tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84465332024-03-05T08:19:25.853+00:00Engineering and TheologyAn electrical engineer looks at theology.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-76485907037096677612012-02-06T17:26:00.007+00:002012-02-06T19:06:59.995+00:00From the Garden to the City<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garden-City-Dyer-John/dp/0825426685/"><span style="font-style: italic;">From the Garden to the City : The Redeeming and Corrupting Power of Technology</span></a> is the title of a short book by John Dyer, director of Web development at Dallas Theological Seminary.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">From the Garden to the City</span> deconstructs the concept of technology and examines it through the lens of Scripture. Studying Bible passages and insights from the best thinkers on technology, theology and culture, John Dyer shows how technology left unexamined can enslave us rather than honour God and fulfil his plan for us. With helpful observations and practical applications, he issues an urgent challenge to live faithful lives in this technology-saturated modern world.<br /><br />This is an excellent book - faithful to the Bible - yet up to date with its knowledge of technology. I highly recommend it.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-33720019983501505472011-03-31T19:14:00.005+01:002012-02-06T17:57:06.853+00:00Bible Overview (Lent Course)I have created a <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/stmaryscheadle/">website</a> to provide links to the Lent Course presentations for the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bible Overview</span> track that I ran at <a href="http://www.stmaryscheadle.co.uk/">St Mary's Cheadle</a>. This six week course was on Wednesday evenings, and began on March 9, 2011.<br /><br />Update: By popular demand, the course is being repeated during Lent 2012. The first session is on February 22.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-90967670955436105282011-01-05T07:13:00.003+00:002011-01-05T07:21:11.041+00:00New website for M'Cheyne resourcesA new website for <a href="http://www.mcheyne.info/">Robert Murray M'Cheyne resources</a> has been designed by a friend in Surrey.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>We hope that you will like the fresh design of the new site. The process of adapting items from the old UK Online website is ongoing, but much is there already.<br /><br />Please update your <span style="font-weight: bold;">bookmarks</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">links</span>, especially if you had linked online to the old website.<br /><br />UK Online have delayed their closure by a week. It will close on 21 January, 2011. From then on, my email address ending in @ukonline.co.uk will no longer reach me.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">There is a contact form on the new site</span>.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-37230346411869135082010-12-01T20:06:00.002+00:002010-12-01T20:12:29.150+00:00UK Online will close in January 2011<a href="http://www.ukonline.net/">UK Online</a> will close on 14 January 2011.<br /><br />This means that my 14 year old website will then disappear (as such).<br /><br />It is likely that the contents will still be accessible via the Internet Archive.<br /><br />Here is a <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20080421071323/http://web.ukonline.co.uk/d.haslam/m-cheyne.htm">link</a> to the M'Cheyne page via the Wayback Machine.<br /><br />The menus should still be navigable, though page loading may be slow.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-73146753681191564472010-11-16T16:38:00.002+00:002010-11-16T16:46:24.108+00:00This Year's Biography: Robert Murray M'Cheyne<a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/this-years-biography-robert-murray-mcheyne">Desiring God</a><br /><br />Every year at our Pastors Conference, John Piper delivers a biographical message on a bygone saint whose life and influence are in some way instructive for us today.<br /><br />At this next Pastors Conference, Piper will be focusing on Robert Murray M'Cheyne, the Scottish pastor, poet, and man of prayer from the 19th century. M'Cheyne died very young—he was only 29—but his life and writings have had a powerful and enduring impact on the church, for the better.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/events/pastors-conferences/2011">Conference details</a>: Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 31 - February 2, 2011DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-43989290614028188922010-06-22T14:22:00.003+01:002010-06-22T14:26:42.803+01:00McCheyne, McGonagall and the West End of DundeeThis talk was given last night during Dundee's WestFest.<br /><br />David Robertson takes a look at the influence of Christianity in general and St Peter's in particular on the West End of Dundee, examining the impact of two famous west enders, the preacher, pastor and poet Robert Murray McCheyne, a former minister of St Peter's Church and William Topaz McGonagall. McGonagall is one of Dundee’s most famous citizens – the ‘world’s worst poet’ was actually a member of St Peter’s and his tragic/comic life gives surprising insight into 19th Century Dundee life.<br /><br />The audio recording of this talk is now available online. Click <a href="http://www.stpeters-dundee.org.uk/node/266">here</a>.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-26196281434031601102010-05-12T11:06:00.001+01:002010-05-12T11:08:07.301+01:00M'Cheyne's Bible Reading Calendar now available in ThaiMissionaries in Thailand have translated M'Cheyne's Bible Reading Calendar into Thai.<br /><br /><a href="http://bit.ly/bp5bXP" onmousedown="'UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this)," rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/bp5bXP</a><br /><br />May God bless this to His Church in Thailand.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-79207694652753636452010-03-05T14:37:00.004+00:002010-03-05T14:42:42.194+00:00COWBOYOLOGY<a href="http://cowboyology.blogspot.com/">http://cowboyology.