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Temptation is real…

Temptation always appeals to the vulnerable part of your heart.  The taste will be palatable, persistent and powerful.

Don’t believe me, ask Adam & Eve:

“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3:6)

Temptation is…

1. Enticing - It appeals to your hopes and desires (I plan to use the iPad to preach & teach…yea right).
2. Enjoyable - It promises you immense pleasure (I can see myself smiling as I use my iPad).
3. Evasive - It evades the truth with excuses (My heart is telling my head to find a reason to justify the purchase).
4. Escalating - It multiplies your appetite for more (If I don’t control it now, my desire for more will increase…darn it).

Ok, so did I talk myself out of purchasing one…to be continued

Do you plan to purchase an iPad?  If so, why?  If not, why?

BEFORE WE BEGIN…

Once again (just can’t seem to make up my mind) I switched back to the iPhone and put my BlackBerry Bold away.

Check out this video & you’ll understand why:

Mantis Bible Study 4.0 is the most advanced Bible Study Tool available for any mobile platform.  Designed exclusively for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch, Mantis Bible Study was created to be powerful enough for full-time Bible students and pastors, yet easy enough for the casual reader to use. Here are a few features:

1. Fantastic support for Bibles with integrated Strong’s Numbers – tap a number to open a definition, tap it again to close it
2. Additional support for Strong’s Numbers: drill-down to root word(s), tap to find where a number is used throughout Scripture, then tap and preview verses
3. Easily create bookmarks, notes, and highlights for any verse in the Bible, or even for commentaries, dictionaries, devotionals, or other books
4. References to Scripture inside personal notes are automatically turned into one-tap cross-references
5. Create, edit, and move bookmarks and bookmark folders
6. Unique “Analyze Verse” feature shows a single verse in multiple translations on one page, along with any installed commentaries for the selected verse
7. Fast and flexible, yet simple search system
8. Save search results as a named folder full of bookmarks
9. Personal notes and translation notes appear inline with the text and can be toggled on and off, making it easier to view the notes within the context of its related scripture
10. Highlighting Bar allows highlighting of individual words and phrases in 4 colors
11. Inline verse-display toggle links for all cross-reference links (in commentaries, dictionaries and other books containing scripture references)

That’s right, it took ONE application to make me switch and after one week of continuous use, I’M HOOKED (for now…)!

By the way, what do you currently use, I’d love to hear your comments!

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO

As Jonathan Crossfield explains, “These ideas are not science fiction but are just around the corner.  It shows how far things will change in just a few short years and the ramifications for consumer behaviour are massive.”  As an urban pastor who’s technically saavy, I openly ponder if pastors/church leaders will be able to lead this technically saavy generation.

How will the church (and it’s leaders) will need to change in order to be successful?  I would love to hear what you or your church is currently doing to prepare for tomorrow.

Ok, here we go:

You know you’ve been thinking about it.  Everyone is doing it.  Who wouldn’t when they look at their ugly black Dell compared to one of the macbooks?  Of course Macs look good, however, I’m sure you want reasons other than “they’re the finest looking computers out yonder.”  Let me first give my testimony.  I used (“PCs”) for 18 years.  Then when Apple came out with OS X, I was a little intrigued, although that didn’t stop my jeering.  After watching it develop, I caved in and purchased an MacBook & an iMac G5.  Now I wouldn’t switch back for money or fame.  I sometimes forget the horror people go through with their computers—although I am jolted back into reality when a friend calls with problems, and is fixed after running Ad-Aware or some other utility.  Defragers, disk doctors and utilities, registry repairers, virus protection, spy/adware removers, and more all need to be bought and run frequently.  It isn’t worth time, money, or stress.

