Writings attributed to the Apostles circulated among the earliest Christian communities. The Pauline epistles were circulating, perhaps in collected forms, by the end of the 1st century A.D. - Justin Martyr (103 A.D - 165 A.D.) in the mid 2nd century, mentions "memoirs of the apostles" [New Testament] as being read on Sunday alongside the "writings of the prophets" [Old Testament]. A four gospel canon (the Tetramorph) was asserted by Irenaeus, c. 180 A.D., who refers to it directly. -- By the early 200s A.D., **Origen may have been using the same twenty-seven books as in the Catholic New Testament canon, though there were still disputes over the canonicity of the Letter to the Hebrews, James, II Peter, II and III John, and Revelation, known as the Antilegomena. Likewise, the Muratorian fragment is evidence that, perhaps as early as 200 A.D., there existed a set of Christian writings somewhat similar to the twenty-seven-book NT canon, which included four gospels and argued against objections to them. Thus, while there was a good measure of debate in the Early Church over the New Testament canon, the major writings are claimed to have been accepted by almost all Christians by the middle of the 3rd century. -- In his Easter letter of 367 A.D., Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, gave a list of the books that would become the twenty-seven-book NT canon, and he used the word "canonized" (kanonizomena) in regards to them. The first council that accepted the present canon of the New Testament may have been the Synod of Hippo Regius in North Africa (AD 393); the acts of this council, however, are lost. A brief summary of the acts was read at and accepted by the Councils of Carthage in 397 A.D. and 419 A.D. These councils were under the authority of St. Augustine, who regarded the canon as already closed. Pope Damasus I's Council of Rome in 382 A.D., if the Decretum Gelasianum is correctly associated with it, issued a biblical canon identical to that mentioned above, or, if not, the list is at least a 6th-century compilation. Likewise, Damasus' commissioning of the Latin Vulgate edition of the Bible, c. 383 A.D., was instrumental in the fixation of the canon in the West. In c. 405 A.D., Pope Innocent I sent a list of the sacred books to a Gallic bishop, Exsuperius of Toulouse. Christian scholars assert that, when these bishops and councils spoke on the matter, however, they were not defining something new but instead "were ratifying what had already become the mind of the Church." -- For the Orthodox, the recognition of these writings as authoritative was formalized in the Second Council of Trullan of 692 A.D., although it was nearly universally accepted in the mid 300's A.D. The Canon of Scripture was the result of debate and research, reaching its final term for Catholics at the dogmatic definition of the Council of Trent when the Old Testament Canon was finalized in the Catholic Church as well. -- Thus, some claim that, from the 4th century, there existed unanimity in the West concerning the New Testament canon (as it is today), and that, by the 5th century, the Eastern Church, with a few exceptions, had come to accept the Book of Revelation and thus had come into harmony on the matter of the canon. Nonetheless, full dogmatic articulations of the canon were not made until the Canon of Trent of 1546 A.D. for Roman Catholicism, the Thirty-Nine Articles of 1563 A.D. for the Church of England, the Westminster Confession of Faith of 1647 A.D. for Calvinism, and the Synod of Jerusalem of 1672 A.D. for the Greek Orthodox.

Life of Marcion: Marcion was a native of Sinope (modern Sinop, Turkey), in Pontus, Asia Minor. He was a wealthy shipowner. According to St Hippolytus, he was the son of a bishop who excommunicated him on grounds of immorality. He eventually found his way to Rome (140 A.D.) and became a major financial supporter [infiltrator] of the Church there. In the next few years after his arrival in Rome, he worked out his theological system and began to organize his followers into a separate community. He was excommunicated by the Church at Rome in 144 A.D. From then on, he apparently used Rome as a base of operations, devoting his gift for organization and considerable wealth to the propagation of his teachings and the establishment of compact communities throughout the Roman Empire, making converts of every age, rank and background. A story told by Tertullian and St Irenæus of Lyons says that Marcion attempted to use his money to influence the Church to endorse his teaching; they refused. His numerous critics throughout the Church include the aforementioned, along with St Justin Martyr, St Ephraim of Syria, Dionysius of Corinth, Theophilus of Antioch, Philip of Gortyna, St Hippolytus and Rhodo in Rome, Bardesanes at Edessa, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen.

The Muratorian Fragment is the oldest known list of New Testament books. It was discovered by Ludovico Antonio Muratori in a manuscript in the Ambrosian Library in Milan, and published by him in 1740. It is called a fragment because the beginning of it is missing. Although the manuscript in which it appears was copied during the seventh century, the list itself is dated to about 170 because its author refers to the episcopate of Pius I of Rome (died 157) as recent. He mentions only two epistles of John, without describing them. The Apocalypse of Peter is mentioned as a book which "some of us will not allow to be read in church." A very helpful and detailed discussion of this document is to be found in Bruce Metzger's The Canon of the New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987), pp. 191-201.

Marcionism, similar to Gnosticism, depicted the Hebrew God of the Old Testament as a tyrant or demiurge (see also God as the Devil). Marcion was labeled as gnostic by Eusebius. **Marcion's canon consisted of [only] eleven [NT] books: A gospel consisting of ten sections from the Gospel of Luke edited by Marcion; and ten of Paul's epistles. All other epistles and gospels of the 27 book New Testament canon were rejected. Paul's epistles enjoy a prominent position in the Marcionite canon, since Paul is credited with correctly transmitting the universality of Jesus' message. Other authors' epistles [Notably: Peter, James, Jude, Matthew and John] were rejected since they seemed to suggest that Jesus had simply come to found a new sect within broader Judaism. Religious tribalism of this sort seemed to echo Yahwism, and was thus regarded as a corruption of the "Heavenly Father"'s teaching. ***Marcionism was denounced by its opponents as heresy, and written against, notably by Tertullian, in a five-book treatise Adversus Marcionem, written about 208 A.D. Marcion's writings are lost, though they were widely read and numerous manuscripts must have existed. Even so, many scholars (including Henry Wace) claim it is possible to reconstruct and deduce a large part of ancient Marcionism through what later critics, especially Tertullian, said concerning Marcion.

Brian Borgman is the founding pastor of Grace Community Church. He earned a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Biola University (La Mirada, CA), a Master of Divinity from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary (Portland, OR) and a Doctor of Ministry from Westminster Seminary (Escondido, CA).

The gospels end with the great commission. (Matthew 28:19-20). "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age." The book of Acts opens with instructions to the Disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. These instructions become the theme of the book of Acts and give us a clue to how the spread of Christianity would take place. The purpose of Acts is to show the spread of the Gospel throughout the then known world. 'But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem , and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.' (Acts 1:1-8). The disciples were to be witnesses. In the first twelve chapters the focus is on the Gospel going forth under Peters direction in Jerusalem. There the ministry was directed mainly among the Jews in Jerusalem. Then the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul is stressed in his missionary activities outside of the boarders of Israel. He is known as the Apostle to the Gentiles. -- Jerusalem: Chapter 1-7: Jewish Christian Church which covers about the first fifteen years. Peter is the central character during this period which centres around Jerusalem. -- Judea and Samaria: Chapter 8-12: Gentile Christian Church takes in the next twenty-five years. Paul is the central character during this period which centres around Antioch. Paul takes the gospel to the Gentiles. Ends of the Earth: Chapter 13-28: Consolidation of the Church covers the last thirty years to the close of this period. John is the central character during this period which centres around Ephesus {though not really mentioned in the Book of Acts}.

