Thoughts on Steve Jobs

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" -Mark 8:36.
"But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation." -Luke 6:24.

Steve Jobs certainly would be representative of a man who had "gained the world." It is now about 3 weeks since his death, and Google News has not ceased to have daily articles about him. I cannot even begin to count the worldwide deaths that have occurred in that time due to violence, famine, and more violence. Well has the Bible said, "...the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard." -Eccl. 9:16.

It is unconscionable that any true follower of Christ should admire Steve Jobs. He was ever a child of Satan, and is now serving his time alongside of other rich men like the one in Luke 16:19-25. How do I know this? By the spiritual fruit of his life. His life reflected a love of earthly things (John 12:25, I John 2:15), without any notable hint of remorse. I also understand that Mr. Jobs was a professed Buddhist, and as such he did not believe in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God the Father.

There have many multitudes of evil men, doing the devil's work. Every person is born as a child of the devil, in need of the atonement which only Christ can bring. That being acknowledged, Steve Jobs' life & career have greatly assisted our arch foe to fill the caverns of Hell. The technology he helped bring to human hands are not the helpful tools that they are touted to be. Rather, they distract mankind from seeking God in prayer, and from thought, or reflection.

What's that? You really enjoy the constant contact with friends, loved ones, games, music, and whatever else the internet can offer? Christians are to redeem time (Eph. 5:16, Col. 4:5), not squander it! Nothing, but nothing, could be nearly as important as the condition of your soul, and the souls of the unsaved around you. Where are your Christian priorities, which you profess? We value the eternal, not the temporal (II Cor. 4:18). "The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath." -Prov. 15:24.

Jesus says that those who would come after Him must deny themselves, then taking up their cross- daily! Then they will be ready to follow Him. Today's professing church has been taught that they need do none of these uncomfortable practices; they have been deceived, and face eternal damnation if humble repentance is not forthcoming.

Steve Jobs may have had good qualities, but overtly sinful priorities. Do not admire him, but lament a wasted life which had potential in Christ. He may have meant to bring mankind good, but instead only furthered his destruction.

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." -Prov. 14:12.

America: A Corrupt Tree

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. John 3:21

            It never fails to surprise me: how we deeply sincere Christians are readily taken in by Satan’s counterfeits. We never take time to “try the spirits”, or to closely examine either the spiritual fruit, or the tree it comes from (Matt. 7:16-20). Remember that the tree from which the woman ate in Genesis chapter 3 had fruit that seemed very appealing, but ultimately led to death (Prov. 14:12).

            Our beloved America also looks good to many, but is ultimately a very corrupt tree, bringing forth evil fruit. Some would contend that we started off well, and are really a good tree; that we must simply get back to our roots. These “roots” are presumed to be things such as Biblical instruction and the U.S. Constitution.

            Yet for the follower of Christ, the Word of God must be our final authority in all matters of faith and practice. Though many individuals may be well-intended, “Let God be true, and every man a liar.” If we want what is true (John 4:23), let us seek the according to His Word (John 17:17). Let us accept by faith that which we find there, honoring God in humble obedience. We may not initially like what we find there! It might even disagree with the views of some highly esteemed leaders (Luke 16:15) that we respect. Indeed, “narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” –from Matt. 7:14. “We ought to obey God, rather than men.” –from Acts 5:29.

            The path which the Lord has led me on has brought me to a certain, but unpleasant conclusion: that America was founded upon principles directly opposed to the revealed will of God, as set forth in the holy scriptures. We cannot get “back to the Bible”, if we didn’t even start out that way!

            The U.S. Constitution is a humanist manifesto. It is built upon the assumptions that mankind “good”, and “noble”; well able to plot out his own destiny- in a fashion that is morally upright, and favorable to God. Yes, one can find references to God in the Constitution. But “the devils also believe, and tremble.” An acknowledgement of God’s existence is NOT the same as being redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ, and being submitted to His Lordship!

            Let’s face it: America was founded upon the self-determination of man. This is implied to be good, and that it will “naturally” bring about the best welfare for everyone. It is also true that some Americans have sought earnestly and sincerely to serve the Lord, and their fellow men. God gives to all people free will, and they are accountable for the choices they make- regardless of the political system that they live in.

            Putting such faith in mankind, as the U.S. Constitution promotes, is to fall for the same lie by which the serpent beguiled the woman when he said, “ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Is it right to put our trust in sinfully fallen men, or ourselves? Did not God provide His Word to show us the way of life? What does the Bible tell us about the “inner condition” of mankind?

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5

The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Psalms 14:2,3

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Mark 10:18

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:19

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23

And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? I Peter 4:18

            Why did the Lord scatter mankind at the tower of Babel? In Genesis 11:6 we find, “…now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.” Why does God find this to be bad? Genesis 8:21 tells us, “… for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” II Corinthians 10:3 confirms this theme by instructing us to cast down imaginations. Our imaginations are naturally given toward straying from God. This is one great benefit of having the Lord’s words perfectly preserved for us in the KJV: we have one standard for the words of God, not the “imaginations” of the many revisions, which were only done for money (I Tim. 6:10).

            God has shown us by His Word that He wants a King; a monarchy. In breaking from the tyranny of King George, it is understandable why our nation’s founders would have shied away from such a concept. That, and the fact that many of them weren’t Christians to begin with- they would have had no desire to pray, or seek the holy scriptures for guidance. When we give men their “freedom”, this is what we get; we are seeing the whole system unravel. You see, there have been some men that have used our own liberty against us, ultimately stealing it from us. Americans have been deceived into thinking that they can change their future through voting. We have absolutely, positively no say in selecting our nation’s leaders, and have not since the late 1800s.

            We are given examples of God’s preference for kings, many times in scripture. Without looking to deeply at the many, I would just point out a few right now; Ezra 1:2, Is, 42:28, II Kings 23:29, II Chron. 35:20-24, Jer. 25:9, 27:6, Daniel 4. Consider the following sequence of scriptures which show us the “king” mandate;

Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes. Deuteronomy 12:8

In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. Judges 18:1

In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25

A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment. Proverbs 16:10

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. Proverbs 21:1

            Our God has given to us, His children, the spirit of a sound mind (II Tim. 1:7). It dishonors the Lord when we do not use it in discernment! At this point in history, any true Christian ought to be able to see that something is seriously wrong here in America. The Bible, the only legitimate source of pure truth, will show us where the problems lie. We need to repent. We need to stop calling ourselves a Christian nation, or a God-fearing nation, when that is light-years from the truth! Until we can come to God in truth, we can expect nothing but more evil to befall us. We need to start from ground level, and work upward.

            “…when he (God) hideth his face…whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only: That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared. Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more: That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.”  -from Job 34:29-32.  

Rely on The King James Bible (part 3)

            So now you are aware that the very underlying manuscripts supporting Bible revisions have been altered. Some might think it to be only a matter of subjective opinion as to which set of manuscripts are favored. However, that can only be true if you place God’s Words under the authority of mankind. In other words, you don’t really believe that the words in the Bible are actually God’s words.

            The KJV has some 5,322 manuscripts supporting it, and these are in overwhelming agreement with each other. The revision manuscripts hold to some 44 manuscripts, and these disagree not only with the KJV, but with each other! Those that have examined these know that they are horribly mutilated documents; words are crossed out, and words are written over top of other words, etc. Two manuscripts in particular were used for the revision, known as Siniaticus and Vaticanus. One differed from the KJV New Testament in over 7,500 places; the other in more than 8,900 places. They also differed greatly from each other, but it was upon these texts that Nestle’s Greek New Testament was founded in 1881. They are now up to, to the best of my knowledge, the 27th edition of the Nestle’s- which means that they keep changing word definitions! Folks, this is all about money, the root of all evil (I Tim. 6:10); coincidentally, a verse which is altered in the NIV to read , “a root of all kinds of evil.”

            Now is the time for us to look at examples, for which I will compare the popularly used NIV (New International Version) to the KJV. The differences are so great, and so many, that I truly regret listing only what I do here. Hopefully, you will see that this issue of the KJV vs. revised Bible versions is actually one  of instilling doubt, and altering doctrines, and not a mere “doting on words.” Again, for more information, you may consult the references listed at the end of this series of blogs.

Genesis 22:8: This is an early prophecy of Christ’s coming atonement sacrifice, yet it is taken away in the NIV by carefully rearranging one word. The KJV reads, “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” NIV; “ God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.” By switching the word himself in the sentence order, we lose the prophecy of promise. Some versions add the word for in between the words, “provide himself.”

Psalms 12:6,7: Really, v.7 is the one severely altered. These verses are a great promise of Bible preservation. Verse 6 references “the words of the Lord”, and verse 7 follows it up with, “Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”

            The NIV attacks this on 2 fronts. First, it separates verse 6 from 7 in the text! The KJV lists each verse equally. Secondly, just look at what the NIV “translates” v.7 into; “O Lord, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.” Where did that come from? Is this more accurate, or better than the KJV? Did 48 of the greatest linguistic scholars ever assembled, in agreement over each word at least 14 times, just somehow “miss” this one? No, the motive ought to be clear. They need to attack promises of Bible preservation/importance, because they do not believe these words are from God, or that He will preserve them. An allowance is needed to make profitable alterations, such as the NIV “translators” were doing.

Psalm 138:2: Another great emphasis upon God’s Word is found in the last sentence of this verse; “…for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” The NIV changes this to read, “…for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.” Again, the NIV attacks the authority and importance of God’s Word, when He has in fact magnified it ABOVE all His name.

Proverbs 16:31: This verse contains a blatant lie in the NIV! The KJV identifies gray hair (hoar head) as “a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.” The NIV falsely claims that gray hair is attained by a righteous life! Everyone knows this is not true! Will not verses like this one cause disbelief in others? To walk in faith, we need every Word of God, and to believe it is true.

Isaiah 14:12: This is the only verse in the Bible that tells us Satan’s pre-fallen name was Lucifer. The KJV reads; “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” But just look at the serious alteration made by the NIV; “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn!”

            The NIV has omitted the name Lucifer, and changed “son of the morning” into “morning star”; Jesus is the morning star, as per Rev. 22:16! What a vile attack upon our savior this is! Verses like this clearly show altered doctrine, not updated language.

Daniel 3:25: NIV changes “like the Son of God” into “like a son of the gods.”

Micah 5:2: This prophecy of Jesus’ arrival in Bethlehem states that His goings forth have been “from everlasting” in the KJV. The NIV says that his “origins are… from ancient times.” Therefore, the NIV demeans Christ to the place of a created being, with a beginning.

Matthew 6:7: The NIV changes, “…use not vain repetitions…” into, “…do not keep on babbling like pagans…” The meaning is totally different, and would allow for repetitions in prayer.

Matthew 28:20: This verse is but an example of an alteration found in numerous places. The reading is changed from “end of the world”, into “end of the age.” This is a New Age concept of changes ages, it supports also evolution theory, and denies that the world will end- not exactly a pleasant topic!

Mark 16:9-20: Does your Bible make special note of these verses? That is doubt-casting! Watch for the reasoning used in doing this, for it is a lie! 618 out of 620 manuscripts that contain the book of Mark have these verses- some .99667%!!! Important promises & doctrine are contained in this passage, and God has faithfully preserved them for us- just like He said.

Luke 2:33: The NIV denies the virgin birth, here changing “Joseph and his mother”, into “the child’s father and mother.”

Luke 4:22: Describing Jesus, the NIV adds, “All spoke well of him…” to the text. Considering that this same crowd then tried to kill Jesus in v.29, it is confusing.

Luke 9:54-56: Take time to look it up; the KJV has 70 words in these 3 verses, the NIV only 36! That’s over 48% missing.

Acts 8:37: The important confession of the Ethiopian Eunuch is dropped, along with the rest of the verse.

Romans 1:25: In this last days prophecy, we are told that men will “change the truth of God into a lie.” Since this directly reflects on Bible revision, and those doing it, these words are altered to read, “…they exchanged the truth of God for a lie.”

Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” The bold, italicized words are eliminated from the NIV! Is it any wonder that so many of today’s Christians think that they can pursue fleshly treasures?

I Corinthians 1:18: The NIV renders, “…us which are saved…” into an indefinite salvation by good works; “…to us who are being saved…”

II Corinthians 2:17: Modern “translators” attempt to divert attention from themselves in this verse. The KJV reads, “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God…” The NIV renders this as, “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.” Of course, they are peddling the Word of God for profit, but it may be the lesser of 2 great evils!

Colossians 3:6: KJV; “…the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.” The NIV reads; “…the wrath of God is coming.” Only one identifies the direction of God’s wrath.

Titus 3:10: The KJV speaks against an heretic; the NIV speaks against a divisive person. God’s Word emphasizes holiness & sound doctrine, while the revision promotes unity above all else. Remember; we must not be unequally yoked with unbelief (II Cor. 6:14).

