The Council of Jerusalem: We may prove this quite readily by turning to Acts 15:6-31, where we read of the first General Church Council. A serious question of doctrine arose, and "the apostles and the presbyters came together to consider this matter" (Acts 15:6). After hearing the arguments and testimony of Peter, Paul and Barnabas, the leader of the Council, James [half brother of Jesus, writer of the book of James], then passed a decree with the words, "Therefore I judge" (Acts 15:19, 'dio ego krino'). This passage describes no truly democratic process, but rather it describes submission to the judgment of a central ecclesiastical authority [an authority completely submitted to Jesus Christ]. -- After receiving the judgment of James, "it pleased the apostles and presbyters together with the whole Church" (Acts 15:22: 'apostolois kai tois presbyterois syn hole ekklesia') to dispatch delegates with a letter promulgating the decree of the Council. The council then drafted a letter in the name of "the apostles and the brother-presbyters" (Acts 15:23: 'hoi apostoloi kai hoi presbyteroi adelphoi'). This phrasing, and especially the apposition of 'presbyteroi' and 'adelphoi', is quite precise in establishing the authority of the decision of the Council in the office of the ministers who serve and lead the Church, as opposed to a democratic process. -- Does the phrase "whole Church" here refer to the universal Church, or merely to the entirety of the congregation at Jerusalem. Recalling that the leadership of the Council was comprised of the apostles who were planting local churches in the Hellenistic world, delegates of the Hellenistic churches, and the presbyters of the church at Jerusalem, we can only rightly conclude that they spoke in the name of the universal Church. Indeed, the letter explicitly states that the authors speak in the authority of the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28); since Paul tells us that it is by one Spirit that we were baptized into one body (1 Cor. 12:13) which is Christ (1 Cor. 12:27) and over which Christ is the head (1 Eph. 1:22-23), when Luke writes in Acts 15:22 of the leadership of the whole Church assenting to the decree of James which is binding on all Gentile Christians, he is necessarily speaking of the Church in its universal or catholic sense. -- The Council then sent the letter to the local churches in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. This letter remarks that the false doctrine which the council repudiated was in fact discernibly false because "we gave no such commandments" (Acts 15:24). Hence, the Bible tells us that right doctrine is subject to the discernment of the leadership of the whole Church. The decree of the Council of Jerusalem went on, then, to establish a binding obligation upon all Christians in the local churches of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: "that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality" (Acts 15:29). Did the local churches bristle at this imposition of doctrine and practice from the ecclesiastical leadership of the whole Church? Not at all, but rather they "rejoiced over its encouragement" (Acts 15:31). Clearly, the Bible itself sets a precedent for the government of the universal Church by means of General Councils.

Over the years the Christian Church has virtually been defined by its vast ability to disagree. In fact the quote "let's agree to disagree" can almost be the new banner of Christianity. Some people readily point out and wonder if there really is a Christian truth because the Church itself agrees on very few Christian tenants. But this is not really an accurate reflection because the Church does agree on many things and is united on many beliefs. This is a discussion list where we as Christians can "Agree to Agree" and then the next time someone says "the Church doesn't even agree" well here are some areas of agreement. - These topics are starting beyond the already given basics of Christianity in that Jesus Christ is God born of the Virgin Mary, Himself a Godly encounter physically among humans yet remaining consistent with the Triune nature of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is Divine and without sin. He was rejected by mankind crucified and died. His death is the Full Payment for all of the sins of the world. His resurrection is of Everlasting Life and provided to those who personally receive Him as God and their Savior. Jesus is the rightful and righteous Ruler of the world and He will physically return to righteously reign, rule and judge His creation that we call the universe. -- "1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures" - All the best, God bless everyone ~ David Anson Brown

Douglas Hamp is a specialist in ancient languages including Biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek. Doug says something ominous is coming upon the world: it is Satan's final effort in the battle to destroy the image that man was created in, which has been raging since the beginning of time. If Satan can destroy the image, then he can avert his own destruction. The prophecy of Genesis 3:15 states the serpent will one day mix his seed with humanity as a counterfeit of the Messiah. Jesus told us that the last days will be like the days of Noah when fallen angels mixed their seed with humanity. In the Book of Daniel we read that "they" will again mingle with the seed of men. How so? Satan will use man's desire to be his own god to deceive him into believing the ultimate lie - that his fallen messengers are both the creators and saviors of man. He will not do this openly but will deceive mankind through demons which are masquerading as "aliens" who are spreading the message that the inhabitants of the earth can evolve to be like them and obtain transcendent powers. Finally, the seed of the Serpent will come; he will be a man who will be greater than his fellows, who will understand sinister schemes and shall rise up and become the Antichrist. That day of fulfillment is nearly upon us!

On this episode of Remnant X Radio we will be advancing the story with the latest edition of "Thugonomics" entitled, "Birds of a Feather." We will look at the linkage between John Higgins and his friend David Berg, between the recruitment of members for House of Miracles and The Child of God Cult. A lot of folks do not know that John and David worked on a few things together and shared ideas. You will be surprised at how much of the Children of God Cult is in Calvary Chapel. -- Your homework will be to google "Children of God."

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."

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?

Sam Gipp delivers the truth cleverly and effectively in this short docu-drama.

This is a study of the Godhead; also called the Trinity, or the Tri-unity of God. The best definition of the Trinity is that there is only one God, but in unity of the divine and infinite Godhead there are three personalities, the Father, the Word (or Son), and Holy Spirit, of one substance, power and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided. Again in simpler terms; There is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and co-equal Persons; the same in essence but distinct in existence.

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

I hate to compare any minister of God to a gangster. But the sad truth is that today there are a handful (well, maybe more) of unscrupulous preachers who share some of Capone's most disgusting traits. They are notoriously greedy. They are masters of deception and manipulation. They have bought their way into the charismatic religious subculture and used their uncanny hypnotic ability to control major Christian TV networks. And, like Capone, their days are numbered. Justice will soon catch up with them. These false prophets probably all started out with a genuine call from God, but success destroyed them. They were lured away from true faith by fame and money, and when their ministries mushroomed they resorted to compromise to keep their machines rolling. Now, in the midst of the Great Recession, God is closing in on them. But before we rejoice that these imposters are being removed from their pulpits and yanked off the airwaves, let's hit the pause button and reflect. How did these false preachers ever achieve such fame? It couldn't have happened without help from us. We were the gullible ones. When they said, "The Lord promises you untold wealth if you will simply give a thousand dollars right now," we went to the phones and put the donations on our credit cards. God forgive us. We were the undiscerning ones. When they said, "I need your sacrificial gift today so I can repair my private jet," we didn't ask why a servant of God wasn't humble enough to fly coach class to a Third World nation. God forgive us. We were the foolish ones. When it was revealed that they were living in immorality, mistreating their wives or populating cities with illegitimate children, we listened to their spin doctors instead of demanding that ministry leaders act like Christians. God forgive us. We were the naïve ones. When they begged for $2 million more in donations because of a budget shortfall, we didn't feel comfortable asking why they needed that $10,000-a-night hotel suite. In fact, if we did question it, another Christian was quick to say, "Don't criticize! The Bible says, 'Touch not the Lord's anointed!'" God forgive us. We have treated these charlatans like Al Capone-as if they were untouchable-and as a result their corruption has spread throughout charismatic churches like a plague. Our movement is eaten up with materialism, pride, deception and sexual sin because we were afraid to call these Bozos what they really are-insecure, selfish, egotistical and emotionally dysfunctional. If we had applied biblical discernment a long time ago we could have avoided this mess. There is no way we can know how many unbelievers rejected the gospel because they saw the church supporting quacks who swaggered, bragged, lied, flattered, bribed, stole and tearfully begged their way into our lives-while we applauded them and sent them money. When well-meaning Christians quote 1 Chronicles 16:22 ("Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm," NASB) to cover up corruption or charlatanism, they do horrible injustice to Scripture. This passage does not require us to stay quiet when a leader is abusing power or deceiving people. On the contrary, we are called to confront sin in a spirit of love and honesty-and we certainly aren't showing love to the church if we allow the charismatic Al Capones of our generation to corrupt it. ~ J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma and author of the new book The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale. Follow him on Twitter at leegrady.

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.

In Rick Warren To Be Featured At Desiring God 2010 - I was among the few who broke the story that Dr. Piper had made the ill-advised decision to invite Leadership Network's propped-up Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren to DG 2010 as a keynote speaker. Then, as I shared in Rick Warren Doctrinal And Sound?, unfortunately it got even worse when Dr. Piper decided to defend his decision: At root I think [Rick Warren] is theological and doctrinal and sound. ... So whether one even knows it or not, Warrengate still is slowly simmering; Dr. Piper's choice here has had the rippling effect of people, even outside of any discernment ministries, beginning to look a little closer at his theology, educational background, and associations; e.g. his charismatic bent, his connection to Fuller Theological Seminary, and with the late Ralph Winter. I had received a tip from a source back in June of this past year; and as I followed up on it, it would eventually lead me to discover some disturbing information which I orginally began sharing in Questions Concerning Dr. John Piper and Dr. John Piper And Unanswered Questions. When I wrote those initial articles Dr. Piper was on his much talked about sabbatical; now however, he is back and a few of the mystic books I pointed in the latter piece are no longer in the BBC online library. ... What I just showed you here should give us real concern as the obstensibly Reformed, "happy," and "romantic," Calvinist Dr. John Piper is sounding less like a charismatic and more like a mystic as he points us to apostate teachers of Roman Catholicism and its spiritually bankrupt mysticism; and from what we can see, this has been going on for quite some time now. Perhaps, now that his discernment is so far off he's even promoting the double-minded Rick Warren, the time has finally arrived for some of his DG speakers to take a closer look at what's going on in this neo-Reformed camp.

I will be joined by a very special guest Alex Grenier of the website Calvary Chapel Abuse. We will sit down and discuss the CC movement and the patterns of abuse that are growing at an alarming matter. We will discuss his meeting with Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel lawyer Janet Carter. Just a warning, this will not be for the weak of stomach or those who freely drink down the Calvary Chapel Kool-Aid! Please plan to join us as we deal with Devils! -- This just in! We were able to get Chuck Smith on the phone and he was open and honest about his feelings toward Alex and the problems concerning the "movement". I was shocked at his willingness to talk. This is a must listen you will get a truly unique look behind the Calvary Chapel curtain - Check out our web-site @ www.remnantXradio.com

If you'll notice the diagram behind him, the Kingdom Circles are part of the session. Basically, it's a simple but highly questionable [completely wrong] evangelical tool that people are being taught to draw (sometimes called the "napkin drawing") to demonstrate how those of other faiths can enter the Kingdom of God without converting to Christianity. If you've not heard of this, you need to. The video from the Common Path Alliance as well as this article from the Jesus in the Qur'an organization explains it: -- {Note: In the misleading demonstration three circles are drawn first a lager Kingdom of God (KoG) circle and then two small identical circles supposedly representing Christians and Muslims outside the larger KoG circle, yes in the completely misleading diagram Christians are placed outside of the Kingdom with all the other unsaved Gentiles. Apparently the already saved Christians are still attempting to enter the Kingdom of God and in the demonstration Jesus is not mentioned so their kingdom is not the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Interestingly though not explicitly explained it seems that entrance into their KoG is not directly through the cross of Jesus Christ but apparently through special knowledge (Gnosticism), enlightenment (Occult), and works (i.e. Service and Tithes) it sound very familiar, is sounds like the New Age gospel.} -- Colossians 1:12-23 "Giving thanks unto the Father [God], which hath made us [Christians] meet [assembled] to be partakers of the inheritance **of the Saints in Light: Who [God] hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us **into the Kingdom [of God] of His dear Son [Jesus]: **In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: [Jesus] Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn [inheritor] of every creature: For by Him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is [Eternal] before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head [Authority] of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the firstborn [Resurrection] from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father [God] that in Him [Jesus] should all fulness [Godhead] dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, **by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you [Gentiles], that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled In the body of His flesh through death, **to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the [True] Gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I [Apostle] Paul am made a minister ..."

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? ...

Garden Tomb: A Color photo of a New Testament style tomb like the one Jesus was buried in. Arguments abound over whether or not this is the tomb of Jesus. Although this is not the traditional site, it is very similar to the tomb described in the Bible and is an excellent image for illustration. tomb, Jesus, burial, garden tomb, resurrection, Jerusalem.

We are going to begin to look at some of the aspects of Holy Week regarding what actually happened during the final Amazing events of Jesus Christ while He was physically here on earth. We will be considering what His events accomplished and how His completed events affect us today both personally and individually as Christians and as a whole in the Christian Church. - God bless you ~ David Anson Brown

When does the next episode come out? We will be filming May 21-25, 2012. The next episodes will be available in early June 2012. Our goal is to film 2-3 episodes at a time, producing a total of around 10 episodes. If you would like to assist us in this endeavor, please donate today.

