Month: November 2016

unity

Unity of the body without compromise is only achieved when we are all members of the same family

Family members are those who are of the same father (whether through blood, adoption, or marriage).

Your father is who you are yielded to, either you serve the Father in heaven, or the father of lies.

Those who look to God’s word as their final authority are of the same family.

Unity is preserved when any differences between the members are resolved by looking to God’s word for the resolution.

incorruptible seed

The ONLY source of
faith
Rom 10:17 – So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by
the word of God.
Rom 14:23b – for whatsoever
is not of faith is sin.
Prove all things
1 Thess 5:21 – Prove all things; hold fast that which is
good.
1 John 4:1 – Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the
spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into
the world.
Isaiah 8:20 – To the law and to the testimony: if they
speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them
Acts 17:11 – These were more noble than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and
searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

You search scripture
in order to tell if something is true.
2 Tim 2:15 – Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
You study scripture
in order to rightfully divide the word of truth.
Warning
Deut 12:32 – What thing soever I command you, observe to do
it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (also Deut 4:2)
Is it fear?
Concerning accusations
of “being in fear”.  TRUE! I am in fear…
FEAR OF THE LORD.
The lampstand is the only
source of light inside the tabernacle or temple Holy Place.  It has seven lamps on one lampstand made out
of a single piece of pure gold. (Ex
25:31-40; Ex 37:22)
Revelation references
the 7 spirits of God. (Rev 1:4; 3:1;
4:5; and 5:6).
Isaiah 11:2 – and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon
him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear
of 
the Lord;

Fear of the Lord is
not last in the list, it is at the bottom of the list signifying it is the FOUNDATION
upon which knowledge, might, counsel, understanding, and wisdom are built.

Prov 9:10 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom:
and the knowledge of the holy is understanding
Psalm 111:10 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise
endureth for ever
Ps 119:120 – My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am
afraid of thy judgments.
Phil 2:12b – work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling.
Drunk on corrupted
wine
Luke 5:39 – No man also having drunk old wine straightway
desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

Sowers of
corruptible seed
2 Tim 3:1-9 – This know also, that in the last days perilous
times shall come.  For men shall be
lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient
to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 without natural affection, trucebreakers,
false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4
traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  having a form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof: from such turn away.  For
of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women
laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,  ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth.  Now as Jannes
and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt
minds, reprobate concerning the faith.  But they shall proceed no further: for their
folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
Prov 30:6 – Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove
thee, and thou be found a liar.
Consequences
Rev 22:18-19 – For I testify unto every man that heareth the
words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God
shall add unto him the plagues
that are written in this book: 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, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in
this book.
Luke 17:2 – It were better for him that a millstone were
hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one
of these little ones.
Gal 1:6-9 – I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him
that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:  which is not another; but there be some that
trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  As we said before, so say I now again, If any
man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
2 Cor 11:13-15 – For such are false apostles, deceitful
workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel;
for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers
also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be
according to their works.
2 Peter 2:1 – But there were false prophets also among the
people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall
bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
Isaiah 9:16 – For the leaders of this people cause them to
err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.


Our Responsibility
Eph 5:11 – And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works
of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Instead of reproving
them, many pastors are “bidding God speed” to false teachers for their own gain
but they will not escape the consequences.

2 John 1:10-11 – If there come any unto you, and bring not
this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is
partaker of his evil deeds.

eminent domain in the bible

Eminent Domain –  is the power of a state or a national government to take private property

1 Kings 21:1-16

1 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. 3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. 4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? 6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. 7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. 9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: 10 and set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. 11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. 16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

Did Jesus talk like the King James?

I recently heard someone say “Jesus didn’t talk like the King James”.

Scripture does not record Jesus speaking like any English translation of the Bible.

The languages of scripture — Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek — all have distinct personal pronouns that differentiate between singular and plural.

The second person singular pronouns of thee, thou, thy, and thine which were in common in use in Old English (Anglo-Saxon 5th-12th Centuries), and fell out of common use in Middle English (12th – 15th Century) and are not commonly used in Modern English (15th Century onward).

Even after falling out of common use, these singular pronouns were used in the major English translations of Bible up through the Authorized Version of 1611 (a.k.a. King James Bible) to preserve the Greek and Hebrew distinction between singular and plural personal pronouns and adjectives.

Here is a breakdown of how these pronouns are most commonly used:

Case Singular Plural Usage
Objective Thee You When the object of the sentence
Nominative Thou Ye When the subject of the sentence
Possessive Thy Your Commonly used before a noun that begins with a consonant/consonant sound (like the article, “a”)
Possessive Thine Yours Commonly used before a noun that begins with vowel/vowel sound (like the article, “an”). Also used when indicating that something is “absolute and understood”

Mockers often criticize the use of the “thees and thous”, saying it makes it difficult to read.

Far from difficult, just remember this simple rule of thumb:

T=Singular

Y=Plural

Easy right?

Now, keep in mind, every word is significant.

Luke 4:4 – And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

So, exactly how DID Jesus speak?

Take for example His discussion with Nicodemus in John 3:7

ESV KJB
Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

We can see that the KJB preserves the singular and plural distinction in pronouns, where the ESV does not.

Also, compare Matthew 26:62-64

ESV KJB
And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?  But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.  Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

and compare Luke 22:31-32

ESV KJB
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

In the KJB it is clear that the “you” in verse 31 is plural and the four pronouns in verse 32 are singular.

The ESV, NKJV, NIV, and other modern translations all lose the singular/plural distinction that was present in the actual words Jesus spoke.

So, technically speaking, because the King James Bible preserves this singular/plural distinction, Jesus DID speak more like the King James than any of the modern English translations.