II Peter 2:18: This verse, and the passage, warns against backsliding; the falling out of a right relationship with Christ. When speaking of those that deceive, God says, “…they allure through lusts of the flesh…those that were clean escaped from them that live in error.  The NIV changes that reading into, “…they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.” Such readings allow for the false doctrine of eternal security.

I John 5:7: This verse is powerful support for the trinity nature of God. It is eliminated from most new Bible versions.

Revelation 22:19: We find yet another warning from God regarding the possibility of falling away. The KJV warns, “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life…” Almost every believer knows that when they receive salvation, their name is written in the book of life. But we are warned here, that He which wrote your name can also take it away (also Rev. 3:5)! Now let’s look at the NIV’s reading; “…God will take away from him his share in the tree of life…” Isn’t that confusing? Every person alive has been born in the condition of not having a part in the “tree of life.” –Genesis 3:22. This casts doubt, and keeps vital information from God’s people.

            Right now, time as we have known it is about to end. All that has been foretold to us through God’s Word is coming to pass. We must, absolutely, cling onto that Word; it is our only hope, our only source of pure truth in this world. We desperately need all that God has kept for us to endure at this time.

            The testimony of history overwhelmingly shows that God has faithfully preserved His Word in the King James Bible. Please don’t allow some “word-doting” theologian to talk you out of it!

            “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” –I Tim. 6:3-5.

Referrals and references for study:

Books;  Answers to You Bible Version Questions, The Answer Book, New Age Versions, The Language of the King James Bible, The Revision Revised, Defending the King James Bible, The Heresies of Wescott and Hort, The Legacy of Our English Bible, Let’s Weigh the Evidence, If the Foundations be Destroyed.

Websites; http://www.chick.com/, http://www.av1611.com/,   http://www.biblefortoday.org/,  http://www.biblebelievers.com/ .

Rely on the King James Bible (part two)

            Make no mistake about it; the Bible version issue is a direct, Satanic attack upon the Word of God. Was this not the very first temptation of Eve? The serpent (the devil) challenged her into doubting God’s instructions. She desired to be like God, being able to decide for herself what is good or evil. This is precisely why sinful man enjoys “many versions” of the Bible; it allows him to decide for himself what is really needful to obey, seeing as how no one, definitive criteria has been left for him! It is indeed, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof…” –from II Tim. 3:5.

            Two liberal scholars from the mid-1800s, Wescott and Hort, put great pressure upon the Anglican Church to authorize a committee for “updating” the language of the KJV. They eventually were granted their petition, though it was supposed that really very few words would need to be changed. These 2 “scholars” worked deceitfully, and instead worked to change the very foundation manuscripts of the KJV. They substituted greatly inferior manuscripts from the Alexandrian line, and put their own interpretation on it. It is from this work of revision that nearly all non-KJV Bible versions are taken. So even when a newer translation is heralded as being “very accurate”, it really is only an accurate rendition of extremely corrupt, flawed manuscripts. If you take time to closely examine Wescott & Hort, you will wonder why they were ever looked to for such a project. These men formed and belonged to the Ghostly Guild; a group that routinely contacted familiar spirits, and sought them for guidance! But, I really can’t get started on the character of the revision committee.

            The point that I would like to make, is that the Bible version issue is not one of the KJV versus many; it is really mostly about the Authorized Translation (AT) vs. the Revised Translation. Now, let’s start getting into the unique strengths of the KJV, and why you can rely upon it as authoritative.

1) Only the KJV is authorized from a God-ordained King. This is important, scripturally. Look at the sequence;

Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes. Deuteronomy 12:8

In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25

A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment. Proverbs 16:10

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. Proverbs 21:1

            God shows us throughout His Word that He uses kings, be they Jew or Gentile. Such examples include Nebuchadnezzar in Jeremiah 25:9, 27:6, and Daniel chapter 4. Cyrus is listed in Ezra 1:2, Isaiah 42:28, and King Necho of Egypt in II Kings 23:29, and II Chronicles 35:20-24. Absolutely no other Bible can make this claim.

2) The KJV fulfills the promise of Psalm 12:6,7; when bringing forth His Word in English, God “purified” it seven times; the 6 English predecessors being the Tyndale, the Matthews, the Great Bible, the Geneva, and the Bishops Bible. The men responsible for these translations were faithful, and most gave their lives for bringing common people the Word. What they were not, was instructed by a king. Even Tyndale’s last words were, “Lord, open the eyes of the King of England.” God answered his prayer.

