Thursday, February 28, 2008

Interesting medical miracle

From Yahoo! News: in a weird-sounding operation I've never heard of before (but, oddly enough, it makes sense to me), a tooth has been transformed into a working cornea for an Irishman.

The technique, pioneered in Italy in the 1960s, involves creating a support for an artificial cornea from the patient's own tooth and the surrounding bone.

The procedure used on [the Irish patient] McNichol involved his son Robert, 23, donating a tooth, its root and part of the jaw.

McNichol's right eye socket was rebuilt, part of the tooth inserted and a lens inserted in a hole drilled in the tooth.

The first operation lasted ten hours and the second five hours.

"It is pretty heavy going," McNichol said. "There was a 65 percent chance of me getting any sight.

"Now I have enough sight for me to get around and I can watch television. I have come out from complete darkness to be able to do simple things," McNichol said.

Isn't it amazing that some parts of the body can be used in this way to fix other parts?

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Psalm 32

I found this heartening today, as always. ESV. Source.

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you
at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Lent 3: the Samaritan woman

Today's readings were Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 95, Romans 5:1-8, and John 4:5-26, which was the sermon text.
Today, Jesus dialogs with a Samaritan woman--or does He? Taken from context, verse 23 seems to support pan-religion of some sort. (Riiight.) But take it in context--it clearly demonstrates that Jesus has been God from eternity (1:1), now become human flesh too. He is the fullness of God--the true Temple, the High Priest, the Sacrifice--He is also the Bridegroom, we (the Church) His bride.

Jesus came to save the lost, to convert them to Himself. Not mere "interfaith dialogs." He surprises the Samaritan woman on several fronts. She initially understood His message about water to fit her own interests. Then she tried to change the subject when Jesus brought up her sin (tsk, tsk! so impolite!). Next, He talks about worshiping the Father in spirit (the Holy Spirit, as evidenced elsewhere) and truth (Christ Himself).

Worship = Christ gives us His gifts and we give Him praise with His words back to Him. Jesus the Truth --> worship is in spirit and Truth. Behold the Christ, God's Anointed, the Lamb of God.

Jeremiah session 7

The pastoral mix-up has been resolved! This week we covered chapters 13-18. Bullet notes:

  • 13:1-11--the soiled-loincloth action prophecy. Linen = priestly (pure) material that became ruined here (cf. Exodus 19:5-6 and 1 Peter 2:9-10). In Jesus Christ, we are the new Israel--but it's still easy to become unfaithful.
  • 13:12-14--jars of wine (representing drunkenness). See Rom. 1:24-32--God gave them over to their own desires.
  • 13:15-27--humbling Israel (still applies to today with us). Tragedy: "the Lord's flock" juxtaposed with prophecy of impending exile. It's the result of Israel's Baal worship (degeneration: compare with Lord of the Flies.)
  • 14:10--shocking and terrible! We want God to forget our sins--but here He is fed up with 900 years' sinfulness.
  • 15:1-2--continued awfulness. Compare Revelation 6; also Luke 16:19-31.
  • 15:10-21--a complaint. Chapter 19 is worse. Verse 16--see Psalm 1 ("law" = Torah, the totality of God's Word).
  • 16:1-13--judgment on Israel. Why? Sin.
  • 16:14-21--restoration; some brought back.
  • 17:1ff--Israel's hearts had sin engraved on them with (poetically) iron/diamond.
  • 17:19-27--compare Pharisees and letter-of-the-law hypocrisy.
  • 18:1ff--clay and potter. God, the Potter, decided to start over with Israel, His unfaithful and stubborn clay.
  • 18:23--contrast Psalm 51:1-2.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Concerning atheism

I read Psalm 42 today; here is the encouraging text. Source.

1 As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation
6 and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.
8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Jeremiah session 6

Our other pastor taught the class today; whereas we had finished chapter 12 last week with pastor 1, today we mysteriously began with chapter 19 with pastor 2. Anyway, the bullets:

  • Ch. 19--one of Jeremiah's action prophecies (used by other prophets), the breaking of the useless flask. Why physical objects? Answer: God gave us our senses and created the world; He works along with and through His creation. God's promise, attached to a physical action or object, saves.
  • Valley of Topheth/Son of Hinnom = used by practitioners of Baal's cult-religion. For sacrificing children by fire.
  • Compare Jer. 19:7 with Rev. 19:17-21--carrion. Siege effect.
  • Distinguishing false prophets: (1) does their prophecy agree with the rest of God's known word? & (2) does it come true?
  • 20:1--the first Passhur (the second is in 21:1), a priest, should have supported Jeremiah but didn't. Prophecy: he would die in Babylon.
  • 20:7-18--cf. Job 3. Get out the Kleenex. Because Jeremiah had to proclaim mostly law, his ministry was even less popular than that of the average prophet. This section also demonstrates the divine inspiration of the Bible; if men edited the book, why would they keep the main character's complaints against God? his negative feelings?
  • But Jeremiah will go on prophesying--but a little afraid for his skin. Verses 14-18: cursing his birth--BUT he never gives up his faith.

Lent 2: Nicodemus

Today's readings were Psalm 121, Genesis 12:1-9, Romans 4:1-8 + 13-17, and John 3:1-17 (the sermon text).
There is no halfway with Jesus, as Nicodemus mistakenly hoped. All depends solely on God's grace.

Nicodemus acknowledged Jesus' miracles but not His full divinity. He came at night because he feared persecution by fellow Pharisees, political zealots as well as the ruling religious party (analogous to today's Democratic party in terms of ideals). The conversation that night seems almost like two monologues--natural religion ("must! appease! God!") versus true religion (we are dead and blind in our sin; only God can save us from it by His own grace). Nicodemus took the words "born again" differently than we do now. His reply was exactly what Jesus wanted; it clearly shows that coming to God by oneself is utterly impossible.

How do we come? God draws us "by water and the Spirit" (only one "of" --> the two are connected), i.e. Baptism. We don't know how it works; God does. Rejoice in this salvation that comes to us without our decision! Yet Nicodemus didn't understand even the earthly analogy about wind. He did, however, end up believing in Christ--read about his role after the Crucifixion. Realize that Jesus is your Savior--and you have eternal life.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Civics test

A well-read friend, GHF, sent me a link to an American civic literacy quiz; he scored 58 out of 60 (I told you he was well-read!). I just finished taking it; even though I recently reviewed U.S. history to Reconstruction, I got a miserable (by homeschool standards :D) 45/60, or 75%. Keep in mind that the vast majority of American college students aren't doing too well either.

Take it for yourself; review beforehand if you want; but no peeking during the test! Comment with your score too; see if you can beat the college graduates.

Update 11/22/08: I took it again; this time it has 33 questions, out of which I answered 29 correctly = 87.88%. A significant improvement. :) November's average was about 77%.

Update 6/3/23: The quiz doesn't exist any more, because it turned out as part of a research study. Ignore the links above because they are expired. However, the results of the survey research are fascinating.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Water everywhere

...is good for you. According to this blurb (and others--plenty of research has been done about this and related topics), drinking diet soda vs. regular to help oneself lose weight has a high likelihood of backfiring. Why I am happy:
  • I prefer mostly water; on the rare occasion I have soda, it's the full version or bust.
  • Thanks to an aversion (of unknown origin--but I'm extremely thankful for it!) to certain sweeteners, diet/zero-calorie leaves a bad taste.
So go grab a water bottle, fill it with ice-cold H2O (the body's act of heating the water to 98 degrees burns a fair amount of calories too), and sip away.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Another irony

Read the tragic yet ironic story here; I couldn't put it any better. (What exactly is it with people failing to apply what they learn to their own lives?)

Methuselah?

...here we come? According to United Press International, there's one less thing obstructing the path between your current self and the glorious age of 100: chronic disease. The explanation:
The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found delaying chronic diseases (now, wouldn't that be nice!) until age of 85 helps people reach 100 but almost one-third of those studied lived past age 97 even though they had developed a chronic condition before the age of 85.
On the one hand, that's nowhere close to the 969 I had hoped. On the other, our atmosphere is worse than at the time of our favorite long-lived Bible character.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Jeremiah session 5

Here again, for your continued edification and study of the Law, Gospel, and Prophets, are my bulleted notes from today's Bible study.
  • God the Righteous Judge--key to understanding the Scriptures.
  • 5:1--"justice" as in 2nd Table (Commandments 4-10, love your neighbor as yourself).
  • 5:4--the justice of God = ? See below for elaboration.
  • 5:28--human justice is ultimately unjust.
  • 7:5--faith --> love, pity for the weak, and JUSTICE.
  • 9:24--boast only in faith--be pleased that God gives it to us. Know God: chesed (Hebrew for steadfast love), JUSTICE (judging rightly), and righteousness (perfection). How can God have chesed and justice simultaneously? Answer: What happened on the Cross? Righteousness makes the other two work.
  • 10:24--think about this. Is Jeremiah too proud of himself? Look at the context: he kept preaching God's word. He is laying hold to his child-of-God status.
  • "Nice" isn't a synonym for "Christian." What is, though: "law and gospel."
  • The Righteous Judge throughout the Scriptures: Gen. 18:25 (Sodom and Gomorrah); Ps. 7:11 (you can't conceptualize God's indignation away, especially by human reasoning); Is. 11:4 (judgment must accompany forgiveness); Is. 16:5 ("hastening righteousness"); Rom. 3:21 (God's righteous, through faith, not of the law, the righteousness by which God counts us sinless! It flowed from the Cross to us! See Rom. 5:18 too); Rev. 19:11 (at the world's end, there are no more second chances).
  • Christ went through the whole suffering of the cross--being 100% divine, He could atone; being 100% human, He could die.
  • There is still time to believe. Though many won't believe, keep telling them anyway.

Lent 1: Christ's temptation

The sermon text today was Matthew 4:1-11; the other readings were Genesis 3:1-21, Romans 5:12-19, and Psalm 32.
"Please don't tempt me"--we frequently say this, with various shades of meaning. Ultimately, temptation means anything leading us away from Christ our salvation. In today's reading, Christ is tempted for us; on that day, eternity hung in the balance. Jesus became incarnate so that, as the second Adam, He might conquer the curse brought through the first Adam.

Christ fasts first: 40 days to represent Israel's (who failed) 40 years being tested in the wilderness. So Satan's first temptation aimed at this hunger--but Jesus was aware of His substitutionary responsibility and countered with the Word.

Next: the ultimate miracle opportunity--jumping dramatically from the Temple. Satan misused Scripture; Jesus countered again.

Satan's final try: to get Jesus to worship him. But Christ knew that His glory is heavenly, not earthly. He goes on the offensive, ordering the tempter to begone.

Through all these, He consciously let Himself be tempted, so that He might win for us. We can stand before neither Satan nor God--but Jesus, compassionately, has given Himself for our deliverance. Glorify God incarnate for taking our place! In temptation, remember who you are and whose you are. Hebrews 4--He is our great High Priest, tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

HIV transmission

These new findings about HIV transmission, in my view, provide even more evidence that purity is (Biblically, obviously) the way to go. Apparently mothers, either through breast-feeding or by pre-chewing food for their infants, have transmitted the virus. Granted, the vast majority of evidence so far says that HIV isn't present in saliva, but there are these things called *capillaries* and *absorbent mucous membranes* in the mouth. What, really, is so bad about abstaining from kissing as well as other, more dangerous, activities before marriage?

