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1. Is there a danger today of Christians returning to “the land of God” physically without really returning to God spiritually? If so, how do we avoid this danger?

Some hold on to the perception that the church building is the place of God. After a time away from involvement in church, people may feel a need to return to church to fulfill some type of religious ritual and feel better about them. Don’t we find it easier to perform outward acts that appear to evidence faith when our hearts actually are shallow toward God? See Matthew 15:8. There is no physical, earthly “promised land” for the church of the New Testament as there was for Israel of the Old Testament. This fact should make it easier for us to avoid Israel’s mistake of equating any kind of physical return with a spiritual return. But the physical should not be separated from the spiritual too much. Developing a deep faith is quite difficult when Christians neglect to be physically present with one another (Hebrews 10:25).

2. What are some specific things you need to do to conform your thoughts and actions to God’s standards?

This can lead to a wide-open discussion, even to a time of repentance. Expect answers that deal with prayer, Bible study, acts of benevolence, and a greater emphasis on evangelism.

One problem that can distract from the need to conform thoughts and actions to God’s standards is the danger being devoted more to a certain messenger than to the message itself. Paul spoke of those who were more interested in lining up behind certain church leaders rather than behind Christ (1 Corinthians 1:12). Some may quit going to a particular church when the preacher leaves. A church may fail to take action against a leader who has fallen morally, excusing or even rationalizing the sin. Such undue loyalty to the messenger of God demonstrates a disloyalty to the person of God by violating His Word.

3. The heart is considered the seat of the emotions. What steps have you taken to develop a proper heart for God and His kingdom? What steps do you yet need to take?

A good starting point is to examine how Bible characters developed a heart for God. David, a she cried for mercy from God because of his sin, said, “Create in me a clean heart, 0 God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).The first step is humility.

Forsaking the lure of this world is also necessary in developing a heart for God. Paul says, “And be not conformed to this world: but he ye transformed” (Romans 12:2). Keeping God’s Word leads to a renewed heart. Jesus said, “But that [seed] on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15). These biblical examples and precepts should shape our individual practices.

4. What modern applications can we see in Zechariah 7:12?

We remind ourselves that people have freewill—they can choose to close their ears and refuse to hear. Instead of their rejection causing us to be reluctant to share the message in the future, God expects us to continue to do our part by faithfully proclaiming His message. Jesus did! Even a cursory reading of Scripture reveals that the majority of people will reject the message (Matthew 7:13, 14). This fact should not dissuade us from being teachers of God’s Woe, sharing the message of eternal hope.

5.What are some modern examples of crying out to God as a last resort? Do you think, God ever honors those cries? Why, or why not?

A deathbed confession of faith is an example of a last-resort cry. Deathbed confessions comfort some people when they coax an acknowledgment of God from the lips of the one who is dying. Such confessions may or may not demonstrate true repentance. Only God knows the heart. After the person dies following such a confession, there are no actions possible by which that person can demonstrate true repentance. ‘Otis is not true in other situations. A person who cries to God for deliverance from an approaching tornado may live through the experience to demonstrate true repentance. God always honors True repentance.



• Quasars are the most intense sources of light in the Universe. Although no bigger than the Solar System, they glow with the brightness of 100 galaxies.
• Quasars are the most distant known objects in the Universe. Even the nearest is billions of light-years away.
• The most distant quasar is on the very edges of the known Universe, 12 billion light-years away.
• Some quasars are so far away that we see them as they were when the Universe was still in its infancy — 20 percent of its current age.
• Quasar is short for Quasi-Stellar (star-like) Radio Object. This comes from the fact that the first quasars were detected by the strong radio signals they give out and also because quasars are so small and bright that at first people thought they looked like stars.
• Only one of the 200 quasars now known actually beams out radio signals, so the term Quasi-Stellar Radio Object is in fact misleading!
• The brightest quasar is 3C 273, two billion light-years away.
• Quasars are at the heart of galaxies called ‘active galaxies’.
• Quasars may get their energy from a black hole at their core, which draws in matter
• The black hole in a quasar may pull in matter ferociously.
• The Hubble space telescope’s clear view of space has given the best-ever with the same mass as 100 million Suns.

