You know, I've read this multiple times over the years. The whole book. The whole chapter.
SO WHY AM I JUST NOW UNDERSTANDING IT???
A group of people are filled with the Holy Spirit BEFORE getting baptized?
Why have I never heard this preached in church before??
Now I'm pissed off...
As far as I'm concerned, this completely blows any arguments out of the water. It's the Bible, for crying out loud! I can't argue with it.
There is NOTHING in the text that suggest these people were already "saved." As it reads, they just now heard about Jesus from Peter. And IMMEDIATELY the Holy Spirit filled these men. Not just filled, but caused them to speak in tongues!!
And then it happens AGAIN in Acts 11:15-18!!
That's it. I'm pissed, and it's over. People have a lot of explaining to do.
May 24, 2007
May 23, 2007
WHOA!! Just saw this a sec later
Video of the Kaiser Chiefs performing "Oh My God" from Trocaderos, back in April...
THE CONCERT I WAS AT!!
Oh, and this is my favorite song from them. At least to see live...
Both times I've seen them, this song was the standout song of the night. They let the audience finish singing, accomplished by throwing the lead singers mic into the crowd.
Not the best of sound quality...but an idea. Too bad you don't see me...I'd be almost directly underneath the video camera.
The band had some guy with a high quality handheld walking around the show all night, so the possibility exists that I might show up on some official video later on.
I mean, I was like 3 feet from the lead singer at one point...and only about 5 feet from the guitar player all night. Stranger things have happened.
THE CONCERT I WAS AT!!
Oh, and this is my favorite song from them. At least to see live...
Both times I've seen them, this song was the standout song of the night. They let the audience finish singing, accomplished by throwing the lead singers mic into the crowd.
Not the best of sound quality...but an idea. Too bad you don't see me...I'd be almost directly underneath the video camera.
The band had some guy with a high quality handheld walking around the show all night, so the possibility exists that I might show up on some official video later on.
I mean, I was like 3 feet from the lead singer at one point...and only about 5 feet from the guitar player all night. Stranger things have happened.
The Rock Connection...from the Beatles, to U2, to...?
"There are many things I could be proud of, if I'd only invented them...such as the wheel."
Kaiser Chiefs are rapidly becoming the new U2 in my little world. While they might not be big enough to sell out stadiums (except Live 8), they very much remind me of a young U2.
There is a theory floating around the internet that rock and roll is coming to a close.
http://www.theetherealconnection.com/home.php
This theory is based almost primarily on the album art from The Beatles and U2. The guy argues that The Beatles set the ground work for rock and roll. Then U2 came along a few decades later and took what the Beatles did and expanded it.
The theory goes that the last band of the Big Three is already winding up. The author believes it's Coldplay, based on this whole album art conspiracy thing.
Me? It's the Kaiser Chiefs, definitely.
-----------------------
One more shameless plug - U2:3D comes out to IMAX this summer. I'm going to arrange a showing, try to invite as many people as I can to go. It might not be the same as going to the concert...but on an IMAX screen, and with this new 3D technology, it's going to be nearly as good!
Would love it if you'd come.
Kaiser Chiefs are rapidly becoming the new U2 in my little world. While they might not be big enough to sell out stadiums (except Live 8), they very much remind me of a young U2.
There is a theory floating around the internet that rock and roll is coming to a close.
http://www.theetherealconn
This theory is based almost primarily on the album art from The Beatles and U2. The guy argues that The Beatles set the ground work for rock and roll. Then U2 came along a few decades later and took what the Beatles did and expanded it.
The theory goes that the last band of the Big Three is already winding up. The author believes it's Coldplay, based on this whole album art conspiracy thing.
Me? It's the Kaiser Chiefs, definitely.
-----------------------
One more shameless plug - U2:3D comes out to IMAX this summer. I'm going to arrange a showing, try to invite as many people as I can to go. It might not be the same as going to the concert...but on an IMAX screen, and with this new 3D technology, it's going to be nearly as good!
