wonder

died

overview

here's the notes from a more comprehensive bible overview I've seen (than the simple book outline I posted a while ago)

Bible overview seminar notes

Bible overview seminar handout

p.s. sorry for the lack of posting lately - been away for weeks and weeks. will try get back into the habit of it!

song

my song '40 years time' is now on youtube. apologies for my voice.

flu

"Flu risk 'still low' after death"

...good news from the BBC!

Amy

This is a dream that Amy Carmichael (a missionary to India in the late 1800s) had. It is about the Christian's responsibility:

“The tom-toms thumped straight on all night and the darkness shuddered round me like a living, feeling thing. I could not go to sleep, so I lay awake and looked; and I saw, as it seemed, this:

That I stood on a grassy sward, and at my feet a precipice broke sheer down into infinite space. I looked, but saw no bottom; only cloud shapes, black and furiously coiled, and great shadow-shrouded hollows, and unfathomable depths. Back I drew, dizzy at the depth.

Then I saw forms of people moving single file along the grass. They were making for the edge. There was a woman with a baby in her arms and another little child holding on to her dress. She was on the very verge. Then I saw that she was blind. She lifted her foot for the next step . . . it trod air. She was over, and the children over with her. Oh, the cry as they went over!

Then I saw more streams of people flowing from all quarters. All were blind, stone blind; all made straight for the precipice edge. There were shrieks, as they suddenly knew themselves falling, and a tossing up of helpless arms, catching, clutching at empty air. But some went over quietly, and fell without a sound.

Then I wondered, with a wonder that was simply agony, why no one stopped them at the edge. I could not. I was glued to the ground, and I could only call; though I strained and tried, only whisper would come.

Then I saw that along the edge there were sentries set at intervals. But the intervals were too great; there were wide, unguarded gaps between. And over these gaps the people fell in their blindness, quite unwarned; and the green grass seemed blood-red to me, and the gulf yawned like the mouth of hell.

Then I saw, like a little picture of peace, a group of people under some trees with their backs turned toward the gulf. They were making daisy chains. Sometimes when a piercing shriek cut the quiet air and reached them, it disturbed them and they thought it a rather vulgar noise. And if one of their number started up and wanted to go and do something to help, then all the others would pull that one down. “Why should you get so excited about it? You must wait for a definite call to go! You haven’t finished your daisy chain yet. It would be really selfish,” they said, “to leave us to finish the work alone.”

There was another group. It was made up of people whose great desire was to get more sentries out; but they found that very few wanted to go, and sometimes there were no sentries set for miles and miles of the edge.

Once a girl stood alone in her place, waving the people back; but her mother and other relations called and reminded her that her furlough was due; she must not break the rules. And being tired and needing a change, she had to go and rest for awhile; but no one was sent to guard her gap, and over and over the people fell, like a waterfall of souls.

Once a child caught at a tuft of grass that grew at the very brink of the gulf; it clung convulsively, and it called-but nobody seemed to hear. Then the roots of the grass gave way, and with a cry the child went over, its two little hands still holding tight to the torn-off bunch of grass. And the girl who longed to be back in her gap thought she heard the little one cry, and she sprang up and wanted to go; at which they reproved her, reminding her that no one is necessary anywhere; the gap would be well taken care of, they knew. And then they sang a hymn.

Then through the hymn came another sound like the pain of a million broken hearts wrung out in one full drop, one sob. And a horror of great darkness was upon me, for I knew what it was-the Cry of the Blood.

Then thundered a voice, the voice of the Lord. “And He said, ‘What hast thou done, The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.’”

The tom-toms still beat heavily, the darkness still shuddered and shivered about me; I heard the yells of the devil-dancers and weird, wild shriek of the devil-possessed just outside the gate.

What does it matter, after all? It has gone on for years; it will go on for years. Why make such a fuss about it?

God forgive us! God arouse us! Shame us out of our callousness! Shame us out of our sin!”

out

let me out! download here. great to watch on your mobile phone...

nt

a short 'essay' I transcribed on why the New Testament gospels are reliable:

postsecret

shrug

watch my left shoulder, as I resist the strange urge I seemed to have to shrug... :-S cheesy vid, but should be good.

Ryan

As James Francis Ryan kneels by the cross-shaped gravestone of Captain John H. Miller, he recalls the man's last words to him,

"James, earn this. Earn it."

By contrast, my Rescuer Jesus' last words as he hung on a cross, dying for me, were,

"It is finished."

Thank God I don't have to 'earn it'.

body

I'm the body

scots

as the scots say...

dogs

lrlrl

a free coldplay album to download at lrlrl.coldplay.com. whoop

Ben

interviewer:	so what qualifications can ewe offer this flock?
sheep:	well, although I'm certainly by no means the most academically qualified, I really am a 'sheep sheep'.

liar

"if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead... And if Christ has not been raised, ...you are still in your sins"

- the bible

so am I lying to you? have I got it wrong? as a guy called Clive once said,

"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important"

Yael

currently enjoying Yael Naim.

you

so it's over to you. in light the fact that my two recent songs, 'Plague Tonight' and '40 Years Time', were both Jewish (-ish), I thought I should perhaps branch out into other 'religions'...

two ideas based around the Cornershop classic, 'Brimful of Asha', include the lyrics:

• 'brimful of allah, only 72' - on the subject of white raisins, or
• 'everybody needs a buddah for a pillow, everbody needs a buddah'...

your ideas?

overview

a pretty simple bible overview

plague

Plague Tonight - Jewish Eyed Cherry

Go on and close the curtains

‘Cause all we need’s menorah light

Unleavened bread ...and a bottle of wine

Sleeping in our shoes tonight

Well we know that we’re going away

and how I’m glad I’m quittin’ my job

I never liked …that slavery

Say goodbye to misery

Plague tonight

All the way ‘til dawn

Come tomorrow

Pharaoh will be gone

Plague tonight

All the way ‘til dawn

Come tomorrow

Pharaoh will be gone

There's some dough on the fire

And you can smell it’s got no yeast

We’ve killed a lamb, as required

Eating our Passover feast

It ain't easy to say goodbye

Darling please don't start to cry

‘Cause girl you know we've got to go, oh

Moses said that it was so

Stay inside

Lamb blood on the door

Stay inside

He’s killing the firstborn

Stay inside

Lamb blood on the door

Stay inside

He’s killing the firstborn

Tomorrow comes we’re goin’ away 

To the desert, far from slaver-ay

Girl you know we've got to go, oh

Moses said that it was so 

Stay inside

Lamb’s blood on your door

Stay inside (/Genocide)

He’s killing the firstborn

Stay inside

Lamb’s blood on your door

Stay inside (/Infanticide)

He’s killing the firstborn

Stay inside

‘Til the break of dawn

Come tomorrow

Tomorrow you’ll be gone

Stay inside

‘Til the break of dawn

Come tomorrow

Tomorrow you’ll be gone

Tomorrow you’ll be gone

Tomorrow you’ll be gone...

40

40 Years Time - Jonah and the Ark

Oh, well in five years time we could be in the desert still

And we’ll be there thirty more if it be God’s will

So let’s head down to the taber-nacle and kill

Another bull on the altar, let its blood spill

And there'll be blood, blood, blood

All on the altar and blood, blood, blood

All down the sides and there'll be blood, blood, blood

On priestly garments and blood, blood, blood

So what the heck

'Cos we'll be trying our hardest not to choke

As the tent gets filled with billows of smoke

We’ll be pouring our libations out as is the routine

'Cos it's what we need to be ceremonially clean

But it was fun, fun, fun

Our sacrificing it was fun, fun, fun

Those burnt offerings it was fun, fun, fun

Those grain offerings it was fun, fun, fun

Oh it was fun

Oh, well I'll look at you and say I think your ephod looks cool

I'll say, "That onyx on your breastplate, or some other jewel?"

