Ashley_Davis

I can agree with your statement. Especially about the Bengals vacationing!

I have not tried to entice anyone. I've only answered questions and responded to comments. If that's what you call enticing, I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable. All I've stated are my belief and how I feel. I didn't say you had to agree with me. Yes, we should help others. But we cannot help everyone individually. Sometimes it takes multitudes of people collectively. For example, the Hurricane Katrina victums, 9/11 victims, etc. I know personally that I cannot help ALL, not even most of them by myself. If everyone was nice and moral then, it would be a different story. But, unfortunately, everyone is not. Which is why it's important to provide guidance for the immoral. If we had no religion, (not just Christianity) then how would you suggest we reach this great majority of lost people? It's important for us to work together and make our world a better place.

I'm apart of the music ministry. But as far as being a payed staff person, no I'm not. I'm a faithful member. Why do you ask? -just curious! I hear tell there were some faithful members in the People's Temple in Jonestown. Quite an extreme and irrational comparison. All I'm saying is that it frightens me any time anyone blindly follows any group, directive or idealisim. I myself have Faith but can not see saying I'm a Faithful Member. Perhaps you don't understand what I mean by "faithful member"? All I'm saying is that I am consistantly active in my church. As a member I have a certain responsibility and duty to others. Just like being a member of an organization. There are certain things that are expected of you. I don't simply say that I "go" to Inspirational Baptist Church. Many people "attend" church but some are not actively involved. So many people go to church just to say they went, but I go to hear the word of God. (It's my school)This is my time to learn more from someone who studied the Bible. If you are in college, you go to class to learn about a certain subject matter. You have an advisor or professor who teaches you things from the text book. When I listen to my teacher (pastor), he always teaches from the text book (the Bible) and he says something that makes me think for myself. Just like in school. You don't just except what your professor tells you. You have to study the subject and learn it for yourself. Because at the end of the day, your professor is not going to be there to tell you every step to take. I don't just except what my pastor says because he's the pastor of my church. The bible says, in 2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to show thyself approved unto God". You have to have a personal understanding of the Word of God. Honestly, I don't know everything there is to know about God. But I want to learn as much as possible. So, I'm faithful in my committment to be involved with my church and learn more.

I'm apart of the music ministry. But as far as being a payed staff person, no I'm not. I'm a faithful member. Why do you ask? -just curious! I hear tell there were some faithful members in the People's Temple in Jonestown. I'm lost! I don't understand what that has to do with me. He asked a simple question about whether I had a position within the church of if I was a member.

I'm apart of the music ministry. But as far as being a payed staff person, no I'm not. I'm a faithful member. Why do you ask? -just curious! I was just curious. I noticed how you registered on the forums right when this topic went up so I thought maybe you were a full time member of the clergy or something. Actually, I didn't register until last week. But this article was posted in August. What are you talking about?

I'm apart of the music ministry. But as far as being a payed staff person, no I'm not. I'm a faithful member. Why do you ask? -just curious!

Seriously, just look at it. How is that anything BUT an idol? It cetainly is not a normal building nor a normal place of worship. It looks more like something that you would find at a theme park. Hey, if that is what your community wanted, then great. More power to you. I have my own beliefs, as do you. But when something like that is erected, people are going to comment on it. What exactly are you telling us to "look at"? The building has not been built yet.

