I think America got it wrong. Michael Johns was never in the bottom 3 until this week and now he's out. Seems like more of a fluke than an actual evaluation of his talent. In my opinion Michael had been getting better and better and was shining over the past month. Nevertheless, that's how the show works. It was neat to see the money raised during 'Idol Gives Back' and I doubt that many millions had heard 'Shout to the Lord' at once before, so I suppose that is cool.
My favorite guy, David Cook, was the worst performer this week IMO. That sounded really bad, especially at the beginning. Carlie wasn't very good either and thought she was going home. Brooke, my personal favorite, was probably the 3rd worst (I like her better at the piano). Syesha & David A. were pretty good, but not very memorable to me. I thought the best 2 performances were Kristie Lee (surprisingly) and Jason Castro (I've always loved that version of the song).
Friday, April 11, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Ezekiel & Psalms
Below are my handouts from a survey of Ezekiel
Ezekiel 1-3
Ezekiel 4-7
Ezekiel 8-11
Ezekiel 12-17
Ezekiel 18
Ezekiel 19-24
Ezekiel 25-32
Ezekiel 33-36:15
Ezekiel 36:16-39:29
Ezekiel 40-48
Ezekiel 1-3
Ezekiel 4-7
Ezekiel 8-11
Ezekiel 12-17
Ezekiel 18
Ezekiel 19-24
Ezekiel 25-32
Ezekiel 33-36:15
Ezekiel 36:16-39:29
Ezekiel 40-48
- Below you'll find study notes through the Psalms
- Part 1: Introduction, Moses (90)
- Part 2: Solomon (72, 127), Heman (88), Ethan (89)
- Part 3: Sons of Korah (42-49, 84-85, 87)
- Part 4: Asaph (50-73-83)
- Part 5: Anonymous '2 ways' (1, 95, 112, 125)
- Part 6: Anonymous 'Praise' (33, 66, 117, 146, 150)
- Part 7: Anonymous 'Vindication' (71, 92, 94, 102, 118, 120, 123, 135)
- Part 8: Anonymous 'History' (106, 114, 126, 132, 136)
- Part 9: Anonymous 'Hezekiah' (121, 128-130, 134, 137)
- Part 10: Anonymous '119' (119)
- Part 11: David (2-9)
- Part 12: David (11-16)
- Part 13: David (17-22)
- Part 14: David (23-29)
- Part 15: David (30-32, 34-41)
- Part 16: David (51-65)
- Part 17: David (68, 70, 86, 101, 103, 105)
- Part 18: David (108-110, 122, 124, 131, 133)
- Part 19: David (138-141)
- Part 20: David (142-145)
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
PC: Sacraments
Chapter 9 of 'Pagan Christianity' was pretty hard to disagree with in my opinion. He was basically pushing for the Lord's Supper to be part of a regular meal instead of a special ceremony and for baptism to be done by immersion immediately upon conversion instead of after a period of preparation. He's against the idea that an ordained clergy must officiate these sacraments. Any believer can serve communion. Any believer can baptize. I have long agreed with these positions.
Monday, April 07, 2008
PC: Clergy Salaries
In his book 'Pagan Christianity,' Frank Viola lists 3 reasons churches should not give salaries to ministers. Frankly, I'd love to work my way out of the job, so to speak, but I don't think his arguments stand up to scrutiny.
1) Salary elevates pastors above the people
Viola says this system, by default, turns the church into a business with a CEO. Can this be a problem? Yes. Is this a problem? Again, yes. Must it be a problem? Absolutely not. If a paid pastor preaches about the priesthood of all believers and thinks of himself as an equipper first and foremost, these harmful mindsets need not take root.
2) Salary makes a pastor a people pleaser
Viola says this system, by default, makes the minister a slave to men. He says the minister is, then, 'not able' to speak freely. Can this be a problem? Yes. Is this a problem? Again, yes. Must it be a problem? Absolutely not. In my experience, the people have freely chosen to salary their pastors and specifically want them to preach the truth, not please the people. I, personally, have never felt afraid to say something just b/c it wasn't the most traditionally 'wesleyan' viewpoint.
3) Salary makes a minister feel stuck in ministry
Viola is saying that to get a salary you have to go to Bible college and/or get a Master's and by the time you are salaried you are 'stuck' in full-time ministry b/c you feel you don't have any other employable skills. In other words, even if a pastor realizes Viola is right, he's too afraid to resign b/c he doesn't feel equipped to make a living. I suppose my only reaction to this argument is that I think it would be fairly easy to get a job with a similar salary as a minister. And I'd get to work a lot less!