And you'll say, "Yeah, well I feel, oh, a pretty happy Jew

With my Urim and my Thummim, just kicking back with you”

And it'll be love, love, love

But not unbiblically and love, love, love

Yeah not like that and it’ll be love, love, love

All on the altar and love, love, love

All down the sides

And though the turban’s replaced the tefillin on my head

I'll be thinking ‘bout the Torah and unleavened bread

And I know that really, all this blood can’t save

But in my mind I've got faith one day the debt’ll be paid

Oh, in five years time we might still be here

In five years time could be in Canaan 

Oh, in five years time might be in Lebanon

In five years time we might have read the map wrong

Oh, there'll be love, love, love

Pillar of cloud and there'll be love, love, love

Or one of fire and there’ll be love, love, love

Both day and night time there’ll be love, love, love

Wherever we go there’ll be love.

Joe

_{thanks to Joe for this one:}

Based on actual conversations.

 

> Are these your pervert binoculars, Ben?

 

> No, they're my Dad's.

 

Laughter.

facebook

today I 'left' facebook.

I say 'left', 'cos I didn't delete my account just yet, for the sake of keeping in touch with people. 'messages' and the like should get forwarded to me, so hopefully this won't put me out of touch with the world.

Reasons for doing it, though, are twofold. (Win. I used the word twofold in a sentence...)

Firstly, I waste time on facebook - and don't want to waste time. There are much better things I should be doing than stalking strangers/browsing photos, like actually replying to my emails and real-life conversation with people!

Secondly, it's just too much of a temptation for me. A few friends have some nude/semi-nude photos up, and I can do without another temptation to look at porn.

Hope you're not offended by the fact I've 'left'! As I say, do please keep in touch! My email address is on my profile, or you can probably click somewhere on here to find one that might work. Who knows.

gone

listen on spotify here:

http://open.spotify.com/track/4o6oRDZ4Ii5ckNUABnvmhq

"...She said he said live like no tomorrow 

Every day we borrow brings us 

one step closer to the edge, (infinity 

Where's your treasure, where's your hope 

if you get the world and lose your soul?) 

She pretends like she pretends like she's immortal 

...Today will soon be 

Gone, like yesterday is gone 

Like history is gone 

The world keeps spinning on 

You're going, going, gone 

Like summer break is gone, 

Like saturday is gone 

Just try to prove me wrong 

You pretend like you're immortal. 

We are not infinite 

We are not permanent 

Nothing is immediate 

We're so confident 

In our accomplishments 

Look at our decadence 

Gone, like Frank Sinatra, like Elvis and his mom, 

Like Al Pachino's cash, nothing lasts in this life 

Gone, my high school dreams are gone, 

my childhood sweets are gone 

Life is a day that doesn't last for long. 

Life is more than money, time was never money 

Time was never cash, life is still more than girls. 

Life is more than hundred dollar bills and roto-tom fills, 

Life is more than fame and rock and roll and thrills, 

All the riches of the kings end up in wills 

We've got information in the information age but do 

We know what life is outside of our convenient Lexus cages? 

She said he said live like no tomorrow 

Every moment that we borrow brings us closer 

to the God who's not short of cash 

Hey Bono, I'm glad you asked 

Life is still worth living, life is more than what we are..."

prize

people with exams;

eyes on the prize!

thoughts

today, in true Phil Brown faffing style, I put this together:

...it's a book I'm reading called 'Thoughts for Young Men" by J.C. Ryle.

it's good.

heart II

following on from a previous post...

Oh the world

Still decieves you as it turns

Well in my weakest moments I could see

Oh that the heart may be

The weakest part of me

- from "Jocasta" by Noah And The Whale

adamantium

Adamantium: a fictional man-made metal alloy, frequently described in Marvel Comics as being "virtually indestructible".

...but what if the writers had chosen famous pop artists other than Adam Ant to name this material? how well do you think the following would have gone down...

• Atomic-Kittium,
• Bobdilium,
• Davidbowium,
• Chuck-Barium,
• Nirvanananium,
• Elton-Johnium..?

heart

this is true of my heart:

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

- Jeremiah

...what a wretched man I am! who will rescue me from this body of death? thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!

links

for those interested in the links at the top...
 two ways to live - a simple summary of what I believe about Jesus

 biblegateway - a website containing various translations of the bible
 the grove is on fire - youthwork musings from my friend Mark
 xxx church - the number 1 Christian porn site
 blogger - where I write my blog from
 stupid Paul - my friend Paul's stupid muzaks
 Hayley vs. Gareth - blogs from my friends Gareth and Hayley
 bbc news website - news from the bbc website
 jessica jessika - a blog by my friend Jess
 google chrome - the best web browser out there
 facebook - a book for your face
 to write love on her arms - a website about self-harm
 impact - a simple page with bible study resources

ant

"It's only when you look closely at an ant through a magnifying glass on a sunny day that you realise how often they burst into flames"

- Harry Hill.

know

moose

John

John Wayne Gacy Jr - Sufjan Stevens

"In my best behaviour I am really just like him.

Look beneath the floorboards for the secrets I have hid"

housemates

in some order: John, me, Ben, Joe

tea

"tea is really my cup of tea..."

iz

a documentary I think you should watch:

also

to yesterday's post, Ben has added the following:

      Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

      Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

      Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

      Derek and the Dominoes

      George Thorogood and the Destroyers

      Tommy Jones and the Shondrells

      Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

also, apparently Randomgirl "is in actual fact none other than the infamous Laura Jayne Dobie"

and

My aim was to find 15 of the following (I succeeded)

---Katrina and the Waves
---Bob Marley and the Wailers
---Cliff Richard and the Shadows
---Diana Ross and the Supremes
---KC and the Sunshine Band
---Jimi Hendrix and the Jimi Hendrix Experience
---Bill Haley and [his] Comets*
---Siouxsie and the Banshees
---Adam and the Ants
---Sting and the Police
---Gladys Knight and the Pips
---Lionel Richie and the Commodores
---Kool and the Gang
---Echo and the Bunnymen
---Lulu and the Luvvers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---Martha Reeves and the Vandellas (in case * doesn't count)

[thanks to me, Lyndsey, Tom, Matt, Phil, Randomgirl and Louise]

please add to the list as you find more...

Paris

postcards for sale:

ignored

...this gave me great pleasure

gone

the old me is dead and gone. dead and gone - TI ft. JT

I was "dead in [my] transgressions and sins
... but God ... made [me] alive with Christ" - PB ft. PT

farmer

Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

sow an act, and you reap a habit;

sow a habit, and you reap a character;

sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

- Charles Reade

The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.

- J. John

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

- God

dead

rubbish video, good song

_{Elvis is dead, Picasso is dead}

Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin are dead

Marilyn Monroe is dead- however…

Jesus is Alive

Brando is dead, James Brown is dead

Princess Di and John Lennon are dead

Biggie Smalls and Pac are dead- however

Jesus is Alive

Give praise to King Jesus, the blessed Son

Victorious, glorious resurrected One

To Him belongs the power, glory and honor

Ascended where He sits at the right hand of the Father

At the cross He made atonement- His people He saved

After three days He was raised in defeat of the grave

By faith the elect behold Him, His scepter is golden

He must have been hot or slippery because death couldn’t hold Him

The spotlight is on today’s icons

In a thousand years, nobody will care- their light’s gone

But at that time, Christ will still shine bright

He’s not in the limelight- He IS the limelight

Criminal minded, you’ve been blinded

Looking for the body of Jesus? You won’t find it

We never lack spirit, letting you cats hear it

Because His tomb is empty like most secular rap lyrics

Plato is dead, Socrates is dead

Aristotle and Immanuel Kant are dead

Neitzsche and Darwin are dead- however

Jesus is Alive

Buddha is dead, Mohammed is dead

Ghandi and Haile Selassie are dead

Elijah Mohammed is dead- however

Jesus is Alive

Throughout history there’s been mad religious leaders

Prophets, preachers, scholars, teachers

But when it came to the grave, no one could climb out

That’s where Jesus stands alone like taking a ‘timeout’