Purpose of Writing: The Book of Malachi is an oracle: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi (1:1). This was God's warning through Malachi to tell the people to turn back to God. As the final book of the Old Testament closes, the pronouncement of God's just and the promise of His restoration through the coming Messiah is ringing in the ears of the Israelites. Four hundred years of silence ensues, ending with a similar message from God's next prophet, John the Baptist, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 3:2). Key Verses: Malachi 1:6, "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the Lord Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name." Malachi 3:6-7, "I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty." Brief Summary: Malachi wrote the words of the Lord to God's chosen people who had gone astray, especially the priests who had turned from the Lord. Priests were not treating the sacrifices they were to make to God seriously. Animals with blemishes were being sacrificed even though the law demanded animals without defect (Deuteronomy 15:21). The men of Judah were dealing with the wives of their youth treacherously and wondering why God would not accept their sacrifices. Also, people were not tithing as they should have been (Leviticus 27:30, 32). But in spite of the people's sin and turning away from God, Malachi reiterates God's love for His people (Malachi 1:1-5) and His promises of a coming Messenger (Malachi 2:17-3:5). Foreshadowings: Malachi 3:1-6 is a prophecy concerning John the Baptist. He was the Messenger of the Lord sent to prepare the way (Matthew 11:10) for the Messiah, Jesus Christ. John preached repentance and baptized in the name of the Lord, thus preparing the way for Jesus' first advent. But the Messenger who comes "suddenly to the Temple" is Christ Himself in His second advent when He comes in power and might (Matthew 24). At that time, He will "purify the sons of Levi" (v. 3), meaning that those who exemplified the Mosaic Law would themselves need purification from sin through the blood of the Savior. Only then will they be able to offer "an offering in righteousness" because it will be the righteousness of Christ imputed to them through faith (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Bishop of Milan: In the late 4th century there was a deep conflict in the diocese of Milan between the Catholics and Arians. In 374 the bishop of Milan, Auxentius, an Arian, died, and the Arians challenged the succession. Ambrose went to the church where the election was to take place, to prevent an uproar, which was probable in this crisis. His address was interrupted by a call "Ambrose, bishop!", which was taken up by the whole assembly. Ambrose was known to be Catholic in belief, but also acceptable to Arians due to the charity shown in theological matters in this regard. At first he energetically refused the office, for which he was in no way prepared: Ambrose was neither baptized nor formally trained in theology. Upon his appointment, St. Ambrose fled to a colleague's home seeking to hide. Upon receiving a letter from the Emperor Gratian praising the appropriateness of Rome appointing individuals evidently worthy of holy positions, St. Ambrose's host gave Ambrose up. Within a week, Ambrose was baptized, ordained and duly consecrated bishop of Milan. As bishop, he immediately adopted an ascetic lifestyle, apportioned his money to the poor, donating all of his land, making only provision for his sister Marcellina (who later became a nun), and committed the care of his family to his brother. Ambrose also wrote a treatise by the name of "The Goodness Of Death". -- Ambrose and Arians: According to legend, Ambrose immediately and forcefully stopped Arianism in Milan. He studied theology with Simplician, a presbyter of Rome. Using his excellent knowledge of Greek, which was then rare in the West, to his advantage, he studied the Hebrew Bible and Greek authors like Philo, Origen, Athanasius, and Basil of Caesarea, with whom he was also exchanging letters. He applied this knowledge as preacher, concentrating especially on exegesis of the Old Testament, and his rhetorical abilities impressed Augustine of Hippo, who hitherto had thought poorly of Christian preachers. In the confrontation with Arians, Ambrose sought to theologically refute their propositions, which were heretical. The Arians appealed to many high level leaders and clergy in both the Western and Eastern empires. Although the western Emperor Gratian held orthodox belief in the Nicene creed, the younger Valentinian II, who became his colleague in the Empire, adhered to the Arian creed. Ambrose did not sway the young prince's position. In the East, Emperor Theodosius I likewise professed the Nicene creed; but there were many adherents of Arianism throughout his dominions, especially among the higher clergy. In this contested state of religious opinion, two leaders of the Arians, bishops Palladius of Ratiaria and Secundianus of Singidunum, confident of numbers, prevailed upon Gratian to call a general council from all parts of the empire. This request appeared so equitable that he complied without hesitation. However, Ambrose feared the consequences and prevailed upon the emperor to have the matter determined by a council of the Western bishops. Accordingly, a synod composed of thirty-two bishops was held at Aquileia in the year 381 A.D. Ambrose was elected president and Palladius, being called upon to defend his opinions, declined. A vote was then taken, when Palladius and his associate Secundianus were deposed from the episcopal office. Nevertheless, the increasing strength of the Arians proved a formidable task for Ambrose. In 385 or 386 the emperor and his mother Justina, along with a considerable number of clergy and laity, especially military, professed Arianism. They demanded two churches in Milan, one in the city (the basilica of the Apostles), the other in the suburbs (St Victor's), to the Arians. Ambrose refused and was required to answer for his conduct before the council. He went, his eloquence in defense of the Church reportedly overawed the ministers of Emperor Valentinian, so he was permitted to retire without making the surrender of the churches. The day following, when he was performing divine service in the basilica, the prefect of the city came to persuade him to give up at least the Portian basilica in the suburbs. As he still continued obstinate, the court proceeded to violent measures: the officers of the household were commanded to prepare the Basilica and the Portian churches to celebrate divine service upon the arrival of the emperor and his mother at the ensuing festival of Easter. -- In spite of Imperial opposition, Bishop Ambrose declared: "If you demand my person, I am ready to submit: carry me to prison or to death, I will not resist; but I will never betray the church of Christ. I will not call upon the people to succour me; I will die at the foot of the altar rather than desert it. The tumult of the people I will not encourage: but God alone can appease it."

While the individual statements of belief that are included in the Apostles' Creed - even those not found in the Old Roman Symbol - are found in various writings by Irenaeus, Tertullian, Novatian, Marcellus, Rufinus, **Ambrose (about 337 A.D. - 397 A.D.), Augustine, Nicetus, and Eusebius Gallus, the earliest appearance of what we know as the Apostles' Creed was in the De singulis libris canonicis scarapsus ("Excerpt from Individual Canonical Books") of St. Priminius (Migne, Patrologia Latina 89, 1029 ff.), written between 710 A.D. and 714 A.D. This longer Creed seems to have arisen in what is now France and Spain. Charlemagne imposed it throughout his dominions, and it was finally accepted in Rome, where the Old Roman Creed or similar formulas had survived for centuries. -- {Note: The Christian Church historically has sought in large to be directed by the Gospels and the Apostolic Epistles of the New Testament - The Apostles' Creed is a classic and still currently relevant example of how true to form the Doctrines of the Church have remained in being faithful to the "common salvation" (Jude 1:3) as it was initially delivered to the Christian Church.}

The Basic Christian resource for select Mp3 downloads from various internet websites. -- Selected as a part of the original 2003 Tract-CD Project the Basic Christian Ministry was asked to share two PDF resources [Basic Christian: Theology, Biblical Proof Jesus is God] with the Tract-CD project and in return a CD of Mp3's was mailed to the Ministry. -- These are some of those original Mp3s plus many more new mp3s have been added for download.

The Basic Christian: blog Bible Study in 10 segments:

1. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua

2. Matthew, James, Romans, Galatians, Hebrews

3. Judges, Ruth, 1st Samuel, 2nd Samuel, 1st Kings, 2nd Kings

4. Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum {Early period Prophets - Assyrian activity, attack on Jerusalem thwarted}

5. Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Obadiah, Daniel, Ezekiel {Middle period Prophets - destruction of Jerusalem, Solomon's Temple destroyed and the Babylonian captivity}

6. Luke, Acts, 1st Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st Thessalonians, 2nd Thessalonians

7. Mark, 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, Titus, Philemon, 1st Peter, 2nd Peter

8. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations

9. 1st Chronicles, 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, Joel, Malachi {Later period Prophets - The return from Babylon, awaiting the coming Messiah}

10. John, 1st John, 2nd John, 3rd John, Jude, Revelation

Basic Christian: Select Mp3s List (PDF)

**To download each file: "Right Click" and select "Save Target AS..."

Welcome to the new Contending for Truth website! We are excited to have an opportunity to streamline the site, focusing more on the content and delivering the teachings to you. God Bless you, Dr. Scott Johnson.

Welcome to the new Contending for Truth website! We are excited to have an opportunity to streamline the site, focusing more on the content and delivering the teachings to you. God Bless you, Dr. Scott Johnson.

Welcome to the new Contending for Truth website! We are excited to have an opportunity to streamline the site, focusing more on the content and delivering the teachings to you. God Bless you, Dr. Scott Johnson.

Welcome to the new Contending for Truth website! We are excited to have an opportunity to streamline the site, focusing more on the content and delivering the teachings to you. God Bless you, Dr. Scott Johnson.

On this episode of Remnant X Radio we will pick up our story about John Higgins and we will focus on the "House of Miracles" What was it, where was it? And why do we care? We will release another legal document and perhaps a portion of the secert recordings. -- Please hit us up on facebook!

Sermon Review "Vision 20/20" by Bob Guiglione of Calvary Chapel of Delaware County.

Christian apologist and talk show host Chris Rosebrough (Fighting For The Faith) was recently the featured guest on Stand Up For The Truth radio show. From the Stand Up For The Truth website: "We know that the God of the Bible is not the same god of the Qur'an. Yahweh of the Bible became flesh 2,000 years ago to be that perfect lamb, the Son, the atonement for our sins. The Jesus we believe in is God. But Allah of the Qur'an did not have a son. There was no atonement, no hope of a Messiah, and no grace for sinners. The Christian God and the Muslim Allah cannot be one and the same. And yet there are a growing number of Christians and Muslims who are combining the faith-syncretizing the two into one. That's called Chrislam, and it is heresy. -- This week the Orange County Register reported in an article that leadership of Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church believe that Muslims and Christians believe in the same God. Is the article accurate? Is that truly what these leaders believe? Our guest today has communicated with Rick Warren twice in the past few days, and it's as close as anyone has gotten to America's Pastor to hear in his own words what is going on. -- Chris Rosebrough is host of a daily two-hour internet radio program, Fighting For The Faith, heard around the world on Pirate Christian Radio, a broadcast group he started in his hometown of Indianapolis. Chris is at the forefront of those contending for the truth of God's Word."

Walter Martin, the Maze of Mormonism

Critics commonly charge that the traditional Bible text used by believers for 1800 years adds material, and that we should be thankful for Westcott and Hort who came along in the 19th century to restore the text of the New Testament that had been corrupt for 1800 years and during the entire reformation. This charge is of course made against evidence to the contrary, as you will find if you research the text lines (read other articles on this website). Further, it is interesting to note that one of these verses is this: Romans 13:9: For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The phrase "thou shalt not bear false witness" is missing from the modern critical text (and therefor most modern versions). Now I ask you: is it reasonable to assume that a scribe added a self-incriminating phrase to the passage? Isn't it more likely that "those who corrupt the word of God" (2 Cor. 2:17, KJV) removed the phrase which indicted them?

Update 03-03-2012: After this group of postings there should be only one or two more blog postings of material until Holy Week 2012. Then the postings of Holy Week 2012 or shortly after would conclude the Basic Christian blog Ministry. ~ God bless everyone, David Anson Brown

"The Florida Baptist Convention has taken a proactive stance to encourage all churches to run background checks on employees and volunteers-as we do with every volunteer who works with children and teens in Convention-sponsored events and programs" - How ironic that this is brought up in the context of the Gilyard saga. Had Shiloh Baptist done a background check on Gilyard he would have come out clean back in 1993 - he had no criminal record. But he was KNOWN to be a serial adulter by Paige Patterson and Jerry Vines, and had confessed to having sex with women he had counseled in his churches prior to coming to Shiloh, yet a background check would never have revealed that when Shiloh hired him in the early 1990s. Of course now if we run a background check, he is a convicted sex offender. - Christa Brown and others have called for the Southern Baptist Convention to establish a database to track ministers who have been convicted of crimes, or credibly accused of serious misconduct. The SBC heavies have opposed such a system, and the Gilyard disaster is example #1 of why such a system is required. The FBC statement above painfully points this out. -- "Christ Tabernacle Baptist Church (sic) in Jacksonville has been affiliated with the Florida Baptist Convention since 1998. During that time, the congregation has not demonstrated cooperation as defined by our Bylaw 2, which includes participating in the Cooperative Program giving and providing statistical information. They have given nothing in the past six years." -- OK, that is interesting. Glad to know that in addition to hiring a pedophile and kicking the kids out of the church, they also are guilty of the terrible offense of not giving any money to the Cooperative Program. Who really cares that they have given no money to SBC missions, if they are putting a pedophile in the pulpit?

There's a new form of Christianity sweeping the U.S. Its main focus: sex. Don't be surprised. We already have a Christian denomination catering to every other worldview, comfort zone and obsession, so why not sex? As I said in "The Marketing of Evil": No matter what kind of person you are, a form of Christianity has evolved just for you. There's a politically liberal Christianity and a politically conservative Christianity. There's an acutely activist Christianity and an utterly apolitical Christianity, a Christianity that holds up a high standard of ethical behavior and service, and a Christianity for which both personal ethics and good works are irrelevant. There's a raucous, intensely emotional Christianity drenched in high-voltage music, and there's a quiet, contemplative Christianity. There's a loving Christianity and a hateful, racist Christianity, a Christianity that honors Jews as God's chosen people and a Christianity that maligns Jews as Satan's children. So, it was just a matter of time before we got a version of Christianity for people obsessed with sex.

MADISON, Wisc., Dec. 22 /Christian Newswire/ - Focus on the Family has a story on Glenn Beck, a Mormon, on their CitizenLink Website. Glenn Beck was a CNN host and will move to Fox News in January. Beck is currently promoting his book, "The Christmas Sweater." The CitizenLink story focuses on Beck's faith and why he wrote "The Christmas Sweater." ... Through the years, Focus on the Family has done great things to help the family and has brought attention to the many social ills that are attacking the family. However, to promote a Mormon as a Christian is not helpful to the cause of Jesus Christ. For Christians to influence society, Christians should be promoting the central issues of the faith properly without opening the door to false religions. Some of the false doctrines of Mormonism include polytheism, an attack on the trinity, that Jesus was the spirit-brother of Lucifer, that God the Father is married to Mother God, temple baptisms for the dead, the Bible has missing parts and many errors. Christians are to stand up against the social ills of society, however, we are to put Christ first and His essential biblical truths.

By R. SCOTT MOXLEY Thursday, Apr 14 2011: Legendary Garden Grove televangelist Robert H. Schuller once noted, "High achievers spot rich opportunities swiftly." The creator of Crystal Cathedral, a best-selling author and star of Hour of Power broadcasts, Schuller has long served as Exhibit A of that credo. In the 1950s, he saw an opportunity to build a profitable church, grabbed it and-thanks largely to donations from poor and lower-middle-class folks trying to win the blessings of God-created an $89-million religious empire with hints of opulence. ... Records also show that the reverend wasn't a cheapskate in one charity case. Indeed, the recipients of his generosity weren't poor at all. They were a wealthy Newport Beach couple, Kenneth and Glenia Reafsnyder. Ken's first wife was a member of Buena Park's Knott family, founders of Knott's Berry Farm. He also palled around with actor John Wayne. In 1995, Schuller agreed to divert $4,000 a month in church donations to the Reafsnyders for the rest of their lives in exchange for a quarter ownership in the couple's home. Ken has since died, but the deal calls on Crystal Cathedral Ministries to continue to pay Glenia. In 2008, the ministry increased the payments to $4,500 a month while reducing its ownership percentage. This means that the church's current 8.5 percent portion of the house has cost more than $1,250,000-$55,000 more than the value of the entire house. Speaking of houses, over the years the Schuller family has purchased oceanfront property in Orange County, a Big Bear vacation house, a San Diego County time-share, a Colorado mansion and a Honolulu condo. Just before filing for bankruptcy, Schuller sold a San Juan Capistrano property that had been bequeathed to the church decades ago and pocketed $22.5 million. The reverend's son, Robert Anthony Schuller, has lived in a $2.2-million oceanfront Laguna Beach dream house worthy of an Architectural Digest feature. Fred Southard, a longtime Schuller aide, lives behind palatial, guarded gates in a 13-room, 13,600-square-foot Newport Coast estate that could fetch $3 million on the open market. ... In court filings, they've remained optimistic that, despite a 50-percent drop in church membership to 5,000 attendees, the ministry can eventually pay off all of the debt. To accomplish that feat, however, the Schuller clan is going to have to stir up the congregation and then, despite all the unsettling revelations, ask them to dig deeper into their wallets.

In today's secular world, Easter earns millions of dollars for marketing companies - some of which are Christian companies. (Think Lifeway!) Pastel colored eggs, candies, and baskets scream "Buy Me!" from the supermarket shelves. The all-important "Easter Bunny" springs forth… seducing kids and parents into a market-driven frenzy of eggs, chocolate, and giving gifts. What's missing? The real meaning of the Christian Easter Holiday! Where's Jesus in all of this? -- Before I became a Christian, Easter was just another holiday. I knew it was about Jesus, but I didn't really care. I often skipped church on Easter, preferring to stay home. After all, if I didn't love God during the rest of the year, why "fake it" by showing up in a suit one day out of the year - hoping the pastor would count me as one of the redeemed? But…. AFTER I became a Christian, Easter took on a whole new meaning. Why shouldn't it? I mean, I LOVE Jesus. He lives within me. Easter became a special day of celebrating Jesus' victory over hell, death, and the grave. -- If I love Jesus and worship Him, then Easter becomes such a special day! Yet why do I see such apathy in other Christians when it come to celebrating the resurrection of our Lord? -- Why? I think it has to do with our culture, and how over-marketed we are. Everywhere we turn we're bombarded with messages to buy something. Every holiday has it's own theme, and Easter is no exception. Pastel colors bombard the eyes. Decorations are sold in most major department stores. I've even seen people put up "Easter trees" ... Just like a Christmas tree, but with eggs for ornaments. Why do Christians even fall for this? I mean, shouldn't we be "in the world, and not OF the world?" This is an important question, and I think the reason why most Christians give short shrift to Easter is because they don't want to face up to 3 basic truths of Christianity. -- As a pastor, I have heard the critique of my ministry that I spend too much time in the New Testament, and not enough time in the old. Fair enough. I do spend time in the New Testament. Part of that has to do with the fact that when I took a good hard look at Berean Baptist Church where I'm the shepherd, I came to the conclusion that as a church, we needed a fresh vision of who Jesus was. But just as a jeweler sets a diamond against a black velvet cloth to show it's luster, Christ makes the most sense to us when we see him in the grand perspective of our need of a savior. What are these 3 spiritual truths that we must embrace as Christians? ...

Uploaded by TheLORDismySheperd1 on Jan 6, 2009: It is often said that all Bible versions are basically the same, that their differences are just minor wording changes. Read the following comparison between the King James Version and the best-selling modern Bible translation, the New International Version, and then decide for yourself whether or not this is true. *If you ask me, it looks like Satan himself removed the words; considering just WHICH words were removed.... (Read closely - wish I had BOLD! Oh and remember, this is JUST the NIV. There's about 20 other versions of the bible JUST as corrupt!) --- Why did Jesus come to earth? Luke 9:56 KJV For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. Luke 9:56 NIV and they went to another village. Matt. 18:11 KJV For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. Matt. 18:11 NIV (missing) --- Is repentance important? Matt. 9:13 KJV ...I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Matt. 9:13 NIV ...I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. --- For whom did Jesus die? I Cor. 5:7 KJV ...Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: I Cor. 5:7 NIV ...Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. --- In Whom must you believe to be saved? John 6:47 KJV Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. John 6:47 NIV I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. --- Was Joseph really the father of Jesus? Luke 2:33 KJV And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. Luke 2:33 NIV The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. --- Did Jesus give His disciples power to heal? Mark 3:15 KJV ...power to heal sickness, and to cast out devils. Mark 3:15 NIV ...authority to drive out demons. --- If it's hard to do, should we just remove it? Mark 11:26 KJV But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark 11:26 NIV (missing) --- Who is in charge? I Cor. 10:28 KJV But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake: for the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof: I Cor. 10:28 NIV But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake --- How must we deal with our enemies? Matt. 5:44 KJV ...Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. Matt. 5:44 NIV ...Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. --- Where did Jesus go? John 16:16 KJV A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. John 16:16 NIV In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me. --- All this has been checked out by me as FACTUAL. But don't take my (or Kent Hovind seen here) google it all yourself, BY ALL MEANS! Here's some great links to get you started! http://www.chick.com/reading/books/158/158_08.asp -- http://www.chick.com/information/bibleversions/articles/kingjamesbible.asp

WHAT IS IMPLIED IN EVANGELICAL FAITH:

1. It implies an intellectual perception of the things, facts, and truths believed. No one can believe that which he does not understand.
2. Evangelical faith implies the appropriation of the truths of the Gospel to ourselves. It implies an acceptance of Christ as our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The soul that truly believes in Christ, believes that He tasted death for every man, and of course for it. It apprehends Christ as the Saviour of the world, as offered to all, and embraces and receives Him for itself. It appropriates His atonement, and His resurrection and His intercession, and His promises to itself. Christ is thus presented in the Gospel not only as the Saviour of the world, but also to the individual acceptance of men. He saves the world no further than He saves individuals. Evangelical faith implies a personal acceptance and appropriation of Christ to meet the necessities of the individual soul.
3. Faith is a state of committal to Christ, and of course it implies that the soul will be unreseveredly yielded up to Him, in all His relations to it, so far and so fast as these are apprehended by the intellect.
4. Evangelical faith implies an evangelical life. This would not be true if faith were merely an intellectual state or exercise. But since, as we have seen, faith is of the heart, since it consists in the committal of the will to Christ, it follows, by a law of necessity, that the life will correspond with faith. Let this be kept in perpetual remembrance.
5. Evangelical faith implies repentance towards God, that is, a turning from sin to God.
6. Evangelical faith implies a renunciation of self-righteousness. It is impossible for one to embrace Christ as the Saviour of the soul, any further than he renounces all hope or expectation of being saved by his own works, or righteousness.
7. Of course it implies peace of mind. In Christ the soul finds its full and present salvation. It has found its resting-place in Christ, and rests in profound peace under the shadow of the Almighty.
8. It implies hope, as soon as the believing soul considers what is conveyed by the Gospel, that is, a hope of eternal life in and through Christ.
9. It implies joy in God and in Christ. St. Peter speaks of joy as the unfailing accompaniment of faith, as resulting from it.
10. Present evangelical faith implies a state of present sinlessness [covered by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7)]. Observe: faith is the yielding and committal of the whole will, and of the whole being to Christ. This, and nothing short of this, is evangelical faith. But this comprehends and implies the whole of present, true obedience to Christ. This is the reason why faith is spoken of as the condition, and as it were, the only condition, of salvation. It really implies all virtue.