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">*** Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds***</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">[Hebrews 10.24]</span><br /><br />This is the blog of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Clint Humfrey</span> in Alberta, Canada.<br /><br />He's a fan of Robert Murray M'Cheyne, as well as being a pastor, a NT scholar and a rancher.<br /><br />Years ago, he contributed the guest essay <a href="http://web.ukonline.co.uk/d.haslam/mccheyne/humfrey/Clint_Humfrey_Essay.htm">Of Common Ilk</a> to my M'Cheyne pages.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-43728598986775059962010-01-20T14:11:00.004+00:002010-01-20T14:38:55.169+00:00The Diary of Jessie ThainA friend emailed me today, and his message included this line, "<span style="font-style: italic;">If I remember correctly, R.M.M. was engaged when he died, and I assume that you have known his fiancée’s name.</span>". The initials denote Robert Murray M'Cheyne (1813-43), the main subject of <a href="http://web.ukonline.co.uk/d.haslam/m-cheyne.htm">my website.</a> Here's how I responded.<br /><br />The general consensus is that he may have been engaged to Jessie Thain, though I have never seen a primary source proof that would cinch this. Some editions of Alexander Smellie's biography of R. M. McCheyne (<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">a burning light</span>) have as an appendix, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Extracts from the diary of Jessie Thain</span>.<br /><br />His note prompted me to Google for her name and I came across <a href="http://www.shilohonline.org/articles/thain/diary_thain.html">this gem</a>, from which I include a brief quotation below.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">In his interesting book, “Robert Murray McCheyne,” Dr. Smellie mentions the fact that McCheyne was twice engaged to be married. The excellent young lady whom he first honoured with an offer of his life and love was discouraged by her relatives who thought they saw in McCheyne’s frail body a foreshadowing of an early death. The other young lady was the writer of this Diary. Certainly her references to McCheyne’s death in her Diary are strongly suggestive of a relationship nearer than that of a pastor to his flock. Spiritual affection for those in whom we see the image of the Lord is an ennobling grace which may not always be free from pain; but the love of Jessie Thain for Robert McCheyne, while holy and intensely spiritual, appears also to have the additional marks of the fond and reciprocating attractions of nature. One cannot but admire the delicacy and refinement with which she touches on this subject. </span></blockquote>The online page from which this quotation is taken is entitled, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jessie Thain</span> (The Friend of Robert Murray McCheyne) - Edited by Rev. Murdoch Campbell, M.A. The editor's introduction is dated Ross-shire, September, 1955.<br /><br />Miss Thain was born 31st July, 1820, and was thus seven years younger than the one she loved. Her diary covers the period 31st December, 1843 to 28th November, 1847. M'Cheyne died on 25th March 1843, aged only 29, and there is a diary entry for the same date in both 1844 and 1845. It makes poignant reading.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">NB. A 2003 paperback edition from <a href="http://www.shilohonline.org/">Shiloh Publications</a> is </span><span style="font-size:78%;">SOLD OUT. There were earlier editions in 1961 and 1967, as well as the originally edited one of 1955. These may sometimes appear in used book stores, whether online or in retail shops.</span>DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-55038399290256290132010-01-18T13:50:00.006+00:002010-01-18T14:14:46.622+00:00The Solitary Throne<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhi">Mahatma Gandhi</a> once wrote, "I am unable to place Jesus Christ on a solitary throne." In response to this, two books appeared in the 1930s, both with the title, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Solitary Throne</span>, written by Christian authors.<br /><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Solitary Throne: Some religious beliefs of Mahatma Gandhi in the light of Christ's teachings</span>, by Brenton Thoburn Badley (1876-1949). Madras : Methodist Pub. House, 1931 (rep. 1935).</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Solitary Throne: Addresses Given at the Keswick Convention on the Glory and Uniqueness of the Christian Message</span>, by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Marinus_Zwemer">Samuel Marinus Zwemer</a> (1867-1952): London, 1937.</span><br /></li></ul>Zwemer's book was also intended as a direct rebuke to Gandhi’s statement.<br /><br />Where do you place Jesus Christ?<br /><br />Are you like Gandhi, merely an admirer of his life and teachings, but unable to place him where God has placed him? Or are you like both Badley and Zwemer, not only his admirer, but his true follower, believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that He has been exalted to the highest place that heaven affords?<br /><br />This hymn by <a href="http://www.stempublishing.com/hymns/biographies/deck.html">J. G. Deck</a> puts it succinctly,<br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">1 O GOD, Thou now hast glorified<br />Thy holy, blest eternal Son;<br />The Nazarene, the Crucified,<br />Now sits exalted on Thy throne:<br />To Him in faith we cry aloud,<br />Worthy art Thou, O Lamb of God.<br /><br />2 Father, Thy holy name we bless,<br />And gladly hail Thy just decree<br />That every tongue shall soon confess<br />Jesus the Lord of all to be;<br />But oh, Thy grace has taught us now<br />Before that Lord the knee to bow.<br /><br />3 Him as our Lord we gladly own:<br />To Him alone we now would live,<br />Who bowed our hearts before Thy throne,<br />And gave us all that love could give.<br />Our willing voices cry aloud,<br />Worthy art Thou, O Lamb of God.