Our study shows pretty direct evidence to support the theory that changes in diagnosis may contribute towards the rise in autism," says Dorothy Bishop, the lead on the new study. "These were children that people were saying were not autistic in the 1980s, but when we talk to their parents now about what they were like as children, it's clear that they would be classified as autistic now." http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2008-04/increase-autism-due-only-changes-diagnosis


 

  1. New chip will let an IPOD store 500,000 songs. Hey, I like this one! No more worrying about whether or not to download every song from a CD? I'm in – Here's the link: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3728060.ece. "Mobile phones, iPods and other consumer devices may soon be able to hold a hundred times more information than they do at present thanks to a breakthrough in storage technology…"


     

  2. Major Merck clinical trial was cancelled when vaccine may have actually increased the chances of people developing Aids.. Most scientists involved in Aids research believe that a vaccine against HIV is further away than ever and some have admitted that effective immunization against the virus may never be possible, according to an unprecedented poll conducted by 'The Independent'. Nearly two thirds believed that an HIV vaccine will not be developed within the next 10 years and some of them said that it may take at least 20 more years of research before a vaccine can be used to protect people either from infection or the onset of Aids. But a substantial minority of the scientists admitted that an HIV vaccine may never be developed. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/is-it-time-to-give-up-the-search-for-an-aids-vaccine-814737.html.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Odds n’ Ends (4), and a quick discussion of Signs in the Olivet Discourse

Here are some news stories that caught my eye:


 

  1. James Ossuary Trial – You may recall the news story in 2002 of a burial box (ossuary) that had written on its outside : "James son of Joseph, Brother of Jesus". Well, the trial on its authenticity is now taking place in Israel. The Israeli paper, Haaretz, has an updated report on the trial of the alleged founder of the James Ossuary. Those who wish to keep up with the progress of the trial over its authenticity can read about it at:

    http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/974483.html

    In sum, it looks like a case has been made against the authenticity of this find. The defense is getting its turn now. (copied from the Primetime Jesus Blog).


     

    2) The Deputy Commander in Chief of Iran's Army: If Israel attacks Iran, Iran will "eliminate" Israel. http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSHAF52999620080416. Iran will respond to any military attack from Israel by "eliminating" the Jewish state, a senior army commander said on Tuesday (April 15th).

    Deputy commander-in-chief Mohammad Reza Ashtiani was echoing Iran's late leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, who said Israel should be wiped off the map…


     

    3) A Strong, Unusual Earthquake Hits Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin. http://news.aol.com/story/_a/rare-large-earthquake-hits-midwest/20080418062509990001. OK, everyone has already seen this news story. So why am I bringing it up here? I thought I would tie in the Disciples' question to Jesus about what would be the signs of Jesus Return (Matthew 24:3). It's very exciting to read what Jesus has taught about the end of the age. The Olivet Discourse is the second longest recorded teaching of Jesus (the longest being the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 4 through 6). This Discourse is of such importance that it is reported in all three of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21), and is Jesus' longest teaching about the end of the age.


     

    The long list of signs contained in Olivet Discourse is understood by those using the Pre-Trib Method as the signs of what will take place before Jesus' return. An example of a use in understanding these signs is shown by Pastor John MacArthur as he describes six birth pangs of God's Creation that calls out for Jesus Christ's return in his book The Second Coming, pp. 83-102. These birth pangs are:


     

    1. False Messiahs (Matt. 24:5); Pastor MacArthur describes a number of false Messiahs that we have faced in our own time: Sun Myung Moon, David Koresh, Jim Jones, Marshall Applewhite and Charles Manson. Since Pastor MacArthur wrote his fine book, another example is shown through the false Christ described in Dan Brown's best-selling novel The DaVinci Code, and this looks like it could certainly be added as another example.


       

    2. Wars, and rumors of war (Matt. 24:6); Pastor MacArthur teaches that this is a reference to the constant talk of wars and possibilities of wars, with such talk dominating public discourse. MacArthur at p. 91.


       

    3. Famines, Pestilences, and earthquakes (Matt. 24:7-8); this sign makes it clear that the birth pangs are a display of God's judgment. We just had an Earthquake in the Midwest? Is this a sign of the world's birth pangs? And how could our world with its tremendous production of wheat and corn lead to famines? I hope you have also seen the worldwide food shortages caused by corn production being used for ethanol production. It's crazy, but this could be happening despite our wonderful farming methods.