When contemplated as an attribute of love, it is only a branch of sanctification. When contemplated in the wider sense of universal conformity of will to the will of God, it is then synonymous with entire present sanctification. Contemplated in either light, its existence in the heart must be inconsistent with present sin there. Faith is an attitude of the will, and is wholly incompatible with present rebellion of will against Christ. This must be true, or what is faith? -- REVIVAL TRUTHS by Charles G. Finney

Today there is much confusion about preaching holiness. In many churches where I preach holiness, people will come and say, "Wow, that was a great sermon. We have not had a holiness sermon preached here for a long time." Then when I talk to the pastor, he or she will say, "I preach holiness every Sunday." One pastor said, "I can't believe it, I preach holiness every Sunday, they just don't recognize it." -- Well, what could be the problem? Could it be that there has been such a reaction against the legalistic [i.e. 7th Kingdom (wordly, self focus) of this world] approach of preaching holiness that we have moved into another one-sided fad? I remember a sermon against cowboy boots because wearing them would make the person proud. There was a time when two trips to the altar was the norm with little focus on a relationship with Christ or a life to be disciplined. There was more of a focus on legalistic rules to follow, most of them in the negative. -- Today we hear life sermons. They emphasize how to live first, but there is not much emphasis on the divine work of grace to empower and enable one to live a holy life. Could it be that the time is right for us to bring the two approaches together? We need the message of living a holy life, but we need to receive the divine experience and be filled with the Holy Spirit who gives us the grace to live out God's plan for holy living. -- We can't live a holy life alone in our own power. Yes, we can discipline ourselves, but it is always with an inner struggle. God put in place a plan for us to to be set free from the bent toward sin. We need the kind of doctrinal preaching that will lead people to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit so they can have a holy relationship with a holy God. Let's use the Biblical terms like Sanctification [8th Kingdom - The Eternal Kingdom of Jeus Christ] so people will understand them when they read about them in the Word. There has never been a greater need for the church to preach the wonderful message of [8th Kingdom] holiness. Let's proclaim it! ~ Dr. Louie E. Bustle - President, Holiness Legacy - www.holinesslegacy.com -- {Note: The Holiness movement has a history of men and women being Servant Leaders and in that capacity both men and women have pastored as servants representing Holiness pulpits to the congregation. But especially in this day and age it is not wise to let another person male or female have authority over you and sincerely a diverse and capable group of elders, leaders and mentors can and should have an equally or even a more significant impact on Christian and spiritual matters both for the group and for individuals.}

Psalms 118:19-29 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my Salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity [lit. wellbeing]. Blessed be He (Jesus) that cometh in the Name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the House of the LORD. God is the LORD, which hath shewed us [resurrection - sunrise] light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever. -- Holy Bible

Psalms 70:4 Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: and let such as love Thy Salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. -- Holy Bible

The Basic Christian Research Wiki 'Common Christian Faith' wiki website.

-- MADRID, Spain, May 24th, 2006 -- Cimaware Software (www.cimaware.com) continues to update AccessFIX after the complete overhaul of its MS Office repair Software with the release of AccessFIX version 5.00.

Today we have the first game of the new SLTV StarSeries season VI, an event that will deliver something like $15 000 to the best teams.  K1ck is among the 16 teams that will play the group stage, but the kick off will be between zNation an...

Taking a look at the Man at Work famous song lyrics, "I come from a land down under where women glow and men plunder", so does the new League of Legends Beta Server from Riot. In fact, they have launched a Beta server in Oceania for players in the region and soon will be creating the world's first official Oceania tournament to help celebrate the deed....

Watch all of this . It will send chills down your spine .

Subject: Biting the bullet on expenses


The President ordered the cabinet to cut a whopping $100 million from the $3.5 trillion federal budget!

I'm so impressed by this sacrifice that I have decided to do the same thing with my personal budget. I spend about $2000 a month on groceries, medicine, bills, etc, but it's time to get out the budget cutting ax, go line by line through my expenses, and go to work.

I'm going to cut my spending at exactly the same ratio -1/35,000 of my total budget. After doing the math, it looks like instead of spending $2000 a month; I'm going to have to cut that number by six cents!

Yes, I'm going to have to get by with $1999.94, but that's what sacrifice is all about. I'll just have to do without some things, that are, frankly, luxuries.

John P. Taxpayer

While gas prices are spiking, the liberal media keep spinning for their hero in the White House
Read BMI's Analysis Here!


