Greek principal parts.

Sorry about the lack of updates recently; life has been hectic. The exam season is fast approaching and I'm bogged down in second semester Greek. John Kendall, my lecturer in Greek, feels that it would be beneficial for us to learn the principal parts for a good number of Greek verbs. Good stuff, but... to say it's doing my head in would be an understatement. Oh well, it'll all be worth it in the end :)

New life for the humble Shoe Horn

I don't usually have much use for that rather quaint little tool known as a shoe horn. However, the other day I was preaching at a church in London. A good friend was picking me up on his motorbike and brought along all the necessary gear – including a helmet. Unfortunately, I have been blessed with a rather ample set of ears. And so it was, early one Sunday morning, I found myself trying to squeeze my head and it's accompanying appendages into a rather snug helmet. Let me assure you, undertaking a 45 minute journey on the back of a bike with one's ears folded in half is not to be recommended.

When I thought about this I came upon the solution – a shoe horn. Yes, the humble shoe horn could be used to keep one's ears flat and allow the helmet to be slid on neatly and thus avoid the unpleasant problem of ear folding. Although admittedly whizzing about on a super-bike with a shoe horn stuck in your belt doesn't seem to fit with the biker image, it does make for more comfortable riding!

Flash mob with a difference...

The parting of the Red Sea

A couple of days ago, research was featured in several news stories offering a scientific explanation as to how the waters in the Red Sea could have been parted for Moses. Some concluded that therefore the miracle of the waters parting was not down to the intervention of God, but merely fluid dynamics.

The fact that the waters could have parted at all is no surprise to bible believing Christians. If in the first case one believes in God then His ability to perform the miraculous is a given and so does not present a problem. If however, one struggles with the concept of an miracle-working God, then this research may be of interest, in as far as it appears that what happened is indeed feasible, thus adding weight to the accuracy of biblical account.

So was it an act of God or a freak of nature? If it was a freak of nature we would have to rewrite the account as follows:

After the Israelites had been allowed to leave Egypt, they reached the red sea. However, Pharaoh had second thoughts about releasing his workforce and gave chase. Thankfully, as chance would have it, when Moses stretched out his hand (as directed by the voices is in head), the wind began to blow in just the right direction and at just the right time to open up the sea to allow them to cross on dry land. As the Israelites finished crossing, the Egyptians came to the red sea, saw their chance and followed. Thankfully for the Israelites (and unluckily for the Egyptians) the wind ceased and so the waters came crashing back and removed the threat of an Egyptian attack, thus saving the fleeing Israelites. 

I don't know about you, but the story without God leads to an account which seems more incredible than actual history that the bible claims to record. Furthermore, if the researchers had read Exodus, they could have saved themselves all their efforts into how it happened.

Exodus 14:21: 'Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.' And if they had read Exodus 15:8 they would have found that it was 'by the blast of your [God's] nostrils the waters piled up' and in verse 10: 'But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them.'

So I conclude that either the whole story is false, in which case the research is interesting, but of limited relevance in relation to religion. Alternatively, if we believe the biblical account, but ascribe the events to natural causes, we have to accept an awful lot of chance, coincidence and good luck for it to have happened without God. So my view is that God did indeed use the wind – but it wasn't a freak of nature, it was God intervening to save his people – just as we have known and believed for centuries.

Goodbye The Good Agency. Hello God.

After working for over seven years The Good Agency, yesterday my final day was upon me. I've known this day was coming for about two years... but I still can't get my head around what's happening. After an incredibly hectic day I was presented with a card and some vouchers. The card was a piece of technical brilliance, a carefully hand-cut folding TARDIS card (our studio manager had truly outdone himself, I personally thing the BBC could sell this idea). A short time later, a number of us headed off to celebrate my leaving. Everyone has been really nice about it – although I'm still surprised at most people's reactions when discovering I'm going to Bible college – the usual response is an exclamation of blasphemy. 

It was about 10.30pm when I made my weary walk home from the station. Having handed back my mobile phone and said my goodbyes, I was incredibly aware that this, was it; I have waved goodbye to my nice stable job and have stepped out in faith in what I believe the Lord has told me to do. Part of me is petrified at what I have done, but the other part can't wait to see what the Lord will do.

Logos for Mac is coming...

As mentioned in my last blog, I have now handed my notice in and am due to start at WEST on 14 September. In preparation for my studies, I took some time to research what  Bible software was available.

After surveying the options, I found that the Logos software came highly recommended and seemed to be among the best you could buy... but it had one great downfall; it was for PC only. Having used a Mac for most of my life, this was a great disappointment, but not anymore. As of October Logos have a new Mac version of their software - perfect timing for me. Now all I've got to do is work out how to afford it when my income will be a mere shadow of it's former glory! See below for more details about Logos for Mac etc...

Logos Bible Software is giving away thousands of dollars of prizes to celebrate the launch of Logos Bible Software 4 Mac on October 1. Prizes include an iMac, a MacBook Pro, an iPad, an iPod Touch, and more than 100 other prizes!
They’re also having a special limited-time sale on their Mac and PC base packages and upgrades. Check it out!

I've handed in my notice...

Okay so it's now pretty much common knowledge – I have finally handed in my notice. This was a surprisingly difficult thing for me to do, but it's done. I start my 3 year course at WEST on 14 September 2010. Scary stuff, but I'm pretty sure that's where God wants me to be at the moment!

Goodbye advertising... hello Theology.