Originally posted 2010-03-16 18:18:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• When it is daylight on the half of the Earth facing towards the Sun, it is night on the half of the Earth facing away from it. As the Earth rotates, so the day and night halves shift gradually around the world.
• The Earth turns eastwards — this means that the Sun comes up in the east as our part of the world spins round to face it.
• As the Earth turns, the stars come back to the same place in the night sky every 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.09 seconds. This is called a sidereal day (star day).
• It takes 24 hours for the Sun to come back to the same place in the daytime sky. This is the solar day, and it is slightly longer than the star day because the Earth moves one degree further round the Sun each day.
• On the other planets, the length of day and night varies according to how fast each planet rotates.
• One day on Mercury lasts 59 Earth days, because Mercury takes almost two months to spin around.
• A day on Jupiter lasts less than 10 hours because Jupiter spins so fast.
• A day on Mars is 24.6 hours — much the same as ours.
• A day on the Moon lasts one Earth month.

Originally posted 2010-03-14 11:40:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Velocity is speed in a particular direction.
• Uniform velocity is when the velocity stays the same. It can be worked out simply by dividing the distance traveled (d) by the time (t): v = d/t.
• Acceleration is a change in velocity.
• Positive acceleration is getting faster; negative acceleration is getting slower.
• Acceleration is given in meters per second per second, or m/s 2. This means that a velocity gets faster by so many meters per second in each consecutive second.
• Rifle bullet accelerates down the barrel at 3000 m/s2. A fast car accelerates at 6 m/s2.
• When an object falls, the Earth’s gravity makes it accelerate at 9.81 m/s2. This is called g.
• Acceleration is often described in gs.
• In a rocket taking off at 1g, the acceleration has little effect. But at 3 g, it is impossible to move your arms and legs; at 4.5 g you would black out in five seconds.
• A high-speed lift goes up at 0.2 g. An airplane takes off at 0.5 g. A car brakes at up to 0.7 g. In a crash, you may be able to survive a momentary deceleration of up to 100 g, but the effects are likely to be severe.

Originally posted 2010-03-17 19:35:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

In general, any direct injury to the eye – cut or puncture, blow with a ball or fist, or debris in the eye – should have immediate medical attention if there is significant pain, and/or loss of vision. If pain is minor and no serious injury is obvious, contact the doctor to determine whether your child should be seen in an emergency facility or the doctor’s office.

Eye Treatment

• Until it is seen by a doctor, keep the eye closed. This is a natural response to eye injury and helps reduce discomfort.
• If the eye has been penetrated or cut open, take the child directly to the emergency room. If there is fluid oozing from the eye, transfer the child lying flat on his back so additional fluid will not escape.
• Hold a simple shield, such as a paper cup, over the eye to protect it but don’t exert any pressure on the eye.

Chemicals in the Eye

Take prompt action whenever any chemical has splashed into the eye.

Although many materials will cause only minor irritation, some can result in serious injury or blindness if not attended to immediately. Start immediate and continued flushing with lukewarm water. A gentle flow of water should run into the affected eye(s). Hold the child under a tap or hose or carefully pour water from a glass or pitcher into the eye(s) with the child lying down. If only one eye is involved, hold the child on her side with the affected eye down so none of the chemical can accidentally flow into the other eye. You will probably need to have another adult hold the eye open while you pour the water. Use the following formula guidelines to determine how long to irrigate the eye:

• alkaline materials: 20 minutes
• acids: 10 minutes
• less reactive chemicals: 5 minutes

After the eye(s) has been irrigated, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Alkaline materials can penetrate deeply and cause serious damage. Examples of alkaline materials are drain cleaners, oven cleaners, and bleach. Look for these words on product labels:

• lye
• sodium hydroxide
• potassium hydroxide
• ammonia
• calcium oxide
• trisodium phosphate
• wood ash

Acids tend to cause more localized tissue damage but can still cause significant injury. Examples of acids are automobile battery fluid, toilet bowl cleaners, and swimming pool acid. Look for these words on product labels:

• sulfuric acid
• hydrochloric acid
• phosphoric acid
• hydrofluoric acid
• oxalic acid

Less dangerous chemicals should be washed out of the eye also. Most of these materials will cause only mild redness, stinging, and temporary swelling involving the conjunctiva (the thin, clear tissue lining the white surface of the eyeball and inner surfaces of the eyelid). Irrigation will lessen the irritation and probably prevent the child from rubbing the eye and aggravating the soreness. Examples of less dangerous chemicals include food, alcohol, and household soaps.

Originally posted 2010-03-10 18:44:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Crystals are particular kinds of solids that are made from a regular arrangement, or lattice, of atoms. Most rocks and metals are crystals, so are snowflakes and salt.
• Most crystals have regular, geometrical shapes with smooth faces and sharp corners.
• Most crystals grow in dense masses, as in metals. Some crystals grow separately, like grains of sugar.
• Some crystals are shiny and clear to look at. Crystals got their name from the chunks of quartz that the ancient Greeks called krystallos. They believed the chunks were unmeltable ice.
• Crystals form by a process called crystallization. As liquid evaporates or molten solids cool, the chemicals dissolved in them solidify.
• Crystals grow gradually as more and more atoms attach themselves to the lattice, just as icicles grow as water freezes onto them.
• The smallest crystals are microscopically small. Occasionally crystals of a mineral such as beryl may grow to the size of telegraph poles.
• A liquid crystal is a crystal that can flow like a liquid but has a regular pattern of atoms.
• A liquid crystal may change color or go dark when the alignment of its atoms is disrupted by electricity or heat. Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) use a tiny electric current to make crystals affect light.
• X-ray crystallography uses x-rays to study the structure of atoms in a crystal. This is how we know the structure of many important life substances such as DNA.

Originally posted 2010-03-14 11:29:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Most people have suffered the discomfort of a foreign body entering the eye, even minute items such as very small pieces of dust, grit, particles flying from an emery wheel (common in industry), a cinder, or grains of sand in windy weather can cause acute discomfort and distress.

There is usually a desire to rub the eye, which will invariably aggravate the problem, causing the invader to traumatize a wider area of the highly sensitive lining, or conjunctiva.

Often large objects may partially enter the eye and abrade or injure the superficial surface. This can cause considerable discomfort and a “traumatic conjunctivitis” to occur.

Foreign Bodies in the Eye Symptoms

There’s generally a lot of pain when a foreign body, irrespective of size, enters the eye. There may be redness, irritation, itch, watering and a desire to rub, which only aggravates the condition. The eye may become very light-sensitive, so the child closes the lid and rubs it.

Foreign Bodies in the Eye Treatment

Bathe the eye. Frequent bathing of the affected eye with an eyebath of warm salty water will often remove the offending foreign body.

Reflection of eyelid. If this does not remove the object, reflect (i.e. turn back) the upper eyelid over a match. Often the foreign body may be seen adhering to the inner side. It may be simply removed with the moistened tip of the corner of a handkerchief, or piece of cottonwood rolled up into a tight wick and moistened. This is usually simple and painless. If the foreign body is seen on the eyeball, it may be removed in a similar manner.

Never attempt to touch the eyeball with a needle or any sharp or solid metal object. The eye is a very precious, delicate organ, and great care is essential.

If these simple measures are not successful, seek prompt medical attention. The doctor will use other methods, and may first insert local anesthetic drops. Pieces of metal (e.g. hot metal in a factory, pieces of grit from a revolving emery wheel, pieces of metal from filings etc.) often become deeply embedded in the cornea, the “window” of the eye. These need expert assistance, and only a doctor or eye specialist should attend to these. Sometimes antibiotic drops or ointments are prescribed afterwards to prevent infection.

Foreign bodies in the eye often occur more likely on hot, windy days when there’s a lot of dust in the air. It’s common at beaches and also worse on gusty days.

Another place where serious problems may occur is in workshops where particles may fly from a grinding machine and lodge in the surface of the eyeball. These may be hot pieces of metal that can cause permanent visual impairment if they strike the cornea and injure it. Also, flashes from welding machines and corneal burns are common and extremely painful injuries that should never happen, especially to youngsters.

No child should be allowed to go into one of these places unless wearing protective goggles. It’s probably more common on farms where there’s not so much supervision, and children are often attracted to the farm workshop to “help dad.”

Bathing the eye using a simple eyebath filled with warm water (or mildly salty water) may assist. In some cases this will wash the foreign body out.

It’s worth reflecting the upper lid over a match, or a cotton wool bud applied to the outside of the eyelid. By gently grasping the eyelashes between thumb and index finger it is easy to do this. Often the offending foreign body (a tiny black speck usually) may be seen adhering to the inner surface of the reflected upper lid. It may be simply removed by touching with the moistened tip of a hanky or cotton wool rolled into a point and moistened. Sorry to sound ominous, but what if the item is not seen and still continues to produce discomfort?

Then it is high time to take the patient to the doctor. Sometimes the foreign body will be embedded in the surface of the eye. Often it is very hard to see, and special magnification and instruments may be necessary to remove it. This is especially important if it lies on the cornea, the window through which one sees. Scratching or injury to the cornea may be serious. On no account touch the surface of the eye with anything sharp. This is entirely within the province of the doctor or eye specialist. Remember this; it is vitally important.

Originally posted 2010-03-10 22:09:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Undescended Testes happens fairly frequently. Normally the testes descend from the body to the scrotum shortly before birth. But occasionally they seem to get lost. They may partially descend, then return to the body. This may keep on occurring. Alternatively, the testes may have developed in an abnormal manner, and are situated in some different place. This is termed an ectopic testis.

The testes belong in the scrotum from birth onwards. If they remain in the body, as age progresses, the sperm-producing capacity is adversely affected and infertility may take place in later life.

The other may be very hazardous. Testes remaining in the body have a high risk of turning cancerous. What’s more, it may be a very serious, rapidly growing and spreading type.

Undescended Testes Treatment

If a parent notices the testes are missing or come and go, referral to the doctor is essential, and the sooner the better.

What treatment is carried out? This will vary with the patient and the exact diagnosis. Some doctors prefer to give hormonal treatment a trial run first. They administer the hormone chorionic gonadotrophin, and this is occasionally successful in bringing the testes into the scrotum.

What if this fails?

And fail it often does. Then a surgical approach is taken. This is invariably successful. The testes are found and anchored securely into the scrotum. The operation is quite straightforward; the patient rapidly recovers, and usually the beneficial effect is lifelong. It is a highly successful procedure. But as you said earlier, the sooner a parent takes action, the better. Never neglect any disorder in this region. It’s often quite obvious, and a check is very simple.

Originally posted 2010-05-09 21:06:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Laction is a baby’s best chances of developing normally and healthily come when this form of feeding is used.

Some mothers experience difficulties at the time of lactation. Probably the most common one is an apparent failure of the breasts to produce sufficient milk. This problem often begins very early after baby’s birth. It is essential that every effort be made promptly to ensure the milk glands are producing adequate amounts, and that the necessary stimulation for this be provided.

A baby may be a lethargic type and show little interest, in the early days, in suckling. Therefore, there is little stimulus to the breasts to continue to produce milk. It is essential that the breasts be completely emptied after each feed for the stimulation to be maintained, otherwise problems are inevitable. Manually expressing each breast is advisable. Offering your baby alternate breasts to begin each feed is also good.