3) The KJV translating team numbered 54 at the start, but only 47 when finished (1604-1611). The main translating bodies were 6 groups of 8; each translator had to write his own translation! First, this group of 8 had to agree on the translation. Then they sent their findings to the other 5 groups, which also had to agree, or it was sent back with notes for reviewing. Lastly, the translation was sent to the 2 top translators overseeing the work, for their approval. And along the way, the translation work was open, and freely discussed with learned men outside of this committee for their input.

            The Bible tells us that in “the multitude of counselors there is safety.” –Proverbs 11:14. By translation design, every word of the KJV had to be agreed upon 14 times! Think of all the slipshod scholars that you have ever heard, which criticize KJV translation. They look up definitions in a book, choosing what definition they like best- pleased with themselves for their “scholarship.” This is nothing new. Shortly after the KJV was translated, one of the translators, Dr. Kilbye, an expert in Greek and Hebrew, visited a church with his friend, Bishop Sanderson. A young preacher that day spent much time criticizing words in the KJV, telling what he thought it should say; most of his time was spent on just one word in the text!

            That evening the young preacher was invited to dinner, along with Dr. Kilbye. The young preacher was told by Dr. Kilbye how they had looked at the 3 reasons given by the preacher, but then found 13 better reasons to translate the word as they did! That young preacher then admitted his error, and stopped preaching at that church. Learning was at its high point then in history, and we simply cannot appreciate the unrivaled scholarship of the KJV translators.

4) KJV translators considered their translating predecessors with Christ-like humility. This is yet another step apart from modern-day revisionists. It is a sure fruit of the Spirit. They were not writing a new Bible from scratch, and then exalting themselves in the process. Just look at this note written from the KJV translators to the readers, as found in the 1611 KJV on the ninth page; “Truly, good Christian Reader, we never thought from the beginning that we should need to make a new translation, nor yet to make of a bad one a good one;… but to make a good one better, or out of many good ones one principal good one, not justly excepted against; that hath been our endeavor, that our mark.”

Now compare that to the intro of the New Revised Standard Bible which states, “There are serious flaws in the King James Bible.” What arrogance! After almost 340 years, the NRSV finally came along to make it right; is that the contention? Where is the Christian charity? What about all the great Christian leaders that had evangelized the world with the KJV, trusting it in faith as God’s Word? At the very least, I hope you can see the spiritual fruit of the character of these translators.

5) The KJV translation is free; there is no money-making copyright attached to it. All new revisions, every new version has a copyright which entitles someone(s) to profit from it!

            Think about it for a moment; if you were going to attempt to produce the best possible translation of the Bible, how many would there be? There should only be one, but could there be 2? Or 3? You simply cannot have version, upon version, upon version! This is a money racket, and nothing else (I Tim. 6:10). Each new version is NOT striving for accuracy, as if they were really handling the words of God. No, they are changing words in order to secure a copyright to make money. How can you trust them? There were no selfish financial motives with the KJV translation.

6) The blessings which followed the KJV translation speak volumes. God expanded the British Empire to stretch around the globe, and the English language became a world language. England evangelized the world with the KJV; both Satan, and his corrupt Catholic Church hated it!

7) Is the language really too archaic? At the time of translation, “Old English” had been officially obsolete for over 300 years. Instead, it was chosen as the best English form to bring forward the Word of God. What sounds better, more authoritative? Would you rather have,  “Thus saith the Lord” , found in the KJV, or “This is what the Lord says” found often in the NIV?

            Also, when using the pronoun “you” in modern English, there is no distinction between singular or plural; is one person being spoken to, or a group? The use of ye in the KJV always indicates plural. The “th” found in “thee, thou, thine, or thy” always shows singular. In John chapter 3, Jesus is speaking with Nicodemus when He says, “Ye must be born again.” This way, we know that it is not only Nicodemus who must be born again, but everyone.

            Hopefully you can now see more of the advantages “up front” with the King James Bible. Much deceit has been used to squash its voice in our time, but Jesus will write His words on our hearts. In the next blog, I will focus on examples of the corruption, and hopefully be listing resources in case you wish to search more deeply on your own. In the meantime, I think that you can gain much from a simple side-by-side comparison of Bibles. It won’t take long until you will see that there is a vast difference between the KJV, and most new Bible versions.

