And just like that, the sky opened up, I watched as the gray began to fade, Elms bucked and swayed, I take one hand and pry open the other to accept what he gave, From what I’ve dreamt, from what I’ve prayed, Just like that…washing over my sorrow’s grave. And just like that, the air […]
RR
Reblog: A short yet powerful poem!
In the modern world today, several different versions of the Bible are now in print. Every department store has several copies promoting a better and easier to understand literature of the outdated Bible. While all that seems exciting and helpful, it is also very concerning. Before I get into the nitty gritty of the details, let me state that I am well aware of the stigma behind the King James Version Bible. I know that many believe that mankind has touched it in irreptible ways and Christianity is just a way to manipulate and control the masses. I obviously disagree with such nonsense and believe the KJV Bible is the most accurate English interpretation of the Bible.
In fact the KJV is so mathematically perfect, it would be impossible for any man to complete the complex structure in such a way. I will provide a link to a more detailed account of the above mentioned mathematics. Hopefully one day I can do an article representing this as well.
Let’s begin with the earliest form of the Bible. In the initial years the Bible was written by all walks of life but all inspired directly by God himself (II Timothy 3:16). Many men, across hundreds of years, some of which unbeknownst to the other wrote the Bible. Some Bibles were written by kings, fishermen and preachers. In fact, it was once mandatory for the new king to produce his own handwritten copy of the Bible. Ensuring each new reign had read the word of God and was fully capable of making sound and moral judgments based on scripture. All this was completed before the idea of the printing press had come to light and most was copied onto scrolls and later paper, primarily papaya.
The Vulgate was the first translation into French by a man named Jerome in the late 4th century. This version was later used by the Roman church. An abundance of religious texts were preserved through the following dark ages by priests and scribes who copied them in various places. As the centuries passed by the clerks and clergy were the only ones to have access to the written context. John Wycliffe had the belief that the sacred text should be available to everyone regardless of their social status. He was the first to translate the Bible into English in 1384.
The great invention of the printing press in 1440 meant that Hebrew, Greek and Latin text were more accessible and readily available. In 1526 William Tyndale completed his translation of the New Testament from the Greek text unlike Wycliffe who used Latin scriptures. Sadly both men died as a direct result of their fervent pursuit. Wycliffe was accused of heretics posthumously and Tyndale viciously burned at the stake.
During the tyrannical reign of Roman Catholic Mary I, English scholars sought refuge in Geneva, Switzerland. Not long after, the Geneva Bible came to light. Heavily influenced by John Calvin and John Knock, the Old Testament was published in 1558 and the New Testament in 1560. The Geneva Bible was the first to be translated from Greek and Hebrew into English. It was also the first Bible to use numbered verses and chapters along with italic words. It provided detailed depictions and commentary notes. It quickly gained public popularity as the common man could now access it as well.
Fast forward a few years and England was under the reign of Henry VIII. England removed itself from the Catholic church and created its very own state church.
In 1604 King James I, a then known religious scholar who has previous bits of translations, decided to translate one unified version of the Bible. He published his version in 1611 after appointing the nation’s finest language scholars and creating a system to verify accuracy. His work was heavily influenced by the Geneva Bible but frowned upon the commentary aspects deeming it “seditious”. Then in 1684 the Roman Catholic Church decided to remove certain texts claiming it celebrated Judaism. Naturally there were other Bibles produced during the dates mentioned but I stuck with the most popular versions.
Now that we are finished with the history lesson let’s get back to the topic at hand.
Modern day translations not only completely remove words but entire versus, drastically changing the intended message. Below is an example of 16 times entire verses were removed, they are as follows.
● Matthew 17:21: “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”
● Matthew 18:11: “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.”
● Matthew 23:14: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”
● Mark 7:16: “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.”
● Mark 9:44: “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
Mark 9:46: “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
● Mark 11:26: “But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
● Mark 15:28: “And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.”
● Luke 17:36: “Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”
● John 5:4: “For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.”
● Acts 8:37: “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
● Acts 15:34: “Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.”
● Acts 24:7: “But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,”
● Acts 28:29: “And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.”
Romans 16:24: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
● I John 5:7: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
Furthermore, When we compare key scripture such as Ezekiel 13:20-23 we see noticeable differences.
Ezekiel 13:20-23, King James Version.
20 Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.
21 Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:
23 Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the Lord
Ezekiel 13:20-23, New International Version.
20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. 21 I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 22 Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, 23 therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
Joshua 1:8, King James Version.
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Joshua 1:8, New Living Translation.
8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
Proverbs 18:21, King James Version.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Proverbs 18:21, New Living Translation.
21 The tongue can bring death or life;
those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
The comparisons above show the stark difference between the pictures that the scripture conveys. The newer versions are not just inaccurate but also misleading. I understand the aspects of better readability and easier comprehension but at what cost? I find it very troubling that younger generations are gravitating toward newer translations. All the while oblivious to the discrepancies and confusion it can bring.
I believe a true Christian should avoid these translations all together. If comprehension of the old language style in King James Version is too difficult, pray about it and ask for clarification. Personally I use a Companion Bible KJV along with a Strong Concordance and a Smith’s Bible Dictionary. With these three resources I not only have the Apocrypha containing the books removed in 1648 but it also provides me with the ability to take any and every word back to the original languages and translate it myself. In doing so I can verify any and every text I read whether KJV or not. The companion Bible divides the scriptures so you can easily follow the subject and article. It provides a vast amount of appendices to further dive into the entirety of God’s Word. Doing so provides me with a deep and complex understanding of the Bible.
Our heavenly Father doesn’t want people to just show up for church on Sunday and fill the pews. He doesn’t want lukewarm Christians. He wants you every day, to be in His word. Christians are not supposed to listen to a preacher talk about one versus for an hour. We should be studying versus by versus, chapter by chapter to show ourselves approved. When was the last time you picked up your Bible and read it? When was the last time you did a deep dive into the true meaning of God’s word or have you ever desired to? Do you truly study the word of God or do you allow yourself to be spoon-fed a few versus on Sunday?
I consider myself extremely blessed to be born and raised in America.
I do not have to tuck my Bible away and hide it from prying eyes. I do not have to pray in private or hold church in secret. I am free to worship and follow whoever I choose. Yet, so many people take for granted the living word of God at our fingertips. Scriptures that people would have once been beheaded for reading much less possessing and sadly still are today in many parts of the world. I hope everyday I remember what a blessing it is to openly study His word with ample amounts of resources at my disposal. I urge each read also to take the time and faithfully study the word of God.
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Now to give credit where credit is due.
The sites I used for facts and the charts provided.
https://thestandard.org.uk/the-blog/item/missing-verses-changed-words-in-modern-bibles-compared-to-the-kjv
https://archive.org/details/ModernBibleChangedVersesList
The link to the mathematical perfection of the Bible as mentioned above.
https://thestandard.org.uk/the-blog/item/proof-of-god-mathematically-perfect-bible-from-beginning-to-end
1 Peter 2:24: “He Himself bore our sins’ in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by His wounds you have been healed.”
Isaiah 40:29: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
Psalm 147:3: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
James 5:14-15: “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”
Jeremiah 17:14: “Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”…Read More
I came across this breakdown of Genesis 3 by Craig Williams and found it to be very thorough. I like the explanation of the Hebrew words! So many Christians today are not taught the truth today about the sin in the garden or the origins of Cain. Well done Craig!
Genesis 3
One denomination teaches Genesis this way that denomination teaches it that way but all that matters is what does the word of God say. Here I teach you what God was saying using the correct strongs/Hebrew word Transliterations and meaning. If you don’t understand this teaching you will not understand any of the parables in the Bible
[1]Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?………………..Read More
Welcome back to another in-depth Bible study. May you have listening ears and eyes that see. Join me as we finish the great book of 1 Kings today.
43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.
44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
46 And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.
47 There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king.
48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.
49 Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.
50 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.
52 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin:
53 For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
That concludes our lesson for today and 1 Kings. Come back tomorrow as we continue right along in the Bible and begin 2 Kings. Have a great day and God bless!
Poem: Silence
Reblog: I read this poem and love the wording. I had to share!
Welcome back to another in-depth Bible study. Let’s dive into God’s Word together, seeking understanding and insight. May His spirit guide us as we explore Scripture.
1 Kings 22:6
6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?
8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.
10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king’s hand.
13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.
14 And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.
15 So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
16 And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?
17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.
18 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?
19 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
24 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?
25 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.
26 And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;
27 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.
28 And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.
30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.
31 But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.
32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out.
33 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
34 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
35 And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.
36 And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.
37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake.
39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
40 So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
41 And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
42 Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
That concludes our lesson for today. Come back tomorrow as we continue right along in the Bible. Have a great day and God bless!
If I say the word —would you believe it?If I say it constantly —would you still believe? Are wordsa guaranteeof what they mean? Would the meaningfadeif it becameroutine? Wouldn’t it be betterto let it show —so you’d know? If only I couldhold your handand look intoyour eyes.
The Word
Reblog: Wonderful Poem!
How have your political views changed over time?
How have my political views changed over time? When I was in high-school I believed that my vote did not really matter. I believe it was a system made in order to grant us false power. Not that I am an adult I see that I was correct in my thinking. In fact, I now see that the political parties is nothing more than theatrics and PSYOP. In reality there are a handful of people who run this country and control those political parties to push their intended narrative. These elect individuals control every aspect including the president. The political parties are just a way to keep us distracted and fighting over nonsense.
Welcome back to another in-depth Bible study. May you have listening ears and eyes that see. Join me as we dive into Father’s word.
I Kings 21
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.
17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.
19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.
21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,
22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.
23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.
25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.
I Kings 22
1 And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.
2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?
4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.
That concludes our lesson for today. Come back tomorrow as we continue right along in the Bible. Have a great day and God bless!
Heather Congrove