Hey, Where's the Book?

AMOS 8:11-12
11) Behold, the days come saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but hearing the words of the Lord.
12)  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.
PROVERBS 13:13
Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.

SEEK YE OUT THE BOOK OF THE LORD AND READ...!!!

Ever wonder why there are Christians who seem to be "hung up" on reading what they call the King James Authorized Version of the Bible?  Here are some facts about the different versions.
Did you know?

• All new versions of the Bible are copyrighted, and the King James Version is not.  Thus any one can print the KJV without permission.
• There have been over 4,000 changes made in the new versions and many of them are either opposite of the KJV or omitted entirely.  Some examples of this are as follows:

Psalms 10:4,5    
 (KJV) wicked....His ways are always grievous
                            
 (NIV)  wicked....His ways are always prosperous
                         
 (NKJV ) wicked....His ways are always prospering

Ecclesiastes 8:10
(KJV) wicked....were forgotten
                              
 (NIV) wicked....receive praise
                             
 (ESV) wicked....were praised

Hosea 11:2
 (KJV) Judah yet ruleth with God
                              
 (NIV) Judah is unruly against God
                           
(NASB) Judah is also unruly against God

• Contrary to advertising claims, the new versions are more difficult to read than the KJV. According to the Flesch-Kincaid research company's Grade Level Indicator, the KJV is written on a 6th grade level as compared to the other versions which were written on a level harder to understand.
• A surprising number of new version editors have permanently lost their ability to speak (five and still counting), also, Dr. Frank Logsdon who set on the committee of translators of the New American Standard Version spent the last years of his life renouncing his attachment to the NASV stating that he didn't want to have anything to do with it.
• The New Age movement's expressed goal of infiltrating the evangelical church and gradually changing the Bible to conform to its One World Religion is evident in the current new versions.  Their words and doctrines prepare the apostate church of these last days to accept the Antichrist, his mark, image, and religion~Lucifer worship.
• The texts for the King James Version and other versions were taken from two different manuscripts.
• The KJV has a built-in dictionary.

HEBREWS 4:12-13
12) For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13) Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do:
PSALM 12:6-7
6) The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
7) Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever.
DEUTERONOMY 4:2
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
PROVERBS 30:5-6
5) Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6) Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
REVELATION 22:18-19
18) For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.
19) 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.

HEY, WHERE'S THE BOOK?

The Holy Bible has been hidden in hearts, hidden in homes, and hidden from the wise and prudent; its true history has been hidden by heretics.  Yet, thousands of years ago, penned in the East, the words of the true Bible, has never ceased.  It was the first book on the printing press, bound there to stay, no less than every day.  Millions are given away; some are worth millions today.  The Bible so seeks to touch the blind, it raised its type for them to find. "For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed (Matthew 10:26).  The "deep and secret things" he has not concealed (Daniel 2:22).  "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10.  The "word of God is not bound" (2 Timothy 2:9).

*The source for this information can be found at website:  www.avpublications.com
Other great sources to visit for information on the Bible versions include www.kjv.org and www.chick.com

                                
                          

What Manner of Person Are You?

II Peter 1
5) And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6) and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7) and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity, 8) For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 9) But he that lacketh those things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sin.
II Peter 3:1
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of person ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.

Did you know that our King James Authorized Version of 1611 has a built in dictionary? According to New Age Bible Versions, by G. A. Riplinger, this is a fact. Most of the time you can read further down from a verse in the chapter and get the meaning of the previous word that you may have had trouble understanding. But, if you still don't understand what certain words in the text mean, it is a good idea to get an old dictionary and look up specific words to get a clearer meaning. Many times we think we know what a word means and we find out later after looking it up in a dictionary that its meaning is different than what we thought. Do not try to find a clear meaning of a word that was written back in the 1600's by looking it up in a new dictionary. Some of the definitions have changed.
But, for all you folks out there who don't want to take the time to look up some of the words used in the previous scripture, I have taken the liberty to do it for you.  Just in case you get the wrong meaning!

diligence-constant, careful effort; persevering hard work

virtue-general moral excellence; goodness of character; good quality

temperance-self restraint in conduct, expression, moderation

patience-the will or ability to endure without complaint, endurance

charity-an act of good will; kindness toward others

I certainly need to be a little more charitable and I especially fall short on the patience (enduring without complaint). Many years ago when my second child was about 2 years old, I asked the Lord to give me patience and during that time it seemed like everything went wrong. She got sick a lot and during a time of having a high fever, she had a convulsion and let me tell you, it was an extremely hard time in my life. From that point on, I was wary of asking the Lord to give me patience.  Later, I realized that most of that problem stemmed from a lack of nutrition and the fact that the doctor that I took her to had her on a never ending bout of antibiotics, coupled with the fact that my lifestyle was not healthy, I ran into all kinds of difficulty. But, it was a learning experience, one that I would not want to repeat. In all due respect, I did learn to have more patience than I had in the past!
 

