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another semester down

okay, i'm done again.  finally, summer has come.  this semester was a blur. so much went on.  sheesh, i don't even like thinking about it all.

yay, SUMMER!!!!!

another podcast idea

yah, i have another idea about another podcast.  can't really let you in on what it'll be about, but let it suffice to say that the category this post is filed under is not an accident...

later...

better than gravy

so, i can't tell what it will be, but qualitatively it just might be...

the school year, that is. so yeah, i'm checked in, registered, taking the whole of 18 credits (rehearsing for King Lear, and working 20 hours per week... crazy, i know!), have most of my books, and am up too late before the first day of classes.

The sched.: Brit. Lit., Greek, Am. Lit., chapel, lunch, free hour, B. Docs, Civ., free hour, din-din, study... repeat ad nauseum.  But i don't have any T Th classes, so that's a blessing.  And I don't have to go to chapel on those days, which is a mixed blessing.  It stinks that I don't get to listen to a Bible message every day, but it's good that I can stay home and study all morning before I go to work @ 1:30p.

I'm really excited about this year of school.  First, it's my senior year, so you know what that means.  Second, I'm in King Lear, which will be one huge learning experience.  I've never been in a production this big before, or one that is so reputable as the BJU Classic Players.  Next, I'm taking some really neato classes (the aforementioned Brit. Lit./Am. Lit. combo; and next semester's Rome, Middle Ages, Brit. Lit. 2 reading extravaganza). Further, during Winter Break, I'll be attending the SGI Missions conference in Detroit.  There are others too, but right now isn't the time to get into them.

And, I hope to meet/get to know better the "woman of my dreams", b/c the woman of my waking moments is nowhere to be seen at present.

China trip has a new guide

My roommate works in WebTech @ BJ.  They just put up a new page for a trip to China being led by former BJ President Bob Jones III and his wife Benneth.  I want to go sooo much!!!  It would be totally awesome. I'd take thousands of pictures.  But unfortunately, there is the little constraint called the $2115 for the price of the trip (not including airfare to China).  It's soo unfair!

Why do I have to pay?  Why can't Dr. Bob pay; he has money.  Then I can lead the trip!

I can see it now...  "Hey people, look at that. That's so cool. I wish I knew more about it, other than it's being cool.  Quick someone, take a picture of that!  ...  And look at that big thingy there, wow!  Don't know what it is but it sure is big and neat! ... Okay people, we're now going to visit this place I heard was really cool!  Wish i could tell you more, but you'll see for yourselves how cool it is!"

BCon 2 (Wednesday, 3/23)

Here I am posting about the second half of BCon.  Here I go:

Wednesday morning featured the same speaker as Tuesday night.  This time he spoke on a contemporary of Phinehas but who was the opposite of him spiritually.  When the time came to make a decision between right and wrong, unlike Phinehas who chose the right, Achan (Josh. 7:10-26) chose to do evil.  He didn't take God's instruction seriously. He didn't determine beforehand to do right. He underestimated the power of temptation even upon good-intentioned people. 

Interesting, the differences between the KJV and the ESV; I was noticing this as the preacher spent a 3 minute detour explaining the archaic language of the KJV, something easily avoided if he were allowed to preach from a modern translation like the ESV, which I had in my lap.  When God commands the people of Israel not to take stuff from Ai as it was to be a sacrifice to the Lord for Him to commit to destruction; the KJV calls these things "accursed", in the ESV it is the "devoted things".  But in an earlier passage (Josh. 6:18) the ESV calls these things "devoted for destruction, while the KJV maintains "accursed.  The ESV once again shows its superiority as a translation over the KJV in that it brings out both senses of the term "devoted/accursed".  The things were "devoted to destruction" in relation to God, and "devoted" and therefore set apart/untouchable in relation to the people.  Achan violated that devoted principle, he didn't think about the implications of his dirty hands spoiling the devoted things.  So God had to punish him severely to teach the people that the things which were devoted to God were absolutely untouchable, wholly God's.  It wasn't theirs for the taking any more.  This has many present day applications; these I leave to the reader.

The Wednesday afternoon session had the same preacher as Tuesday morning.  He spoke this time on The Cost of Discipleship from Luke 14:25ff. Good points on how building a tower is counting the cost of obedience, and, get this, how going to war parallels the cost of disobedience.  I couldn't  follow his argument for this second point too well, at the time of hearing it the first time.  I'll have to listen to it again on the recording that they sell after every BCon to get his argument. Good application at the end though about Jesus' admonishment in Luke 9:24 " For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."

