Verses that strike #001

"For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God."
Romans 2:28-29

A reminder to seek God and his favour, not man's.

Jonah and Jesus

Today I was reading Luke 11 and for the first time ever, I think, I understood that bit about Jonah: "for as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation."

Before I didn't have a clue what that meant; diddly-squat. How was Jesus like Jonah?

Jonah didn't really give any signs to the Ninevites (the whole fish thing was for Jonah not the Ninevites). They were an evil bunch, he came along and told them death was coming, and they repented. Simple. A simple warning from a foreigner changed the darkest city. So when the Ninevites hear that you heard the full blown Son of man talking, and still didn't repent, well... they'll condemn you. 'cos they were so much worse, and only heard Jonah, but you heard the Son of man.

Funky new (mobile) website

This website hasn't had a funky new update, but a few big mobile sites have. I'm gonna talk about: Facebook, Twitter and Tugenda Bible (I know it's not popular, but I made it so I get to advertise it).

1) The facebook mobile website wasn't very good. There was no way to access events, no way to view a wall-to-wall, and overall, a cut-down experience. Instead was using the official app (on my HTC Desire), but my phone has limited storage space, so I was forever having to delete app-data! With the updated website I don't use the app, instead using the website; it's great! On the main page I can see: 1) any new (and recent) notifications, 2) my news feed and 3) if I have any messages. All on one screen.

2) Twitter. I've only just seen it today, but they've changed the mobile website. It feels less like a mobile website and more like an app. It feels much faster, and it should have me using it more.

3) Tugenda Bible. Up until the weekend there was no mobile version of this website, and I was contemplating making an Andoid App (no doubt inspired by The Apprentice). Realising the steep learning curve required, I decided to stick with HTML in the browser, particularly with the growth in HTML5. So if you have a mobile, have a look at: m.bible.tugenda.com. There are still a few bugs, I want to make it more app-like, but it works, and gets rid of those verse numbers which so often get in the way when reading the bible!

What do you think? Seen any good mobile websites?

Reminders

Yesterday I was reminded by a friend of a dream I hadn't thought about for at least twelve months. It was great, yet I was shocked I'd forgotten about it for so long.

These two cycles overlap and stimulate one another:

• Share dreams --> talk about dreams --> remind each other about dreams --> ...
• Remember your dreams -->Fulfill your dreams --> ...

43 things is an online version of this. I've just remembered I have an account, and it hasn't helped much in fulfiilling them over the last few years (I haven't used it), but it has just reminded me about some of my dreams (/goals/plans).

Gospel "versus" miracles...

...and how my thinking has been changing.

Start uni: weak gospel with an interest in miracles.
Uni years one and two: stronger gospel with an interest in miracles.
Uni year three: getting annoyed at gospel, wondering if ignoring miracles too much.
End of uni: confused.
Now: read a friend's post called "Olive Branch" (read it) and thinking about the following quote from the post:

No one, not even any of the apostles, is on record as having done greater miracles than Christ; if they had done, it would prove they had a higher relationship with the Father than Christ himself. But telling others of Christ is far greater than miracles; it is greater in importance and greater in value.

In thousands of years of Christianity a lot of fights "A versus B", "C versus D" have developed. When discussing these with friends, we'll normally finish with an unsatisfying (for me) "well, it's somewhere in the middle isn't it?"

Where is the middle on this issue? Is there a middle, or should I embrace the gospel and not seek miracles of healing, supply, demonic powers and nature? Is it one versus the other, or can both sides be valid at the same time?

--
Update 3rd January 2011: Dave Bish has blogged on a somewhat related topic

Counting on God

My favourite song during second year of uni was Counting on God performed by New Life Worship / Desperation Band (Listen for free on Grooveshark). Over the last little while I've taken my eyes off the important things, and haven't been counting on God.

I'm off to count some of the good things he's done. See you tomorrow.

Where to look

This summer I spent two weeks in a tent camping in a different town each night. Without a usual place to put all my 'things' I often couldn't find them, much to my frustration!

After about 11 days I realised that things were almost always where I thought they were, only I hadn't looked quite hard enough. I would have a quick look in the right place, not find it, so look around the rest of the tent, and outside the tent, before finally returning to the place I thought they were and find them almost straight away!

Looking for longer in the place you think your keys are might help you get out on time this week, but I think the idea goes further too.

Too often I turn to God, nothing seems to be happening, so I search in other places around the tent (reading a Christian book, a blog, 'praying',...), and maybe even outside the tent (sin things), before eventually turning back to God and the bible, to find what I wanted all along.

Do you?