(Ooooo…looks so sweet…you know you want it)

1. Stability. Mac OS X is built on UNIX, which is synonymous with stability.  Windows, on the other hand is synonymous
   with the blue screen of death.  Tired of your OS (Operating System) hanging and applications crashing?  I was too.  Say goodbye to applications crashing your OS.
2. Things Just Work. This doesn’t really need explanation.  Hook up your Microsoft mouse.  Put in a USB key.  Connect
   your video camera.  It just works.  Really.
3. No Viruses. Which means all those emails can’t affect you, you don’t need to buy anti-virus software (although in the
   future you may), and no yearly anti-virus subscriptions.
4. No Adware. No more popups constantly!  No more programs being installed without your approval!  Free yourself from your bondage!
5. No Spyware.
6. Boosts Your Productivity. Because of all the above reasons, you have more time to work (or play) and not have to
   worry about your computer.  Ever said “Why can’t this just work so I can get my work done?” Well, it can!  In fact, you will most likely notice getting more things done because OS X is just fun and easy to use.  On top of that, the entire Mac interface lends itself to productivity and polish.
7. Better Desktop Management. A friend saw me use Exposé, and said “Wow, you are living in the next century.”  I use Exposé constantly and it has revolutionized the way I work with open programs.  But there is even more to come in Apple’s OSX Snow Leopard to be released this year.  What will my friend say when I get Spotlight, Dashboard, and Automator?
8. Security. Tired of Microsoft waiting months upon months (after the months it takes for them to acknowledge it) to fix a
   security issue?  Mac OS X is already configured to be secure right out of the box—even a preconfigured firewall to keep you safe from hackers.  You get the benefit of UNIX security combined with the beauty and polish of Apple.
9. Encryption. Need to keep others out?  When turned on, FileVault automatically encrypts all of your files.  You are 007.
10. Application Ease. Installing applications on PCs are a big deal, and watch out if you move any of the program files!
    With Mac, you drop the application into your applications folder and it just works.  If you want, you can move it into a subfolder and nothing breaks.  Just try that on a PC and see what happens! Well, on second thought, don’t try it.
11. Disk Maintenance? Defrag, Scandisk, CHKDSK, Norton Utilities… kiss those wonderful pains goodbye.  Don’t know what those are?  That’s probably why your PC is so messed up (that and all the spy/adware/viruses).  Switch to Mac.  Your hard drive defrags automatically as files are moved, so you don’t have to worry about all that disk maintenance stuff.
12. MS Office Compatibility. If you purchase Office for Mac you get full MS Office compatibility.  Don’t want to do that?
    Apple now has an inexpensive option for you with Pages and Keynote that are included in iWork, which are 100% MS Office compatible.  In fact, iWork may be better fitted for you (and cheaper) if you are not a hardcore MS Office user.
13. Incredible Pre-Bundled Applications. You get the full set of iLife applications, World Book encyclopedia, and a full version of Quicken.  iLife is not simply individual applications—they all work together seamlessly like you (should) expect.  Make a video in iMovie with background music from iTunes.  Make a slideshow of images in iPhoto, send it to a friend in Mail and then put it on the Internet.  Then put both on a DVD with iDVD.  Have a tune in your head?  Record it in Garageband—any instrument imaginable is there and a breeze to play.  Want to video chat with a friend in Japan about the song you just recorded?  Start up iChat.  In a phrase, the Mac has everything you need to organize and edit your digital photography, make movies from your camcorder, listen to all your music, create and record music, video chat with friends, and author your own DVDs.  Did I mention that it all comes free and pre-installed?  The software itself is worth over $500 in my opinion.
14. Any Document Can Be PDF. Every application (that can print) can save files as PDF.  Now that is handy, and sure beats shelling out all that cash for the full version Adobe Acrobat!
15. Network with PCs. Stuck in a network full of PCs?  Don’t worry—it’ll work.  Just plug it in.  Internet, file
    sharing, printer sharing and more with ease.
16. Better Third-Party Applications. With free programs like Quicksilver, NetNewsWire Lite, TextWrangler, VLC, and
    other incredible applications like Photoshop, Transmit, Final Cut Express/Pro, and others.  And of course your favorite browser, Firefox, also works like a charm if you don’t want to use Apple’s Safari.
17. Control. No more will you be awash in ignorance along with the brainwashed proles.  You will make an educated decision to purchase something that you can control and won’t control you.  You are not going to Walmart blindly picking a PC.  You have considered the alternative, weighed the options, and chose accordingly.  You are a Mac user.
18. Look.  It just looks so d#@n good

To those who want to make the right decision (and those who have already made it), I applaud your intelligence and good taste.  May this help banish your burdens and be a boon for years to come.