Mobile Ministry Magazine

UPDATE (Feb 2007): A year after the iPhone's introduction, there are plenty of iPhone solutions for Bible reading and study. Here are a few:

• iPocketBible by Laridian
• iPhone Bible by Apathy Online
• iPhone Bible (w/LDS)
• iBiblez
• See more at this more recent list

I had intended to wait on this specific question until I was able to read something a bit more official from the various Bible software makers, but it's as good a time as any to talk about the Bible on your iPhone (or Foleo, or N800, or any device for that matter that you cannot save everything on, but have to utilize the Internet).

eBible is a possiblity
The first product/website that I thought of when the iPhone was announced that it would only support application written through the Safari web browser was eBible. Unlike other Bible websites and applications, eBible is a browser-based application that combines the ability to read various translations of the Bible, as well as a bookmarking and notes features. There is a premium edition to eBible that unlocks commentaries and other resources as well.

There's nothing else!!!
Yes, if you have an iPhone, you really do not have any other option. While other internet-enabled devices such as the N800 and Palm Foleo have the ability to have programs written for them that could take advantage of the devices' online/offline ability, to date only the N800 is an available product, and the Bible reader for it is not yet very usable for the casual user even though there is an installer to lighen the process of getting a reader installed (I prefer to use eBible and zbible.mobi on the N800 for the best experience).

The Hybrid Bible Solution
I spoke once before about applications that would have both online and offline components, and I think that the iPhone will help to usher that age of mobile applications in a bit easier. The harder question for these applications will come from the browser side for respective devices. Right now, there are just too many mobile devices that do not have the power or physical ability to have a browser that is as good as a desktop one. And though companies such as Nokia are having great success in making their smartphone platforms a bit more everywhere, the knowledge transfer of getting people to know that their devices do more than text and voice seems to be only something Apple has done well.

Addition: The folks at Laridian have been having a running conversation about MyBible on the iPhone and its possiblity or not of going to that platform. It brings up some interesting points spoken about here.

So yes, you can do the Bible on your iPhone. And if my guess is right, other software makers might look at the eBible solution and do something a bit more accessible to all devices, but similar nonetheless. I do think that the paradigm of how we use Bible readers on mobile devices needs to change if something like this would happen. Here's hoping that some developers out there take a chance and do something like the iPhone that is easy to use, and fits a need.

Labels: accessiblity, Bible, eBible, iPhone, mobile, N800

From the latest GMPSoft newsletter:

We are pleased to announce that GMPSoft has been finally licensed for the use of NIV and TNIV Bible versions in PDA Bible With You reader. The NIV is just before release, and now TNIV is available for Beta testing...

*This product is currently in Beta Test.
The Beta Test license is a temporary license that allows you to test a new GMPSoft application. For the purposes of beta testing, the product is offered free for you to test and send us your feedback. See how to send bug reports here.

Special Features:
- Footnotes - additional reference in pop-ups.
- Outlines - help the reader's comprehension by highlighting the key events.
- Jesus' words in red.
- Highlight Bookmarks
- Personal Notes
- Auto-scroll and screen-wrap reading modes

Download the TNIV beta from GMPSoft for Windows Mobile and Palm OS devices.

Labels: Bible, GMPSoft, mobile

Sometimes, its easier just to take a collection of links and let them speak for themselves. Here are a few that I flagged in my RSS reader that I thought were great for content and conversation.

USB key is a Linux computer

Christian education beyond Sunday School

Which Bible Translation? Hebrew, Greek, Web 2.0

~ sent from Treo

Edit:changed appearance of links because of display issues in some browsers.

Labels: community

As the time for my moving to NC draws near, I am back to a nearly solo mobile existence. Mainly with the Treo 680, with the Nokia N95 and N800 finding duty for voice and data needs. It really does seem that since MMM was started that there is at least a mobile technological argument for a mobile ministry.

The item that tends to get at me though is its relevance -- in the US. I can see in Europe and Africa where the mobile device (laptops, hotspots, mobile phones, etc.) have a place within the social context. A place that doesn't displace people, but because of economies and convenience, it works. In the US, this is a much harder argument, and if not for the iPhone busting into the party, probably a forever "on deaf ears" one.

The iPhone? You see, one of the things that has made me smile about the iPhone has been the opening up of the eyes of Americans as to the possiblities as to what can be done in the palm of your hand. Even those who see the iPhone and opt for a smaller phone and laptop do admit that technology is at a place where location is not nearly as important as ability and need -- the ability to get things done and the need to connect with one another.

I believe that the iPhone and possibly one or two more innvations this year will thrust the US audience into a better mobile awareness, and at that time the question will come to the church if it is possible that the Spirit of God can manage such a technological trend.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there are phones going off...
Ok, not exactly a quote of Scripture, but there is a growing awareness of mobile phones, eh, wireless life within the abilties of the Church. Part of that is because the church has always been mobile. We go places to teach and preach the Word in the hope that they will go more places and teach and preach. If you think about it, the best social networking program has to be the Holy Spirit, and dang it you only need to have faith to sign up (no annoying spam either).

What happens in our moving along this technological landscape is that we understand the appropriate place for technology, and then we use it to further the hand of God in improving the lives of others around us so that they can make a decsion to "believe on Him and be saved." It will not come thru "Holy Ghost e-tracts" or "Pauline TV on your mobile" but by a consistent and ardent focus on making sure that technology is an enablment and not an idol. When we exhalt Christ via tech, we move the focus from being 'ooh look at that' to 'ooh look at Christ.' And that is something that I am sure that all of us want to be first in line for.

One of the things that I never wanted the blog side of MMM to be was a one man show. I didn't take the postiion that I knew more than another person who is in ministry or who has wanted to know more about using mobile technology within various ministry settings. Frankly, there are just too many people and circumstances out there for me to have that kind of mindsent.

When I started MMM, it was as a means to help aggreate some of the content into one place so that there would be at least one place online that we could go that is talking about how to best use this technology for God's glory. The only problem has been that gathering news and getting together with others around the world who have this heart for Jesus and tech has just been hard and of little (visible to me) success :-/

So you can imagine the bit of joy that I have in announcing that MMM has a channel on the social networking site/service Jaiku. Basically, I see it as a place where we can connect, contribute, and share what all God is doing with all aspects of tech. Seeing that Jaiku is just as well done in a web browser on your desktop, or a mobile browser, or even a mobile application on some devices, there are various ways in which we can connect and share with one another.

This does not mean that MMM is moving completed to a shared content model. To be blunt, MMM wouldn't last very long as there is a 9.9 to 1 ratio of people who visit sites to those who contribute. The point of Jaiku is to connect, and to be able to comment and add when it is appropriate for you. If there is something big happening there, we'll be sure to post about it here at the main site so that others who aren't in the channel or new to MMM would be able to get in on the action.

You do need to create a Jaiku account to comment, but if all you want to do is grab the RSS feed of the channel, that is available too.

So, in the spirit of sharing ministry and a heart for those things tech, visit the MMM Jaiku channel. I hope that this can be a huge blessing and additional resource for you all.

Labels: community, Jaiku

I was talking to a good friend yesterday about life, moving, and tech, and he asked me a question that I have been on and off asking myself since starting MMM: what is the value of mobile technology and why should anyone care?

I've spent many a day and night here posting about various aspects of the tool, the connection, the technology, the function of technology. Those are elements yes, but what is the value of such a connection, and is it more or less something that I'm looking too hard for or something that is there, but people are not willing to see it.

I remarked to my friend that two plus years ago, for me to recommend a Treo to anyone was considered going too far for them. I saw it simply as they valued some aspect of keeping life managable and that tool and its related services would work. Most didn't heed that and go locked into other systems and tools that have or have not worked out as well. But many of those people are now (as in this moment and not far before or after) looking at the Treo and similar communicators as an part of their life management puzzle. I saw it, but I was ahead of the times, hence the value proposition on my end was not well received.

Which then leads to that last question of why anyone should care. Honestly speaking, I sometimes don't know why I care other than that I like to connect with people yet not have my people interactions rule my time and life. I have read and seen plenty of stories where successful ministers and business people alike had this loss of prioroties and boundaries and tried to use a quick fix service or technology to try and mend those behaviorial fixes. I've personally see mobile tech change the way that I behave towards everything and believe that I have something to offer. Should you listen? Probably, if only because you might find that your tool or service does a bit more than you though, making it more valuable to you.

But if you didn't value something, then why would people even both to listen to you talk about it. Our faith has such value that we don't hesitate to affix it to everything that we are. Not saying that tech should have the same place, but if there is something that you value and it works, why wouldn't you be willing to share it with someone else; making their lives more valuable to those that love them too.

I need to do a better job in thia area. Thanks for CTM for pointing it out and gving a piece of God's heart:
http://churchtechmatters.com/pray-for-tech/

One of the most fun aspects of doing the Nokia Blogger Relations program is that I have been able to experience some different software that I normally wouldn't be able to. Not just the native Nokia apps, but some of the new and fun ones too.

One of them that I get really excited about (no really, see my personal site's last post), is Jaiku. Basically its a "living" contact list. Much like an address book you can add contacts and have immediate contact information, but you can also set presence (so that people know when and how best to contact you), and post small snippets (similar to Twitter) about what you are doing at a given moment.

In a bit of a merge between my personal life and MMM life, I am posting my Jaiku addy so that you can add me to your contact list (and I add you in return) so that we can start doing some neat communicae. Whereas some of you are incredibly busy and might see this as a bit of meandering, its my intent that by Jaiku (and other applications) that we are able to use this tech to bridge those distance gaps, and in some ways effect one another/encourage one another.

My Jaiku Page

Jakiu can be used on Nokia S60 smartphones (the N95, N75, E61i are some examples), and one can also sign up on any computer with a web browser and play with life from there. I really encourage you all to connect with me thru Jaiku, you never know when I might be in your area and want to chat :)

There is another application via the Nokia Blogger Relations program that I'll be talking about in a bit (just reset one of the devices and am getting back in queue with that). But that one too is another one of those apps that faciliate casual computing so that we can encourage one another.

It's another one of those intersetions of faith and tech; this time, I want to be like a stoplight and be a light to point some aspects of the benefits of a tech like this.

Labels: community, Jaiku, Nokia

Greetings all, I am pretty sure that it has been a long bit since I've posted, but the team has been doing a great job. I'm still trying to settle into a new area and life and all is fun, yet hard. Please do keep me in your prayers.

In addition to those, I'd like to open the floor in speaking about MMM attending the Internet Ministry Conference 2007. After reading about it at Church Relevance, I not only think that we should be there, but also getting in there and answering some questions about what it means to be a mobile minister. Lord knows that being challenged in the area that you claim to work in is a part of the job, and I see both the conference and the Bootcamp would be great.

The only part of my brain that is questing things right now is financing the trip. I am not sure that I'll be able to come out of pocket and so I am thinking of sponsorship. But this (like a few others) are conferences that MMMers should be attending, not just for knowledge building, but also for fellowship.

So talk to us. Would you like to see MMM at the Internet Ministry Conference 2007? And if so, what questions would you like to see us address there (and before)?

Labels: community, mission

I just finished reading a report at the NY Times titled "What Does Africa Need Most: Technology or Aid?" and it struck me as one of those questions that I used to ask (here and elsewhere) but never seem to get an answer.

Should tech be used to enable people to stand on their own, or should it be given to make us feel good about serving others? I've always seen tech as something that should enable people to grow and reach beyond where they are; but is giving the tech the answer, or giving the skills and knowledge, supporting then with training/support/finances where our "aid" should go?

Labels: community

Palmsolo (aka Matt Miller) has posted recently about Dell coupon codes being usable for purchasing Nokia devices in the US. Unlike many phones, mid-tier and high-end devices are rarely sold through a carrier, and so getting your hands on one usually requires importing or seeking out a good deal from a site such as Expansis/Mobile Planet. News of coupon codes from Dell is a heck of a good deal and one that I recommend taking advantage of if you are on AT&T or T-Mobile (Nokia's Sprint and VZW offerings are sold thru the respective carriers).

Labels: mobile, mobile accessories, Nokia

I was just over at Palm Addict and saw that SplashNews has been released. It is a free RSS reader program (ad supported). Looks kinda neat and you can download right to your device by going to http://splashdata.com/splashnews/

Being that I am on the road a lot lately, RSS is proving to be a really neat way for me to get news and other info. What would be a nice implementation of RSS though would be an RSS feed of my church's newsletter. I think that would be a really simple way for people to get on board with RSS on any mobile device, and then also have a simple means to share in what is going on. Sure, the number of people who read RSS feeds versus the total number of people online is small; but this is a case where the tech can be usable and simply so.