Would love it if you'd come.
May 20, 2007
Reflection on tonight's sermon
We are going through the book of Acts at church. We're up to chapter 9...and it's been, like, 22 parts already, so for a few months now.
Anyways, we are just finally hitting Saul's roadside conversion and subsequent 3 day fast/blindness/visit from Annias. (Mispeled)
I hate to call it a revelation...but I kinda had this weird insight during the sermon tonight. And now I'm having a hard time remembering it. (I don't take notes during service...I find I concentrate too much on the note taking instead of listening)
Whatever it was I thought of, it was scary. And yet also very powerful. Like, so powerful, that if I could write it up into a decent essay, and submit it to, oh, Relevant Magazine, it would likely be rejected. Or, it would get printed, and nearly every one of their readers would be up in arms about it.
Essentially, I stumbled upon the Gospel. I had the Gospel message, all in a nutshell, but told plainly and in a way no one had heard before. Or at least in a way I hadn't heard or understood before.
And it's killing me not being able to remember it. I might have to actually install the dreaded iTunes and download the podcast to try to remember.
Figured something else out though that I do remember. Saul is our modern day church goer. What was Saul? He knew the scriptures intimately, held them first in his life, believed himself righteous, kept a list of laws daily, and strove to do God's "work." Well, how did that turn out? He met Jesus, and realized how self righteous and lost he really was.
It seems that that is what a good number of current Christians are like. We see many people being reared in the church, brought up knowing nothing but the Bible and the Christian faith. They learn their Bible intimately, know how the church service goes, and know why it shouldn't go any other way. (This was me a few years ago.) A good handful of these people feel they are called to ministry in some form; a calling that simply seems to be someone telling them week in and week out, "go evangelize" or "minister."
(Perhaps that's a reason why so many would be pastors or youth leaders fall away from the faith. They were never really called. If God has not told you...if the Spirit has not told you that you should be in missions or ministry, then really, what right do you have to pursue something you aren't supposed to be? Churches break up over the stupidest things nowadays; ministers can't even control their flesh and end up leaving their flocks. If all our pastors, missionaries, and youth leaders were truly called by God to their posts, we'd have a much stronger church.)
Why do people go to seminaries? Typically to prepare for some kind of ministry. There are people going to Central who are over 35, have been taking classes for years, and just generally coasting through life, all in the belief that they are preparing themselves to serve God. Seminaries are there to train and instruct people in ministry, not just theology. But if someone goes because it's what "they are suppose to do next," isn't that the wrong reason? Will God bless them?
Should He? We are doing His job for Him. We are telling him, "I can be a preacher! I can be a leader!! It's what I'm suppose to do!!!" Shouldn't God be the one who tells you that you are going to be a preacher, a leader, etc? Yes, we have the Biblical command to share our faith. But not everyone has the same callling. "To some he called to be ministers; to some, deacons; to some, etc..."
As always, I really do not know where I am going with this. My thoughts are all jumbled and hard to put down. Perhaps I'm simply being heretical; I've been accused of it before.
Putting it down in as few words are possible:
Why do we do what we do?
Oh, and one more question - Why is ministry all too often narrowly defined as being a pastor, missionary, church planter, church worker (including youth and children), or witness...er?
Anyways, we are just finally hitting Saul's roadside conversion and subsequent 3 day fast/blindness/visit from Annias. (Mispeled)
I hate to call it a revelation...but I kinda had this weird insight during the sermon tonight. And now I'm having a hard time remembering it. (I don't take notes during service...I find I concentrate too much on the note taking instead of listening)
Whatever it was I thought of, it was scary. And yet also very powerful. Like, so powerful, that if I could write it up into a decent essay, and submit it to, oh, Relevant Magazine, it would likely be rejected. Or, it would get printed, and nearly every one of their readers would be up in arms about it.
Essentially, I stumbled upon the Gospel. I had the Gospel message, all in a nutshell, but told plainly and in a way no one had heard before. Or at least in a way I hadn't heard or understood before.