       

    4. Persecution of the righteous (Matt. 24:9);
    5. Defection of false Believers (Matt. 24:10);
    6. The Gospel is Proclaimed to the Whole World (Matt. 24:14);


     

    So we see "unusual" earthquakes in the Midwest – is this one of the birth pangs of the world that is Earth's crying out for Jesus' return? I bring it up only because it is so unusual. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Friday, April 18, 2008

Expelled – A Movie Review

Hi everyone. I attended the opening day, matinee showing of Expelled – No Intelligence Allowed earlier today. This is the documentary with actor/economist Ben Stein showing the "war" between science and religion currently taking place in America. Ben Stein uses a method similar to a Lee Strobel book, where he asks a question, and then finds an expert to discuss the topic. He also uses hilarious clips of such famous Darwinist supporters as Michael Shermer, Richard Dawkins, and Minnesota's own PZ Myers saying stupid things about how well Darwinism is supported by scientific evidence, and how Intelligent Design (ID) supporters would never be attacked for having views that see life on Earth as having been intelligently designed (Stein interviews many people who have lost their jobs / tenure because of holding a point of view supporting ID.


 

So what is the importance of this issue? Is it only a small academic disagreement taking place at universities? No, Expelled shows that truth, American freedom, people's jobs, and the protection of the lives of those who may be viewed as genetically inferior, all are at stake in this "war". I'm not kidding, the movie does a very good job of showing the importance of the issues that are involved in this fight. The movie has a number of scenes of the Berlin Wall to emphasize the magnitude of this battle. This is all done with humor, and surprising seriousness at several points in the movie. For example, Ben Stein visits a German concentration camp, where 15,000 people with disabilities were exterminated. The reason for this killing by the Nazis? Not only was this the elimination of political enemies, but also the elimination of people who were draining resources (like jobs, food, etc.) from the German nation. And all of this was done by the scientists not only in Germany but also America who were basing their eugenic beliefs in significant part upon Darwinism. This part of the movie was horrifying and most powerful at the same time.


 

To show the silliness of the mainstream Darwinist positions, I will use two quick examples: first, Ben Stein asks scientist Michael Russo how life started on Earth. Russo explains that a leading view is that chemicals went on top of some crystals, and were able to become living from this. Ben Stein mercilessly keeps asking the question, but how did this start life? Russo repeatedly responds, I already explained it to you. Stein then incredulously says, piggy-backing on crystals is how life started? The scenes from other movies of people praying to crystals, I think adds to the silliness of what Russo said. Another funny scene is the final interview Ben Stein has with Richard Dawkins (famous atheist/biologist, author of The God Delusion). Dawkins starts by saying that a belief in God is along the same line as believing in fairies or angels. Stein then asks Dawkins how life started on Earth, and Dawkins said that he had no idea, and that no one had any idea of how life started. Stein then pressed him, and Dawkins admitted that it appears that life is designed, and perhaps a very intelligent alien race planted 'seeds' on Earth to get life started. It seems this point shows the ridiculousness of academia in America – a scientist can hold a silly view such as thinking that life was planted on Earth by Aliens, and receive full support from their colleagues. While if anyone dares to suggest that God was responsible for planting life on Earth will result in a full out attack from the Darwinist army.


 

I give the movie an enthusiastic 'thumbs up'. Because it is a documentary, it is important for people to get out and see the movie, so that it has a greater impact on our culture. You will not be bored. It is an important and entertaining movie for those who love free-thinking and religious freedom. I hope you will check it out.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Sing!

I have done a simple Concordance search of the word 'sing' and 'song' in the New Testament, and I thought I would share the results with you. I hope these verses show us all that we are to sing together, sing often, and sing praises to God our Lord.


 

What if I don't feel like singing? Well, as Jesus taught us at the Last Supper, He was about to go to an excruciating and humiliating death, and have the world's sins laid upon Him, yet He led the disciples in the singing of a hymn (Matt. 26:30). Paul and Silas were in prison, and they sang (Acts 16:25). So it seems that singing is important for our emotional health, especially when we are under stress, as Jesus and Paul were.