</span></blockquote>Jesus the Nazarene, once crucified, but then risen from the dead, now sits exalted on a solitary throne, at the right hand of God.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-75324987288529952442010-01-09T14:52:00.003+00:002010-01-09T14:58:44.808+00:00The Origins of Silent ReadingI want to share something I just discovered during a Google search. I was already aware that silent reading was a development that occurred during European history, but this title homes in on how radical a change this was at the time.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Space-Between-Words-Origins-Medieval/dp/080474016X"><b>Space Between Words: The Origins of Silent Reading</b></a>, by Paul Saenger <blockquote><b>Product Description</b><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Reading, like any human activity, has a history. Modern reading is a silent and solitary activity. Ancient reading was usually oral, either aloud, in groups, or individually, in a muffled voice. The text format in which thought has been presented to readers has undergone many changes in order to reach the form that the modern Western reader now views as immutable and nearly universal. This book explains how a change in writing—the introduction of word separation—led to the development of silent reading during the period from late antiquity to the fifteenth century.<br /><br />Over the course of the nine centuries following Rome’s fall, the task of separating the words in continuous written text, which for half a millennium had been a function of the individual reader’s mind and voice, became instead a labor of professional readers and scribes. The separation of words (and thus silent reading) originated in manuscripts copied by Irish scribes in the seventh and eighth centuries but spread to the European continent only in the late tenth century when scholars first attempted to master a newly recovered corpus of technical, philosophical, and scientific classical texts.<br /><br />Why was word separation so long in coming? The author finds the answer in ancient reading habits with their oral basis, and in the social context where reading and writing took place. The ancient world had no desire to make reading easier and swifter. For various reasons, what modern readers view as advantages—retrieval of reference information, increased ability to read “difficult” texts, greater diffusion of literacy—were not seen as advantages in the ancient world. The notion that a larger portion of the population should be autonomous and self-motivated readers was entirely foreign to the ancient world’s elitist mentality.<br /><br />The greater part of this book describes in detail how the new format of word separation, in conjunction with silent reading, spread from the British Isles and took gradual hold in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The book concludes with the triumph of silent reading in the scholasticism and devotional practices of the late Middle Ages. </span></blockquote>Enjoy and learn!DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-33318623827111580712009-12-31T18:05:00.001+00:002009-12-31T18:06:48.124+00:00International Conference on Computing and Mission (ICCM)<big>The International Conference on Computing and Mission (<a href="http://www.iccm-europe.org/">ICCM-Europe</a>) takes place in the Netherlands 10-13 March, 2010.<br /><br /><span>'Engineering and Theology'</span> matches <span>'Computing and Mission'</span>.<br /><br />I have therefore just booked to attend.<br /><br />I hope to have opportunities to share information about Go Bible for mobile phones.</big>DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-31232761144070126872009-10-26T12:52:00.007+00:002009-10-26T13:19:30.793+00:00Geese in Their Hoods (Spurgeon on Romanism)Following the recent <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8316120.stm">news</a> about Pope Benedict's <a href="http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/24513.php?index=24513&lang=en">invitation</a> to disaffected Anglicans to join the Church of Rome, I bring to mind the writings of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Spurgeon">Charles Haddon Spurgeon</a> (1834-92) that touch on the tendency (even in his day) of some in the Church of England to drift back towards Romanism.<br /><br />His article, <a href="http://www.reformedreader.org/spurgeon/geese.htm"><span style="font-style: italic;">Geese in Their Hoods</span></a> is well worth reading, not only for his observations during his travels in Europe but also for his candour in confronting the errors of Rome.<br /><br />The nineteenth of the Church of England's <a href="http://anglicansonline.org/basics/thirty-nine_articles.html">Thirty-nine Articles</a> is mild in comparison with Spurgeon's treatment of such "too-hot-to-handle" issues today. viz.<br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><b></b></span><blockquote><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><b>XIX. Of the Church.</b><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:78%;" >The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.</span></span> <p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:78%;">As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred, so also the <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Church of Rome hath erred</span>, not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also in matters of Faith.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"></span></p>You can still obtain the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Geese-their-Hoods-Selected-Catholicism/dp/0963714171">1997 reprint</a>, edited by Timothy F. Kauffman, published by White Horse Publications.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-60060738568030376002009-10-23T19:18:00.001+01:002009-10-23T19:19:29.761+01:00RetirementJust a short post to inform readers that I retired four weeks ago, after over 36 years in the semiconductor industry. For most of that time I worked as a test engineer on power semiconductor devices, all at the same site in Stockport, which was under five different company names over this period:<br /><ol><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Associated Semiconductor Manufacturers (ASM) Ltd.