And don’t be mislead- I got a level head

No resurrection, Christianity would have never spread

The disciples weren’t stupid guys who would ruin their lives

And then choose to die for what they knew was a lie

That would be beyond ridiculous- Nah, the issue is

The risen Christ seen by 500 eye-witnesses

Imagine 500 people in a court of law

Each of them taking the stand reporting what they saw

If their stories lined up and made sense

The evidence would have to leave you convinced

But still it’s by faith that we trust and praise the Son

Who was raised for our justification

Nero is dead, Constantine is dead

Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun are dead

Alexander the Great is dead- however

Jesus is Alive

Napoleon is dead, Lao Tzu is dead

Che Guevara and Henry VIII are dead

Saddam Hussein is dead- however

Jesus is Alive

Through faith in Christ, we’ve been saved from hell

Because He’s risen, it means we’ll be raised as well

In glorified bodies fit for the new earth

For now, we participate in the new birth

The universal reality of the true church

With resurrection power, watch the Spirit do work!

United with Christ, we reside in His light

Abide in His might, keep in stride as we fight

The pride in our life, the lies and the spite

We strive to be wise as He guides through the night

He’ll chide and He’ll slice- recognize that He’s right

His brightness inside lights our eyes and it’s tight

(He) decided to die to wash white all our strife

His life was the price to delight in His wife

He told death “sike” just to rise like a kite

All eyes on the Christ- let’s prize Him tonight

Pharaoh is dead, Cyrus is dead

Darius and Sennacharib are dead

Nebuchadnezzar is dead- however

Jesus is Alive

Caesar is dead, Herod is dead

Annas, Caiaphas and Judas are dead

Pontius Pilate is dead- however

Jesus is Alive

fixion?

oh happy day

that washed my sin away

book

this is the book I bought today, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies:

I am officially beyond stoked for this book!

- Entertainment Weekly

The real question is: If Mr. Darcy became infected, would Elizabeth have the fortitude to behead him in time?

- Salon.com

everybody

...been looking for this for ages! the chorus reminds me of Vanessa Amorosi's absolutely averybody.

*shamed silence*

respekt

Fidelity - Regina Spektor

sig.

_{on church:}

If we are not careful, our longing for and experience of community can subtly displace the gospel. Biblical community is much, much more than this.

Biblical community is significant not because it makes you feel significant, but because it recognizes that Jesus is our common source of significance. The gospel, not people, becomes the means to the end of our identity.

Our sense of acceptance flows from our relationship with Christ which, in turn, frees us to love and serve one another, instead of judging, demanding or ostracizing. We become a "one-another" community, freed by the gospel to love and serve each other. We are never too spiritually mature for the gospel.

- JD

stand

down

talk you down - the script

(P.S. I've just realised listening to their album that they've written/sung every good song I've heard in the last year on the radio)

eggs

_{an excerpt:}

"Easter is still celebrated as a major holiday all around the globe, but the truth of Jesus' gory crucifixion and glorious resurrection is often obscured by the garish cartoon bunny in the stores and the gaudy displays of springtime fashion among the religious. Traditions of cute bunnies, colored eggs, and little girls in pink dresses are harmless enough, but at the same time we must not let anything obstruct our view of the earth-shattering reality represented by Easter. There's nothing cute or cuddly about the fact that we killed God. When we were his enemies, he came to us, suffered in our place through the horror that was Good Friday, and rose from his grave on Easter Sunday so that we will one day rise from ours. The curse is broken, and we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus because we know we will one day experience it (1 Cor. 15:20-23). Let's be joyful, let's never shrink from speaking about Jesus' death and resurrection, and let's never trivialize it."

_{from here}

_{apologies for the American spelling}

jack.

superlambbanana

they exist, honest!

lwelsh

• llol - laughing literally out loud
• llmao - literally laughing my arms off
  
• lloll - laughing literally out loud - literally
  
• lrofl - literally rolling on the floor laughing

_{this post is dedicated to all the rahs of Durham}

last of the English roses

not a huge fan of the individual, but...

hymn 2

To the dear fountain of thy blood,
Incarnate God, I fly;
Here let me wash my spotted soul,
From crimes of deepest dye.

