CARM Newsletter 01-08-05

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THANKS

I want to thank all of you who have signed up for the CARM newsletter. This is the first one of the year and I hope that you enjoy it as well as the rest of them to come. And, thank you for supporting CARM. It is a big help.

I should let you know that my wife and I are seriously considering me quitting my computer job and trying to work with CARM full-time. It seems as though the Lord is preparing us for this. When we moved from San Diego to Boise Idaho, I took a significant cut in pay. Furthermore, I just found out yesterday that my pay is being lowered again by two dollars per hour. This is because the company that I work for is having financial difficulties. So, it seems as though the Lord is slowly weaning me from secular support and moving me to a full-time position in CARM.

Please remember me in your prayers concerning this issue. It is a great responsibility to provide for my family and I take it very seriously.

We are scheduled to move into our new house in three weeks. We praise God for this opportunity. If and when I go full-time, I will have a large office to house my very large library, or I can finally unpack all the books that people have sent me over the years, place them on bookshelves, and continue to do research. It is very time-consuming and mentally challenging to read through false literature, false doctrines, document the errors, and then write about it. But, I love it and look forward to being able to get back into tackling the issues with which to the Lord has commissioned me to do.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT CARM?

following are just some of the e-mails I have received with comments from people regarding CARM.

• "An excellent site. Keep up the excellent work. It's amazing that God has given you such an amazing passion and talent. I praise God for using you to provide this information so that we have an answer to every question. I work in the corporate world and also am a music pastor, and the information is ever so useful. Thanks very very much," Cristina(Australia)
• "To the hearts, minds, hands, and feet of the CARM ministry, I say a very heartfelt thank you for your devotion and time. This ministry has equipped me in defending the faith and it has blessed me in the process. I am truly grateful for this ministry. May the Lord bless you and keep you as you continue to bless others and glorify His name," anonymous.
• "I am a seminary student at Baptist Bible Seminary, PA, listened to your debate, love your web page, and its concise help. I don't want to bog you down, but I just wanted to thank you so much for your hard work and Biblical answers. It has been a great blessing. I am praying for you and your perseverance as we seek to show the world the truth. THANKS AGAIN," Jason.
• "I am a new Christian. (Born again on 04/10/2000). I was watching the Shepherds Chapel daily, and believing all they taught. When I came across your web site, I was shocked by what I read. I was shocked, but I felt in my spirit that you were correct. I was also sending donations to Silent Unity. I called their prayer line, and they had a very calming effect. After I read information on your website, it made me think. They never once mentioned Jesus to me. I do not even open mail from them anymore, I throw it out immediately," anonymous.
• "I would like to thank you for the time & obvious effort you've put into this site. I know it will be a wonderful resource for myself and others. I especially enjoyed the abortion section. My brother and his wife have recently gone through a situation similar to what you experienced with your son Jacob. I know your account will bring them peace and understanding," Kris (Iowa).
• I just wanted to thank you very very much for this free information you have here at carm.org. It has helped me reaffirm my Christian faith, and understand other people in other religions, and how difficult it is for them to understand the bible other than their books. I just wanted to thank you very very much, "Laura

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN THIS NEWSLETTER?
Please let me know what suggestions you have for the CARM newsletter. I would also like to know what you like and don't like about it as it stands. The whole goal is to improve its quality. You can email me at [email protected] Thanks.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

The CARM online schools of apologetics and theology are finally up and running in their final location at http://school.carm.org/1-equip/member.php. It was an uphill battle trying to move the schools, install a new PHP script that governs their access, combine a newsletter e-mail program with them, and finalize how it all worked together. My brain muscles are now in shape.

Let your mind dwell on these things.

Perhaps you have heard the saying, "a mind is a terrible thing to waste." It is true. What we think in the deepest parts of our minds is the true reflection of who we are and if we let our minds dwell on that which is unholy, then we are, in a sense, wasting our God given gift of life and redemption. Jesus said,"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also," (Matt. 6:21). Scripture uses the term "heart" as a symbol of the deepest part of what we are. This is why Jesus says that where our treasure is, that is where our hearts will also be.

Where is your treasure? To what do you devote the most time? I'm not speaking about a job where you need to devote a lot of your time to provide for yourself and your family. I'm speaking of those things that occupy your mind when you have free time. What do you think about? What is your heart's desire?

For some people, sports is a major part of their lives. They fill their minds with statistics. For other's, it's cooking, or their children, or buying that next special something, or whatever else it might be. Of course, there's nothing wrong with being captivated by something in our lives that gives us passion purpose -- as long as it isn't sinful. I remember a friend of long ago who had a passion for plants. He loved exotic species from around the world and could recite their Latin names as well as their English ones. He could tell me where each plant came from, what it could in could not do, if it bore flowers, or any other special point about almost any plant. He had a fascination with them and a love for them. Therefore it was easy for me to conclude that he treasured plants and that his heart was truly "in" to plants. Of course, I could not relate. My treasure is in Christian apologetics to which he had no interest. We're all different aren't we?

Sometimes our minds dwell on those things that interest us because our interests drive our minds. But the Scripture says that we are to have our mind dwell upon good things. In other words, instead of letting our minds be led around by our passions, we are to discipline are thinking to godly things. This is what the Bible says: "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things," (Phil. 4:8).

There are eight conditions that Paul mentions with which our minds are to dwell. This does not mean that a particular mind-topic should qualify in every single area. Instead, the idea that Paul is trying to get across to us is that what our minds dwell on is important and that we should be thinking of things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good, excellent, and worthy of praise. Therefore, you need to ask yourself if what you think about, if what your treasure is, falls under the guideless listed in Phil. 4:8.

God has given these words of wisdom not as a restriction, but as a protection. What we think and how we think can influence what we are down deep. If we are to reflect Christ in our lives, should we not think of things that are true and good and right? Should we not have our minds dwell upon that which is holy and pure? Absolutely. In fact, God always dwells upon that which is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good, excellent, and worthy of praise. He does this because He is holy. Because God is Holy, God says to us, "You shall be holy, for I am holy," (1 Pet. 1:16). So, train your mind to think on godly things.

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In Him,

Rev. Matt Slick, your missionary to the Internet. Equipping the church to defend the faith in a secular society.

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