The liberal media have become President Obama’s megaphone -- eagerly applauding his every move and repeating his talking points on everything from ObamaCare to his massive spending plans to government takeovers to the rest of statist proclivities. Beyond parroting the White House line on every national and international issue and event, the liberal media hide any story that exposes the many failures of this administration. The liberal media have no intention of truthfully reporting the news. Their goal is to discredit the opposition while dutifully and passionately reciting Obama’s liberal mantra as if it were news -- propagandizing in an attempt to reshape the political opinions of unwary Americans.

Alan Simpson, Republican Senator from Wyoming, Co-Chair of Obama's deficit commission, calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he compared "Social Security" to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats.
August, 2010.

Here's a response in a letter from an unknown farmer in Montana ....
I think he is a little ticked off! He also tells it like it is !
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Alan, let's get a few things straight..

1. As a career politician, you have been on the public tit for FIFTY
YEARS.

2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15
years old.. I am now 63).

3. My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other
Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for
decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give
OUR money to a bunch of zero ambition losers in return for votes, thus
bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme
that would have made Bernie Madoff proud.

4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and your ilk pulled the
proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing
retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to
age 67. NOW, you and your shill commission are proposing to move the
goalposts YET AGAIN.

5. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare
from Day One, and now you morons propose to change the rules of the
game.. Why? Because you idiots mismanaged other parts of the economy
to such an extent that you need to steal money from Medicare to pay
the bills.

6. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our
entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why?
Because you incompetent bastards spent our money so profligately that
you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come
to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To add insult to injury, you label us "greedy" for calling "bullshit" on
your incompetence. Well, Captain Bullshit, I have a few questions for
YOU.

1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during
your pathetic 50-year political career?

2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and
how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the
American taxpayers?

3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?

4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you
proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or, as usual,
have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?

It is you, Captain Bullshit, and your political co-conspirators called
Congress who are the "greedy" ones. It is you and your fellow nutcases
who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from
millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers. And for what? Votes. That's right,
sir. You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of
advancing your pathetic political careers. You know it, we know it, and
you know that we know it.

And you can take that to the bank, you miserable ASS.

If you and your ex have tried the court-avoidance approaches in chapter 3 without success, you might be in a high-conflict case. While you probably already have a pretty good idea about what it means to be high conflict, this chapter will give you some tools and tips for working through these tough situations. In […]

Domestic violence. Behind closed doors, it secretly bruises the lives of millions of spouses, children, relatives, and friends each year. We’ve all seen the statistics: an estimated 10 million people in the United States are battered each year by their partners. If this is happening to you, rest assured that you are not alone and […]

For a variety of reasons, some people have a desire to keep their own assets and funds separate when entering a marriage.  They do not want to co-mingle their separate property and assets. Frequently, folks are interested in keeping gifts and inheritances separate, and with good reason. Some parties might be interested in separately maintaining […]

Dieser Unfall ist mehr als mysteriös: In Lengenbostel ist eine Autofahrerin mit einem Gegenstand kollidiert, den die Polizei bisher nicht identifizieren konnte. Die Beamten bitten nun um Hilfe aus der Bevölkerung.

weser-kurier.de

hessenschau.de

Sogar die erfahrensten Baristas schaffen es nicht, aus denselben Bohnen immer gleich guten Kaffee zu brühen. Wie eine aktuelle Studie zeigt, helfen ein paar Spritzer Wasser vor dem Mahlen. Die Feuchtigkeit macht den Mahlvorgang nicht nur effizienter, sie verhindert auch Klumpen. Das verbessert das Aroma und sorgt für gleichbleibende Qualität.

orf.at

Mäuse gehören zu den wichtigsten Labortieren der Wissenschaft. Um sie noch genauer untersuchen zu können, entwickelten Fachleute nun ein besonderes Werkzeug: eine Brille, die ähnlich wie bei Menschen virtuelle Realitäten (VR) erzeugt.

orf.at

Immobilienspekulation als Kunstaktion: Der Künstler "donhofer." versteigerte am Dienstag vor der Wiener Signa-Zentrale 54 Kloschüsseln.Am Dienstag, den 23. Jänner versteigerte "donhofer." Toilettenmuscheln vor der Signa-Zentrale auf der Freyung. Insgesamt 54 "Heisln" standen zur Auswahl, allesamt benannt nach Bauten und Subunternehmen der Signa Holding: vom "Galeria Heisl" übers "Elb Heisl" bis zum "Traum Heisl". "Das große Geschäft" heißt die Aktion, die anhand der im Dialekt auffallenden Begriffsähnlichkeit "Heisl" und "Haus" die Immobilienspekulationen des Konzerns aufs Korn nimmt.

derstandard.at

Do you feel as though you're in a rut? Does nothing feel engaging or entertaining? When you want to make sure you're still in the right direction and you don't want to settle for a mundane life, you'll discover that you need to start challenging yourself. When you take on a challenge head first, you're forcing yourself to grow. When your self-esteem needs a boost, challenging yourself can help you see yourself in a new light.