A guilty, weak and helpless worm,
Into Thy hands I fall;
Be Thou my life, my righteousness,
My Jesus and my all.

Charles Wesley

hymn 1

Behold the Saviour of mankind
Nail'd to the shameful tree!
How vast the love that Him inclined
To bleed and die for thee!

'Tis done! the precious ransom's paid;
'Receive my soul', He cries;
See where He bows His sacred head!
He bows His head, and dies!

Charles Wesley

3D

Google Chrome now shows the internet in glorious 3D - this is the best day ever!

G20 = Gordon's 20

...like a politician version of Ocean's 11

loyal?

a book I read part of yesterday said something like:

many of us are loyal to our notions of God, but how many of us are loyal to Him?

...in these last days he [God] has spoken to us by his Son [Jesus], whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. - Hebrews 1:2-3, the bible

'creative'

        writing.

if I was a girl

I'd like to be more like this girl:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j6l77/Deborah_13_Servant_of_God

joy

I'm sorry for not posting in a while, all sorts has been going on.

here's a song for you though:

- Joy by Page CXVI

you can actually download it and a couple of other songs here, if you want to...

rice

here

lecture graffiti, it says:

WISH YOU WERE HERE

we're just two lost souls swimming

in a fish bowl, year after year

running over the same old ground

what have you found? the same old fears

wish you were here

imeem against all odds

walking

smells

cops

BOR'D COPS

almost as amusing at the graffiti in the library,

a comment on the Israel-Palestine conflict:

'f*** the Palis'

maths pictures

'fun' maths pictures

graduation

I've graduated (left) Klute

a photo of jealousy

poor Allie

pi pies

it's no joke.

or if it is, it's not actually funny...

?

around where I live

I've had questions, without answers

I've known sorrow, I have known pain

but theres one thing, that i'll cling to

you are faithful, Jesus your true

- a song

snow

my attempt at photo-ing snow

Delia

Delia's got alongside UCCF (Christian unions organisation) to join in with their FREE gospel project...

posh paper

read the bible if you want to know about God

The heav’ns declare Thy glory, Lord,

In every star Thy wisdom shines

But when our eyes behold Thy Word,

We read Thy Name in fairer lines.

- a hymn

When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter,

should not a people inquire of their God?

Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

To the law and to the testimony!

If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

- the bible

chay

overheard:

"you know - that Chay Guevara painting - by the Dandy Warhols...

"almost finite"

...said in a lecture of mine yesterday. now that's what you call under-exaggeration.

they love me not

the folks at 'myphotoalbum' really are toying with my emotions with these two consecutive emails:

to restore my free account I have to buy something from them or one of their partner companies

the Departed

Frank Costello: Who let this IRA ***** in my bar? [The man looks startled]

Frank Costello: [Laughs] Only kidding. How's your mother?

Man in Costello's Bar: Oh... I'm afraid she's on her way out.

Frank Costello: [Walks away] We all are. Act accordingly.

sinister

roses are red

violets are blue

you don't know me

but I love you.

free

durham CU's got a load of talks on this week (lunchtimes and evenings) - let us know if you fancy any and I'll catch you beforehand...

Lunchtime: 1.10-2pm in the Fonteyn Ballroom (DSU)

Mon 16th: The Bible - Unreliable and Irrelevant?

Tues 17th: Terrorism, cancer and tsunamis - does God care?

Wed 18th: Jesus, Mohammed or Buddha - half right or all wrong?

Thur 19th: How can a good God send people to hell?

Fri 20th: Is being "good" good enough for God?

Lunchtime: 1.10-2pm in CG93 (Science Site)

Wed 18th: Science vs God - must we choose?

Evening: 7.30pm, Elvet Methodist Church (Old Elvet)

Mon 16th: FREE from guilt (explaining Mark 2:1-12)

Tues 17th: FREE from fear (explaining Mark 4:35-41)

Wed 18th: FREE from death (explaining Mark 8:27-38)

Thur 19th: FREE to live forever (explaining Mark 10:17-31)

Fri 20th: FREE to know God (explaining Mark 15:21-39)