 

But we are also to sing praises when we feel cheerful (James 5:13). We are to also sing God's praises in an assembly/congregation (Hebrews 2:12). How important is singing praises to our Lord God? The Apostle Paul answers this 1 Corinthians chapter 14. Paul recognized the wonderful spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit of speaking in tongues. But Paul recognized that singing hymns to God was more important than speaking in tongues because the Christian is using both their spirit and their mind when they sing (1 Cor. 14:15). While if someone is speaking in tongues only their spirit is praying, but their mind remains "unfruitful" (1 Cor. 14:14). So a beautiful part of singing praises to God is that you are using both your spirit and your mind in showing love to our Creator.


 

And finally, what sort of songs should we sing? Both Ephesians 5:18-:19 and Colossians 3:16, describe what Christians should sing as follows:


 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col. 3:16; see, Eph. 5:18-:19).


 

So Paul uses just about as broad of a description for the kind of songs Christians are to sing as there is: Old Testament psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. So if you love the old classic hymns – sing them! Open up your Bible, and sing a Psalm. If there is a catchy song you heard on Christian radio or in Church, sing it! But also notice what Paul connects to singing our Lord's praises – the word of Christ dwelling in us, and having a thankful heart. So take in God's Word, be grateful for the good things in your life, and sing praise to the Triune God. You'll be glad you did (that's my Amy Grant reference for today)!


 

Finally (really, this is my last point), I cannot leave the topic of singing without looking at the 'new song' described in Revelation. In Revelation chapter 5 we have a heavenly word picture painted for us, describing the 24 elders worshipping the Lamb of God. It describes this wonderful 'new song' as saying:


 

Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals,

For you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,

And you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth. (Rev. 5:9-10; see, Rev. 14:3).


 

So what should we do? Sing praise to God in good times and in bad. Sing with thankfulness in our hearts. Sing and make music in your heart. Sing together. But most of all – just sing to the Sovereign Lord of the universe!

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Odds n Ends (3)

Happy Birthday to my daughter Zola. There's way too many interesting news stories that I want to discuss. One thing is for sure, it's a crazy world out there:


 

  1. Malaria Coming to Great Britain because of Global Warming. From my previous posts on malaria, you may remember that malaria can survive only in warm climates, which is the reason why Great Britain (and Minnesota) do not see cases of malaria. But here is the first news report I've seen claiming that one of the effects of Global Warming will be to bring malaria to more northern countries, according to the British Medical Assoc. Here is a blurb from the news story:

Climate change could bring malaria and other diseases to Britain and trigger more frequent heatwaves that will have huge health impacts, British doctors said on Thursday. With the exception of Lyme disease, insect-borne diseases are largely unknown in Britain. But global warming could change that in a few decades, according to a report from the British Medical Association (BMA). http://news.aol.com/story/_a/global-warming-may-bring-malaria-to/n20080402191209990022?ecid=RSS0001.


 

  1. Biologists Create Sugar Eating-Fuel Making Bacteria. Biologists can now create organisms that have never before existed—including designer bacteria that turn sugar into fuel. Genetically modified E. coli turn sugar into blobs of a hydrocarbon that is similar to gasoline. http://www.popsci.com/oilbug.


 

  1. Muslims in Middle East Coming to Christ in Record Numbers. Famous Pre-Trib author Joel Rosenberg (his best-selling book is entitled 'Epicenter' – he is also a great resource on things taking place in Israel) reports on a story going untold in the Mideast where hundreds of thousands of Muslims just celebrated their first Easter. Here is his report of individual countries: In Afghanistan there were only 17 Christians in the entire country. Today there are now over 10,000 Christians and this number is growing steadily; Egypt More than 1,000,000 (one million) Muslims have trusted in Jesus over the past decade; 70,000 Christians now in Iraq. And most surprisingly, in Iran there are well over 1 million Shia Muslim converts to Christianity. Check out the story at: http://joshuafund.blogspot.com/2008/03/big-untold-story-in-middle-east-2008.html

Friday, April 4, 2008

Ed’s Question of the Return of Odin

I have decided to move Ed's off-topic question from A Fun Bible Study on the End Times to a separate blog post. He has raised some interesting thoughts, and I appreciate his intelligent questions. I hope that others will join in on the discussion. I have separated Ed's comments into three separate questions:


 

Ed says (Question #1): To answer your last question first: If I had utter proof (no faith needed) that the Christian God was coming to Earth tomorrow, I would become a Christian. Who wouldn't?

