CARM Newsletter 04-26-07

Welcome to the April 26, 2007 Newsletter

Rambling along

Even though it has been two weeks since the last newsletter, there really isn't a whole bunch to say.  So, I think I will ramble for a few paragraphs.

CARM is, of course, becoming even more demanding.  In my home we have an upstairs room that is 15.5 feet by 23.5 feet.  That is 364 square feet of space that we are using for the CARM office.  We are getting a new sofa sleeper, getting rid of the existing bed, and replacing it with a third desk.  The obvious reason we're doing this is because we need more help and are preparing for God to provide personnel.  In fact, a young man named Ryan will be here in about a month and will stay with us for 10 days in order to check us out to decide if he wants to work with us.  He is graduating next year with his masters in apologetics and is extremely interested in working with CARM.  We can't pay him a full-time salary but we hope to be able to support him part-time as he works and, hopefully, full support will come in.  He knows the situation here and is willing to see how the Lord provides.  I wish he were here now. I'm way behind in answering e-mails, writing projects, and research and really need the help.

Deborah is a woman from church who comes in once or twice a week and does administrative work for CARM.  We are paying her $200 a month.  She has gotten us caught up and has set me free to do more writing.  Also, Diane S. in New Jersey has been working with CARM for years.  She's an invaluable asset and oversees working the discussion boards.  We  also pay her $200 a month.  She, of course, deserves much more but this is all we can muster right now.

Next week a bookkeeper will be coming down from northern Idaho to stay with my use for a couple of days.  He's going to do our taxes, take a look at the books, get us situated, etc.  The goal is to become as transparent as possible financially and to make sure that everything is above board.

bestofcarmforums.com

I just obtained www.bestofcarmforums.com.   Its purpose is to provide a place where we can record some of the best (and worst) of the CARM discussion forums which are extremely active.  We have over 16,700 people who have registered, more than 20 million page views since July 6, 2006 (about 75,000 page views a day!) and we have about 20 moderators watching the whole thing.  Whew!

There are a lot of good Christians who write very good posts and we would like to provide a place to archive them logically.  So, it is just another way to try and reach out in evangelism and equipping of the saints.

You Tube.com

If you're interested, you can go to youtube.com and check out some videos.  The first two are me having a discussion with some atheists at the 33rd annual atheist convention in Seattle, Washington in April, 2007.  The third is where I introduce CARM.  Let me know what you think and if you'd like to see more. You can contact me at [email protected]

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSw8Gh-PPA0 talking about morality of the bible.
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E8bWz10I3w talking about morality and atheism.
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyLARs_oJD8 I introduce CARM.

Radio Show

The radio show is still doing well and even though we have had a slump in financial support, we still have enough to keep it on the air.  We appreciate all of you who have contributed so far.  Also, the CARM radio shows are put on podcasts and Diane S. (one of the main helpers at CARM) told me yesterday that the page views for checking out the podcast are just under 60,000 for the past 30 days.  That's cool.

You can get the pod casts by signing up here:  http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=432798

Logos Software

By way of reminder, if any of you are interested in perhaps one of the very best, if not the best, Bible programs available, please check out http://www.logos.com/carm.  I use it all the time.  If  you purchase software through the CARM link, you can get a discount and it helps to support CARM as well.

If you get anything at Logos, use CARM as the coupon code during checkout.

Please Support CARM
$5 a month.  If you have not already, would you please consider a monthly donation of five dollars? You can easily set it up at http://www.carm.org/goods/donations.htm

Love and Hate Mail
CARM is constantly getting e-mails of thanks and praise and condemnation.  Here are a few...in the raw.  (At the suggestion of a reader, the hate mail is first so that the last taste in your mouth, is the love mail).

• Hate mail
  
  • Apparently you are so thickheaded that you just don't get it -- Wake-up you idiot!    It matters little that you happen to think Mormonism is false.  It still doesn't solve your own problems of practicing UN-biblical evangelism. No censorious DVD or anti-Mormon website will help your crusade against the Latter-day Saints.  The olden days of Witch-hunting and Spanish Inquisitions are all finished -- Praise be to God.
  • Just trying to understand why you seem to try and put down everyone else, there is no hate nor ill feelings, just a lack of understanding why your website seems to be dedicated to putting others down, thats all.
  • Do you know how to read?  Let's try this one again -- You anti-Mormon idiot!   "Traditional Wicca was founded by Gerald Gardner, a British civil servant, who wrote a series of books on the religion in the 1940's. It contains references to Celtic deities, symbols, seasonal days of celebration, etc."   Is this a good time to do your erroneous evangelical "Alter-call" and parrot back some non-biblical LOSERS prayer?
  • Are you stupid people part of the catholic faith? Which is the synagogue of SATAN!!!!! NONE of you people can even comprehend the greek and hebrew SCRIPTS !!!! There was an "ADAM" & " EVE" of the blacks , the asians, and a few others  ON THE  SIXTH  DAY !!!! Then the Father let the agriculture and WILD animals establish themselves ......... And dont forget that a day with yhe LORD! Is as a thousand years with man!...You people are either Kenites  ,  or totally inept and ignorant, or just plain @#$%*&% stupid!!!! Wake up your eyes are shut.    Man are you gonna hate yourselves.  I hope you snap out of your Babylon...I'm gonna have GREAT pleasure fixing your wagons in the millenium, which you probably don't even understand anyway! You have to go by the Hebrew and the Greek scriptures to "KNOW" whats going on!!! The English BIBLE is polluted every one with any brains knows that DO YOU!!!!!!
• Love mail:
  • Thank you for your report on Pokemon. I remembered that I knew it was not good, but I needed to be able to tell my daughter who received some of it from another person to give to her son. I am now able to tell her and I thank you very much. God bless your efforts!
  • It saddens me as a Born-Again Believer to see the abuse that you receive. these people need to examine their lives and get right with God. No love or respect is shown to you or to your views. I abhor the teachings of the Roman Catholic Institution and its' Pope, but I would not go around insulting the Roman Catholics.  At whatever opportunity arises, I would Endeavour to reach them with God's help. The same goes for the harlot cults like JWs, Mormons & Islam that have spawned  out of the 'Mother Churches' ranks. Your web site is great! Long may it continue!
  • Thank you Matt, for the quick response to my e-mail. I truly appreciate the tremendous work God has called you to do regarding the Carm website.  Over the years, Carm has been a source of knowledge in my Christian walk and also an inspiration which has helped me witness boldly to others. I can't thank you enough for being obedient to your calling!   May God continue to bless you and your ministry.
  • Praise God for CARM, somebody to stand in the gap all you bible people know what I mean. Keep up the truth telling Matt, you are really getting to those "thick skin people" the so called intellectuals

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Same as Last Newsletter

1. Podcast Link -  If you are interested in listening to the radio podcasts of faith and reason,  there are several options.  One is to go to the CARM home page and click on the radio link, or go to www.carm.org/radio/radio.htm, or click on this link http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=432798 and enter your e-mail address.  Its free and you'll be notified every time the podcast page is updated.
2. Feedback and Suggestions - I would love to have feedback and suggestions from the CARM readers about the website, the radio show, and this newsletter.  Please feel free to let me know what you would like covered and/or addressed.  [email protected]
3. Please Support CARM - CARM is supported by the voluntary gifts and offerings of people like you.  I have revamped the donations system and hope that this new year will bring in more support so that we can hire an additional staff person.  Even $5 a month can make a big difference.  CARM is on the front lines and we need all the help we can get.  Please pray for us.  We need it.
4. Discussion Boards - The CARM Discussion Forums are doing extremely well.  In less than a year we have over 13,700 people signed up as participants. We even have a donation option for people to support the Ministry and have extended posting privelaes.  If you are interested in learning how to defend your faith as well as finding out what others believe about vendors, than the CARM discussion forums are the place to be.
5. Chat Room http://www.carm.org/boards/chat.htm.  Want a live discussion?
6. Thanks Again - Thanks to all of you who have been signing up for the online schools and donations to CARM.    They have been a real encouragement to this Ministry as they have increased lately.
7. Prayer Ministry - CARM does have a prayer Ministry.  If you are interested in joining us as we pray for others' needs, or if you have needs that you need prayer for, please go to http://www.carm.org/prayer.htm and sign up.
8. Online Schools. Theology, Apologetics, and Critical Thinking.  You can support CARM and also learn.
9. Live Radio Show! - The show is called "Faith and Reason with Matt Slick."  I am on for one hour, five days a week, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Mountain Time). It's a live call-in show where people can ask all kinds of questions dealing with Christianity, the Bible, cults, counseling, the occult, etc.  You can call in to the number is 208-377-3790 and/or listen live via the Internet at www.myfamilyradio.com on the AM station.  P odcasting CARM now has podcasting ability for past radio shows:  http://feeds.feedburner.com/carmorgpodcasting.
10. Suggestions?
    Do you have any suggestions for the CARM newsletter or the CARM website?  If so, please contact us at [email protected]  We want to know what you think, areas of need that you would like to see addressed, as well as any comments you might have.

From the CARM Theological Dictionary
Gospel
The Gospel is the good news that we have forgiveness of sins through Jesus. Specifically, the gospel is defined by Paul in 1 Cor. 15:1-4: "Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
The gospel comes from God (Gal. 1:10-12), is the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16), is a mystery (Eph. 6:19), and is a source of hope (Col. 1:23), faith (Acts 15:7), life (1 Cor. 4:15), and peace (Eph. 6:15).

Be fishers of men, not keepers of the aquarium