Some baby experts have recommended that, for the first 10 days, all mothers express their breasts regularly after baby feeds. They say this gets the milk flow off to an excellent start. Before long, the “lethargic baby” will begin to suck more vigorously. In turn, this will promote an even greater stimulus for the glands to continue to produce milk abundantly.

However, some mothers are intrinsically poor milk producers. If there has been a history of previous difficulties and an apparent poor supply despite all efforts, artificial feeding may be preferable.

Originally posted 2010-03-14 02:18:03. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

1. How does the knowledge that God owns your very being affect how you live? What changes do you need to make?

The fact of creation makes God the owner. Scripture also reminds us that we have been bought back from sin by the blood of Christ; therefore we glorify God in body and spirit (1 Corinthians 6:20). This means that we are not to be the servants of others in a sense of allowing them to have ultimate authority over us (1 Corinthians 7:23). We seek God’s will above all else.

Our minds belong to God; therefore we are to let only holy thoughts enter. Our eyes belong to God; therefore we are to keep them from lingering over those things that bring unholy thoughts into our minds. Our time also belongs to God; therefore we are to be sure that we use our hours in ways that honor Him.

2. In what ways have you been guilty of circumventing or disavowing your personal sin? How have you made positive changes in this regard?

The Scottish singing group The Proclaimers has a song entitled “Everybody’s a Victim.” That title pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? A common cultural response to an accusation of wrongdoing is for a person to claim that he or she is a victim and thus not responsible. The song bemoans the fact that the singer’s country (presumably Scotland) is becoming like America in that regard.

The comedian Flip Wilson was famous for his tagline, “The devil made me do it.” Scripture speaks against this view, saying that sin is the fault of the sinner (James 1:14, 15). Another way we try to alleviate personal responsibility for sin is by rationalizing. The idea is that if we are “not as bad” as someone else, then we must be relatively ok. We attempt to justify greed and bitterness by telling ourselves that at least we did not steal or kill. But Jesus said that if we ponder certain things in our hearts, then we are as guilty as if we had actually committed the sin (Matthew 5:21, 22).

3. Though sin is not passed from parent to child, the consequences may be. What are some ways that the consequences of one’s sins may be visited upon another, and conversely, what are some ways that the consequences of one’s holy actions may be a benefit to another?

A mother who has been a drug addict may give birth to a baby who suffers birth defects caused by the addiction. A father who spends all his money on drinking binges is not able to provide properly for the needs of his family. If a child overhears a parent complaining about things in the church, the children may develop a cynical attitude toward Christianity. Acts of mercy and compassion, on the other hand, serve as a witness (1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7).

4. God neither keeps a record of a Christian’s sins nor remembers them. How do you use this fact to develop a godly nature?

Reminders of our past sin come from three sources: Satan, other people, and self. Learning to let go of the past and not hold on to guilt can be difficult when these three sources keep bombarding us with reminders! Recognizing the source of the discouragement is important. One thing is certain: the source is not God.

Another challenge we have is to hold no sins of others against them. When someone has repented and is trying to put his or her life back together, we as brothers and sisters in Christ are to do all we can to affirm and assist in the restoration process. God expects us to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

5. Repentance leads to a restored relationship with God. What other benefits of repentance have you noticed in your life?

Salvation is, of course, the ultimate good that comes from repentance. But there are other benefits for us while still living out our faith on earth. Turning from sexual sins can lead to the avoidance of disease. Turning from sins of abusiveness restores relationships; if there was physical abuse, then there is now safety for those who were being abused.

Repentance or turning from a sin today makes it easier to resist another temptation tomorrow. It has been said that in repentance we do not become sinless, but we do sin less and less.

Originally posted 2010-04-14 00:22:56. Republished by Blog Post Promoter