Tom replies: So Ed let me engage what you just said. If you had absolute proof, you would become a Christian. Is this right? Would you mind telling me what you think it means to be a Christian. What would be different in your life?


 

Ed continues (Question #2): Which brings up a side issue: Skepticism... Now we all know that Jesus wants us to take himself and God on faith, but he did say, "Blessed are those who have seen, and believed..." Doesn't that sort of imply that it's okay NOT to believe until one has seen (i.e. been presented personally acceptable proof)? And does this not further imply that conversion upon actually seeing the returned Christ would qualify one for grace?


Tom's response: Yes, there is a long history of skepticism even in the church. Did you know that even after the 11 Disciples saw Jesus post-crucifixion and death, and He was with them resurrected to life, even then some of the Disciples had doubts. God's Word says: Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. (Matthew 28:16-17).


 

So if some Disciples doubted Jesus even after seeing Him dead and brought back to life, right in front of their eyes, yes, I think there is room for doubt from those of us living 2,000 years later. But on your last point, I know you have it mistaken, for there will be no extra chance to see Jesus' return and be converted. All of the descriptions of Jesus' return describe Jesus or His angels separating people into two groups, for example separating the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:32). So by the time Jesus returns, all people have already made their choice. The sheep that choose faith in Jesus will go to the Kingdom of God (v. 34). And to the goats that rejected Jesus, they will be sent away to "eternal punishment" (v. 46).


 

Ed's Final Point (Question #3)- Tom, I have a purely mental exercise that belongs at the end of your Bible lesson: If I could provide utter proof (no faith needed) that Odin was coming to Earth tomorrow, what would YOU do? Show your work. :-P ~Ed~


 

Tom's response: Ed, I assume you did not mean to raise such an offensive comparison – the Return of the King of Kings, Jesus the Messiah returns to set Creation in order, compared to the 'return' of a myth (Odin). But apart from the obnoxious character of your question, I assume you intended to raise the possibility of some other religion being correct. If this is your intent, it is a valid question, and I will go through the mental exercise you suggested.


 

For me, and I am not speaking for all Christians here, even if there was irrefutable proof that some other religion was correct , and that tomorrow was Judgment Day, I hope that I would not turn from my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord. Faith is not trusting in God despite the proof around us. No, I see faith as a gift given by God where one day I did not have it, and over a process of three years later, I received it. I received this gift of faith starting with skepticism (I remember my mighty struggles trying to understand John 14:6), And through prayer, and directed study of God's Word in BSF, it started making sense. And yes, when it started making sense, I checked out and investigated some of the difficult questions, like how should I live my life now. And the issue of other religions (you may remember my SOF outlines as I went through and learned more about some of the other religions during this time of my life).


 

And I found that only a faith in Jesus Christ answers all of the questions of life. Including the BIG question of how can someone who messes up all the time like me with actions that show I do not fully trust in Him, how could I ever hope to be in the presence of a holy, righteous and perfect God? I know it is not going to be on anything good I've done in my life. Instead, my only hope, and it is a blessed hope, is my complete faith and trusting in Jesus' righteousness in my place.


 

So what if I know that some Norse god named Odin is showing up tomorrow? Fine, I will strap on a shield and battleaxe and charge him. I know I won't make it far, but doesn't he reward brave warriors with entrance to Valhalla? OK, I'm letting my past experience in D & D get the best of me. My only real hope is in Jesus the Messiah and the eternal life the Lord promises.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

A Fun Bible Study on the End Times

Here is a Bible Study I put together on the subject of what does the Bible say must take place before our Lord Jesus Christ's Second Coming. This is the kind of Bible Study I like – you look up one or two verses that looks for only piece of information. If there is a clamor, I'll provide my answers. Otherwise, have fun looking up the verses that teach us what is to precede the Second Coming. My hope is that you will see that our Lord's return can occur more quickly than we expect, and we need to be prepared. Here is the Bible Study on what prophesied events are to take place before Jesus' return:


 


 

First, did Jesus say He would return?