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Mullard Limited</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Philips Components</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Philips Semiconductors</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.nxp.com/">NXP Semiconductors</a></span></li></ol>Due to the current recession, there was a need to reduce "head count", and a call for voluntary redundancies was announced in April this year. I volunteered almost straightaway, was accepted in June, and finished work on 25 September.<br /><br />I had already switched from full-time employment to part-time in June 2008, so I enjoyed 15 months of having Mondays free before finishing. This gave me a taste for retirement, but not for inactivity.<br /><br />Now that I am the Go Bible project leader for the <a href="http://crosswire.org/">CrossWire Bible Society</a>, I have more than enough to fill my waking hours. This brings the <span style="font-style: italic;">engineering </span>and the <span style="font-style: italic;">theology </span>even closer together than I could have imagined.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-72383229294540449852009-02-02T18:54:00.001+00:002009-02-02T19:03:46.310+00:00The slow death of congregational singing<a href="http://www.matthiasmedia.com.au/briefing/library/5175/">The slow death of congregational singing</a><br />by Mike Raiter, Principal of Victoria Bible College<br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Briefing</span>, April 2008.<br /><p class="details">It seems like genuine, heartfelt congregational singing is experiencing its dying gasps. But why does it matter and why should we care? Mike Raiter brings us back to the Bible to inject our singing with new life.</p> <p>I was at a convention recently, seated near the rear of the auditorium. The music team at the front were ‘leading’ (and I use that word advisedly) and we were singing. Well, we were meant to be singing. And so I did what I've done quite often lately: I closed my eyes and listened to the singing. The song leaders with their microphones were clear and distinct. I could identify each of the several instruments accompanying the singers. But if you blocked out the ‘worship team’, all that was left around the building was a barely audible murmur. I opened my eyes and looked around. Most folk were either standing silently, not even making a pretence of singing, or were little engaged in the activity.</p> I turned to a friend next to me and commented, “No-one's singing”. He looked at me as if I'd just observed that no-one was flying.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.matthiasmedia.com.au/briefing/library/5175/">more</a> ......</span>DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-58835563034094561492008-12-27T15:37:00.002+00:002008-12-27T15:53:17.356+00:00Rhode Island Coffee and booksOne day before Christmas I had a coffee and a Danish pastry at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rhode Island Coffee</span> on Little Underbank in Stockport. There were a few books related to Rhode Island on the window ledge, so I browsed through one of them.<br /><br />It was Marguerite Appleton, <span style="font-style: italic;">A Portrait Album - Four Great Rhode Island Leaders</span>.<br /><br />Here is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Portrait-Album-Four-Ri-Leaders/dp/0932840000/ref=sr_1_6">Amazon link</a>.<br /><br />The time I spent there was enough to read the first chapter, which was about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Williams_%28theologian%29">Roger Williams</a>, (1603-1883), the co-founder of Rhode Island. He is credited for originating either the first or second Baptist church established in America. <br /><br />He also wrote, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution, for Cause of Conscience</span> (London, 1644). This is his most famous work, and was the ablest statement and defence of the principle of absolute liberty of conscience that had appeared in any language. It is in the form of a dialogue between Truth and Peace, and well illustrates the vigour of his style.<br /><br />A pleasant interlude in a brief shopping errand.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-27219957019088803582008-12-26T15:18:00.005+00:002008-12-27T18:00:33.773+00:00Statistical analysis of Bible verse lengths<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YKztiwJjNgU_8tiFBLl_vz6RLHHEjgfdbFn4VzJt13p8cUa2i7mj3m0nVRyBOB-M95dDdmgp_UTQmaAPpZT3k4ZoQ2KA2uU2A2dGrU8POCxW-ZHd0oLznWqWEGeU4U1jeZbT/s1600-h/VerseLengths.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 619px; height: 406px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YKztiwJjNgU_8tiFBLl_vz6RLHHEjgfdbFn4VzJt13p8cUa2i7mj3m0nVRyBOB-M95dDdmgp_UTQmaAPpZT3k4ZoQ2KA2uU2A2dGrU8POCxW-ZHd0oLznWqWEGeU4U1jeZbT/s320/VerseLengths.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284530763909511186" border="0" /></a><br />In the course of my <a href="http://go-bible.org/">Go Bible</a> activities, I found it necessary to perform a statistical analysis of Bible verse lengths, in order to test a conjecture that there had been <span style="font-style: italic;">systematic truncation</span> in the particular source text that I had been working with. This was the French translation by Pirot and Clamer.<br /><br />This is an illustration of where my <span style="font-weight: bold;">Engineering and Theology</span> interests and skills overlap.<br /><br />The underlying <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probability_distributions">probability distribution</a> would be of interest to statisticians.<br /><ul><li>Cubic polynomial best fit below the mode, where mode length = 79 characters<br /></li><li>Linear best fit above the mode</li></ul>The chart lends weight to my <span style="font-style: italic;">truncation conjecture</span>. There was a <span style="font-weight: bold;">second peak</span> of verses with length=255. <span style="font-style: italic;">The few slightly longer verses may be explained by word-wrap effects</span>.