YouVersion Challenge 2009

One of the things that has revolutionised my Bible reading this year is YouVersion.com.

I hooked up with the website earlier this year and started to use the 1 year Bible reading plan. Find it here.

As I tend to carry my lap top with me most of the time and make use of wifi at places like Starbucks and even MKCC my reading plan is only a click away.

Later in the year I got an iPhone and downloaded the free YouVersion.com Bible app. This means that my connection to loads of versions is always on and I have even been able to download a offline version.

I can honestly say that these tools have dramatically increased my Bible reading in 2008.

I also used YouVersion.com to link devotions on my blog for our series at MKCC: Simply Jesus or Acts.

Join with me this year and you will read the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice.

Read more here.

Visit the web here.

Download the iPhone app.

Download the Blackberry app.

Promise first

I have started to read the latest book by Erwin McManus entitled Wide Awake - The Future is waiting within You. At first glance I was not sure I wanted to read it. To be honest the sub title put me off a little. I felt myself saying if my future is within me I don't want to know it. It won't be that great. But I need not have worried that one of my favourite communicators would let me down.

Recounting the story where James & John approach Jesus to ask him something but before that do they want to know the answer was yes. Just like we used to do with our parents. As Erwin says: Promise first, and then I will tell you what I want.

Often we can do that with Jesus. We want an up front yes for what we want. The only problem is that we don't always realise what we are asking for. James & John asked basically to be in charge in God's Kingdom. But they and Jesus were looking at 2 different sides of the same coin.

They were looking at the power, privileges and prestige of their request. Jesus was looking at the servanthood, sacrifice and pain they would have to endure to get there.

I wrote at the top of page 14 of the the book - Being in charge means pain!

Where is God?

Not much blogging over last few days. On holiday and too much other things to do. Read this quote yesterday:

When you walk through the valley of the shadow,
When your steps take you to the edge:
When your voice echoes back across the void;
God is closer than your breath.
- James Long

Peace on Earth we need to now

Woke up to look at BBC website news today to be greeted by this.

Seems like the day after the ceasefire was over the Israeli's have launched an air strike on Gaza. In response to increased rocket attacks by hamas.

Then I read about yet another car bomb in Iraq.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I was reminded of the U2 song - Peace on earth. The phrase was connected to Jesus birth by angelic appearance. Bono's song expresses his frustration with the lack of peace in his own country of Ireland at the time of writing.

Heaven on Earth
We need it now
I'm sick of all of this
Hanging around

Sick of sorrow
I'm sick of the pain
I'm sick of hearing
Again and again
That there's gonna be
Peace on Earth

Where I grew up
There weren't many trees
Where there was we'd
tear them down
And use them on our enemies

They say that what you mock
Will surely overtake you
And you become a monster
So the monster will not break you

And it's already gone too far
You said that if you go in hard
You won't get hurt

Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line
Peace on Earth

Tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living
in the ground
Peace on Earth

No who's or why's
No one cries like a mother cries
For peace on Earth

She never got to say goodbye
To see the color in his eyes
Now he's in the dirt
Peace on Earth

They're reading names out
Over the radio
All the folks the rest of us
Won't get to know

Sean and Julia
Gareth, Anne, and Breeda
Their lives are bigger than
Any big idea

Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line
Peace on Earth

To tell the ones who
hear no sound
Whose sons are living
in the ground
Peace on Earth

Jesus in the song you wrote
The words are
sticking in my throat
Peace on Earth

Hear it every Christmas time
But hope and history won't rhyme
So what's it worth

This peace on Earth
Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth