That’s right – Cheeseburger in a can. And at 3.95 euros (about $5.84 US) – I am now convinced the end of the world is near.
Where’s Chuck Missler and Hal Lindsey when you really need them?
Month: January 2008
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The Christian life has three ugly step children. They get lots of lip service, and often little action: Consistent Bible Reading, Prayer – and (the BIG one) Evangelism. We all know we ought to to do them. We all WANT to do them – at least on some level. But if one gets shoved aside more than any other – its the last one – evangelism.
Mark Dever has written an invaluable resource to help us out.
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Scientists Build First Man-Made Genome; Synthetic Life Comes Next
By Alexis Madrigal
01.24.08 | 11:00 AM
Biologist J. Craig Venter poses at his home in Alexandria, Virginia.
Matt Houston/APScientists have built the first synthetic genome by stringing together 147 pages of letters representing the building blocks of DNA.
The researchers used yeast to stitch together four long strands of DNA into the genome of a bacterium called Mycoplasma genitalium. They said it’s more than an order of magnitude longer than any previous synthetic DNA creation. Leading synthetic biologists said with the new work, published Thursday in the journal Science, the first synthetic life could be just months away — if it hasn’t been created already.
“We consider this the second in our three-step process to create the first synthetic organism,” said J. Craig Venter, president of the J. Craig Venter Institute where scientists performed the study, on Thursday during a teleconference. “What remains now that we have this complete synthetic chromosome … is to boot this up in a cell.”
With the new ability to sequence a genome, scientists can begin to custom-design organisms, essentially creating biological robots that can produce from scratch chemicals humans can use. Biofuels like ethanol, for example.
“The J. Craig Venter Institute will be able to take a file stored on a computer and using synthetic chemistry, turn that information into life,” said Chris Voigt, a University of California at San Francisco synthetic biologist. “I would be shocked if it doesn’t come out in six months. I think they’ve done it.”
The technique is basically a reverse of the Human Genome Project, which translated DNA into the letters A, C, T and G, which represent the body’s building blocks: the nucleotides adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine. Synthetic biologists’ ambitious goal is to arrange those letters to create never-before-seen organisms that will do their bidding.
The first phase of Venter’s three-step process, which he published last year, involved transplanting and “booting up” the genome of one species of bacterium into another. The remaining step is to combine the first two steps, then insert the new synthetic genome into a standard bacterium. Scientists said they expect the announcement of man-made life this year.
Copied and pasted in toto without edit from Wired.com
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Don Kistler is a friend of mine. That’s not why I recommend these two titles however. Nor is it because of the wretched and egregious way he was treated by Ligonier Ministries (a tale for another day) – AND, which is NOT to be taken as a broad brush against all Ligonier, what it has done and IS doing for the Kingdom – but is related only to MY personal view on a particular issue. That being said…
I DO recommend these two titles for two very specific reasons. And one of those reasons does spring from his tragic and shameful expulsion (in my estimation – certainly there are two sides to every story) from Ligonier.
No, if you write to me, I will not say more.
Now my first reason for recommending these two books to you, is because these are excellent, impactful, soul edifying and Christ exalting volumes.
John Colquhoun (1748-1827) was a powerful Scottish preacher and writer. His nearly 50 years of ministry left behind a rich legacy. Not the least of which is this fine collection of “Sermons on Important Doctrines”. He was a doctrinal preacher. He believed sound doctrine, clearly explained and applied to the soul was the best means to aid men in loving and following Christ. He embodied Peter’s dictum that “I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.”
You will not be disappointed by his clear, practical and powerful exposition.
Thomas Watson’s “Heaven Taken by Storm” is so near and dear to me personally. This little volume first came to me as a Soli Deo Gloria publication at a season of great despondency and trial. Its healing benefits are very real to me. And his vision of the Christian life that “Though heaven be given us freely, yet we must contend for it” – is so full of rich and important balance that it sets so many other things right at first glance. This new edition – with more modernized English ought to prove to be a truly valuable exhortation to actually pursue Heaven, and not imagine we stumble inside its glorious gates by accident.
I move to my second reason for recommending these books.
It is because these two titles (as well as several other resources available at Northampton – available HERE: Northampton Press )- are a response. However he has felt or expressed his pain privately, this is how one man – Don Kistler – has publicly responded to what he experienced as ill treatment, rejection and abandonment. He has sought to continue to build up the Body of Christ in the way he believes he is best able, through editing and reproducing the golden ministries of others from the best of our Christian heritage.
If this were the only reason, it would make it worth your purchasing these books, and introducing others to them as well.
I ordered mine today. I hope you will do the same.
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Global Population in January of 2008 estimated to be approximately – 6,650,000,000 (6,641,114,623 to be closer).
The State of Texas has a land mass of 268,601 square miles.
Minus 6,687 square miles of water area, we are left with a total land area of 261,914 square miles.
There are 640 acres in a square mile.
An acre = 43,560 square feet.
640 (acres) x 261,914 (sq. miles) = 167,624,960 (acres) = 7,301,743,257,600 sq. ft.
7,301,743,257,600 sq. ft. divided by 6,650,000,000 people = 1098 square feet per person on the planet – in Texas ALONE.
My wife and I live in home slightly under 1000 square feet. We also raised a daughter there.
A 3 People per 1000 sq. feet – There’s room.
And then some.
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ResponsiveReiding 