Noah and the Last Days

If you like the 180 Movie and Evolution vs. God, then you'll like Living Water's newest documentary, Noah and the Last Days.  Please share with all of your social media below.  We need to get this film out there! 

Read More

Family Bible Time

Below, I want to show you a video of how my family has Family Bible Time.  This is in no way the only way to do it, nor is it a typical day for us.  We just hope that it will encourage you and your family to begin reading the Word of God together as a family.  Individual time in the Word is very important, but we believe that we will not regret having this time together as a family. 

We did forget to say our Weekly Bible Verse together as a family.  I guess with all of the hustle and bustle and transferring everything outside on the spur of the moment threw us off.  But I love that my husband found a beautiful day and decided to take Bible Time outside today!  :)  And no, I haven't had a shower yet...but honestly, I don't most days before Bible Time.  But that's life.  We do not always accomplish the goals we want to every Bible Time.  We forget things, make mistakes, and sometimes have fussy children.  The point is that we do it consistently, regardless.  What are some ways your family reads God's Word and prays together as a family?  Any tips or tricks that have proven to be effective for your family?

 

Since we began Bible Time as a family, we have noticed an even greater closeness amongst one another.  A big benefit is that my children are learning to sit still when needed (although there is still quite a way to go).  This helps when we're at church, at an event, or anywhere where I need 30 minutes or so of being "relatively" still (we had a short Bible Time today). We also include the children in the Bible Time (Hence, the name FAMILY Bible Time).  Araylah is in charge of keeping all of our Bibles and getting them out and putting them away.  Each child gets to pick a song that we sing during worship time (Brea always wants to sing "This Little Light of Mine.")  There are days when we have long discussions about what we read, and there are days when there is little discussion.  Right now, the children are young, so we don't have many questions from them.  Usually it's just a discussion between Mark and I, and we include the children when possible.  However, this will change over the years....so we'll adjust to our family's needs.  No two family's Bible time will look the same. 

I just hope this video encourages you in what you're already doing or if not, to BEGIN having that time together as a family.  If you don't know where to start, I highly recommend Feed My Sheep by Steve Maxwell (it's for Dads/Husbands and is only $10.00).  I receive no monetary benefit from recommending it, but we think it has been really good for your family and may be for yours as well.

Read More

Coupon Codes and a Giveaway!

I have some great discounts to offer you as well as a link for a great giveaway!  Are you ready?

The first discount is for 10% off your entire purchase at Simply Modest Swimwear and the second is for 25% off either ABC Say It With Me Bible Memory Verses, or off your entire purchase at Crowe's Nest Media.

The giveaway is for a copy of ABC Say It With Me Bible Memory Verses AND a copy of For His Own Glory!  I have both DVDS and love them so much!

So let me give you all the info:

Simply Modest Swimwear Coupon Code

 

Simply Modest and Conservative Christian Mom are teaming up to offer you a 10% discount off your entire purchase for the entire month of March.  They offer swimsuits for girls, women, and maternity suits.  You can even purchase patterns to make your own swimsuit!  You can also purchase a ready-made swimsuit or have one to custom fit YOU.  They can make virtually any style to fit your modesty and style standards!  Spring and Summer time is upon us, so let's be honorable to our husbands, fathers, and brothers in Christ and make sure our modesty standards do not change when entering the water.

All you have to do is go to Simply Modest's website and enter this promo code at checkout: CCMBLOG10%

Moore Family Films and Crowe's Nest Media Coupon Codes

1)  ABC Say It With Me Bible Memory Verses- Use promo code "abc25" to get 25% off of your purchase of this DVD.  You can read my full review of this video here.  You can also view the trailer below:

2)  Crowe's Nest Media- Use Coupon Code "moore25" to receive 25% off of your entire shopping cart purchase at Crowe's Nest Media!  I have the video For His Own Glory and I really like it!  It has lots of animals and encourages counting, spelling, and glorifying God!  My two year old loves it!  You can watch their trailer (but check out their website for all of their products) below:

Both Coupon Codes expire March 6th, so hurry! 

ABC Say It With Me and For His Own Glory Giveaway

Now for the giveaway!  Go to Moore Family Films and enter their giveaway through the Rafflecopter!  The giveaway ends in just 6 days, so make sure you go over there to enter!  These would make great gifts for others even if you don't have young children.  I like them myself!

Read More

How to Teach Your Children Weekly Bible Verses

Knowing God's Word is vital nourishment for our spiritual well-being.  Not only must we know It, but we must hide God's Word in our hearts.  When the enemy comes in to devour, we must be ready to fight with the Word of God.

I have been a Christian since a child, but I must admit, I had never really learned Scripture.  Even in reading my Bible, I never made memorizing Scripture important.  The only time I learned Scripture is when It was in a song I heard often or I had to learn It for church.  If I were to make a guess, I would estimate that I only could quote 15-20 Bible verses off of the top of my head, on the spot, much of my Christian life.

During much of my life, despite trying to grow closer to God, I found discouragement and discontentment controlling my thoughts when things weren't going well.  I didn't have God's Word hid in my heart (Psalm 119:11), so I didn't have the encouragement of it to remind me of God's care for my life during any hard times.

As an adult, learning Scripture is not much different for me than learning It as a child.  I find it difficult to sit and read a verse to try and remember it.  Even if I do, it usually doesn't stick as long.

Now that we have children, we have learned over the years that learning Scripture needs to be apart of our everyday life.  Not only will this help us to remember it easier, but it will help us to USE it in our everyday lives.

So, I want to share with you the techniques my family uses for us to learn Scripture as a family.  We encourage you to do this as a family.  Mom and Dad can't both help the children if they don't both know the Bible verse the children are learning.  In the same sense, there is no confusion on everyone focusing on different verses.  You may use some of our ideas and you may not use any of them!  I just want to encourage you to begin learning God's Word as a family and hopefully you'll gleam ideas as well.

We have began learning a weekly Bible verse to learn as a family.  On Monday, I write our new Bible Verse on our kitchen door.  Here is this week's verse:

Before anyone can exit the door, we must read aloud the Bible Verse.  The more we say it, the easier it is to remember!  The more we go outside, the more we say it!  Of course, you don't have to have chalkboard paint and be ready to slather up your nice kitchen door.  A simple piece of tape and paper will do to put your Bible verse on.  Just find a spot that works for you.  You may decide to put the Bible verses over the snack cabinet, in your car where it must be said before you leave...wherever you decide, find a place that you use a lot so your verse will be said a lot!

I also take several times throughout the day to ask my child her Bible verse.  In doing this, she and I are both learning the verse.  At the beginning of the week, when she doesn't know the verse, I simply have her repeat each word after me.  As the week goes on, she gets better and better.  I then begin just helping her when she's stuck on what the next word is.  By the end of the week, she's got it down!

 

"Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5

As a reward for each time she says her Bible verse (even if she's just repeating after me), she gets a treat.  It may be a piece of candy, getting a sticker, reading a new book, or blowing out a candle.  Find a few things that your child loves and mix it up (you don't want your child eating candy all day long) and certainly you want age appropriate rewards!

I usually remember to ask Araylah to say her Bible verse when she asks me for something.  If she's asking to color,  I say, "Sure!  While I'm getting out your colors, can you tell me your Bible verse?"  It's a great way for me to remember to ask her!
For our family, we primarily have chosen verses that will pertain to her.  Sometimes her verses are long, sometimes they are short.  I've been asked, "why don't you just have her say, 'Jesus wept'?"  Certainly that is a powerful and important verse in the Bible, but it's not a verse that my child can understand yet at her age or that I feel I can relate to her everyday life.  I want to try to only use verses that are relevant to her everyday life or that I feel I can explain on her level.  Otherwise, it's just for a show.  Learning other verses, as she learns more and more about Jesus, will come.  But Mark and I decided we just want to use verses that our children will presently understand.

I'll give you an example of this with another way we choose to learn Bible verses.  One of my main disciplines for my two year old is time-outs.  When she does something inappropriate, she is to go to the couch and sit quietly for 3 minutes.  I explain to her, her offense, report to her, her punishment, set the timer and go about my business.  When the timer goes off, I return to her.  I remind her of what she did and how it is not appropriate nor acceptable.  We then go to a chart I have on the wall (The If-Then Chart).  If she was being disobedient, we read Ephesians 6:1.  She would repeat it after me (as soon as she was old enough to repeat me).  I would then explain to her what the verse means and why it is important.  I would then ask for an apology, hug, and kiss.  If anyone else was wronged, she would make it right with that person as well.

So you see, we are saying Scripture throughout the day.  When you say it so much, it is BOUND to be memorized.  We don't do anything real creative when it comes to memorizing it, we just say it aloud a lot!

"Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord." Leviticus 19:30

***There are some resources that we do use to help us along.  For example, we love to sing in the car, but we only want to sing songs that are edifying.  We love to listen to our CDS from Bible Truth Music.  They are cute songs of children singing Scripture (KJV).  Music has a way of making verses easier to remember.  It has even benefited me!  Now when I'm humming a catchy tune in my head, it's God's Word!  It is such a blessing! 
You can also get FREE CDS and/or downloads of passages being sang by the beautiful Tirzah Joy by emailing her through her website here. It's called Sing The KJV. You can also visit her on YouTube here.

***Another resource we use is in the form of a DVD!  Moore Family Films produces wonderful movies for the entire family!  One of their great films is the A-B-C Say It With Me Bible Memory Verses.  It's a wonderful DVD filled with children saying a Bible verse for every letter of the alphabet.  My two year old learned all of those verses in two weeks!  You can read my full review of this product and watch the trailer here. 

*** If you're looking for another DVD resource, you may want to check out Scripture Talk!  This DVD offers a way to memorize, not just KJV Bible Verses, but passages.  My just turned two year old learned 1 Corinthians 13 in just 9 days (way faster than me)!  They put the Bible verses to motions and keep it very entertaining for children (and adults) of all ages!  You can read my full review here!

***If you're looking for something while you travel or tangible, this next resource is wonderful!  I am so thankful for Christian moms who share their work for FREE to help the rest of us!  You can get an ABC printable with KJV Bible Verses for your little one for FREE!  Just hop on over to Andrea Hamilton's blog to print them!

***To Memorize Psalm 23, we found a KJV children's book.  We would read it many nights before we went to bed.  We didn't push it, but eventually, it became natural and memorized.  When we felt she had most of it memorized, we made it her weekly Bible Verse for that week (all 6 verses):

Unfortunately, these books are hard to come by.  So, I made a cheesy notebook with the Passage we  learned next (The Lord's Prayer):

Obviously, I would have made the pictures horizontally, but my printer is giving me fits right now.  Luckily, my three year old doesn't mind one bit!

One thing I encourage you to do is to plan ahead the Bible verses that will be memorized.  I just took the same day out of every week and typed it out.  Then I wrote verses alongside each day that I wanted Araylah to memorize.  It's great to have a printout of the verse you want for a few reasons:
 1) You don't have to go looking hurriedly for a verse when you realize you haven't picked one out for this week and
 2) You can be confident that you are giving your children verses that are relevant to them because you took the time ahead to plan it out.
Print it out and put it up high so you can see it.  If your children are having issues being obedient in church, you can move up Leviticus 19:30 on your list.  Don't be afraid to change the schedule based upon your children's current needs.

To my shame, my two year old probably knows more Bible verses now than I did most of my Christian life.  I feel confident she knows more than many adults sitting in pews every Sunday as well.  I don't say this in pride for her.  I say it because it pleases my heart knowing that when she is facing a difficult time, Scripture will be in her memory to comfort and guide her.  I didn't have that in often cases growing up.  The Word of God is our friend.  It is our help.  But if we don't study It and cherish It, It will just collect dust on a shelf.  I encourage you to begin instilling the Word of God into your home, regardless of the age of your children.

*****If your child is old enough for writing, you might also consider this next resource.  What better way is there for your child to practice their penmanship than with writing Scriptures?  Not only is their handwriting improving, but so is their vocabulary, as well as memorizing God's Word!  I stumbled upon this resource, and though I haven't used it yet, it is King James Scripture and it appears to be a great book if you're wanting some a little more formal than just telling your child to copy "Romans Chapter 12."  You can view the book here.*****

The newest way we are learning Bible verses as a family is during Family Bible Time!  We each read four verses during this time of verses we have already learned.  This way, we don't forget them!  I found this method here.  But you can watch the video below!  It has been great for our family!

 


My goal in this post is to encourage you.  We are a normal family and we have been blessed by the countless other families who are teaching their children the Word of God!  Your child can do it!  Work at their speed and on their level, but don't underestimate how much they can learn.  Young minds are like sponges.  If you're like me, your little one will be correcting you when you miss one little tiny word in 1 Corinthians 13!

What are some ways you choose to teach your children Bible verses?  I'd love to hear what works in your home!  It might help other families, including my own, to have some more ways to memorize God's Word.

Read More

I am a Gomer

I have been trying to write this post for a couple of weeks now!  But it seems something always happens!  I had some other things that I had felt were priority.  Yet, after things calmed down and things began returning to normal, this post was right back on my heart.

Recently, I had polled my readers and asked the following question:

"If your spouse was unfaithful to you more than once, would you take them back? Could you love someone who didn't show you love?"

8% of you said that you were not bound to a marriage of infidelity and therefore would not take them back.

25% of you said you most definitely would because your vows called "For Better or Worse."

16% of you said "as long as their spouse was remorseful."

50% of you stated that there would be no way to know until you're in that situation.


I didn't ask this poll question to talk about adultery.  Not in the sense that you're probably thinking anyways.  I wanted us to see where our hearts were.  You see, it's easy for us to say that we would take back a spouse when things are going well.  Maybe we would.  I hope we would, but as 8% of you pointed out, we are not forced to do so as Christians.

Some of you said you would, but it would be conditional.  It would be based upon if your spouse was remorseful or not.  A whopping 50% of you claimed you don't know what you would do unless you were in that situation.

We will come back to this poll, but first, I want to bring in the story of Hosea. 
It's only 14 Chapters, and if you don't pay close attention, you might miss the love story in the beginning of the book.

I hope you'll read it for yourself, but here's a little bit of the gist of it for you:

Israel was divided up into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms.  While the Southern Kingdom continued to serve God, Northern Israel chose to forsake their one, true God. 

The Northern Kingdom was experiencing good times.  As in most cases of prosperity, as the wealth increased, they began to turn from God.   Sin was running rampant in Israel:  prostitution, idolatry, drunkenness, etc.  God was hurt by Israel.  You see, Israel is special.  In the same sense that the church is the bride of Christ, Israel was like God's wife as well.  However, His bride had turned their backs on Him, despite His blessings upon their land. 

In comes Hosea.  Now Hosea (whose name means 'salvation') was a prophet of God, and one of the first things we see God tell Hosea to do is to marry a harlot!  What?  Aren't we supposed to be equally yoked?  But God had a purpose.  (There are many who believe harlotry was in her heart, and she would not act upon adultery until marriage, but that debate is not relevant here).

So Hosea went out and married a prostitute named Gomer.  Now God instructed Hosea to have children by her and to name them according to His purpose.  The first child was to be named Jezreel, meaning "God will sow."  God was sending a message to Israel.
Gomer's second child was a girl and God told Hosea to name her Loruhamah (unpitied or unloved).  Since Loruhamah was likely not Hosea's child, her name shows a representation of not being loved by her true father.

As soon as Gomer had weaned Loruhamah, she became pregnant again.  This time, she was pregnant with another boy.  Lo-ammi's name meant, "Not my People."  Do you see why God is having Hosea name his children in such a way?  It is a direct message to the people of Israel.  It is also a representation of Lo-ammi not being Hosea's child.

The book of Hosea speaks about Gomer's repeated adultery and then returning to her husband.   Chapter 2 and verse 7 gives me the impression she would only go back to Hosea as a last resort.  Can you imagine?!  Not only was she not remorseful, but she did not want to be with Hosea, at least not for love.

Think about how Hosea must of felt?  He knew what she was doing.  He knew his children were not his own.  Yet, he took her back...every single time.  He bought her back, out of slavery, at such a high price, despite what she had done to him.


I am so glad that God is not like us.  I'm glad that when we are unfaithful to Him, He doesn't say, "I'm perfect, and they are sinful.  I am not 'bound' to love them."  I'm also glad He didn't base His love for us on whether we're sorry or not.  God still pursues us even when we have not repented yet.  He loves us and is waiting for us to turn back to Him.
Thankfully, He already knows what He will do in the situation when we sin.  He doesn't make a decision based upon the moment, or His current feelings.  He has ultimate love and it's UNCONDTIONAL.  God loves us even when He knows His love will not be returned.  Much like Hosea's love toward Gomer.

We may think we're nothing like Gomer.  But are we faithful to God above all else in our lives?  Do we look to other gods for self-pleasure?  Maybe we just look to ourselves.  It's almost as though we have made ourselves to be a god.  We consult no one with our decisions in life, but ourselves (because who knows better than me?).  We purchase things to please ourselves.  We don't even want to lay it at another god's feet.  We are the god in our minds and we want to worship ourselves.  Every decision we make is about "what is best for me."

Oh this may sound like a stretch, but it is not.  Think about your thought life.  The part of your life that no one but you and God know about.  Answer these questions to yourself honestly.

1)  Do you love God, and Him alone, above EVERYTHING else?  That includes your children, your spouse, your job, your money, your health, your happiness....
2)  Do you feel like since you give your 10 or 15% to the church, that the rest is for you to spend on your "needs?"  Do you just give the minimum requirement or do you give all you can?
3)  Do we justify a fancy home because it's not as nice as most others you know?  At least we are not wasting our money like some.  Therefore, we must be spending our money modestly.  Do you compare your goodness to others as opposed to God's righteousness?
4)  What is the #1 thing your mind thinks about?  Is it REALLY about God?  Or is it about shopping, your kid's softball games, hunting and fishing, impressing others?
5)  Do you give God a little and keep the rest?  Do you go to church on Sundays and Wednesdays, but keep the rest of the week mostly to your doing (even if you're not doing anything "bad")? 

I ask that you really answer these questions honestly.  I find that when I'm honest with myself, I am shameful at my honest responses.  I haven't loved God above all else.  I am a Gomer.

I may not be exactly like her.  I may have remorse, but I am still hurting God when I love other things above Him.  He is the One who breathed LIFE into my lungs.  He is the One who sent His Son to give me an example and to die for my every last sin.  He is the One who has given me His Holy Spirit to comfort and guide me while I am on my mission to serve Him.

If someone were to put a gun to your head and claim that they would kill you, but I came in and said I would take the bullet , but I ask if you would just go to my house every single day and read a book for 30 minutes to my children.  Now, I'm sure you would gladly let me take that bullet and be so grateful to me.  I'm sure you would gladly lose a half hour everyday to meet the wishes of the one to saved your life....at least at first.

Despite your gratefulness, years go by and you've been faithful adhering to my request.  You've forgotten how it felt to have the gun to your head.  You're tired.  You have your own life and keeping your commitment to me has proposed its challenges.  Not only can you never be sick, but you can never leave for vacation.  You can't even get away for a two-day trip.  Suddenly, you feel as though your commitment is keeping you from doing the things you really want to do.

You begin to miss reading time here or there.  It's not like I'm going to know!  It's only for really important things in the beginning, but over time, you begin to miss more and more, until eventually, you stop going at all. 

Do you see what I'm getting at?  Jesus DIED in YOURS and MY place!  Furthermore, He has promised us an eternity in Heaven!  A place of perfection.  His promise is not based upon our works or goodness, but out of His love for us.  Yet, He does ask us, if we love Him, to serve Him with our daily lives. 

Do we?  Maybe "we said a prayer" a long time ago and really had a desire to please Him.  We wanted to share with others the Gospel.  But over time, we have to admit, our desire to evangelize and show love to those who are undeserving in our eyes, well, it becomes more difficult.  As our hearts are ever so gradually slipping away, we find our thoughts more focused on what we will wear tomorrow or what we will do this weekend.

Sure, some of you may think, "I'm saved.  I don't have to try and be perfect.  I'm going to Heaven."  If you're thinking that, I sure would re-evaluate your Salvation.  A genuine Christian will not try and do the minimum requirement.  A genuine Christian will strive for the path that Jesus set before us (despite knowing we will never come close). 

If you are certain of your Salvation, but you find that you are not daily seeking Him...reading His Word and praying to Him, I encourage you to change your path.  Do you find that you love God, but you have to admit, you love pleasing the world (as long as you don't have to sin to do it)?  If that's so, click here.

When I evaluate my own life, I find that even though I am saved, the world sometimes has a strong pull upon my heart.  You may not be able to tell it from the outside, but God sees it.  God sees my "wandering eye."  He sees my Gomer-like qualities.  As a Christian, it breaks my heart to know that I am not sometimes committed to Him 100%.  Even 99% should break our hearts. 

I'm not saying we never sin.  I'm saying, that when we do fall, when we do make mistakes, we are quit to repent.  Furthermore, we need to take steps to prevent from going down that road again.

I don't want to be a Gomer.  Gomer committed the same sin over and over again.  I may be flesh and imperfect, but if I must sin, may it never be the same sin.  I want to learn from my mistakes.  As I grown in the Lord, it's quite possible I will realize I have been committing some sins that I never realized before.  But as they are brought from my attention, I forsake all of my unrighteousness.

So, think about your life.  Think about your struggles.  Are you actively striving to turn from your sins: watching inappropriate television shows (maybe even though shows that only take God's name in vain once), gluttony (regardless of your waist size), gossip (even if it's true), telling white lies (even for a 'good' reason), a prideful heart (one of my major struggles), and just loving your life more than pleasing God (you can tell this if you're spending your time doing things you want to do rather than what He would have you do).

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."  Luke 9:23

Oh I am not writing this post to depress us.  I just feel like if I'm living a comfortable life, I'm probably not living like Jesus did.  If we look at our sins honestly, it can be very depressing.  My point is for us to stop the busyness of our lives and realize how great God's love really is for us. 
Will you just stop and pray with God right now?  I'm doing it too.  Confess your sins (even the little ones and the ones no one else knows about), but more importantly, FORSAKE your sins.  Leave them.  Take important steps to never go back there.  Find a Christian mentor and confess your sins.  It helps to have encouragement.  I don't want someone patting me on the back telling me what a "good" Christian I am.  I want a friend who is encouraging me to be like Christ and who is humbling me.  If you don't have someone like that, comment here and let others be an encouragment to you.  You can always comment as "anonymous." 

If you're ready to take the next step, I hope you will see my heart in my trying to learn to not just to try and "not sin."  I don't want to say, "God, can I listen to this song?  It has nothing bad in it."  I want to start asking "God, is this song edifying to you?  I don't just want to avoid upsetting You with my sin, but I want to only do things that PLEASE you."

If you have a desire to begin to pray this statement, I hope that you'll click here.  I am looking for others who are wanting to take this stand.  This is so deeply on my heart, but I think we all need encouragement in this area.  This is not about just making a profession of Jesus, this is about each of us learning to only do things that are "edifying" to Him.  Boy, it's a tough road, but it's the road I want to take.  How about you?  Will you join me?

I'd love to hear your thoughts if you want to comment below!  You can also share this post by Email, Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, and Google by simply clicking one of the icons below this post.  You can also share via Pinterest by hovering your mouse over the picture above and clicking "pin it."  The pin will link back to this post.

You can also subscribe to my free monthly newsletter by entering your e-mail address in the box at the top right-hand side of this post.  I try to only send one e-mail a month (informing you of posts you may have missed, giveaways, and such).

Thanks for taking the time to listen to my heart!  I look forward to hearing from you!

Read More

A Great Product for Helping Your Children Learn Scripture!

UPDATE: (This post contains affiliate links.  I wrote this post PRIOR to becoming an affiliate with Moore Family Films, so my thoughts below are 100% mine without the thought of self-gain.  It's just when they came out with an affiliate program, I thought, "why not join?"  I can earn a small amount off of any of your orders to go toward helping me to save for a home.  So, the opinions below are mine, but I do make a small commission off of any orders through my links, so I hope you'll use one of my links if you decide to make an order).

I am so excited about this product review! It just arrived in the mail today and I can't wait to share it! Have you been looking for a way to teach your children or your Sunday School Class the Scriptures? Well, this DVD does just that and I'm writing this product review to show you why I believe this is better than the others I have seen or tried! This DVD is for babies up to adults. We can ALL enjoy and benefit from this! This is a FAMILY FILM! I wish I had found this sooner! (It would also make wonderful gifts and you can know that you're giving a gift of a child learning Scripture).

Here is a trailer of the video so you can get a better idea:

* First of all, it is in King James Version. I realize that may not be important to some, but for those of you whom it may affect, like my family, you know how rare that is to find!


*Secondly, the entire DVD is based around Christian family values. You wouldn't think I would have to state the obvious in a "Christian" DVD, but I have purchased many Bible DVDS for kids where I have found immodest dress or the taking of the Lord's name in vain! Maybe there are more like this DVD out there, but this is the FIRST KJV Bible Memory Verse DVD that I have found that reflects our personal family values. I am so happy that even the extras are dressed appropriately and that everything that is done in the ENTIRE video is to glorify God...and it's obvious! They even have a part at the end to show a person how to be saved! I just grinned from ear to ear when I saw that!  By this video showing my children Scriptures for Salvation repeatedly and with our family ministering to one another, my children may be saved as a result!  That gives me goosebumps!


*Thirdly, my child loves it! We watched the trailer online and she wanted to watch it over and over. When the DVD came in two days later (yes, fast shipping too) and she saw the cover, she immediately read it with pride! She wanted it opened right away (and she didn't even realize there was more than just the letter "A", "B","H", "M", and "N"! It just goes to show you that our children get excited about the things WE get excited about.  If we want them to get excited about Mickey Mouse, we can introduce it to them and be excited...they will too.  In the same sense, we can introduce them to Bible Scripture with love and excitement.  We can PRAISE them for getting their verses right, and they will love it too (children WANT please their parents).  Why not give them a video that  will teach them Scripture that can help them throughout their entire life?!
The video shows animals and children, both of which my children love! The DVD goes through the alphabet, so they're also reinforcing that as well.


*Another thing I love about this DVD is that it's long! You get your money's worth! Each letter does not just say a verse, but it has a short "story" explaining each verse.  Personally, I love how they show the difference in "Honoring" and "Obeying" your parents.  They did a really great job explaining each verse.


*How the DVD is put together makes it another benefit!  Words are put up on the screen so we can be certain that we are saying the verse correctly. But when it is repeated again after explaining the verse through a short story, the words do not show up. This is great because it ensures you are memorizing the verse and not just reading it. This was a very smart thing to do!


*I love how you think the kids are going to "get their sister" or "backtalk their mom." I mean, that's what you would normally see in a movie. Instead they remember the verse that was just said and they display the biblical thing to do. This is important because my children are not waiting for the end of a video to get to the moral of the story. They are seeing appropriate behavior immediately! This is so important to me. I don't want to have to show my children inappropriate behavior and correct it. I want to show them the right way. There will be PLENTY of opportunities for them to see how NOT to behave. I don't have to show them.


*IT'S NOT CHEESY!  I'll be honest, this one isn't that important to me, but to some of you it may be.  The video is VERY high quality and the acting is wonderful!  You would think you had bought this DVD from any major company.  It is very well comprised.


 I am just a mom who wants godly resources for my children in training them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  When I find something like that, due to its rarity, I feel like I need to share it right away!

Let me say, I do NOT believe this video is to replace the time we are to spend training our children in the Lord.  I still believe that good 'ole fashioned teaching from the parents is the way to go.  But sometimes, we want a family movie (which we rarely have due to finding any that meet our personal family values).  It could be that mom just had a baby and could really use a 30 minute naptime on the couch.  Maybe your parents are babysitting your children and you want to ensure they are only watching wholesome and edifying television.  Whatever your reason, you can know that your children are not watching something sinful...they are not even watching something wholesome, but without value....you can know they are watching something that is glorifying to God!

I hope that you'll PLEASE, PLEASE share this via social media!  It is so important for us to be sharing GOOD things with one another!  You can share it via Pinterest by hovering your mouse over the image at the top of this post and clicking "Pin It."  You can also share this via Blogger, E-mail, Facebook, Google, and Twitter just by clicking the links just below this post!  Thank you for helping other families by giving them this information!

You can also get more encouragement like this by subscribing to my FREE monthly newsletter.  I don't bog you down with e-mails.  The newsletter is just to let you know what went on in the last month and offers quick links to things you may be interested in or have missed.  It also lets you know about upcoming giveaways!  You can subscribe by entering your e-mail address in the box in the top right-hand corner.

I look forward to hearing your reviews of this product as well!  Leave me your comments below!

You can purchase the video here.

 

Read More

Book Club

 

I am starting an online Book Club via this blog!  It is 100% free with no commitment.  How it works:

I will give a list of books to be read about every month (yes you get an entire month to read the book).  I will then give the next month's book in advance in order for you to be able to purchase it on time.

I will write a blog post throughout the month on each chapter (this way, if you're ahead or behind, we can all comment on the post about that chapter and not spoil the rest of the book for others).

We can encourage one another through our comments on the posts.  Even for those who read the posts years from now, they can benefit through your comments of encouragement as they begin to read the book.

Books that will be chosen will not be fiction.  This is not a book club about entertainment.  The books that will be chosen will be books that will encourage us in our Christian walk and help us to better fit our roles as Christian mothers.


                                  

                                February 2014 Book

The first book that I have chosen will begin for February 1st.  The book is Sweet Relationships by Teri Maxwell.  This book will encourage us to delve into the Bible in study of the Titus 2 woman.  Here is a description from the website:

Sweet Relationships is a powerful Bible study on Titus 2:4-5. This book will guide you toward sweet relationships with those you love the most. Teri’s personal writing style, intertwined with Scripture and study questions, practically breaks down these verses that are vital to Christian women.

Through this exciting book, you’ll discover what it takes to be a Titus2 woman. How does one learn to treasure the most precious relationships the Lord has entrusted to us? What does it take to be a keeper at home? How does one learn joy in the midst of difficult circumstances? What does it mean to be discreet, or chaste, or good? Read More...

Our children want to hear the love in our hearts spoken through our words, communicated via our attitudes, and expressed on our faces. In addition, our husbands need to feel loved and respected. It thrills Teri (mom to eight, grandma to four, and wife to Steve for almost forty years) to share with other Christian ladies how to practically attain this.
This is a hands-on book that has Bible-study questions interspersed throughout the text, allowing space to write your answers. At the end of each chapter, you’ll find homework assignments. It’s a perfect individual Bible study, mother-daughter study, friend-to-friend study, or large-setting group study.
Come and join Teri in this journey to sweet relationships! You won’t want to miss it!

The book is only $10.00 on the website and can be purchased here.  You may also choose to find it used on Amazon or Ebay.

If you get behind or can't start with everyone else, please feel free to start when you can!  The great thing about online book clubs is that you can do it at your own pace, on your own time, and STILL be encouraged by other Christian women!

I ask that you share this post via the social media links below (Facebook, Twitter, Google, Email, Blogger).  You can also share it via Pinterest (just hover your mouse over the picture above to see the "pin it" button).  Let's get together and encourage one another to be Titus 2 women!

Comment below and let me know who's in!!!

Read More

The Queen James Version bible

This isn't a joke.  This is for real.  This bible is said to exist in order to prevent "homophobic misinterpretation."  You can view their website by clicking here.  You can also view it on Amazon by clicking here.   What makes this worse is that this is the King James Version Bible with only 8 different verses.  These people won't tell who their publisher or editors are and on Amazon it says that the author is "God" and contributor is "Jesus Christ."  They so much believe this bible is true, but won't disclose themselves.  If this was the LGBT community, they'd be telling who they were.  This has to be Big Name Publisher and Editors who do not want to chance not being to sell their other products, so they remain anonymous.  Personally, I believe it is from the NIV (same who did the gender neutral bible), but that is just my opinion from research.  It doesn't matter though.  I know many people still reading the NIV despite their coming out with the gender neutral bible.  We'll read anyone's interpretation of the Bible these days as long as it suits our lives. 

In this bible, they take these 8 verses and change them to make them okay with homosexuality.  Woe unto the man who doesn't obey Revelation 22:18 & 19.  They claim that homosexuality was never mentioned in any of the original English texts.  Whether this is true or not is not the issue.  What is true is what the original Greek and Hebrew texts say and there is much to say about homosexuality in these texts.

Oh how sly like a fox the devil is.  You see, he was smart not to put out a whole bunch of lies.  People, even church people, want to be okay with homosexuality.  No one wants to step on anyone's toes.  They don't really care what others do with their own lives as long as it doesn't directly affect them.  Church people are actually very accepting of homosexuality, watching shows with homosexual characters because they wouldn't be able to watch precious T.V. if they didn't.

That is how the devil works.  He doesn't have to change the entire Bible.  He will just change a few things that no one would really notice (that still sound good), but that would be detrimental to the Kingdom of God.  Think you'd never read a bible like this?  Just wait a generation.  It will be so accepted.  Remember, this is the KJV, just with only 8 changes.  If you're not familiar with the Word of God, you'd never notice.  In fact, the Kindle version of this bible was voted in the top 2013 Books of the Year on Amazon. 

Next year, I'm sure it'll be the NIV with these 8 changes and so forth.  The devil puts in these slow changes until things are so different, no one notices or even cares anymore.  We just make a bible that suits us.  We create God in our own image (don't forget the second commandment).

You can read more about my viewpoint on many different translations of the Bible by clicking here.

So will we stand as Christians and say we will not just not read this apostasy, but that we will not support any "translation" or "publisher" or "editor" who does?  Even if this doesn't mislead YOU, it will mislead millions of people around the world and it will change our world.  You see, people can still have their "god" and feel like a good person, and still not have to change their lives...their sin.

There was a time that I would have loved to have a bible that fit my needs, where I wouldn't have to see my sin and turn from it.  But the closer I draw to God, the more I realize that despite how I feel when my sin is brought forth, I want to turn from it.  I want to be pleasing to my God, and not to my flesh. 

What kind of bible will be written next?  "The Drug User's Bible", "The Glutton's Bible," a bible full or curse words?  People are reading these bibles!  They wouldn't be best sellers if they weren't!  When are we going to say enough is enough?!  When are we going to STAND UP with the Word of God?

I don't know what your bible says, but my Bible says that adding and taking from the Word of God is serious.  So serious that your name will be taken out of the Book of Life!  Let's be very careful in what we read.  Let's not write and change a bible to fit our needs and to allow our sins in order to make us feel like "good people."  Let's follow God's Word, and change in order to fit His Standards!

Read More

How to Know, Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt, That You are Saved and Headed for Heaven!

How can anyone be CERTAIN, without any doubts, they are headed to Heaven?

I often notice the following types of people:

1)  Those who are clearly saved and living a life that declares this to everyone.
2)  Those who "said a prayer," but are uncertain if it was as simple as that.
3)  Those who "said a prayer" at a young age, and can't remember their entire experience.
4)  Those who claim salvation, but live only for Jesus when it is convenient for them.
5)  Those who are clearly living for themselves and seem to not have any conviction toward serving God.
6)  Those who show many fruits of a Christian, but also looks like the world in many other ways.

Do you fall into one of these scenarios?  Are you certain, 100%, of your salvation?

In this post, if you read it in its entirety, you will find the encouragement you need to know by the end of the day, for certain, if you are really saved or not.  No more doubts, no more questions.  You will be able to be CERTAIN from this day forward of your Salvation!  Are you ready?

What is Salvation?

First, we need to define what Salvation is.  Many people will claim it to be many different things, so I want to make sure we are on the same page.

I have heard many good people tell others, "All you have to do be saved is say the ABC's!"  The ABC's as I have heard them (you may have heard them differently) are:

A- Accept that you are a sinner and that God sent Jesus to die on the cross for your sins.

B- Believe that Jesus is the only way and believe upon Him and the Father.
C- Confess your sins.
My friend, if this is the plan of salvation you have followed, I'm sad to say that you are not saved.  While these are also required for salvation, there is one VERY important element that has been left off of this....


John 3:16-21

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."


YOU MUST REPENT AND TURN FROM YOUR SINS!!!

Does that mean you never sin again?  No!  But you are declaring before God and others that you will live a life that strives to turn from sin.  In other words, when you make a mistake, you do all you can to keep yourself from doing it again.  You are quick to repent and feel remorse for sinning against the Father.

I'm sad to say that many people believe they are going toward Heaven simply because they believe God is real.  Remember what the Bible says:

James 2:19

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."

It's more than just simply believing in God.  The devil knows for certain that God is real.  He's seen Him, been with Him.  He knows for certain that God is real and Holy!  Here, James says they even TREMBLE!  This verse should show you that it is much more than simply knowing that God is God and Holy.  The devil, himself, knows that Jesus died on the Cross. 

So not only do we need to believe that God is the perfect Creator of this world, but we need to believe that God loved us so much that He sent His perfect Son Jesus to be our bridge to Him.

Try to imagine for a moment a perfect God.  Imagine how He could not even tolerate sin or it would corrupt His holiness.  That is why Jesus came.  Previously, for people to speak to God, there was a divider.  Only the Priests could enter the Holy of Holies.  To pay for your sins you would have to sacrifice a clean lamb.  You see, something had to die for our sins.  Our sin is what separates us from God.  Jesus broke that divide and became our bridge.

When Jesus came, lived a perfect life, and died upon the Cross, He took the sin of the entire world (all that you ever did, and all that you will ever do) upon Himself.  God had to turn His back upon Jesus when He died upon the Cross.  A Holy God could not bear the sin.

Jesus came in the form of flesh so that you and I could have everlasting life with God in Heaven.  Not only do you have to believe that, you need to accept Jesus as your Savior (since He is our only chance at eternal life in Heaven), and we need to turn from our sins and live a life that is pleasing to Him. 

Everyone likes to quote John 3:16, as I have shown above, but the following verses are equally as important.  If you do evil, then you hate the light.  We are either living a life to serve God, or we are not.

Matthew 6:24
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. "

 

So Salvation is realizing the need for a Savior, believing that He died on the Cross and rose again in 3 days for you,  confessing your sins before God, and turning from those sins, striving to live a life pleasing to God, not to self.

Salvation, itself, is a very simple concept.  But it's difficult, as flesh, to turn from our sins.  It does not mean we will never sin again.  Once we have done the above, we are saved.  All of our sin is covered under the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary.  However, a person who is genuinely saved, and didn't just say a prayer to guarantee themselves into Heaven, will have remorse when they allow their flesh to win.  A Christian is quick to repent and does not want to sin because they want to be pleasing to their Lord.

So, am I saved?

 

So, how do I know if I'm really saved?  Maybe you were young and are unsure if you understood everything.  Maybe you don't really remember your Salvation experience so well.  Now that you understand what Salvation is, how do you know if you're saved or not?

First of all, let me say that Salvation is simple that, yes, even a 5 year old can understand it.  You don't have to be a Bible scholar, know the names of all the books of the Bible, know every Bible story, or how to pronounce all of the names in the first chapter of Matthew.

All you have to do for Salvation is what we talked about in the previous section (highlighted in purple).  So are you saved?

Well, we can look at the fruits of your life today and tell.  I like how Steve Maxwell puts it:

 

Are you longing for Heaven?  Do you have a desire to see Jesus?  I've heard people say they want to go to Heaven, but not right now.  They've got too many good things going on in life.  My friend, you should want to be with Jesus right now!!!  If not, you need to re-evaluate your relationship with Him.  Christians WANT to be with Him in Heaven!  (You can view more of Steve Maxwell's ministry here!)

Okay, so are you saved?

 Let's take a look at the following questions to find out.  Make sure you are answering your questions honestly, and not trying to justify your sins.  Remember, your eternity is at stake!  There will be no justifying our sins on Judgment Day!

1)  When you sin, do you have a remorse?  I'm not just talking about a simple moral code.  All of us have a moral conscience.  If we didn't, none of us would ever see the need for a Savior. 

For example, if you could steal money from your employer and know 100% that you wouldn't get caught, would you do it?  Don't be quick to answer.  Let's say you could steal enough money to make sure you and anyone in your family would never have to work again, and no one would be the wiser that you took the money.  In fact, your company is so rich, they'd never even miss the money.  Would you do it?  If your answer is yes, then I would strongly question your salvation.  A Christian should have a desire to please the Lord and not want to break His Commandments. 

Sure, there was David in the Bible.  He planned out his adultery and even murder.  Yet, David was a man after God's own heart.  How can this be?  Well, certainly, David was human.  He allowed Himself to become distant from God.  When we are not in daily communion with Him, sin becomes easier.  And the more we sin, the easier it gets.  Also remember that David lived prior to Jesus'.  We now have the Holy Spirit for our constant conviction. 

 

So, if you sin, you will have remorse.  It doesn't mean you won't sin, but if you plan out your sins and dismiss the fact that it is unpleasing to God, I would question your Salvation.

2) Do others know you are a Christian?  Do your friends, family, and coworkers know that you are a child of God?  Do they see it in your lifestyle?  Do you tell them this?  If these people were to write your obituary, would "Christian" be one of the first things they said about you? 

You see, when we are saved, we should have a burning desire to tell others about Jesus.

                               

Are people surprised when you tell them you are a Christian?  They shouldn't be if you're living the life of telling others about Him.  A Christian will have a sincere desire for others to be saved.  So think about some people that you know for sure are headed for Hell.  Do you have a strong desire to see them saved and living right, or do you think they'd be getting what they deserve?  Maybe you're just indifferent about their soul.  A Christian, my friend, will have a desire to see all of the lost saved.  Do you have that desire?

3)  Have you ever sat down and prayed about your Salvation?  I know this sounds simple, but you'd be surprised how many people are going around doing good deeds, assuming they are saved.  WORKS WILL NOT GET YOU INTO HEAVEN.  Don't get me wrong, they are a RESULT of your Salvation, but no matter how many good things you have done, they cannot override yours sin.  You still need Jesus.  You still need the Cross. 

 

So, have you ever sat down and prayed for your Salvation?  Certainly, you may not remember every aspect of that experience.  For me, I was about 10.  I don't remember much about the prayer, but I do remember my heart.  I couldn't forget that.  What about you?

So does answering No to any of these questions mean I'm not saved?!

 

Most likely.  Understand me when I say, there is no way for me to know if you are saved or not.  You see, I don't know your heart.  But you do, and so does God.  You know if you're answering these questions honestly or not.  You are evaluating your own heart right now.  You know if you're trying to justify your actions.  I can't say, with certainty, that if you answered no to any of these questions that you're not saved, but you can answer that.

I CAN tell you, if you answered no to any of these questions, there is a real problem with your relationship with God.


                 So what if I still am not sure if I'm not saved?

Then get saved right now.  Think about it.  If you take steps to get saved now and weren't saved to begin with, you just gained an eternity in Heaven!  If you were already saved, then it doesn't hurt to reaffirm your salvation.  Either way, you can know for certain your heart right now, and know that you are 100% saved!  It is as simple as it is written above in purple.  Don't go to bed tonight without this assurance.  You may not have tomorrow.  You never have to question your salvation again!

 

 

If you're having doubts about backsliding and such, you can read my thoughts on Eternal Security Versus Losing your Salvation here.

There is a great 30 minute video you can watch about false converts.  You can watch it for free on youtube by clicking here, or by watching the video below:

False converts are flooding our churches.  They are "confessing" their sins and asking Jesus to come into their heart, but they are not making a change.  As a result, our churches are straying further and further from preaching the Gospel because it is filled with those who want the promise of Heaven, but without having to change their lifestyle.

I hope that if you may have been a false convert, you would consider rereading what is written above in purple!  Let today mark the day that you changed your eternity!


Okay, so whether you were saved or you just got saved, you're saved, so now what?

Now you need to follow the Lord in Baptism.  Make sure you are attending a Bible Preaching church regularly and tell your Pastor that you need to be baptized.  Church attendance does not save you, but a Christian should want to be with like-minded people. 

Now:
                                                     

Mark 16:15 & 16
 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. "

If you are saved, and want others to have the same assurance as you, I encourage you to share this post on Facebook, Google, Pinterest, and Twitter. 

Read More

Does it really matter what version of the Bible I read? And if so, which one is right?

Yes, it matters!  First, let's get into the "why" and then we can get into "what" version that should be read (I have several videos in this post that will also help in explaining it in better words than I could).

The first thing you need to realize is that the Bible is the #1 selling book in the world!  It's a big money maker for businesses.  When you have a hot selling product in a business, the goal is to keep "improving it."  If you don't, once people have the product, they have no need to purchase more than one.  Greed begins to play a role.  They begin to sell pink Bibles, camo Bibles, different translation Bibles, children's Bibles, steel Bibles, Bibles for parents, Bibles for young adults....the list could go on.  I'm not saying it's wrong to purchase a large print or red edition Bible or some of these others....in fact, I have many of these benefits myself in my Bible.  However, be certain that these things are there to make the customer feel the Bible has been "improved" so that you need to purchase another one.  It's a business, and the goal is to keep you buying their product.  Let me give you an example:

The New International Version (NIV) was once called a "paraphrased" version of the King James Version (KJV) on their website.  It accepts King James as true (since it was paraphrased from the KJV), and as the founder, Howard Long suggests, the purpose of the NIV was to make the text easier to understand in a place where the King James couldn't.  Though he felt strongly convicted about the King James Version and the impact it had on his own personal life, he found that while witnessing, the people couldn't understand the KJV.  You can read more about the NIV through this website here. 

This is a common reason that the "need" is felt for another translation of the Bible.  I will get into all of the fallacies of the NIV later, but my point right now is to show you why this thought process isn't good.

Ever heard of the Holy Spirit?  We often view the Holy Spirit as a Comforter, but we forget that He is to be our Guide, as well. 

John 16:7-13

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."

You see, we don't have to know EVERYTHING about God.  His Holy Spirit will guide us through conviction of God's perfect will for our lives.  When we come to a part of the Bible we don't understand, we are to seek His Spirit to guide us into the direction that God would have us go.

Yes, to unbelievers the KJV can be difficult since we no longer use that language.  However, our job is not to convict the hearts of the unbeliever (that is the job of the Holy Spirit, and woe be unto the man to tries to take the job of the Holy Spirit).

When the Spirit is working in an unbeliever's life, HE is doing the work.  Not us.  Despite our trying to show the Word to the unbeliever, be certain, we are not the ones doing the work.  If the person does not respond to the calling of the Spirit, he will certainly not respond to our pleadings.  If He IS softening his heart, the Spirit will give him direction.  He is powerful enough to make His Word understandable to all.  (Certainly this could be done for different languages as well, but since the Tower of Babel, we have been given the consequence for a need to translate...but I won't get into all of that for this post).

So now that we understand that WE are not the ones who have to worry about doing the convicting,  we can rest in God to take care of that.  We are simply to be His vessels.

DIFFERENT GREEK MANUSCRIPTS

Please first understand that the King James and other modern translations were translated from DIFFERENT Greek manuscripts.  So when you think your preach is going back to the old "Greek", he's probably only going back a couple hundred of years. 

Make sure you understand (no matter which version you read) WHERE your Bible comes from.  They do not all come from the same place and they are written differently.  To see a quick overview and see where your bible came from, click here.

 

A COPY OF A COPY OF A COPY

I want you to think for a moment about the devil.  He is very sneaky.  Often we think of him as such evil....which he is, but we think of the evil he portrays as in an obvious way.  But I'm here to remind you that he is VERY sneaky.  He often is the one who makes us think that a little bit of sin is okay.

For example, most Christians allow television into our homes.  We allow a "few" curse words or sex scenes.  If it weren't for those "couple" of "little" sins, then you would just see a really good show that talks about good things.  Surely God doesn't want us to not watch a show like that at all!

Our Associate Pastor said something this past Sunday that I think sums it up.  He said something to the effect of, "A little bit of a lie, with mostly truth, is a whole lie."

Yet, the devil would like for us to believe that everything is not black and white.  That there are lots of "gray" areas.  My friend, I am here to encourage you that something is either sin or it is edifying to God....there is NO in-between.

I say that to warn you that the devil tries to convince Christians that what they are doing is good, but he has an agenda.

Let's take the Bible for example.  We know there are wiccan bibles out there.  The Christians won't touch those.  The only people who will touch those are unbelievers.  So, if the devil is so sneaky, how is he working in the lives of Christians today?  Well, in regards of the Bible, he is doing it right in front of our eyes.

Did you ever play the game "telephone?"  I remember playing this in Kindergarten.  All the kids would line up, sitting down in the hallway.  The teacher would then whisper a secret to one child.  The secret would then be passed down through each five year old's ear until the last child in the classroom was reached.  By the time the secret got down to the last child, you can bet that the secret had changed into something totally different.

The point is, if you are constantly copying the "original", you will eventually get a copy that is nothing like the original.  They are going to keep putting "new and improved" bibles out to make sales and to make you think you need something to understand the Bible in today's terms.  BUT UNDERSTAND THIS, MODERN DAY VERSIONS ARE NOT EVEN A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL.  THEY COME FROM A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ORIGIN.  SO UNDERSTAND, YOU'RE NOT EVEN GETTING A COPY OF A COPY OF A COPY.  YOU'RE GETTING A KNOCK-OFF VERSION.  Let me tell you my friend, the Bible is not to be tampered with.  Let's take a look at this important verse on changing the Bible:

Revelation 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."
My friend, we don't need a Bible that changes in order understand us, we need to change in order to understand the Bible!



You see, the devil doesn't have to create some wiccan bible and expect Christians to read it.  What he does is he creates subtle changes in the real Bible and over time, generations don't know what the "original" says.  Remember, the devil doesn't have to change everything about the Bible.  He can leave in most of it.  In fact, people like the things about being "good."  It makes them feel like they can "deserve" Salvation. 

All the devil has to do is to change the simple plan of Salvation and people stop getting saved.  He can still make it sound good.  He can make it sound like you need to "earn" your way into Heaven.  To the world, this sounds good.  The world doesn't want to think that an ex child molester could get saved and enter Heaven.  They compare their sins to others....and compared to many others, they are "holy" enough in their own eyes to get into Heaven.  Plus, this allows them to live a life for themselves and not a life of serving God. 

You may think, people would never go for that.  And maybe most Christians wouldn't....not today.  But if you grow up reading the KJV, and your kids grow up reading the NIV, and their kids grow up reading a paraphrase off of the NIV, and their kids grow up reading a paraphrase off of the paraphrase off of the NIV that was a paraphrase from the KJV (exhausting, I know!), you begin to have no clue what the KJV said anyways.  So it's not that out there.  The devil sure is a sly 'ole fox.


Does your "Bible" say Jesus is guilty of Hell?

If the devil is not currently attacking you hard in your life today, you are either 1) oblivious to his sly tactics or 2) not living a life that he feels he needs to destroy.





An unbeliever who doesn't understand the Bible will be drawn through the Holy Spirit to Salvation.  Yes, the Spirit can help someone to understand that "thee and thou" means you.

As a believer, we should stop looking for a version of the Bible that is like the Ten Commandments.  "Okay God, can I do this or not?"  What would happen is we would look up what we can and can't do and never seek the Spirit.  Our relationship with the Lord would suffer.  What reason would we have to study the Word?  What reason would we have to cry out to God and seek His understanding?  Why did God not create a Bible for each generation to understand in their own words?  Did God make a mistake when inspiring men to write the Bible the way they did?  CERTAINLY NOT!
We have to be willing to STUDY God's Word.  Not just the words, but the customs, and history as well.  Often, we can read what is on the surface, and miss the actual context of a verse or chapter.  That is why, so often, you have people misquoting Scripture such as "Judge Not, that ye be not judged."

These people who are "updating" God's Word...I'm sure many of them study the Word.  But let's look at it like this: Let's say you believe in eternal salvation, but the new editor of this new bible does not (I'm not taking a stance one way or another on this issue.  This is strictly for an example.  If you want to know my stance on this issue, you can click here.) 

What happens when it comes time to paraphrase or "put in their own words" this verse?

John 10:28 & 29

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. "

Now, if you believe in eternal security, you may not want someone who doesn't hold your same view of Scripture translating your Bible.  Though they may be sincere, if they are trying to make something easier to understand, they are going to paraphrase it toward their conviction.  Think that sounds crazy?  Look at the NIV.  A couple of years ago, it "updated" its bible to a "gender neutral" bible.  Yep, that's right.  In order to stay up to date with the times and to stay "politically correct", they created a god that was no longer male nor female.  They also changed many places where "mankind" was used or "brother" was used and made sure that women were in there...such as "brother or sister."  It had to take out over 3,000 uses of the word "he" to help its cause in removing gender from the Bible.  Remember what Revelation 22:18 & 19 says.

Now, you may be thinking, "I would NEVER read such a bible."  But do you know the subtle changes that have been made like that in your bible?  Would you even notice as long as the Bible stories you read as a kid are really there?

Sisters, what is your real purpose for wanting to read something other than the KJV?  Can you really not translate "thee" and "thou" in your head to "you?"  When you come to a word in the KJV that you don't understand, could it be that you're just too lazy to look it up?  I can say this because I certainly used to be that person.   I wanted to have a relationship with God without all of the hard work.  I wanted God to know all about me, but I didn't really want to know all about Him.  I was lazy, and being lukewarm.  Maybe you're in this place that I once was.

Might I encourage you to search your motives.  If you are having trouble, how much better is it to seek help, wisdom, and understanding from HIM versus a Bible Scholar?

I'm certainly not saying you can't use other texts or commentaries as advice.  You just need to take those to the Lord.  However, I would not use them as your sole text when reading.  Just as when I may seek my husband's wisdom, or how he may seek a pastor's wisdom, on guidance, we are to use it as advice.  God is the ultimate ruler of our hearts...or at least, He SHOULD be.

In this video, Michael Pearl talks about why he believes in KJV Only.

 

Creation Scientist, Kent Hovind, speaks about the specific differences in KJV and other modern translations, including NKJV.  This is an old video so please note that some versions, such as the NIV and NKJV, have updated their Bibles and now agree that David killed Goliath.  However, this was not the case when this was videoed. 

 

 

So What is Specifically Wrong with These Versions?

Okay, I hope that before reading this section, you are already on board with WHY it's best to stick to a Bible that is as close to the original text as possible (like the KJV).  However, if you need further encouragement in this area, I will take some of the most popular (wish I had time to do them all, but there are hundreds of so called "bibles" out there) bibles and show you some of their fallacies.

The largest fallacy you will find is that there are just blatant discrepancies between the KJV and other versions.  For example, who killed Goliath?  The KJV says David, but modern translations say differently (well, they say David killed Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:51, but then they say that Elhanan killed Goliath in 2 Samuel 21:19...though some do offer footnotes like the NASB, Geneva, and CEV).  These Bibles are saying someone totally different killed Goliath!  If there is just one error in your Bible, that should be enough to throw it away!  If you'll read in Chronicles, those same translations admit that Elhanan actually killed "the brother of Goliath"...NOT Goliath.  So this is not even just a debate on which version is better, but this is a debate in why are you reading a Bible that disagrees with itself?!

So why do these versions all disagree with the KJV?  That's simple.  They were translated from a completely different manuscript than the KJV.  If you are really interested in the history of where the KJV and other translations came from, you need to watch the last video in this post by Sam Gipp.  It is a 6 part video series and it is excellent for explaining where the Bibles originate from.  If you prefer to read a post about the history, you can click here.

Many studies have been done on these versions.  I am not going to write about all of them, but for those of you who are genuinely interested, you can follow some of the links I put under each version of the Bible.  These are really irrelevant for me since the "why" as mentioned above is enough for me to stick with the KJV.   I have no need for doing extensive research of the versions below for that reason.  But if you're still on the fence, hopefully some of these links will help you. 

I am not endorsing these links that I put below.  It does not mean I have read every bit of content in the links.  They are simply there to give you some criticism of the versions.  As with all things, I hope you will pray and seek God's guidance on this issue.

 

 

New International Version (NIV)

 

Let's start with one of the most perverse versions out there.  Hopefully you are not using this version, but I have to say, I see many well-known preachers, Sunday School teachers, and well-meaning Christians using this version.  It just breaks my heart because it shows me they have no clue where their Bible came from...for if they did, they would get rid of it immediately!  (Certainly there are many people reading the KJV that have no clue where their Bible came from either.  It's sad that we are willing to take a book and make it the basis of our life, without knowing its origins).

Well, I did mention the Gender Neutral bible that they have created.  I hope you are not reading this version.  Still, with the most common NIV, notice the lifestyles of some of the paraphrasers of the NIV.  You can simply do a Google Search of each name if you want to study them individually.  You have some who believe in homosexuality and other sins that the Bible clearly speaks out against!  Don't think they won't be trying to get their agenda in their bible as they did with their "Gender Neutral bible." 
Furthermore, if you'll notice in the NIV, the verses sometimes go from like 14 to 16.  Some versus are completely omitted from the NIV!  How's that for Revelation 22:19!

The NIV does say that Elhanan killed Goliath, and not that he killed Goliath's brother in 2 Samuel 21:19.  If you'll watch the video above from Kent Hovind, he gives specific discrepancies in the NIV and shows the comparison with the KJV.  Again, it comes back to whether you believe God preserved His Word through many translations through a nation that God did not condone you even trading with or if you think He preserved His Word through the nation He spoke highly of.

You cannot accept the KJV and the NIV as these contradictions will show you.  You may choose the NIV, but you cannot accept both versions because they contradiction one another.  Some of the other verses Hovind brings up are Hosea 11:12, Genesis 27:39-40, Proverbs 18:24, and there are many more.  I hope only one error is enough to make you burn that bible though.

If you read the NIV, you have to determine why.  Do you read it because you believe God preserved His Word through Alexandria?  If not, then you need to pick you up a King James Bible.  If so, then you cannot accept any version from Antioch, such as the King James.  I would then encourage you to study your history and watch the last video in this post.
The following are some links on the NIV, including their own website:

 

http://www.biblica.com/niv/
http://www.ambassador4christ.net/bp/NIV_Bible_Apostasy_in_print.html

New King James Version (NKJV)

Surely this version is okay right?  I know many wonderful people who use this version.  Many of them think it's just the "thee" and thou" that are removed from the text.  However, this is incorrect.  Remember, even if there is just "one" mistake in a version, how can it be accepted?  I believe that God preserves His Word!  He has!  But certainly people are trying to change it!

Even if this version had no mistakes, I would still choose to read the KJV for the following reasons:
1)  I want to read the most tested English Version that is closest to the original texts.  The NKJV doesn't provide that.

2)  I want to read the "thees" and "thous."  People scream about changing Shakespeare, but it's okay to change the Word of God?!  Watch Kent Hovind's video above and see why the KJV uses the "these" and "thous" and you'll realize why they are so important to our Salvation!
3)  The NKJV has paved the way for other translations.  Even if you think the NKJV is fine, it has opened the doors for other translations that are not.  It is like the game "telephone" that I mentioned above...a little is change, then the next version changes a little more, and pretty soon, nothing is like the original.

Unfortunately, the NKJV is NOT without error.  I will post just a couple of links...I would hope that one error would be all it took to convince you not to read it....that's why I'm not going to post several links.

http://www.chick.com/ask/articles/nkjv.asp

If you want to see specifics of contradictions in the KJV and NKJV, check out Kent Hovind's video above.  Also note that the NKJV is translated from the same manuscript as other modern translations.  It is NOT translated from the same Greek and Hebrew as KJV, despite their similarities.


The Queen James Version

  Oh yes, this bible exists in order to "correct" the homophobic misinterpretation of the KJV.  You can read my full review on this blasphemy here.


The Geneva Bible

I have been very intrigued with this Bible.  For those of you that don't know, this version was actually written prior to the King James Bible.  It was not a government approved Bible.  It was a Bible written for the people.  Basically, it is very similar to the KJV, but it has a few differences (mainly being John 1:1 and putting some of the literal text in the footnotes) and also it has footnotes that were written by the translators of that version.  Many common people were not educated enough to read the Bible, so these scholars interpreted their own view.

Now, I do sometimes reference this Bible's footnotes, as an opinion on the translation, but it is not to replace the Holy Spirit.  Secondly, I don't use it as a sole text because I have found a reference error in it while reading it (Look up John 12:15 and notice the difference in the reference in KJV and Geneva).  It simply has not been tested as the KJV.  Therefore, there is bound to be errors.  Once again, one error is enough for me!

 

(This is a multi-part series, so after the video ends, click the next video to watch part 2 and so on).

I really wanted to get into a lot more versions, but honestly, you can do a basic Google Search or compare versus with Bible Gateway. 

I do not look down on others who read a different version than I.  I believe it's why most of us disagree on different things in the Bible...because our Bibles all say different things.  As Kent Hovind says, I believe you are probably reading a great translation...but just a great translation of the wrong book.  They were translated from different manuscripts.  I am just sharing this information because I want people to KNOW where their instruction manual for their life comes from.  Even if you're reading the KJV, I encourage you to know WHY you read the King James Version!

Romans 14:12

"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

 

1 Peter 3:15

^"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"

 

So, I would love to hear from you.  What version do you read and why?  I don't want everyone to get into an argument.  Arguments only put people on the defensive, and if you want to convince someone to read what you read, the goal would be to present compelling evidence as to why it is best.  However, ultimately, they have the choice of what to read.  I have given you the reasons why my family has chosen to read the King James, now I'd like to hear from you! 

 

Read More