And it's killing me not being able to remember it. I might have to actually install the dreaded iTunes and download the podcast to try to remember.
Figured something else out though that I do remember. Saul is our modern day church goer. What was Saul? He knew the scriptures intimately, held them first in his life, believed himself righteous, kept a list of laws daily, and strove to do God's "work." Well, how did that turn out? He met Jesus, and realized how self righteous and lost he really was.
It seems that that is what a good number of current Christians are like. We see many people being reared in the church, brought up knowing nothing but the Bible and the Christian faith. They learn their Bible intimately, know how the church service goes, and know why it shouldn't go any other way. (This was me a few years ago.) A good handful of these people feel they are called to ministry in some form; a calling that simply seems to be someone telling them week in and week out, "go evangelize" or "minister."
(Perhaps that's a reason why so many would be pastors or youth leaders fall away from the faith. They were never really called. If God has not told you...if the Spirit has not told you that you should be in missions or ministry, then really, what right do you have to pursue something you aren't supposed to be? Churches break up over the stupidest things nowadays; ministers can't even control their flesh and end up leaving their flocks. If all our pastors, missionaries, and youth leaders were truly called by God to their posts, we'd have a much stronger church.)
Why do people go to seminaries? Typically to prepare for some kind of ministry. There are people going to Central who are over 35, have been taking classes for years, and just generally coasting through life, all in the belief that they are preparing themselves to serve God. Seminaries are there to train and instruct people in ministry, not just theology. But if someone goes because it's what "they are suppose to do next," isn't that the wrong reason? Will God bless them?
Should He? We are doing His job for Him. We are telling him, "I can be a preacher! I can be a leader!! It's what I'm suppose to do!!!" Shouldn't God be the one who tells you that you are going to be a preacher, a leader, etc? Yes, we have the Biblical command to share our faith. But not everyone has the same callling. "To some he called to be ministers; to some, deacons; to some, etc..."
As always, I really do not know where I am going with this. My thoughts are all jumbled and hard to put down. Perhaps I'm simply being heretical; I've been accused of it before.
Putting it down in as few words are possible:
Why do we do what we do?
Oh, and one more question - Why is ministry all too often narrowly defined as being a pastor, missionary, church planter, church worker (including youth and children), or witness...er?
May 16, 2007
An open invitation
Should of done this a long time ago...
Ahem! If anyone wants to come visit Marantha (my church) with me sometime, please, feel free to email me, leave a comment, a message with my parents, or whatever! I'd be more than happy to have you come with me. Provided you behave! (lol)
We meet Wednesdays and Saturdays, both at 7. For directions, leave a comment.
I don't know...I've been getting this feeling recently that a number of people are going to leave my life soon, a certain house mate being one of them. I just get this feeling that these people will be...lost, I guess, unless I can convince them to come visit my church. I realize this is stupid, as they are already Christians; but the difference between what I was like and what I'm becoming is staggering, my eyes have been opened to so much more, and I just want to share this with others. I want them to understand, to see for themselves.
So...I'd really appreciate it.
Also, there have come up numerous options regarding school and living locations. More prayer on this topic would be greatly appreciated.
Ahem! If anyone wants to come visit Marantha (my church) with me sometime, please, feel free to email me, leave a comment, a message with my parents, or whatever! I'd be more than happy to have you come with me. Provided you behave! (lol)
We meet Wednesdays and Saturdays, both at 7. For directions, leave a comment.
I don't know...I've been getting this feeling recently that a number of people are going to leave my life soon, a certain house mate being one of them. I just get this feeling that these people will be...lost, I guess, unless I can convince them to come visit my church. I realize this is stupid, as they are already Christians; but the difference between what I was like and what I'm becoming is staggering, my eyes have been opened to so much more, and I just want to share this with others. I want them to understand, to see for themselves.
So...I'd really appreciate it.
Also, there have come up numerous options regarding school and living locations. More prayer on this topic would be greatly appreciated.
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