Rely on the King James Bible (part one)

         Bible version can be a sore topic with some. My intention here is not to open wounds among the true body of Christ, but rather to encourage a renewed, stronger faith in the Word of God itself.

            The message of salvation comes from the Word (Rom. 10:17), and as far as I know, every Bible version contains this message. Therefore what I am saying is, that I do not doubt a person’s salvation based upon the Bible version he/she may be holding in their hands.

            When we are redeemed, however, God does not immediately transfer us in to Heaven! The Bible tells us that we are to live by every Word of God (Deut. 8:3, Matt. 4:4, Luke 4:4), so they are important to know beyond measure. We will be judged by God’s Word (John 12:48), and He has magnified it even ABOVE all His name (Psalm 138:2)!

            Beyond that, the Lord has promised to perfectly preserve His Word forever. The King James Bible is the fulfillment of this promise; “The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” –Psalm 12:6,7.

            While initial salvation may not be dependent upon a Bible version, we do need God’s true words to grow strong in faith, and avoid deceit. We are at such a time in history where it is vital for our spiritual survival to know God’s Word. I personally believe that we are within about 6 months of the rule of the antichrist. The great majority of professing believers will be swept up into this powerful deception, receiving their arch foe as their savior. Don’t be one of the deceived! Arm yourselves with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. – see Eph. 6:12-18.

            There is a lot of info about this topic, but due to the perceived space restraints of blogs in general, I will try to keep it short and simple. I think that the truth of this subject can be simply known, without the years of deeper study that I have devoted. In the end, however, I will be listing sources of information for deeper study on your own, should you be so inclined.

            When Bible revision began in earnest back in the mid-to-late 1800s, the focal “battle cry” was to update the language of The Holy Bible, later to be identified as the King James Bible. Indeed, if this were the honest intent of the revisers, and the outcome, there might be no real problem to speak of. And this is how the different Bible versions were marketed to Christians; that they were the same message from God as the KJV, only with more “modern” language- that they were also more understandable because of it. Since now the KJV has been almost completely rejected by the organized church, its critics have broadened their attacks upon it. Yet still, today the average layman believes that all Bibles are the same, at base level. We have been holding to an undue respect of persons, esteeming religious leaders that have been trained by the systems of men. All Bibles are not the same, and the differences are not only in the “type” of language used. We have fallen victim to the lies forwarded first in our Bible colleges and seminaries, year after year, then repeated to the congregations and society in general. We rely upon the “learnedness and integrity” of sinful and fallible men, never looking into matters for ourselves; when the very eternal destiny of ourselves and many others depends on our handling of the truth (John 17:17).

            Wasn’t this the cause for the Reformation- the Protestant break with Roman Catholicism? The Roman clergy dominated the scriptures, and suppressed all outside attempts to learn them. Once we had them and had studied, it became clear that Christian faith was not what the religious system of Rome claimed it to be; it was another gospel, and accursed (Gal. 1:6-9)! We are doing the same thing today, when our only belief about the scriptures is what “respected and learned” Christian leaders have to tell us about it. God has preserved His Word through the blood of many faithful servants throughout the years. Brethren, we will give an account to Him for how we have handled it.

Seek Counsel from God Alone

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. Proverbs 2:1-9

            It sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? This is, however, exactly what is not being done by today’s professing “body of Christ”; a church that is almost completely Laodicean in character (Rev. 3:14-19). Only God can judge each individual heart.

            The Bible is the Christian handbook for Godly life and service. This being said, it is unlike any earthly handbook/manual that you will encounter! The Word which God has preserved for us is perfect and complete, and its authority is absolute.

The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. Psalms 12:6,7

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. II Timothy 3:16,17

            We dare not trust in our feelings or good intentions, nor rely on the teachings of “respected” church leaders. Our generation has become worldly and self-indulgent (As Christ forewarned; Luke 21:34), and simply will take no time to test the spirits, pray with perseverance, or research God’s Word more than superficially. We are self-satisfied, and complacent enough to be content in hiring others to do Christian service for us. And please remember that promoting your church is NOT the same as promoting Christ!

            What we have achieved is obtaining a form of godliness, which has denied the power (II Tim. 3:1-5). It is a way that “seems right” to us, but the end of which is death (Prov. 14:12). I, too, have walked in this way of deep spiritual darkness and deceit; awakened in time, mercifully, by the longsuffering love of my heavenly Father.