<br /><br />Further details are given in this <a href="http://jolon.org/vanillaforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=712">Go Bible Forum</a> topic. If you are not a forum member, you will first need to <a href="http://jolon.org/vanillaforum/">register</a> before logging in.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-56698773058629660212008-12-20T17:21:00.003+00:002008-12-20T17:33:00.148+00:00Messianic Good News<a href="http://www.givengain.com/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_cause&cause_id=1507">Messianic Good News</a> is a non-profit organisation, founded in 1950 for the purpose of proclaiming the good news of salvation in Jesus the Messiah to Jews and Gentiles primarily through the written format. They publish and distribute tracts and books for outreach as well as the quarterly, “Messianic Good News,” through which they aim to encourage and equip readers with a deeper understanding of the faith. These articles are available on the website.<br /><br />They recently hosted a <a href="http://www.givengain.com/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_cause&cause_id=1507">conference</a> in South Africa, on the subject, <span style="font-style: italic;">ISRAEL IN THE LAST DAYS - </span><span style="font-style: italic;">a critical look at popular views of the end times</span>. The speakers were:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stephen Sizer</span> - who spoke on Israel from a theological perspective<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kevin Daly</span> - who dealt with the misconceptions in popular dispensationalist views<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Peter Cohen</span> - who spoke on the prophecies of Daniel 9 and Matthew 24<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alan Morrison</span> - who gave a two part paper on "the Restoration of all things".<br /></li></ul>Transcripts of all the conference talks are now available.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-82292484957726832202007-08-27T19:03:00.000+01:002007-08-27T19:14:13.479+01:00God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?New book out from <a href="http://www.lionhudson.com/lion/424.htm">LionHudson</a> on 7 September 2007.<blockquote> With new atheism loudly gaining more and more media attention, and religion seemingly being backed into a corner with nobody to stand up and rationally defend it, John Lennox’s new book God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? is a much needed addition to the science and faith debate.<br /><br />God’s Undertaker is an intelligent response to the claims of new atheism, which, based on the evaluation of modern scientific evidence, argues that theism sits more comfortably alongside science than atheism.<br /><br />Written by John Lennox, a well respected academic and mathematician, the book has received acclaim from top scientists as well as respected figures in the religious community and will provide a thought provoking and fresh basis for discussion.</blockquote>I have already pre-ordered a copy. The author is a friend from my time at Cambridge University (1966-1969).<br /><br />The linked page also gives details of a <a href="http://www.fixed-point.org/news/news.asp?ItemID=1066&pcid=59&cid=145&archive=yes">public debate</a> between Richard Dawkins and John Lennox, to be held in Birmingham, Alabama, USA on 3 October 2007.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-55272025355407783782007-06-08T16:13:00.000+01:002007-06-08T16:18:12.666+01:00Atheist Delusion and Richard DawkinsThe <a href="http://www.atheistdelusion.net/">Atheist Delusion</a> website is a useful compilation of critiques of <span style="font-weight:bold;">Richard Dawkins</span>, author of <span style="font-style:italic;">The God Delusion</span>.<br /><br />The welcome page begins, "Richard Dawkins, the world's most famous atheist, makes his home in Oxford, England. It was in Oxford, back in 1978, while sitting in a biology class in Magdalen College School, that I was first exposed to Richard Dawkins' favoured theory of human origins - Darwin and Wallace's idea of 'evolution by natural selection'. Sitting in one of the biology labs of a School founded in 1481 and attended by the likes of Sir Thomas More, William Tyndale, Cardinal Wolsey and John Foxe, I learnt of an idea that, according to Richard Dawkins, makes it possible to be 'an intellectually fulfilled atheist'."<br /><br />The webmaster is <span style="font-weight:bold;">Michael J. Penfold</span> of Bicester on Oxforshire.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-89355847714654495002007-05-27T21:24:00.000+01:002007-05-27T21:28:17.552+01:00Pentecost - Sunday 27 May 2007Our blest Redeemer, ere He breathed<br />His tender last farewell,<br />A Guide, a Comforter, bequeathed<br />With us to dwell.<br /><br />He came in semblance of a dove,<br />With sheltering wings outspread,<br />The holy balm of peace and love<br />On earth to shed.<br /><br />He came in tongues of living flame<br />To teach, convince, subdue,<br />All powerful as the wind He came<br />As viewless too.<br /><br />He came sweet influence to impart,<br />A gracious, willing Guest,<br />While He can find one humble heart<br />Wherein to rest.<br /><br />And His that gentle voice we hear,<br />Soft as the breath of even,<br />That checks each fault, that calms each fear,<br />And speaks of Heav’n.<br /><br />And every virtue we possess,<br />And every conquest won,<br />And every thought of holiness,<br />Are His alone.<br /><br />Spirit of purity and grace,<br />Our weakness, pitying, see:<br />O make our hearts Thy dwelling place<br />And worthier Thee.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Harriet Auber </span>(1773-1862)DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-51935467253785441582007-05-22T21:06:00.000+01:002007-05-22T21:12:34.799+01:00A letter to the Global Church from The Protestant Church of SmyrnaDear friends,<br /><br />This past week has been filled with much sorrow. Many of you have heard by now of our devastating loss here in an event that took place in Malatya, a Turkish province 300 miles northeast of Antioch, the city where believers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26). On Wednesday morning, April 18, 2007, 46 year old German Christian and father of three Tilmann Geske prepared to go to his office, kissing his wife goodbye and taking a moment to hug his son and give him the priceless memory, “Goodbye, son. I love you.”