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.}

Introduction: This study is based upon the premise, and the writer holds the view, that both the Old and New Testaments constitute the divinely inspired Word of God, inerrant in the originals, and the final authority for life and truth. This is the official position of the National Holiness Association and, quite uniformly, the view of Wesleyan-Arminians everywhere. Therefore, the Bible provides an authoritarian basis for the doctrine of holiness. Careful exegesis under the leadership of the Holy Spirit will not only communicate with the prophetic voice of "thus saith the Lord," so much needed in our day, but will contribute a dynamic force to the message of full salvation and deliverance from both the penalty and power of sin. ... From the very beginning God progressively revealed His holiness to man, as man was capable of understanding that holiness. The grandeur of the creation has given to men of all ages, notwithstanding the effects of the curse because of sin, a sense of awe (cf. Ps. 69). This is a step in developing the concept of the holiness of the Creator, and it accounts for the rise of the multiplied religious superstitions all over the world as man has sought peace with a force greater in power aud purity than himself. -- Before we examine a number of Scriptures which set forth the holiness of God, **let us be reminded that holiness is not essentially power as expressed in the creation and other works of God; it is essentially a moral purity. Wiley states, "Holiness as it relates to the Father, expresses the perfection of moral excellence which in Him exists unoriginated and underived." It is not only a principle of divine action, but it is incumbent upon His creatures. It is important that we take careful note of the Bible teaching which relates the holiness of God to man. Again Wiley says, "It is evident that holiness is not only the inward character of God as perfect goodness but consistency with this character as a standard for His own activity; and further, it is a requirement for His morally responsible creatures." ... The Epistle to the Ephesians has become a favorite as a basis for preaching holiness. ... This New Testament book also deals with the growth aspect of the holy life in chapter 4. After presenting the church universal, the Apostle [Paul] identifies the various functions of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the "perfecting [completing - achieving] of the saints." This process is to continue until "we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect [complete] man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Jesus Christ." While absolute perfection cannot be realized in this life, **we can achieve Christian maturity: "That henceforth we be no more children" (4:14). This process will culminate in the glorification of the church, as described in chapter 5, verses 25-27: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." The present tense in the book of Ephesians is impressive and significant. They were at the time of Paul's writing, saints (1:1). Now, we as they, are in Christ (2:13), and none are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints (2:19). **Now we have access to God (2:18). Now the power of God works in us. "Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (3:20). It was a happy day in my life, after a period of confusion resulting from oft repeated cliches, and so much theoretical preaching which was not Bible based, that the Bible itself began to speak to me and its total message was fully redemptive. ***The atoning work of Jesus Christ was adequate for my deepest need, for both time and eternity. This truth is so vast and so profound that we will always be reaching out to comprehend and appropriate it. This study has touched only the surface. Nothing has been said about the typology of holiness. Such works as A. B. Simpson's two volumes, The Holy Spirit, are especially valuable to such a study. I am convinced that the Bible is relevant, and that there is a Biblical basis for the doctrine of holiness.

An Ancient Holy Week Timeline, Bible Study, Devotional & Personal Journal for Easter Week 2012. ... Follow along with Jesus in the current Resurrection (Easter) holiday dates of 2012 during the last Ten days leading up to and including His Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. It also marvelously explains and demonstrates that Jesus did indeed die and remain deceased for a total of 3 days and 3 nights and that He then Resurrected' returned from death' just as He prophesied that He would. This is a Personal Study-Journal encouraging the reader to include their own devotions during this 10 day journey with Jesus. ... It will change your life!

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

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-- 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.

Since the announcement of the next generation gaming consoles from Microsoft and Sony that we have been watching a massive fight between the companies on who is the best, which one does this and that, trying to mold the general public opinion. So far, it seems that Playstation 4 is gaining ground over Xbox One among the public, in an attempt to control the game console market. But are these two t...

Nexon has announced their new Starter League, the first serious attempt to create a DotA 2 league in  South Korea. The NSL will be an open league which will lead to the creation of new DotA 2 teams and increase competition within the country's borders, although the event coverage will also be done in En...

Sometimes a League of Legends match doesn't go on as smoothly as you predicted, with players throwing offensive comments at each other for some stupid reason. In the end, all is quickly forgotten, everybody disconnects from that game and goes on to the next one, hoping to have better teammates. Well, this isn't the case of the 19-year-old Justin Carter that found himself in jail after responding to another player’s comment on fa...

Today our  K1ck League of Legends team will be disputing the Dreamhack Valencia 2013 qualifier, trying to get a pass to the final stage of the competition. Twenty teams will be competing against each other and as usual, we can find some well known names in the community among them. Our games will be streamed live in our...

vsLiveStreaming...

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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....

K1ck will once again attend the Dreamhack Valencia, a must go event since we won the first edition Counter-Strike tournament back in 2011. Last year our club was represented by two teams and this year we will be doing the same, as...

This joke was nominated for best joke of the year.


A Russian arrives in New York City as a new immigrant to the United States He stops the first person he sees walking down the street and says, "Thank you Mr. American for letting me into this country, giving me housing, food stamps, free medical care, and a free education!"

The passerby says, "You are mistaken, I am a Mexican.."

The man goes on and encounters another passerby. "Thank you for having such a beautiful country here in America ."
The person says, "I not American, I Vietnamese."