            Do you remember what the people were saying about Jesus, after His “sermon on the mount”? They said that He spoke as one having authority, and not as the scribes! This is what you get with God’s Word; true authority, and not opinion.

            Inspiration for this blog came as I read through Isaiah chapters 30 & 31, in the beginning of those chapters. We can see the theme well in the following;

Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Isaiah 30:1,2

            What we so desperately need is to humble ourselves before God (I Peter 5:6), and to repent of the hypocrisy that we have been living; and then to “hunger and thirst” after righteousness (Matt. 5:6), seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33): after all, our own righteousnesses are but filthy rags to the Lord (Is. 64:6).

            Return to the standard of God’s Word which is found in the King James Bible. God promised to preserve His Word for us, and has declared that He will judge us by that Word! God’s Word is true: why would our just and loving God judge us according to His Word (John 12:48), except that He had preserved it perfectly for us to know? He has done just what He has promised in the KJV Bible. False Bibles, brought forward containing changes; deletions, subtractions, and additions, will only serve to weaken and destroy your faith in the long run.

            The hour on this Earth is very late, and we need to walk as purely with the Lord as possible. Take this Bible version matter before the Lord with much prayer. Believe me; God cares about His Word, and wants us to revere it (Psalm 138:2; Is. 66:2). At this time, compare your Bible version side by side with the KJV to observe the differences. The big concern in all this is the doctrinal changes that you will find.

            In the next blog(s) we will go over the unique testimony that the KJV has; which are the “good fruits” of evidence (Matt. 7:16-20) that it alone is God’s perfectly preserved Word. If you’d rather not wait, link here to the Word of God article at www.HeedtheWatchmen.com.

            Remember that we must always seek counsel from God alone, and that we may find or confirm what is of Him through His holy Word. If you do not have a KJV Bible, and cannot afford one, we will be glad to send one to you at no cost.

The Land is Defiled

"Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants."
"Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you." -Leviticus 18:24-28.

Please read also the verses preceeding 24, for the context meant by "these things."

We have noticed the horrendous "natural disaster" phenomenon sweeping our nation during this year 2011. There have been tremendous wildfires, drought, flooding, tornadoes, and even earthquakes. Long ago, the Lord told us that because of evil practices, that the land itself would become defiled; and that this principle had already been at work in the Gentile nations surrounding Israel. As it is written and recorded, this stands as an ongoing principle at work in God's created world- we must take it seriously.

Many, if not all of these defilements exhibited here are strongly rooted by the evolution theory; since 1960, the Federal gov't has been funding this teaching in our school systems, teaching our children that they are nothing but accidental animals, with no God to give an account to! Can't you see this evil influence all around you? This promotes a self-first-love, and do-as-you-feel type morality.

The practices within the U.S. are horrendous, but for some reason we professing believers simply let them happen with barely a whimper of disapproval! No one seems to care about the homosexual defilement that is being pushed throughout America, and even the now the world, thanks to President Obama. It is on television, in movies, taught in schools, approved by clergy, and is now even promoted in the military!

But now murder is becoming more and more blatant. First it is disguised in abortions, declaring the unborn child to be a non-life, and it is about the "mother's body", and her right to choose. Outright murder is coming to the forefront with targeted assassinations by our gov't, on its very own citizenry! This was seen in the killing of American Muslim cleric Anwar Awlaki on Sept. 30th. He was accused of numerous things without proof, and executed without being allowed a trial for defense.

Truly, we have murdered millions over the decades through illegal, immoral wars without cause. Today it is routine for predator drones to assassinate various unwanted individuals anywhere in the world, never bothering to ask or inform the governmental jurisdiction involved. Brethren, we will all have to account for this! Were we not warned by Jesus that in these last days iniquity would abound, and that due to this the love of many would wax cold? Return again to your 1st love, asking God to remove the stony places of your heart, and replace it with charity. The issue of bloodshed is one that the Lord takes very seriously. More than any other single reason, this spells out plainly why judgment must fall upon America;

"So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it." -from Numbers 35:33.

The Lord has told us that as many as He loves, He rebukes and chastens (Rev. 3:19). He also tells us that in chastening, we are shown to be God's children; yet He scourges every son that He receives. This He does for our good, that we may share His holiness (Hebrews 12:2-17).

Pull close to the Lord in your daily walk. Seek Him diligently, and with true repentance; He is faithful and ready to forgive! Our nation as a whole may be under judgment, yet still divine mercy will be shown to those who individually seek the Lord, and submit.