<br /><br />Tilmann rented an office space from Zirve Publishing. Zirve was also the location of the Malatya Evangelist Church office. A ministry of the church, Zirve prints and distributes Christian literature to Malatya and nearby cities in Eastern Turkey. In another area of town, 35 year old Pastor Necati Aydin, father of two, said goodbye to his wife, leaving for the office as well. They had a morning Bible Study and prayer meeting that some other believers in town would also be attending. Ugur Yuksel likewise made his way to the Bible study.<br /><br />None of these three men knew that what awaited them at the Bible study was the ultimate testing and application of their faith, which would conclude with their entrance into glory to receive their crown of righteousness from Christ and honor from all the saints awaiting them in the Lord’s presence.<br /><br />On the other side of town, ten young men all under 20 years old put into place final arrangements for their ultimate act of faith, living out their love for Allah and hatred of infidels who they felt undermined Islam.<br /><br />On Resurrection Sunday, five of these men had been to a by-invitation-only evangelistic service that Pastor Necati and his men had arranged at a hotel conference room in the city. The men were known to the believers as “seekers.” No one knows what happened in the hearts of those men as they listened to the gospel. Were they touched by the Holy Spirit? Were they convicted of sin? Did they hear the gospel in their heart of hearts? Today we only have the beginning of their story.<br /><br />These young men, one of whom is the son of a mayor in the Province of Malatya, are part of a tarikat, or a group of “faithful believers” in Islam. Tarikat membership is highly respected here; it’s like a fraternity membership. In fact, it is said that no one can get into public office without membership in a tarikat. These young men all lived in the same dorm, all preparing for university entrance exams.<br /><br />The young men got guns, bread knives, ropes and towels ready for their final act of service to Allah. They knew there would be a lot of blood. They arrived in time for the Bible Study, around 10 o’clock.<br /><br />They arrived, and apparently the Bible Study began. Reportedly, after Necati read a chapter from the Bible the assault began. The boys tied Ugur, Necati, and Tilmann’s hands and feet to chairs and as they videoed their work on their cellphones, they brutally tortured our brothers for almost three hours.<br /><br />Neighbors in workplaces near the print house said later they had heard yelling, but assumed the owners were having a domestic argument so they did not respond.<br /><br />Meanwhile, another believer Gokhan and his wife had a leisurely morning. He slept in till 10, ate a long breakfast and finally around 12:30 he and his wife arrived at the office. The door was locked from the inside, and his key would not work. He phoned and though it had connection on his end he did not hear the phone ringing inside. He called cell phones of his brothers and finally Ugur answered his phone. “We are not at the office. Go to the hotel meeting. We are there. We will come there,” he said cryptically. As Ugur spoke Gokhan heard in the telephone’s background weeping and a strange snarling sound.<br /><br />He phoned the police, and the nearest officer arrived in about five minutes. He pounded on the door, “Police, open up!” Initially the officer thought it was a domestic disturbance. At that point they heard another snarl and a gurgling moan. The police understood that sound as human suffering, prepared the clip in his gun and tried over and over again to burst through the door. One of the frightened assailants unlocked the door for the policeman, who entered to find a grisly scene.<br /><br />Tilmann and Necati had been slaughtered. Ugur’s throat was likewise slit and he was barely alive.<br /><br />Three assailants in front of the policeman dropped their weapons.<br /><br />Meanwhile Gokhan heard a sound of yelling in the street. Someone had fallen from their third story office. Running down, he found a man on the ground, whom he later recognized, named Emre Gunaydin. He had massive head trauma and, strangely, was snarling. He had tried to climb down the drainpipe to escape, and losing his balance had plummeted to the ground. It seems that he was the main leader of the attackers. Another assailant was found hiding on a lower balcony.<br /><br />To untangle the web we need to back up six years. In April 2001, the National Security Council of Turkey (Milli Guvenlik Kurulu) began to consider evangelical Christians as a threat to national security, on equal footing as Al Quaida and PKK terrorism. Statements made in the press by political leaders, columnists and commentators have fueled a hatred against ‘missionaries’ who they claim bribe young people to change their religion.<br /><br />After that decision in 2001, attacks and threats on churches, pastors and Christians began. Bombings, physical attacks, verbal and written abuse are only some of the ways Christians are being targetted. Most significant is the use of media propaganda.<br /><br />From December 2005, after having a long meeting regarding the Christian threat, the wife of Former Prime Minister Ecevit, historian Ilber Ortayli, Professor Hasan Unsal, Politician Ahmet Tan and writer/propogandist Aytunc Altindal, each in their own profession began a campaign to bring the public’s attention to the looming threat of Christians who sought to “buy their children’s souls”. Hidden cameras in churches have taken church service footage and used it sensationally to promote fear and antagonism toward Christianity.<br /><br />In an official televised response from Ankara, the Interior Minister of Turkey smirked as he spoke of the attacks on our brothers in Malatya. Amid public outrage and protests against the event and in favor of freedom of religion and freedom of thought, media and official comments ring with the same message, “We hope you have learned your lesson. We do not want Christians here.”<br /><br />It appears that this was an organized attack initiated by an unknown adult tarikat leader. As in the Hrant Dink murder in January 2007, and a Catholic priest Andrea Santoro in February 2006, minors are being used to commit religious murders because public sympathy for youth is strong and they face lower penalties than an adult convicted of the same crime. Even the parents of these children are in favor of the acts. The mother of the 16 year old boy who killed the Catholic priest Andrea Santoro looked at the cameras as her son was going to prison and said, “he will serve time for Allah.”<br /><br />The young men involved in the killing are currently in custody. Today news reported that they would be tried as terrorists, so their age would not affect the strict penalty. Assailant Emre Gunaydin is still in intensive care. The investigation centers around him and his contacts and they say the case will fall apart if he does not recover.<br /><br />The Church in Turkey responded in a way that honored God as dozens of believers and pastors flew in as fast as they could to stand by the small church of Malatya and encourage the believers, take care of legal issues, and represent Christians to the media. When Susanne expressed her wish to bury her husband in Malatya there were many complications. However, in the end Tilmann was buried in an old Armenian graveyard on April 20th.<br /><br />Ugur was buried by his family in an Alevi Muslim ceremony in his hometown of Elazig on April 19th, his believing fiance watching from the shadows as his family and friends refused to accept in death the faith Ugur had so long professed and died for.<br /><br />Necati’s funeral took place in his hometown of Izmir, the city where he came to faith. The darkness does not understand the light. Though the churches expressed their forgiveness for the event, Christians were not to be trusted. Before they would load the coffin onto the plane from Malatya, it went through two separate xray exams to make sure it was not loaded with explosives. This is not a usual procedure for Muslim coffins.<br /><br />Necati’s funeral was a beautiful event. Like a glimpse of heaven, hundreds of Turkish Christians and workers came to show their love for Christ, and their honor for this man chosen to die for Christ. Necati’s wife Shemsa told the world, “His death was full of meaning, because he died for Christ and he lived for Christ… Necati was a gift from God. I feel honored that he was in my life, I feel crowned with honor. I want to be worthy of that honor.”<br /><br />Boldly the believers took their stand at Necati’s funeral, facing the risks of being seen publicly and likewise becoming targets. As expected, the anti-terror police attended and videotaped everyone attending the funeral for their future use. The service took place outside at Buca Baptist church, and he was buried in a small Christian graveyard in the outskirts of Izmir.<br /><br />Two assistant Governors of Izmir were there solemnly watching the event from the front row. Dozens of news agencies were there documenting the events with live news and photographs. Who knows the impact the funeral had on those watching? This is the beginning of their story as well. Pray for them.<br /><br />In an act that hit front pages in the largest newspapers in Turkey, Susanne Geske in a television interview expressed her forgiveness. She did not want revenge, she told reporters. “Oh God, forgive them for they know not what they do,” she said, wholeheartedly agreeing with the words of Christ on Calvary (Luke 23:34).<br /><br />In a country where blood-for-blood revenge is as normal as breathing, many many reports have come to the attention of the church of how this comment of Susanne Geske has changed lives. One columnist wrote of her comment, “She said in one sentence what 1000 missionaries in 1000 years could never do.”<br /><br />Many Christians in Malatya will most likely move out, as their families and children have become publicly identified as targets to the hostile city. The remaining 10 believers are in hiding. What will happen to this church, this light in the darkness? Most likely it will go underground. Pray for wisdom, that Turkish brothers from other cities will go to lead the leaderless church. Should we not be concerned for that great city of Malatya, a city that does not know what it is doing? (Jonah 4:11)<br /><br />When our Pastor Fikret Bocek went with a brother to give a statement to the Security Directorate on Monday they were ushered into the Anti-Terror Department. On the wall was a huge chart covering the whole wall listing all the terrorist cells in Izmir, categorized. In one prominent column were listed all the evangelical churches in Izmir. The darkness does not understand the light. “These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.” (Acts 17:6)<br /><br />Please pray for the Church in Turkey. “Don’t pray against persecution, pray for perseverence,” urges Pastor Fikret Bocek.<br /><br />The Church is better having lost our brothers; the fruit in our lives, the renewed faith, the burning desire to spread the gospel to quench more darkness in Malatya …all these are not to be regretted. Pray that we stand strong against external opposition and especially pray that we stand strong against internal struggles with sin, our true debilitating weakness.<br /><br />This we know. Christ Jesus was there when our brothers were giving their lives for Him. He was there, like He was when Stephen was being stoned in the sight of Saul of Tarsus.