Read John 14:1-:3, and Acts 1:9-:11. Does God's Word say that Jesus will return one day? _____________________________________________________;

Read John 14:6. If Jesus does not return, can we rightly say that Jesus is "the truth"? Do you believe Jesus will return one day? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

Read 2 Peter 3:8-:9. Why hasn't Jesus returned before now?___________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.


 


 

List the different events that are prophesied in God's Word to take place before Jesus' return:


 

2 Thess. 2:3-:4 - ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

2 Thess. 2:8-:10 - ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

Matt. 23:37-:39 - ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

Romans 11:23-:26 - _________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

Luke 21:24 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

Acts 1:8 - ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

Matt. 24:14 - _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

2 Thess. 2:7 - _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

1 Timothy 4:1-:5 – ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

2 Timothy 3:1-10 – ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

Jude 16-19 - ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

2 Peter 3:3-:4 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

Luke 18:8 - ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

Rev. 6:11 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________;.


 

Read 2 Thess. 2:7 and 1 John 2:18. Do you think these verses show that the events spoken of could be viewed as having been faced by the Church in the past, as well as today? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.


 

Many verses in the New Testament say that the coming of our Lord Jesus is "at hand". As an example, see, James 5:7-:9 and 1 Peter 4:7.


 

How should we be living our lives given that our Lord's return is imminent?


 

Matt. 24:42, 25:13 - _______________________________________________________________________________________________________;

1 Thess. 4:1-:8 - ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

2 Peter 3:10-13 - ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________;


 


 

What will you do, or stop doing today, if you know He returns tomorrow?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Odds n’ Ends (2)

Here are some news reports that caught my attention:


 

  1. Human-Cow Hybrid Embryo Created. UK's first human-animal hybrid embryos were created. The BBC reported that the Newcastle cybrids lived for three days, and that the largest grew to contain 32 cells, not quite large to be useful for scientific research. The ultimate aim is to grow these for six days, and then to extract embryonic stem cells for use in research. (from Times Online) Under the microscope the round bundles of cells look like any other three-day-old embryos. In fact they are hybrids - part-human, part-animal. They were created by injecting DNA derived from human skin cells into cow eggs taken from its ovaries which have had virtually all their genetic material removed. So what possible justification can scientists offer for doing what the Catholic Church has branded "experiments of Frankenstein proportion"? The Newcastle team said they are using cow ovaries because human eggs from donors are a precious resource and in short supply. The hybrid embryos are purely for research and would never be allowed to develop beyond 14 days when they are still smaller than a pinhead. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7323298.stm


 

  1. Paranoia Exists in One –Third of All People. Exaggerated fears of others afflict as many as one in three people, scientists claim. Wearing headsets to be immersed in the virtual environment, 200 volunteers chosen to be broadly representative of the general population walked around a virtual London underground car in a four-minute trip between station stops.

    The carriage contained what the researchers said were neutral computer people, called avatars, that breathed, looked around, and sometimes met the gaze of the participants. One avatar read a newspaper; another would occasionally smile if looked at. A soundtrack of a train carriage was played.

    Freeman and colleagues found that the participants interpreted the same computer characters very differently. The most common reaction was to find the virtual reality characters friendly or neutral, but almost 40 percent of the participants experienced at least one paranoid thought, said Freeman. http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080331_paranoia


     


     

  2. DNA Damage Plays a "Direct Role" in the Process of Aging. The Oxford Journals published a study concluding that the data presented here demonstrate for the first time that longevity correlates with DNA repair capacity in C. elegans (C. elegans are a simple multi-cellular organism that has a nucleus, and it was the first organism to have its genome mapped out). Decline in DNA repair capacity or defects
    in repair factors are thought to contribute to premature aging
    in mammals. The results in this study strongly support the hypothesis that DNA damage plays a direct role in the process of aging. However, additional studies are needed to determine the exact relationship between specific factors that influence life span, stress resistance and DNA repair capacity in C. elegans. http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/36/4/1380.


     

    The unanswered question from this report is how do we help our DNA repair capacity? Does diet and exercise play any role in the repair of DNA? Does beer drinking help J ? Keep your eye out for more stories on this topic.