Update 2/12/08: Hoosier Army Mom also blogged about this.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Ash Wednesday

Tonight's readings were Joel 2:12-19; Acts 2:14-21, 36-41 (sermon text), and Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21.
Lent makes the Gospel even sweeter for us. This year, we focus on several conversion characters from the Scriptures. This evening, we have 3000! The occasion: Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks--all the men were in the temple, in accordance with the Law (so the "3000 converted" may have included an additional 3000 women).

Peter took this opportunity to, by the Holy Spirit, preach the Law. BUT after that he preached the Gospel, when the people repented. The Law: these Jews had killed Jesus Christ, God incarnate, as did each of us. However, this was according to God's definite plan (v. 23). The people "were cut to the heart"--but the only thing they could do was repent. From this Peter went on to tell them what they could receive: Jesus Christ, Son of God, the generous, merciful Judge. Finally, Peter instructed these heads of households to be baptized with their households.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Pathogen opera

A friend sent me this item about something that works even better than antibiotics: pure physics! Since viruses aren't "alive" as far as we know, one can't technically "kill" them.
All objects have resonant frequencies at which they naturally oscillate. Pluck a guitar string and it will vibrate at a resonant frequency.

But resonating can get out of control. A famous example is the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which warped and finally collapsed in 1940 due to a wind that rocked the bridge back and forth at one of its resonant frequencies.

Viruses are susceptible to the same kind of mechanical excitation. An experimental group led by K. T. Tsen from Arizona State University have recently shown that pulses of laser light can induce destructive vibrations in virus shells.

"The idea is that the time that the pulse is on is about a quarter of a period of a vibration," [Otto] Sankey said. "Like pushing a child on a swing from rest, one impulsive push gets the virus shaking."

That the virus isn't made up of just one type of atom does complicate things. But that is what computers are for.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Siberian Lutherans

Today in Bible study, in place of Jeremiah, we heard a visiting Lutheran bishop for whom our church had donated money to help build a church. Some factoids from his slide show:

  • 6th cent. original church in Kiev. 988: "Baptism of Russia."
  • Majorities--Lutheran and Russian Orthodox--rights (schools, hospitals). That changed during the Russian Revolution because communism can't coexist with Christianity. 360K Christian clergy/laity killed in 1st 4 years. 1941--last Lutheran pastor killed.
  • Churches are concentrated in southern Russia, with some at each E/W end.
  • Transportation, in decreasing order of frequency: horse, car/train, plane.
  • Most congregations don't have their own, nor permanent, buildings.
  • Common ministry: caring for the deaf. Use sign language for confession and absolution, sharing the Gospel, etc.
  • Rampant alcoholism --> people steal car parts for money. Rampant TB too.
  • Neighbors may love you, but they love your property more...
  • Chapel--bedroom-size! (~10' x 14')
  • Some regions--Buddhism is the government-supported religion.
  • Cities--bricks from churches used for monuments of Lenin.
  • Parasails but no instructors (one church youth group) --> sent several children to heaven :-/ (dark Russian humor...).
  • Angela Merkel visited a government-supported Lutheran church build for historical value.
  • The church (a former apartment building) we paid for is in process of being remodeled.

Book meme

I have been tagged by Cheryl, a friend and occasional reader (I hope!). She runs an excellent literary/homeschooling/Lutheran blog. The instructions:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

The nearest book (by about 2"--my computer desk is messy): The Holy Bible, NIV (small print, no less).

The text:
"'Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales. But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales--whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water--you are to detest. And since you are to detest them, you must not eat their meat and you must detest their carcasses...'"
Two interesting things about it: it is from Leviticus 11:9-11 (mmm, clean and unclean food) and it still has excellent health value for us today (as is to be expected--God's word never stops its benefits). Now for the tags (you can post your results in the comments section if you like, if you deem a meme post too frivolous for your blog. It's fine either way): MK, No Compromise, Tammi, Ms. Green, and Angel.

9 February update: Panday (a.k.a. Stephen Renico) thought he had "dodged the bullet. :-)" Not anymore! Tagged him!