<br /><br />Someday the video of the deaths of our brothers may reveal more to us about the strength that we know Christ gave them to endure their last cross, about the peace the Spirit of God endowed them with to suffer for their beloved Savior. But we know He did not leave their side. We know their minds were full of Scripture strengthening them to endure, as darkness tried to subdue the unsubduable Light of the Gospel. We know, in whatever way they were able, with a look or a word, they encouraged one another to stand strong. We know they knew they would soon be with Christ.<br /><br />We don’t know the details. We don’t know the kind of justice that will or will not be served on this earth.<br /><br />But we pray-- and urge you to pray-- that someday at least one of those five boys will come to faith because of the testimony in death of Tilmann Geske, who gave his life as a foreign Christian in Turkey, and the testimonies in death of Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel, the first martyrs for Christ out of the Turkish Church.<br /><br />Details in this letter were obtained through various news and media sources based on preliminary press releases and interviews. The court cases are pending and specific evidence and autopsy reports from the crime are not yet available to the public.<br /><br />Reported by Darlene N. Bocek (01 May 2007)<br /><br />-.-.-.-.-.-.-<br /><br />Please pass this on to as many praying Christians as you can, in as many countries as you can. Please always keep the heading as “From the Protestant Church of Smyrna” with this contact information: <a href="mailto:izmirprotestan@gmail.com">izmirprotestan@gmail.com</a> // <a href="http://www.izmirprotestan.org/">http://www.izmirprotestan.org</a>DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-88548938585289092032007-05-16T22:51:00.000+01:002007-05-16T23:07:25.796+01:00The device formerly known as the mobile phoneThis phrase was repeated several times by <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sir David Brown</span> during the course of his presenting the prestige <a href="http://www.theiet.org/events/event/56664D24-CBFE-7F02-29A4CB4F5BD9D232&i=1">Mountbatten Memorial Lecture</a> in Manchester earlier this evening, under the auspices of the <a href="http://www.theiet.org">IET</a>. It was a fascinating presentation, with some lively observations about history and technology changes since (Lord) <span style="font-weight:bold;">Louis Mountbatten</span> was born in the year 1900 AD.<br /><br />So many things are coming together in the latest generation of mobile phones that even a few years go were unimagined. The title of the lecture was <span style="font-weight:bold;">Ringing The Changes - The Then, Now And Wow! Of Seamless Mobility</span>.<br /><br />He presented some visionary ideas on how technology and society is changing, and will continue to change in the near future, some of these having far reaching effects on our lives. He concluded his talk by outlining how businesses like Motorola (of which he is the chairman here in the UK) are driving down the prices of mobile handsets such that they will be affordable in developing countries to more than the small governing elite, with the contracts for the low cost handsets setting the pace to overcome the "digital divide", and bring untold economic and educational benefits to millions of people.<br /><br />I came away thinking how much the Church of Jesus Christ is given a great open door by means of these changes to bring the Gospel as the water of life to a thirsty world. All of us can each play a small part in ensuring that these technical developments may become more a force for good than a means for increasing wickedness and unrighteousness. Pray for all those involved in the enabling and steering of these changes, whether in business, science, technology, engineering, government, as well as for those disciples of Christ who are seeking to use these means to further the kingdom of God.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-75425046840979671222007-05-12T20:55:00.000+01:002007-05-12T21:51:47.874+01:00Albanian Go Bible for Java enabled Mobile PhonesSince my earlier posts about <span style="font-weight:bold;">Go Bible</span> and <span style="font-weight:bold;">ThML Viewer</span>, I have successfully used <span style="font-weight:bold;">GoBibleCreator 2.2.2</span> to make the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Albanian Go Bible</span> for Java enabled mobile phones. I have installed this on my K750i model and it works seamlessly.<br /><br />A copy has been sent to Jolon Faichney, the owner of the <a href="http://go-bible.org/">Go Bible</a> site, so I trust it will not be long before it becomes available for download.<br /><br />In closing I should say that I also used the same method to create Go Bible versions as follows:<blockquote>Haitian Creole Translation<br />Spanish Reina Valera Translation<br />French Darby Translation<br />Greek NT (Stephanos 1550)<br />Korean Translation (untested)</blockquote>Some of the other ThML files I downloaded using the ThML Reader program have given rise to problems which have not yet been resolved. These can be classed as follows:<blockquote>Greek (Modern) Translation - Philippians was missing!<br />Croatian Bible, Latvian NT, Maori NT, Latin Vulgate - all gave parsing errors.</blockquote>DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446533.post-3233140064424398812007-05-12T12:19:00.000+01:002007-05-12T12:29:06.364+01:00Mobile Daily Devotions on your Java enabled phoneThough I am not generally one who makes a lot of use of "third party" daily devotional material, other Christians may find this link helpful, if it gets them more into the Bible each day.<br /><br />From <a href="http://www.fourteenfloor.com/">Mobile Daily Devotions</a> you can download various daily reading applications to your Java enabled cellphone. These include:<br /><br /> * Our Daily Bread<br /> * Global Prayer Digest<br /> * Daily in Christ<br /> * Streams in the Desert<br /> * Devotions by Warren Wiersbe<br /><br />If anyone comes across the <a href="http://web.ukonline.co.uk/d.haslam/mccheyne/FAQ4rmm.htm#Q1">M'Cheyne Bible Reading Calendar</a> as a Java application, please leave a comment here with details.DFHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02645574107206812360noreply@blogger.com