Wednesday evening was about a spiritual condition affecting only Christians: Egyptian Heart.  This is the desire for the forbidden things: wanting the "good things" that the world has and enjoys. (Ex. 12:38)  It is characterized by complaining, dissatisfaction, lusting, looking back, etc.  And it may be that God may give you what you want in your "flesh", so that you'd be admonished, ashamed, and come back to the light.  Remember that God will judge; look at what God did to the people of Israel when they complained and exhibited their Egyptian Heart.

Stay tuned for the rest of the week.

BCon 1

Yes, it's Bible Conference (BCon) time here at BJU. Yay!  No classes, plenty of school work to do. So many projects due the day we get back from BCon break. Aaarrggh!

So, my thoughts so far on BCon. (**Disclaimer** - these are my personal opinions.  They are in no way, shape, or form an official statement by said institution about said happenings upon said occasion.  This is my blog, my thoughts, my words.  If you disagree, write a comment or email me.)

So, my thoughts so far on BCon.  Sunday evening's message turned out well.  The first ten minutes were good, the next 30 min. were to his favorite rabbit trail, Prophecy, and the 10 minute conclusion was great: a message on prophecy can indeed turn evangelistic: Christ is coming soon, this is what will happen to you if you don't repent and get saved, repent!  Good stuff.

Monday morning was so far the best message yet.  An incredible exposition from Romans 14:1-15:8 on Christian liberty and how we are to be flexible in regards to a fellow believer's personal convictions upon an interpretation which is different than ours, in an area which allows room for differing interpretations.  Check out Mounty's Corner for the official "chapel notes" from that session.

Monday afternoon had the same speaker as Sunday night.  This is where the disclaimer comes in:  I really didn't like the way the passage was handled.  Allegorizing, inconsistent hermeneutic, little regard for context, poorly supported conclusions, etc. I could say more, but that wouldn't be very charitable.  We need more expository preaching. Tell me what the text says, and how I can apply the truths found therein. Please, don't tell me what the text could be saying if you looked at it upside-down, inside-out, and underwater.

Monday night I dozed off and on throughout the service.  Don't know why, but it was really warm and stuffy in there, especially on the main floor.  And the ushers would swoop down on me like an eagle on its prey if I took off my suit coat.  So, unfortunately, I dozed.  I heard I didn't miss much: how he liked the good Phinehas of Numbers 25.

Tuesday morning was another great message.  The speaker spoke about Assurance of Salvation.  You can know, for sure, that you're saved if you have these 2 things: 1) the witness of the Holy Spirit in how you react to the Word of God, and 2) the the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in how you relate to God's people.  Things to learn from Main Point 1:  if you struggle with sin, you're saved. Cuz unsaved people don't struggle, they just sin.  It is natural, they can't help but do it, and when they do it they have no qualms about it.  To learn from Main Point 2:  if you genuinely desire to hang out with Christians, even when those people aren't the most pleasant of company, you're saved. Cuz unsaved people can't stand Christians, they don't understand us, they think we're weird.  Wonderful, tremendous blessing to all in attendence.

Tuesday afternoon, at work.  Didn't get to hear Monday morning's speaker give the second of a two-part message.  The first was on flexibility, second on firmness.  Too bad I missed it. Bummed.

Tuesday night was homegrown night.  Great message from Matthew 5:6.  Beatitude #4: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."  Proposition:  Intense spiritual desire will always result in immense spiritual satisfaction.  He said more, the proposition he gave summed it up perfectly.  Meditate on that for a while.

Until the next BCon entry.  Ta ta.

Overload

Wow, today will be spent doing homework.  yah, after I'm done writing this it's off to the books ne'er to stop till break of day.  okay, maybe not that long but it sure seems like it.  i do have tons to do.  but it's good stuff: a sermon to prepare on Elijah raising the widow's son, a lesson on the Glory of God in the midst of calamity; finishing all the Psalms from number 80; charting and catagorizing 30 major Psalms; reading the OT Historical books; and a Greek vocab. quiz.  Yaay, I can't wait.  Now, off I go into the wild blue yonder...

Bob Jones University Announces Key Administrative Changes

From an official email from BJU:

Bob Jones University today announced three changes in the University administration, each effective following the commencement exercises May 7, 2005. 

Dr. Bob Jones III, President; Dr. Bob Wood, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and Dr. Philip Smith, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, will retire from their positions.

The Board of Trustees has elected the following men to new positions:

- Rev. Stephen Jones - President
(Currently Rev. Jones is Vice President for Administration and Chief Administrative Oversight Officer.)

- Dr. Bob Jones III - Chancellor
(Dr. Jones will continue as Chairman of the Board.)

- Mr. Al Carper - Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (Mr. Carper has been a member of the faculty of the School of Business for 22 years.)

-Dr. Gary Weier - Vice President for Administration, Chief Administrative Oversight Officer (Dr. Weier is currently the University Registrar.)

Dr. David Fisher, Principal of Bob Jones Academy and member of the faculty of the University's Department of History, will succeed Dr. Phil Smith as Provost and Chief Academic Officer.  Dr. Fisher, in conjunction with Dr. Dan Smith, Director of Educational Services, will be the architecture of the University's future academic growth.

All three of these administrative changes have been in the planning stage for the past 18 months.  They are being announced at this time to enable the new officers to be mentored in their positions the remainder of this academic year.

For more information on BJU's administrative changes, please see the press release on www.bju.edu.

Well, here goes

Here it is, 1:45 in the morning and the Lord has laid Eccl. 12:11 on my heart.  I have a Pulpit Speech sermon due next week for preaching and I've been struggling to find an appropriate passage.  I've found it now.  Too bad it's so late.  But He's given me illumination into the truths presented in that verse and so I must "go in the Spirit".  I must follow his lead and work on this now.  Here goes something very good...

TW - Issue #4

Here's the zacfoo inspired article for the TW - Issue #4:

First, a reference: Dr. Bob Jones 3 preached last week in chapel on the word "kosmos", meaning "world system with its philosophy, culture, and popular trappings". He said it too much. But he made a point. I'm trying to explain that point to a bunch of people (my society and other readers on campus) who were focusing too much on that he said it 100 times every chapel meeting rather than why he said it. Thus,

"A Part of the Whole"

This article is being written to take up space. Really, no joke. I will just continue to write until a sizeable amount of space (read: kosmos) is occupied by fairly meaningless phrases. Kosmos. After all, we don't want to have another pictorial TW. I heard some reactions to that edition and they were (kosmos) less than impressed. "The print is too big; Jordan obviously thought that he could increase the typeface to 11 point without our (kosmos) noticing. Well, we noticed." And "The pictures are too grainy, what happened to all that sheen we saw in the Rush Issue? I could see my (kosmos) reflection on Bart's (kosmos) dome in that one. Now all I see is a big white spot with a face." And the worst one of all, "Where is z4cf00's article? Kosmos. I was expecting another ray of sunshine and all I got was rain from Hurricane Ivan." Really people, c'mon folks I mean wake up guys... Which gets me thinking about caffeine... Kosmos.

Have y'all noticed any unusual feelings happening to your body around chapel time? Relaxation, settling in to your comfy seat, being lulled to (quote) rapt attention (endquote) by the speaker of the day? Kosmos! It's all the feeling of no more caffeine in your system. You have your pot of coffee for the morning before classes start and by the time chapel hits your attention span is likened to the frequency of the word "kosmos" in any of Dr. Bob 's future messages: Zero! Kosmos! As I write this (instead of wisely studying for my Themes Exam) I am getting hyped on Sam's Choice Cola. I started noticing a strange thing called (kosmos) withdrawal after I got home from work tonight, so the first thing I thought of was: Kosmos! Sorry, the first thing I thought of was: Kosmos!! Arrgh. No, I've got it now, the first thing I thought of was: "I need to get a soda." So I got a can of SCC and now I'm happy, everything is groovy. A few minutes from now though, I'll probably need to get another one.

Now comes the purpose of the article: Kosmos. (Ooh, Inductive approach) Yes, we counted how many times he said it. And the numbers differ substantially. But the point was not for you to prove to yourself and your colleagues that you could count. Graduating from Kindergarten should have proven that. No, the point was to make you think. It was to make you think about "How much of the ‘kosmos’ is in me? Do I love the ‘kosmos’ more than life in Christ?" I could reiterate what Dr. Bob said, but that would be useless. Let me challenge you then to focus not on what he said but on why he said it. Seek to know God's heart when it comes to your relationship with the "kosmos". The final sentence of this article this is. Kosmos.