A building is not an IDOL unless we are worshiping the building itself. For those of you who study the Bible should recall the scriptures of 1 Kings 6&7. These scriptures give a very descriptive picture of the temple (or place of worhip) that Solomon built for the Lord. Just in case you don't have a bible, I will post it. 1 Kings 6 Solomon Builds the Temple 1 It was in midspring, in the month of Ziv,[a] during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, that he began to construct the Temple of the Lord. This was 480 years after the people of Israel were rescued from their slavery in the land of Egypt. 2 The Temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 3 The entry room at the front of the Temple was 30 feet[c] wide, running across the entire width of the Temple. It projected outward 15 feet[d] from the front of the Temple. 4 Solomon also made narrow recessed windows throughout the Temple. 5 He built a complex of rooms against the outer walls of the Temple, all the way around the sides and rear of the building. 6 The complex was three stories high, the bottom floor being 7½ feet wide, the second floor 9 feet wide, and the top floor 10½ feet wide.[e] The rooms were connected to the walls of the Temple by beams resting on ledges built out from the wall. So the beams were not inserted into the walls themselves. 7 The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site. 8 The entrance to the bottom floor[f] was on the south side of the Temple. There were winding stairs going up to the second floor, and another flight of stairs between the second and third floors. 9 After completing the Temple structure, Solomon put in a ceiling made of cedar beams and planks. 10 As already stated, he built a complex of rooms on three sides of the building, attached to the Temple walls by cedar timbers. Each story of the complex was 7½ feet[g] high. 11 Then the Lord gave this message to Solomon: 12 “Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David. 13 I will live among the Israelites and will never abandon my people Israel.†The Temple’s Interior 14 So Solomon finished building the Temple. 15 The entire inside, from floor to ceiling, was paneled with wood. He paneled the walls and ceilings with cedar, and he used planks of cypress for the floors. 16 He partitioned off an inner sanctuary—the Most Holy Place—at the far end of the Temple. It was 30 feet deep and was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling. 17 The main room of the Temple, outside the Most Holy Place, was 60 feet[h] long. 18 Cedar paneling completely covered the stone walls throughout the Temple, and the paneling was decorated with carvings of gourds and open flowers. 19 He prepared the inner sanctuary at the far end of the Temple, where the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant would be placed. 20 This inner sanctuary was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He overlaid the inside with solid gold. He also overlaid the altar made of cedar. 21 Then Solomon overlaid the rest of the Temple’s interior with solid gold, and he made gold chains to protect the entrance[j] to the Most Holy Place. 22 So he finished overlaying the entire Temple with gold, including the altar that belonged to the Most Holy Place. 23 He made two cherubim of wild olive[k] wood, each 15 feet[l] tall, and placed them in the inner sanctuary. 24 The wingspan of each of the cherubim was 15 feet, each wing being 7½ feet[m] long. 25 The two cherubim were identical in shape and size; 26 each was 15 feet tall. 27 He placed them side by side in the inner sanctuary of the Temple. Their outspread wings reached from wall to wall, while their inner wings touched at the center of the room. 28 He overlaid the two cherubim with gold. 29 He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. 30 He overlaid the floor in both rooms with gold. 31 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary, he made double doors of wild olive wood with five-sided doorposts.[n] 32 These double doors were decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. The doors, including the decorations of cherubim and palm trees, were overlaid with gold. 33 Then he made four-sided doorposts of wild olive wood for the entrance to the Temple. 34 There were two folding doors of cypress wood, and each door was hinged to fold back upon itself. 35 These doors were decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers—all overlaid evenly with gold. 36 The walls of the inner courtyard were built so that there was one layer of cedar beams between every three layers of finished stone. 37 The foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid in midspring, in the month of Ziv,[o] during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign. 38 The entire building was completed in every detail by midautumn, in the month of Bul,[p] during the eleventh year of his reign. So it took seven years to build the Temple. 1 Kings 7 Solomon Builds His Palace Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years to complete the construction. 2 One of Solomon’s buildings was called the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. It was 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.[a] There were four rows of cedar pillars, and great cedar beams rested on the pillars. 3 The hall had a cedar roof. Above the beams on the pillars were forty-five side rooms, arranged in three tiers of fifteen each. 4 On each end of the long hall were three rows of windows facing each other. 5 All the doorways and doorposts[c] had rectangular frames and were arranged in sets of three, facing each other. 6 Solomon also built the Hall of Pillars, which was 75 feet long and 45 feet wide.[d] There was a porch in front, along with a canopy supported by pillars. 7 Solomon also built the throne room, known as the Hall of Justice, where he sat to hear legal matters. It was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling.[e] 8 Solomon’s living quarters surrounded a courtyard behind this hall, and they were constructed the same way. He also built similar living quarters for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married. 9 From foundation to eaves, all these buildings were built from huge blocks of high-quality stone, cut with saws and trimmed to exact measure on all sides. 10 Some of the huge foundation stones were 15 feet long, and some were 12 feet[f] long. 11 The blocks of high-quality stone used in the walls were also cut to measure, and cedar beams were also used. 12 The walls of the great courtyard were built so that there was one layer of cedar beams between every three layers of finished stone, just like the walls of the inner courtyard of the Lord’s Temple with its entry room. Furnishings for the Temple 13 King Solomon then asked for a man named Huram[g] to come from Tyre. 14 He was half Israelite, since his mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father had been a craftsman in bronze from Tyre. Huram was extremely skillful and talented in any work in bronze, and he came to do all the metal work for King Solomon. 15 Huram cast two bronze pillars, each 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference.[h] 16 For the tops of the pillars he cast bronze capitals, each 7½ feet tall. 17 Each capital was decorated with seven sets of latticework and interwoven chains. 18 He also encircled the latticework with two rows of pomegranates to decorate the capitals over the pillars. 19 The capitals on the columns inside the entry room were shaped like water lilies, and they were six feet[j] tall. 20 The capitals on the two pillars had 200 pomegranates in two rows around them, beside the rounded surface next to the latticework. 21 Huram set the pillars at the entrance of the Temple, one toward the south and one toward the north. He named the one on the south Jakin, and the one on the north Boaz.[k] 22 The capitals on the pillars were shaped like water lilies. And so the work on the pillars was finished. 23 Then Huram cast a great round basin, 15 feet across from rim to rim, called the Sea. It was 7½ feet deep and about 45 feet in circumference.[l] 24 It was encircled just below its rim by two rows of decorative gourds. There were about six gourds per foot[m] all the way around, and they were cast as part of the basin. 25 The Sea was placed on a base of twelve bronze oxen,[n] all facing outward. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east, and the Sea rested on them. 26 The walls of the Sea were about three inches[o] thick, and its rim flared out like a cup and resembled a water lily blossom. It could hold about 11,000 gallons[p] of water. 27 Huram also made ten bronze water carts, each 6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4½ feet tall.[q] 28 They were constructed with side panels braced with crossbars. 29 Both the panels and the crossbars were decorated with carved lions, oxen, and cherubim. Above and below the lions and oxen were wreath decorations. 30 Each of these carts had four bronze wheels and bronze axles. There were supporting posts for the bronze basins at the corners of the carts; these supports were decorated on each side with carvings of wreaths. 31 The top of each cart had a rounded frame for the basin. It projected 1½ feet[r] above the cart’s top like a round pedestal, and its opening was 2¼ feet across; it was decorated on the outside with carvings of wreaths. The panels of the carts were square, not round. 32 Under the panels were four wheels that were connected to axles that had been cast as one unit with the cart. The wheels were 2¼ feet in diameter 33 and were similar to chariot wheels. The axles, spokes, rims, and hubs were all cast from molten bronze. 34 There were handles at each of the four corners of the carts, and these, too, were cast as one unit with the cart. 35 Around the top of each cart was a rim nine inches wide.[t] The corner supports and side panels were cast as one unit with the cart. 36 Carvings of cherubim, lions, and palm trees decorated the panels and corner supports wherever there was room, and there were wreaths all around. 37 All ten water carts were the same size and were made alike, for each was cast from the same mold. 38 Huram also made ten smaller bronze basins, one for each cart. Each basin was six feet across and could hold 220 gallons of water. 39 He set five water carts on the south side of the Temple and five on the north side. The great bronze basin called the Sea was placed near the southeast corner of the Temple. 40 He also made the necessary washbasins, shovels, and bowls. So at last Huram completed everything King Solomon had assigned him to make for the Temple of the Lord: 41 the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two networks of interwoven chains that decorated the capitals; 42 the 400 pomegranates that hung from the chains on the capitals (two rows of pomegranates for each of the chain networks that decorated the capitals on top of the pillars); 43 the ten water carts holding the ten basins; 44 the Sea and the twelve oxen under it; 45 the ash buckets, the shovels, and the bowls. Huram made all these things of burnished bronze for the Temple of the Lord, just as King Solomon had directed. 46 The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zarethan. 47 Solomon did not weigh all these things because there were so many; the weight of the bronze could not be measured. 48 Solomon also made all the furnishings of the Temple of the Lord: the gold altar; the gold table for the Bread of the Presence; 49 the lampstands of solid gold, five on the south and five on the north, in front of the Most Holy Place; the flower decorations, lamps, and tongs—all of gold; 50 the small bowls, lamp snuffers, bowls, dishes, and incense burners—all of solid gold; the doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, with their fronts overlaid with gold. 51 So King Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the Lord. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the various articles—and he stored them in the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple.