1) Salary elevates pastors above the people
Viola says this system, by default, turns the church into a business with a CEO. Can this be a problem? Yes. Is this a problem? Again, yes. Must it be a problem? Absolutely not. If a paid pastor preaches about the priesthood of all believers and thinks of himself as an equipper first and foremost, these harmful mindsets need not take root.
2) Salary makes a pastor a people pleaser
Viola says this system, by default, makes the minister a slave to men. He says the minister is, then, 'not able' to speak freely. Can this be a problem? Yes. Is this a problem? Again, yes. Must it be a problem? Absolutely not. In my experience, the people have freely chosen to salary their pastors and specifically want them to preach the truth, not please the people. I, personally, have never felt afraid to say something just b/c it wasn't the most traditionally 'wesleyan' viewpoint.
3) Salary makes a minister feel stuck in ministry
Viola is saying that to get a salary you have to go to Bible college and/or get a Master's and by the time you are salaried you are 'stuck' in full-time ministry b/c you feel you don't have any other employable skills. In other words, even if a pastor realizes Viola is right, he's too afraid to resign b/c he doesn't feel equipped to make a living. I suppose my only reaction to this argument is that I think it would be fairly easy to get a job with a similar salary as a minister. And I'd get to work a lot less!
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Top 16 CI Verses
Here are the verses I find most often used by the 'conditional immortality' (CI) camp:
Genesis 2:17
But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.
God didn't say they'd die and suffer eternal torment. He said the penalty for sin was death. If ET was part of the punishment, was God very honest in His description?
Psalm 21:9
At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them.
Both phrases here convey and 'end' to the wicked.
Proverbs 12:28
In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality.
Immortality is not natural to humanity. It is only found in 'the way'
Proverbs 24:20
For the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
First part dismisses UR. Second part dismisses ET.
1 Timothy 6:15-16
The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal
The Bible clearly states, here, that only God has natural immortality
Ezekiel 18:4
The soul who sins is the one who will die
Sin results in death for the person/soul
Matthew 10:28
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
God is capable of killing both the material and immaterial aspects of a person
Luke 13:3
I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
The word 'perish' suggests and end
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Eternal life is only found in Jesus
Romans 2:7
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
Immortality is something we must seek to gain
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The result of sin is death, not eternal torment. Eternal life is a gift, not a characteristic of our nature.
1 Corinthians 15:53
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
We have to be clothed with immortality, it is not natural to us
Philippians 3:18-19
Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction.
Destruction implies an 'end'
2 Thessalonians 1:9
They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power
Destruction implies an 'end'
1 John 5:11-12
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Eternal life is only found in Jesus. Those not 'in Christ' don't have eternal life
Revelation 21:8
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death
The end, for the wicked, is a 'death.' Death implies an end unless otherwise stated.
Genesis 2:17
But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.
God didn't say they'd die and suffer eternal torment. He said the penalty for sin was death. If ET was part of the punishment, was God very honest in His description?
Psalm 21:9
At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them.
Both phrases here convey and 'end' to the wicked.
Proverbs 12:28
In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality.
Immortality is not natural to humanity. It is only found in 'the way'
Proverbs 24:20
For the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
First part dismisses UR. Second part dismisses ET.
1 Timothy 6:15-16
The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal
The Bible clearly states, here, that only God has natural immortality
Ezekiel 18:4
The soul who sins is the one who will die
Sin results in death for the person/soul
Matthew 10:28
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
God is capable of killing both the material and immaterial aspects of a person
Luke 13:3
I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
The word 'perish' suggests and end
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Eternal life is only found in Jesus
Romans 2:7
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
Immortality is something we must seek to gain
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The result of sin is death, not eternal torment. Eternal life is a gift, not a characteristic of our nature.
1 Corinthians 15:53
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
We have to be clothed with immortality, it is not natural to us
Philippians 3:18-19
Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction.
Destruction implies an 'end'
2 Thessalonians 1:9
They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power
Destruction implies an 'end'
1 John 5:11-12
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Eternal life is only found in Jesus. Those not 'in Christ' don't have eternal life
Revelation 21:8
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death
The end, for the wicked, is a 'death.' Death implies an end unless otherwise stated.
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