The new arrival walks farther, and the next person he sees he stops, shakes his hand, and says, "Thank you for wonderful America !"
That person puts up his hand and says, "I am from Middle East . I am not American."

He finally sees a nice lady and asks, "Are you an American?"
She says, "No, I am from Africa ."
Puzzled, he asks her, "Where are all the Americans?"
The African lady checks her watch and says, "Probably at work."

Thought you'd enjoy this one!
This one you want your Children and Grandchildren to read.
They won’t believe this happened, but it DID.
Harry & Bess
This seems unreal.....



Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more, important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House.

The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri . His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there.

When he retired from office in 1952, his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.

After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them.

When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, "You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale.."

Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise."

As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.

Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale. (e.g. Illinois )

Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!

I say dig him up and clone him!!
He was born May 8 1884
This is not sent for discussion.

How does cheating affect a divorce? It’s a question we get asked often, as it’s a situation that unfortunately happens quite frequently. We have a lot of literature on this site on this topic already but this article will specifically focus on what happens to the partner who has actually engaged in the extra marital […]

New video by PeteNewport: This is Art #MadeInUSA #PaddleCraftsmanship #HandcraftedGear #AmericanMade #Watersport #PaddleStrong

So here's how our acronym breaks out: F-O-R-G-E F = "Forget the Past" 0 = "Opportunity Abounds" R = "Refocus Your Efforts and Energy" G = "Getting Starts with Getting it Going" E = "Experience Renewal of Mind, Body and Spirit" Here's our acronym as a statement we can repeat to ourselves to help us refocus our thoughts and take positive actions each day: I " Forget The Past " because " Opportunity Abounds " anew each day. Therefore, I " Refocus My Efforts and My Energy " towards "G etting It Going " and " Experiencing Renewal in Mind, Body and Spirit " Final Thoughts For You One of my favorite success and motivation coaches once said "You don't have to get it right, you just have to get it going" .

When I was a teenager, I went to a lot of small club shows to see bands. Usually, they were punk bands that played loud and I’d be right in front of the speakers. The next day at school my ears would be ringing so loud that I could barely hear anything. But it would […]

The post Do You Hear What I Hear? appeared first on Shawn Collins' Blog.

My dad died on June 12, 2002, and he was 61. Twenty years ago already. He was only nine years older than I am now and that’s weird to think about. In my professional life, I’ve probably spoken in front of crowds one hundred times or so. By far the most difficult time I ever […]

The post My Dad Passed Away 20 Years Ago Today appeared first on Shawn Collins' Blog.

Help! I’m taking part in the 31st Annual Austin Marathon Gives to raise money for Soccer Assist, who do great work for a cause that’s very close to my heart. The organizational mission of Soccer Assist is to help underserved, deserving youth (ages 7-11) participate in well-organized soccer leagues. In doing so, their collective goal […]

The post Please Make a Small Donation to Help More Kids Play Soccer appeared first on Shawn Collins' Blog.

I dreaded graduating college. After a rough start where I got a 1.0 GPA and landed on academic probation, I straightened things out. It took five years and one summer session (a Spanish class in a room with no A/C in the hot Maryland summer), but I finished what I started on May 20, 1993. […]

The post I Graduated from College 30 Years Ago Today appeared first on Shawn Collins' Blog.

My life changed in a big way twenty years ago today. It was the first Affiliate Summit that I organized with Missy Ward and it took place at Baruch College in New York City on November 3, 2003. Pulling the whole thing together happened pretty fast. We chatted on the phone about trying to start […]

The post The First Affiliate Summit Was 20 Years Ago Today appeared first on Shawn Collins' Blog.

If you remember, a little over a month ago I made a post about Yahgoohoogle and SearchThe4 as alternatives to the standard Google search. We'll, its been brought to my attention that SearchThe4 is dead. But, with its passing comes another site almost identical to it, only better.

Rjnsmith Search is a search engine that is basically SearchThe4 but with more options of search engines to use. The user has the option to use these search engines for general web searches.

Apple FINALLY gave in to the pressure to make a multi-function mouse. With the new "Mighty Mouse" you can right/left click, scroll 360 degrees, and program other buttons. Apple didn't sacrifice design for functionality, they accomplished both.



For $49 you can buy one of these new mice for OSX or XP. Yes, the mouse will work with Windows XP.

+MacMan

Ora pays tribute at the MTV Europe Music Awards, almost a month after the star's death.

Authorities in Argentina have released some details about the events surrounding the singer's death.

Milena Sanchez quit The Receipts last year, one of the UK's biggest podcasts, after a co-host rift.

I have felt the shadow of Timmy since childhood - but never imagined the name would be hurled at me by strangers in my 30s.