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God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

Jesus Christ demands self-denial, that is, self-negation (Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23), as a necessary condition of discipleship. Self-denial is a summons to submit to the authority of God as Father and of Jesus as Lord and to declare lifelong war on one's instinctive egoism. What is to be negated is not personal self or one's existence as a rational and responsible human being. Jesus does not plan to turn us into zombies, nor does he ask us to volunteer for a robot role. The required denial is of carnal self, the egocentric, self-deifying urge with which we were born and which dominates us so ruinously in our natural state. Jesus links self-denial with cross-bearing. Cross-bearing is far more than enduring this or that hardship. Carrying one's cross in Jesus' day, as we learn from the story of Jesus' own crucifixion, was required of those whom society had condemned, whose rights were forfeit, and who were now being led out to their execution. The cross they carried was the instrument of death. Jesus represents discipleship as a matter of following him, and following him as based on taking up one's cross in self-negation. Carnal self would never consent to cast us in such a role. "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die," wrote Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was right: Accepting death to everything that carnal self wants to possess is what Christ's summons to self-denial was all about.
J.I. Packer

Canon of the New Testament: 1. Early Christian writings gradually collected. Gospels. Paul’s writings (2 Peter 3:16). 2. Marcion, Gnostic heretic (139 A.D.) determined list of writings. Rejected O.T., revised Luke’s gospel, ten Pauline epistles. Restricted list. 3. Montanus claimed divine revelation. Expanded list. 4. Church responded to these attempts to expand or restrict. 5. Irenaeus, 180 A.D. cites 22 writings as acceptable: 4 gospels, Acts, 13 Pauline epistles, 1 Peter, 1, 2 John and Revelation. 6. Muratorian list - named after Italian Muratori (1740) who discovered such. Fragment dated late 2nd to 4th century. 22 books plus Apocalypse of Peter. Hebrews, 1,2 Peter, 3 John and James omitted. 7. Tertullian (150-230) – 22 books accepted: 4 gospels, Acts, 13 Pauline epistles, 1 Peter, 1 John, Jude, Revelation. 8. Origen (185-255). Three categories of writings: a. Acknowledged: 4 gospels, 13 Pauline epistles, 1 Peter, 1 John, Acts, Revelation. b. Disputed: 2 Peter, 2, 3 John, Hebrews, James and Jude; also Epistle of Barnabas, Shepherd of Hermas, Didache. c. Heretical: Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Peter, etc. 9. Eusebius (260-340). a. Acknowledged: 4 gospels, 14 Pauline epistles (Hebrews included), I Peter, I John, Acts. b. Disputed: James, Jude, 2 Peter, 2, 3 John, Revelation. Spurious: Shepherd of Hermas, Epistle of Barnabas, Didache, Acts of Paul. c. Heretical: Gospel of Thomas, Peter, Acts of Andrew etc. 10. Codex Sinaiticus (4th century). 27 books plus Epistle of Barnabas and Shepherd of Hermas. 11. Council of Laodicea (363) - 26 books. Revelation omitted. 12. Athanasius (367) - first time list includes the 27 books of present N.T. 13. Jerome's Vulgate included 27 books of N.T. 14. Augustine (397), 3rd Council of Carthage, accepted 27 books of N.T.
James Fowler

    • Hot Provolone Squares

    Posted on
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    CATEGORY CUISINE TAG YIELD
    Dairy Holidays, Christmas, Appetizers 16 Appetizers

    INGREDIENTS

    1 oz (1/4 cup) shredded provolone cheese
    1/4 c Mayonnaise or salad dressing
    1/2 ts Dijon mustard
    1/4 ts Dried thyme leaves
    16 Slices cocktail-sized pumpernickel bread

    INSTRUCTIONS

    In small bowl, combine cheese, mayonnaise, mustard and thyme; mix well.
Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese mixture on each bread slice. Place
slices on ungreased cookie sheet. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 2 to 4
minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Yield 16 appetizers Typed in MMFormat by
cjhartlin@msn.com Source: Pillsbury Holiday Party Recipes.
Posted to MM-Recipes Digest  by "Cindy Hartlin" <cjhartlin@email.msn.com>
on Oct 12, 1998

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