Labels: mobile, SplashData, usablity

Happy Father's Dayto all the MMM dad out there. You know, I think I am the only one of the team that isn't a dad. Oh well, I'll get mine at some point and then have the MMM community give me some sage advice :)

Make sure that in addition to a tie that you are giving Dad the gift of community, encouragement, and the Word. I cannot speak for places outside fo the US, but in the US, there is a drought of good fatherly encouragement going around. So in addition to the tie or tech that you give today, be sure to also daily give encouragement and Word ("...building up one another in our most holy faith...").

Dad's make sure that you are using those new toys that you get to increase the time you are spending towards and with your families. Even if all that is is email on the go so that you can spend time at the park more. That expense of wireless email pans itself out in kids that are well grounded. So walk wisely guys, today is your day.

(posted in memory of my father, passed 8/2000)

One of the more recent developments on the smartphone side of things is that Qualcomm has been granted an injuncture to halt the selling of new 3G enabled devices. To make a long drawn out court case short, Nokia and others have basically used their technology and Qualcomm wants to be paid for it.

While this really effects those who have GSM (AT&T and TMobile) mobile devices in the US, there is some effect across all users. Mainly because it means that these devices that have broadband speeds are no longer available for import or purchase.

To those of you who use a 3G enabled smartphone (such as the Treo 750, Cingular 8525, Nokia N75, and others), does this have any effect on you? And what about those of you who were looking at mobile devices becasue this kind of speed and ability was available? Does this make you consider Sprint and Verizon all the more (their devices aren't yet effected by this)?

I've had a good deal of thoughts the past days as to what next to write about here at MMM. I get these lulls at times. Sometimes I have things to write about and they are far more techie than I'd want them to be, so I write on my personal site some and then journal a bit before coming here. Other times, I am just sparked with something new and sit and write. The thing for me is making sure that content that MMM presents to you is not only fruitful to helping you see something within faith that you may have not considered before, but also something that you can feel comfortable with taking to another person.

Right now I am at a Borders bookstore and just letting some aspects of life live by. I am using the new Palm Wireless Keyboard with Bluetooth to type on. This is a pretty impressive keyboard, and much better than the Universal Wireless one they still sell. What really gets me excited about this keyboard is (1) that it uses BT, meaning easy connectivity, and (2) that the keys feel really great. I've had other BT keyboards that have a mushy feel, and the Universal Wirless one has a hard plastic feel (much like a laptop keyboard), but this one combines the best of both of those and makes for easy touch typing, or not-so-touch if you are so inclined. Like the Universal Wireless keyboard, there are several shortcuts to various apps and functions, so you almost never need to use the styus, even though it might make for an easier going about of things. You can purchase the Palm Wireless keyboard with Bluetooth from the Palm Store and other retail outlets ($99).

But other than a keyboard, I am thinking about my pending move to NC, and what I will engage in there in terms of ministry. With the number of people moving there from all parts of the country, mobile technology might take on a different focus than it has in some other areas. Items such as USB keys that hold browsers and word processors and their respective information from computer to computer might come in handy. I think about lower income areas, and in getting them acquainted with technology thru education and traiing programs and what that looks like when working with the local churches. I have this overwhelming thought that anywhere I go, part of my responsiblity of knowing this technology is to encourage the Body to edify and be a light for its appropriate usage to their communities.

Of course, I am also thinking about packing, driving, finding a place, and a job. And those things really do sit high on my brain, I just cannot shake that there is more than God has yet to reveal to me about the move that I haven't yet seen; and it just might be something that blows my mind.

So what do you think? I am pretty sure that I am not the only one who comes here and reads a bit and gets something to think about. What things roll through your hearts and minds, and then what do you do afterwards?

I know that this hardware has yet to be released by Palm. However, I want to share with the Palm community a different vision than I am hearing in several places.

As a long-time Palm user, I can remember that the Palm was really supposed to flop. Everyone pointed to the Newton and decried any future for PDA's. It has been supposed to flop for years. The "death-bell" has been ringing since the beginning. And yet, Palm continues to innovate out where other companies aren't even looking. All of our phones would be "dumb" without Palm/Handspring.

The Foleo, I think, is being misunderstood. Maybe it's announcement didn't emphasize the future possibilities of such a device enough. I think that I can see how this single device has the potential to replace my laptop.

Here are the ways that I hope to see the Foleo turn some nay-sayers:

1. Third Party support. To me the "win" of the Foleo is getting everything that have on my Palm accessible (documents, all PIM data, music, videos, pics, database info...EVERYTHING) on the Foleo and visa versa. I can imagine doing my research, writing, surfing, & downloading and then having EVERYTHING I've done synced wirelessly between my devices. This will take third-party companies writing client apps for the Foleo. However, having access to every app that I use on the Palm available to me would be huge! And having the ability to walk away from a keyboard with all my work (not just my docs & PIM info) saved to my Treo really does make my Treo my new home computer. Growing memory sizes, the speeding up of data connections, and the migration of the Palm OS to Linux all point to great opportunities through the Foleo.

This benefit would be felt in spades for a program like Olive Tree. Can you imagine having all of your Olive Tree files accessible on the big screen?!

2. Robust Web Access. Simply having onboard WIFI & Opera makes the Foleo tempting to me. Most of my life and the lives of my friends & co-workers is stored, kept, and accessible through the internet. Bringing a full-bodied, unfettered web-browser to the Foleo is the way to go.

3. Sub-Sub Form Factor. Big enough to use, small enough to carry. That's what we all want. Working to find the "sweet spot" in screen size & thickness will be worth every research dollar spent. Ten inches is a great place to start with screen size as getting in under the typical 12" sub-notebook is vital. Working with resolution, brightness, and aspect ratio will help tweak it to the right width. Thickness is vital too. Too thick = "doorstop" comments; too thin = "too fragile" comments. Erring just over the border of too thin (with a strong casing) seems to get raves for Apple & Sony. Of course, battery size & life impact all of this discussion in major ways, but we all know that the longer the battery lasts, the more impressed we are.

4. Connectability. I have noticed the SD slot & the USB port on the side of the Foleo, though I've heard very little discussed about it. The possibilty of using a "home base" external drive answers the questions about the missing drive space on the Foleo. The idea is PORTABILITY. Yet, having the connectability to plug into my big drives at home and be my Hotsync between that info & my Treo opens up even more delightful possibilties.

I know these are not perfect ideas. At the end of the day, developers decide. However, I think that those with a generally negative tone about the Foleo are missing the possibilites.

As I said before, maybe the launch presentation missed casting the "vision" in a way that the community can see the possibilities. Call me a cool-aid drinking fan-boy if you want, but I can see it.

Featured in the latest GMPSoft newsletter are three commentaries covering the letters to the Corinthians. Authored by Peter Naylor, these commentaries are designed to give historical and contexual framework to the reader of the Corinthian letters to both get an understanding of whom Paul was writing to, and how to apply those teachings in your life today.

The commentaries come in three parts:
- A Study Commentary on 1 Corinthians ($28.50)
- A Study Commentary on 2 Corinthians Volume 1: 2 Corinthians 1-7 ($25.50)
- A Study Commentary on 2 Corinthians Volume 2: 2 Corinthians 8-13 ($23.50)

These commentaries require PDA rheaDER to be used on your mobile device. Learn more about PDA rheaDER and download other commentaries.

Labels: Bible, GMPSoft

One of the things that I liked about my MD church is that there is free wifi available for those using handheld or laptop devices. And while some of you might be thinking, "what does a church need to be offering wifi for?" One of the reasons that it does so is to enable those who are not staff to utilize the church's resources to get some things done. Some college students are even seen working on their laptops between services on Sundays getting papers done and what have you. If you will, by offering free (and usable) wifi, the church has made it easy for people to leave home for a while and come to another place to work and worship.

I had this thought after reading this article though, that there could be more done to serve those who are out and about, but want to be connected to either what is going on with life or church. I wonder what all could be one to help facilitate some seemless mobile computing usages throughout some (larger moreso than smaller) congregations.

I think of simple things such as having a mobile friendly page on their website that can be used to find out church times and the latest events (since search seems to be a big reason people are using mobile internet). I think of plugging into services such as Earthcomber that will not just give you a heads up on what is around in terms of places, but also what is going on in terms of events.

I wonder if it is even possible that one could log on to their church/community's website and then engage in community building events or discussions. Similar to a distance learning application, but where the browser is all that is needed, and information can be quickly shared.

The key thing is making something accessible, and from that point, we can use the tech to facilitate/encourage community.

Labels: accessiblity, community, Earthcomber, mobile

Olive Tree.com has been the software leader in providing users with top-quality, highly educational and divinely inspirational Christian content in the form of Bibles and biblical studies, tools and references. Their software crosses over to a multitude of mobile platforms as well as a host of different languages from many countries all over the world. Olive Tree offers a plethora of content that can be viewed in various formats. Olive Trees cutting-edge software allows users to view content as books, articles, maps, pictures and illustrations, animation and videos.

There simply is no other company that provides the wealth of choices for the seeker or the follower, novice in the faith or mature disciple. The content on Olive Trees site continues to grow as new material is regularly updated and added. OliveTree.com is THE choice for your source of Christian studies and Bibles for your PDA.

The Bible Map Atlas is an add-on for the BibleReader software that complements the King James Version software. There are over 1,150 cities and locales from Biblical times that users can access by tapping the hyperlinks embedded within the BibleReader software while reading the KJV. The maps are multi-colored renderings that users can easily differentiate from land and water locations.

Moreover, users can use this add-on to either zoom-in or zoom-out of the maps. I was able to get as close as 4 miles above a location. The maps are not as detailed as what you would see in GoogleEarth on your PC or laptop. However, the maps serve as a great reference and atlas for viewing lands from biblical times as they correspond to other cities that Bible aficionados have read about over the years.

The Bible map software has a button from which users can easily access the Locations list. Here users can easily navigate and find their location of choice by inputting the city in the identification line or they can scroll up or down the list until they find their city of choice.

You can find out more about the Bible Map Atlas at the Olive Tree home site here.

(Originally posted on PalmAddicts)

Olive Tree.com has been the software leader in providing users with top-quality, highly educational and divinely inspirational Christian content in the form of Bibles and biblical studies, tools and references. Their software crosses over to a multitude of mobile platforms as well as a host of different languages from many countries all over the world. Olive Tree offers a plethora of content that can be viewed in various formats. Olive Trees cutting-edge software allows users to view content as books, articles, maps, pictures and illustrations, animation and videos.

There simply is no other company that provides the wealth of choices for the seeker or the follower, novice in the faith or mature disciple. The content on Olive Trees site continues to grow as new material is regularly updated and added. OliveTree.com is THE choice for your source of Christian studies and Bibles for your PDA.

The New Ungers Bible Dictionary is a classic found in Christian bookshelves all over the world. It stands out as one of the foremost references of the Bible. It continues to be a must have resource essential for deepening a readers understanding of Scripture. One writer has pointed out that one of the keys to Ungers writing over the years is his humility in writing about various topics. He strives to glorify God and not himself through his writing.

Many of the dictionarys content are not written in standard dictionary form. Many of the articles are written as encyclopedic entries that serve to offer as much detail as possible. The writings are well thought-out and informative. The book contains updated Greek and Hebrew transliterations as well as up-to-date scholarship and an updated bibliography.

The New Ungers Bible Dictionary works well within the Olive Tree Bible Readers software. The beauty of the marriage of the Olive Tree software and Ungers is that biblical verse and informational content are hyperlinked and easily accessible for faster cross-referencing. No more flipping from page to page. I have the hardcover and soft cover versions of New Ungers Bible Dictionary and nothing compares to the overall compactness of having the software in your PDA and the absolute speed with which you can find topics and chain references for those topics.

You can find out about The New Ungers Bible Dictionary and other PDA software for greater in-depth study at Olive Trees home site found on www.olivetree.com .

(Originally posted on Palm Addicts)

Olive Tree.com has been the software leader in providing users with top-quality, highly educational and divinely inspirational Christian content in the form of Bibles and biblical studies, tools and references. Their software crosses over to a multitude of mobile platforms as well as a host of different languages from many countries all over the world. Olive Tree offers a plethora of content that can be viewed in various formats. Olive Trees cutting-edge software allows users to view content as books, articles, maps, pictures and illustrations, animation and videos.

There simply is no other company that provides the wealth of choices for the seeker or the follower, novice in the faith or mature disciple. The content on Olive Trees site continues to grow as new material is regularly updated and added. OliveTree.com is THE choice for your source of Christian studies and Bibles for your PDA.


There are a huge variety of Bible commentaries out on the market today. The trick is to find a commentary that is simple enough for novices to follow but thorough and reliable enough to challenge the more experienced bible reader. Olive Trees The Bible Knowledge Commentary is a great addition to the growing stable of bible tools offered on OliveTrees home site that enrich and deepen a readers Christian faith. It is written for ministers, laypersons, seminary and Bible teachers, Bible students and those seeking comprehensive but concise commentary.

The faculty and staff members of one school, the Dallas Theological Seminary, wrote the Bible Knowledge Commentary. This lends to consistent interpretation of Scripture with the grammatical-historical approach and from the pretributional premillennial perspective for which the seminary is well known.

Personally, the style of writing is important for a better understanding of the message and study of Scripture. Some texts tend to use $100 words that confuse rather than clear up the content. It is as if you had to be part of a secret club in order to fully understand the meanings of the verses. Still other writing styles tend to be outdated and archaic. These writings tend to be dry and serve to alienate the bible reader from seeking deeper, spiritual truths rather than leaving them refreshed and fulfilled, excited and eager for more. The Bible Knowledge Commentary opens up and reveals spiritual truths in a manner that can be both challenging and yet, rewarding. The explanations are easily understood and intelligible. When the writers introduce words in their native Greek or Hebrew forms, the accompanying explanations are clear and concise. They can also serve to provoke deeper thought and develop greater insight.

For example, the authors address a topic that I have thought about over the years, but have not really found a satisfying explanation for: why did Jesus tell the Leper he healed in Mark 1:40-42, not to speak of his miraculous healing? The following is an excerpt of this unique mystery:

A more satisfactory view is that Jesus wanted to avoid misunderstandings that would precipitate a premature and/or erroneous popular response to Him. He did not want His identity declared till He had made the character of His mission clear. Thus there was a progressive withdrawal of the veil from His identity until He openly declared it.

Second, Jesus instructed the former leper to show himself to the priest, who alone could declare him ritually clean

Each book of the Bible includes an introduction, Outline, Commentary and Bibliography. The commentaries offer a thorough and rather complete evaluation of Scripture. A summary of sections as well as a verse-by-verse explanation is covered in the Commentary sections of every book.

The Dallas Theological Seminarys Bible Knowledge Commentary is another powerful addition to the PDA of Bible readers of all levels of understanding. This commentary is truly an affordable asset that strives to enrich the readers understanding of Scripture as well as enhance their personal walk with God.

You can find out about The Bible Knowledge Commentary and other great software for in-depth Bible study at the Olive Tree website found here.

(Originally posted on PalmAddicts)

I get "talked to" a lot about the handheld emphasis of mobility that I tend to have. And to a lage extent, I will not lstray much from that bias. There is much that I have been able to do on a handheld because of will, rather than because of need. This doesn't mean that this is only side of moiblity worth talking about though. There are others, and per th way much of tech is going, there is a lot happening that we should all take note of.

Hosted Applications
A few people I know have taken mobilty to mean that they can take their applications with them in a USB memory key or access them from a web browser. This is really neat. Basically, the idea is that either a server or USB key holds the applications, personal preferences, etc. and then the hardware (whether laptop, desktop, or thin client) serves as just the means to use this. What it means is that, like a smartphone, getting things done is never a process that is far from happening. It does require though that you at least have the permission on various public devices to log on or plug in. That can be an issue some places, but not enough to take the office and latch it to your keychain :)

The Officeless Worker
Another side of mobility is present in those that make their clients and coffeehouses their "offices." These are fields and people who get by far and away by being able to migrate a lot of what they do by smartphone or laptop, and then leverage avenues of connectivity to get things done. There are plenty of ways to connect in this manner (www.webworkerdaily.com is an excellent resource on this), and can in a lot of ways be even more freeing to the ministry or organization that is not just trying to cut costs, but stay visual to those they are working for and with.

There are other sides of mobility, and surely I am not the only one to experience these. Right now I am playing with the Treo 680 and a BT keyboard on one end doing this posting, and the N800 researching and RSS reading on another end (all at a public library). There are indeed several sides of mobility, but the center point isn't the device, but how you use the devices and services to be effective to Christ and others.

Google Gears
I have not been able to do too much looking into this yet, but it seems that Google has released an open source application called Google Gears (http://gears.google.com) that allows you to use some of Googles online applications while in an offline mode. For many people, this means something really simple, use Google's free applications online and offline and have the ability to use those apps ANYWHERE you can get into a browser.

I think that this will be big once people start taking more seriously the browser as a suitable place to do light work. This announcement plus that of Palm's Foleo yesterday (www.palm.com/foleo) makes for an interesting call to shift our usage of computing from that which had been predicated on static and not-as-mobile tech, to browsers (dynamic) and that which is as mobile as we inately are.