The church are the "believers", "the body of Christ". The church is not the building. Different churches have different visions and different missions. Our MISSION STATEMENT at Inspirational Baptist Church is to bring people to Christ and membership in the local church, to develop them to Christian maturity, and prepare them for their personal ministry in the body of Christ and global mission in the world so that the name of our lord will be magnified. I've been with this church for 2 years and it has grown from 300 members to 1500 members in just 5 years. Obviously, we are affecting the lives of people in a positive way. I can personally say that EVERY time I have needed my church family to help me, whether emotionally, spiritually or financially, they have come thru. I cannot speak on behalf of all churches, because all churches are not FOR REAL. It's up to us as individuals to determine what we will and will not believe. What we will and will not follow. My mission is to live the best life that I can live and be a positive examples to others. Especially our children, teenagers and young adults.

It's not a matter of being defensive. It's a matter of informing. There are so many ways to reach people. I don't know what the exact reason for keeping the wave pool is, but I'm sure it has something to do with outreach. If we simple tell children and teenagers to come to church, not many will do it. But if we create an environment where they can come fellowship with other kids who are believers then that is a form of witnessing.

In 1991, the Heritage USA property was bought by San Diego evangelist Morris Cerullo in partnership with a Malaysian investment group (Malayan United Industries Berhad — MUI Corporation). The property was renamed "New" Heritage USA. The partnership between Cerullo and MUI ended after a disagreement between Cerullo and MUI over Cerullo's issuance of discount cards to New Heritage USA. MUI filed suit against Cerullo and ultimately bought out his interest in the venture, renaming the property Regent Park. MUI is also the parent company of Laura Ashley USA which moved its headquarters and distribution center to the property. MUI, through its local subsidiary, Regent Carolina Corporation, built a large golf course and residential development on the majority of the former Heritage USA property. They attempted for a short period of time in the 1990s to operate the 501-room hotel and resort under a management agreement with Radisson Hotels but the complex was not successful as a secular venture without its religious emphasis and ultimately closed and fell into disrepair. In late 2006, the IRS placed a tax lien for $13.2 million on Regent Carolina Corporation, which had not yet transferred control of the golf course, common areas, and roads to the Regent Park homeowners association [9]. The golf course was subsequently sold to a new company named Southern Gailes [10]. In December 2004, the remainder of the Heritage USA property was sold to Coulston Enterprises, owned by local developer and former MUI executive Earl Coulston. Coulston Enterprises sold portions of the property formerly housing the PTL Ministry to MorningStar Ministries of Charlotte, North Carolina and Flames-of-Fire Ministries of Fort Mill, South Carolina. They are now in process of renovating the property and buildings back to their original condition. Coulston Enterprises has planned a mixed-use development featuring single family homes, town homes, shops and ministry-related functions on the remainder of the property. The former Heritage Grand Hotel is now used as a retreat and conference center as well as a church for MorningStar's local congregation. The hotel complex has been renamed "H.I.M." for Heritage International Ministries. MorningStar intends that the unfinished 21-story Heritage Grand Tower will be expanded and completed and used as an assisted living facility/retirement home, with an estimated completion date of 2011. [11] The ultimate fate of the tower is currently unsettled. The property encompassing the former PTL Television Studios, The Upper Room, The Amphitheater, Barn Auditorium, Campgrounds and Bunkhouses has been renamed Crown International by Flames-of-Fire Ministry. In January of 2006 a 24-hour prayer ministry also began its endeavor at the former Heritage USA. The Zadok House of Prayer (ZHOP) formed with dozens of musicians and prayer leaders relocating from the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City.

In response to your message, I have a question. Should we just worship outside? What would you suggest we do. We have to have a place of worship. And yes, the church is the "body of believers". However, we have to have a place to meet and worship. Why is it an issue for the "church" to have there own clubs, bookstores, counseling offices, coffee shops. What better way to reach people than to meet them at there point of need. You just said, "Across the US we have mega churches that preach unity and outreach, yet spend millions and millions on outlandish facilities that serve the sole purpose of secluding it's congregation from the community" Once again, building a place of worship is not free. IT COST MONEY! We don't worship in a "facility" so that we can seclude people from "our congregation". If the church is growing, then we must be INCLUDING people. That's why we are building a larger facility. We are reaching people! And that's what we have been called to do, by God. To spread his word to others and be examples to others. It always seems to be a problem when God's children prosper and want to do something positive for God. Of course, I recall the Heritage USA incident. The article mentioned keeping ONE pool open for the public. No one said there would be a price of admission. Even if there was, the Heritage USA Park was offiliated with a leader who in the midst of Heritage USA's high point, earned $126 million a year. The IRS revoked the tax exemption. Soon after Bakker's federal indictment and public condemnation over his sexual affair, attendance dropped at Heritage. Falwell argued "PTL's Heritage USA complex in Fort Mill, S.C., was competing unfairly against tax-paying tourist attractions, and that the tax-exempt ministry should be separated from the running of hotels and amusement parks. We're not out to compete with anyone. We just want to reach people. I'm sure that things will be done legally and the right way.

Why do people think that we are associate with the "touchdown Jesus" church. There is no correlation at all. Maybe I'm missing something?

There has to be a place for the people to worship. How can we organize anything if they don't have a place to congregate? The sanctuary is one of the most important pieces. It's the head.

With a 501© 3 there is also an Unrelated Business Income Tax Even though an organization is recognized as tax exempt, it still may be liable for tax on its unrelated business income. Unrelated business income is income from a trade or business, regularly carried on, that is not substantially related to the charitable, educational, or other purpose that is the basis of the organization's exemption. An exempt organization that has $1,000 or more or gross income from an unrelated business must file Form 990-T. Churches can conduct business. Go to the IRS webpage and research the topic.