Dishonest Prophets (Pastors and Preachers)

Jeremiah 23
14) I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing:  they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
16) Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you; they make you vain:  they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.
17) They say still unto them that despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
19) Is not my word like as a fire; saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
30) Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbour
31) Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.
32) Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord.
39) Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence.
40) And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.

Whew!  That's some hard stuff!

Guess what? I decided to look up some more definitions for you. 

reproach-to accuse of a fault, rebuke, reprove. To bring disgrace upon; shame, disgrace.

perpetual-continuing indefinitely; constant

At the time of writing this, I have been a born again child of God for 36 years. In these years, I have had the opportunity to sit under some very good preachers, but at the same time I have also been able to hear some bad ones like those mentioned above. Many times the preachers are afraid of the people and what they will think or they are just plain afraid of losing their congregation. At other times, I have found that the pastors or preachers themselves have in their lifestyles become careless and non-commital to the separated life that the Lord wants them to have in order to be in the position they are in. Many people have stumbled due to a pastor or preacher who in his own life is no better in behavior than the "man on the street". Pastors and preachers are supposed to be the example to those they are preaching to and should spend time finding out just what the Lord wants them to preach. Because of these pastors and preachers, the Christian has a hard time truly  separating in his or her lifestyle because it seems like God is allowing them to behave the way they do and even blessing them for the way they are living. Children, teenagers, and young adults especially are drawn to an easier way, so it is hard for parents of these children to persuade their children that this lifestyle is not what the Lord wants for them.

II 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.
2) And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3)  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

pernicious-causing injury, destruction; fatal

feigned-to make up (a story, excuse, etc.), to fabricate, to imagine, pretend

Hopefully, I have given you something to really think about and something that will edify and strengthen your days ahead.

What Are We Feeding Our Children (Continued)

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Tips for Moms and Dads

Perhaps one of the most difficult challenges for parents of children who have been accustomed to the Standard American Diet is to make a change in lifestyle. It is important for children to understand, so be sure to teach them why you are making the changes. Share with them your concerns about their health as well as your own.
Set a positive example. Children learn by what they see and hear! It is impossible to teach good eating habits to children if the parents eat poorly. Start teaching healthy eating habits as early as possible. The task becomes increasingly difficult once poor eating habits become established.

• Maintain authority over the food in your home. Parents should decide and make children aware of what foods are acceptable and available in the home. If you take the time to plan ahead, you can save many hours and lots of frustration. For instance, have fresh vegetables and fruits easily accessible for the  children to snack on. Plan your meals ahead, too.
• Involve the children in grocery shopping. Have them assist with making a grocery list, and allow them to choose which fresh vegetables they would like to try. Take them on an outing to a farmer's market or to a local orchard that does not use chemicals. Take the time to teach the children about the choices you are making and why. Be sure to feed the children prior to going shopping so they will not become demanding in the supermarkets.
• Include the children when making some of the meal selections. Make up menus ahead of time and post them so the children know what to expext. Children can be involved in preparing for the meal, setting the table, helping with the salad, helping with the juicing, and even clean-up chores. For instance, each child could be responsible to rinse his or her plate after the meal.
• Make mealtimes an enjoyable occasion for the whole family - a place to share the positive things that happened during the day, tell stories and laugh together. Teach children to slowly chew their food and savor the flavor, to not rush through the meal and hurry off to some other activity. It may take some extra effort, but it will be worth it in the long run. Parents should also establish a firm rule that the dining room table will never become a battleground.
• Plant a small garden that is easy to manage and allow the children to take part in the care of the vegetables. It gives them a sense of belonging. As a child watches the plants grow and mature they become excited about eating what they have helped produce. If you live in an area where you can't plant a garden, window box gardens are a wonderful option.

Children are very smart and learn quickly. Remember you are their teacher and the way you react to a changed diet and lifestyle will be seen by your children.

Psalms 127:3
Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward.

What Are We Feeding Our Children?

One of the things I deeply regret in my young adult years while carrying my babies and as they grew up, was that of not really providing the right nourishment for them.  In my early teenage years through young adulthood, I had the nasty habit of smoking cigarettes, drinking colas, and hardly eating anything that was nutritionally good for me.  I learned very quickly as I grew older that this lifestyle had wreaked havoc on my body and my health began suffering for it.  I was not a person to over eat (most of the time) and I didn't like to eat a lot of sweet foods, neither did I eat a lot of bread, but my main problem was I wasn't eating fresh, organic vegetables and fruits or anything that was filled with enzymes so that my body could be strong.  I allowed my cigarettes and soft drinks to be my mainstay in my daily life.  Thank the Lord that this began to change as I grew older.  Only with the help of God did I quit smoking and this was after having my second child.  My husband and I both smoked so you can imagine what it was like for our two small children living in our house.  One of them was always getting sick, so I attribute most of this to our lifestyle.  Not until later, after becoming ill myself, did I finally start changing the way I ate and the way our family ate.  And then there was the problem with getting the husband to go along, who all his life was trained to eat hardily and just about anything he wanted.
According to "Recipes for Life", by Rhonda Malkmus, pregnant and nursing mothers should avoid junk foods, foods high in sugar and fat, and they should never consume alcohol, caffeine, or smoke cigarettes.  Women who drink during pregnancy are shown to have babies with decreased birth rates, smaller heads, mental retardation, and can even have abnormal face, heart and appendages.  Caffeine and cigarettes can cause birth defects as well as many other complications. 
In the future I plan to write more about this topic, but for now I will leave you with some quotes by nutritionist experts:

Did You Know?

 "Most of the mentally retarded babies born in America are due to the mother's drug, cigarette or alcohol addiction, or their poor eating habits where they lacked the basic vitamins and minerals needed to produce a healthy baby."
--Dr. Roger Williams, noted scientist and nutritionist

"My file is full of examples of Americans with soft bones (dissolved, I believe, by their phosphoric acid consumption) and my heart-felt concern for fetuses is now a reality--many are being born without face bones, with missing ribs, with fewer than normal carpal bones, and so forth.
--Dr. Mary Ruth Swope, from her article "Why I Don't Drink    Soft Drinks and I Wish You Didn't"

"The average 12-ounce cola has about 150 calories and over an ounce (9 teaspoons) of refined sugar: a 12-ounce un-cola has 7 1/2 teaspoons sugar.  24 teaspoons of sugar in one day destroys 92% of the body's ability to destroy bacteria"
--Dr. Agatha Thrash, M.D., Home Remedies

"A government warning was once issued to the manufacturer of a certain world-famous refreshing soft drink for its suspected effect on the bones of children because of the large amount of phosphoric acid in it.  Pour coke over an extracted baby tooth or a 10-penny nail and see it totally dissolve in a few days!"
--Dr. Mary Ruth Swope from Why I Don't Drink Soft Drinks and Wish You Didn't

Early Warnings

Years ago, during late Winter and early Spring of 1974, I had the privilege of coming in contact with a woman by the name of Hilda who I feel was a good example of what a person would be like who is a Watchman for the Souls of Man.  Although I didn't understand at the time how a person could be like Hilda without being totally humiliated and embarrassed about her approach toward the souls who are lost, I now understand what possessed her to tell those surrounding her that if they didn't get "saved" they would burn in hell.  I was one of those people who I feel the Lord put right in her line of fire.  Although I had times in the past that the Lord tried to warn me about my eternal destiny, and somehow I never fully understood how to receive the free gift of salvation, Hilda was the ammunition that the Lord used to bring me to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  I am eternally grateful and thankful for the person that allowed God to use her in order to "shake up" my life  to get me ready for death and eternity.  I realized later that Hilda was the way she was due to the church she was going to.  The pastor had taught many of his people to be aggressive in soul winning and in the separated lifestyle.  These two attributes caused many people to stop and pay attention to the things they said and lots of folks got saved because of it.  Since then, a lot has changed with those people but I know that in God's sight these things were very important in drawing me to Him.
Later, as time went on I became involved in an Independent Baptist Church that used the King James Bible and wouldn't think of allowing anything else in the church.  Really, at that time I never knew there was a problem with the bibles, but my husband and I both found out that there was an all out war being waged on this subject.  And so, life goes on...
In many ways as my Christian life progressed, I began to become a little bit like those folks at the separated church and began to warn the lost about damnation and eternity through passing out tracts and just plain talking to folks about their eternal destiny.  After a few years of being around these separated church people and hearing what some would call "hard" preaching,  I finally realized that God truly cares about how the born again Christian conducts his or her life and at times it can be crucial to others listening to the message of salvation and life after salvation. Hopefully, in a future blog I will share my testimony of being saved with you.

Warnings to the Saved
1 John 5:16-17
16) If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death.  There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
17) All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

 So many times I see those who profess to be saved going about life as if they have no care about how thy are affecting the lost and saved around them.  Their lives many times reflect that our Lord does not really care if they drink, carouse around and party, talk filthy and tell filthy jokes, to the point that they become a stumblingblock to those around them.  Many so-called saved folks have taken great pride in being covetous, idolaters, participating in witchcraft and sorcery.  Some examples of these things would be playing the lottery or bingo for money, participating in parties on the street and elsewhere that involves rock music and other lewd music, and especially the new craze of vampire books and movies that they can't seem to live without.  Many of the libraries and bookstores have replaced the wholesome books with books on fantasy, sex, Harry Potter witchcraft and sorcery, and all the Sci Fi stuff.  What ever happened to being good and clean in our lifestyles?
What a sad day it has become when our children can't even go out to play at church for fear of being lured into the obscene by some well meaning professing Christian.
1 John 5:21
21) Little Children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.!!

The Watchman

Ezekiel 3:18-21
18) When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19) Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
20) Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
21) Nevertheless, if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou has delivered thy soul.