Well of Death

The New Amazon Kindle

This is amazing! It's an electronic device that weighs less than a paperback book, but lets you carry over 200 books, newspapers, and blogs wherever you go. Also, you can download new books and newspapers using the wireless technology, and you don't have to be in range of a wi-fi signal. No subscriptions or contracts either! It would be really cool to have your bible, commentaries, and any other books you are currently reading in this device. You could simply pull them up at a moments notice. Click the link to view a video on this device. These are going to be huge!

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Something A Little Nicer...

Okay, so I admit my last post was a little graphic and repulsive. I took the picture off because I was grossing myself out looking at it, so I can only imagine how you all feel.

Anyway, tonight I'm posting something happier. First of all, my daughter (2 years old) got the opportunity to star in her first Christmas program! It was fantastic! Our church actually saw it's biggest attendance ever at 207, which breaks the previous record of 169 (they all came because of her, of course). We had a lot of fun watching the kids since they had worked so hard, and there were a few people that got saved. God really blessed us, and it was fun to see my daughter on stage. Have a great evening!

Ehud, my bud

Judges 3 [20] And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

[21] And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:

[22] And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

I am totally convinced that Ehud and I would have been best friends had we lived in the same millennium. Truthfully, this has been my favorite passage in the Bible ever since I was a kid. There is something cool about being God's assassin, and it's always made me wonder if people know what they're saying when they say so tritely,

"You know, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever!" Amen to that brother! That means He still condones cold-blooded killing (with restrictions of course). I just wish American law permitted me to make a living off of it domestically, because I would make a great hit man! Ah, well, some things just aren't meant to be. I guess I'll have to resign myself to becoming filthy rich some other way and live vicariously through my buddy Ehud. You go, man!

A Motivating Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights - in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?", I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here.
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve.

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts,
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light.
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me."

"I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,'
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."

"My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile."

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home."

"I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother."

Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."

"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long."

"For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

Semper Fi

Raising Children

It's becoming clear to me why God has set up families the way He has. Raising kids is an incredible picture of my relationship with Him and yesterday was no exception.

I've been having a battle with my son because when he wants something he likes to scream, hit, whine, cry, and demand it. We are trying to teach him that when he wants something he needs to do the sign for "please" (rub his hand on his chest). He doesn't talk yet, but clearly understands simple commands. He knows how to sign "please" and when he is in a good mood he will oblige, but yesterday I struggled with him for an hour because he refused to obey.

Sometimes I wonder if God doesn't feel the same way about us. He wants us to do something simple like be faithful in church, tithe regularly, or read our Bible daily but we refuse to do it. When we encounter difficult times we fail to see that maybe God is allowing those times to come into our lives to get our attention, and instead we chalk it up to "tough luck" or some other nonsense. What if God is saying, "If you just will obey me, I could start blessing you again!" I wonder how many of us are like my son, and how difficult God will have to allow our lives to get before He gets our attention. As for me, I don't intend to find out.

Your Opinion Counts

I'm working on a more professional look for the blog. Tell me what you think of the new banner!

Rough Day

When I'm having a rough day, it always helps me to remember that some people have it rougher. These guys make it look easy, but this course is incredibly taxing and will wear you out! I always felt like puking when I was finished. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. OOH RAH!

Jesus VS Satan

Jesus and Satan have an argument as to who is the better programmer. This goes on for a few hours until they agree to hold a contest with St Peter as the judge. They set themselves before their computers and begin. They type furiously for several hours, lines of code streaming up the screen. Seconds before the end, a bolt of lightning struck taking out the electricity. Moments later, the power is restored, and St Peter announces that the contest is over. He asks Satan to show what he has come up with. Satan is visibly upset, and cries, "I have nothing! I lost it all when the power went out." "Very well, then," says Peter, "let us see if Jesus fared any better." Jesus enters a command, and the screen comes to life in vivid display, the voices of an angelic choir pour forth from the speakers. Satan is astonished. He stutters, "But how?! I lost everything, yet Jesus' program is intact! How did he do it?!" St Peter chuckles, "Jesus saves."

A Great Marine Corps Commercial

I think the Marine Corps has some marketing geniuses working for them. I absolutely love their commercials, and every time I see them I think, "Wow, I didn't know it was that cool to be a Marine!" I really enjoyed some aspects of being in the Corps, but it sure would have been better if they played music like this while you were suffering, because it never seemed that cool at the time.

In a way, this has spiritual application. We can look at the lives of others, and even our own past and see the good that came out of a bad situation and how God worked in the times of hardship. Unfortunately, it's harder to recognize the value of these times when we are knee-deep in them. The next time you are suffering or going through a difficult time, try to think about this commercial and how your hardship may not seem glamorous now, but you will look back on it and see the good that came from it if you endure.

Bitterness

Just another reason to post brother DeAnda's message, "Shake it Off!"

Hokey Pokey Football

I'm going to incorporate this into my next sermon.

"THE NEXT TIME YOUR FLESH IS TEMPTING YOU TO SIN, YOU BETTER SHAKE IT ALL ABOUT AND TURN YOURSELF AROUND, BLESS GOD!!!"

Cliff Hanger

A blonde and a brunette were on a hike, they weren't looking and walked towards a cliff. They fell but luckily caught hold of the top of the cliff. The cliff was breaking and one had to let go. The brunette said,"I'll let go" so the brunette gave a lovely speech that touched the bonde's heart, the blonde loved it so much she claps!

Demotivators

Wow, I'm already depressed and those are just the "A's"! See more here.

Making Money With My Blog

I just finished reading a chapter in my textbook for my computer class about website publishing. As you all know, I've been doing A LOT of reading and experimenting with the web lately, because ever since I started my this blog I've been fascinated with the concept of earning income over the web. What makes it so interesting to me is that on the Internet you don't have to have a huge building, a bunch of employees, or a lot of money to appear "first class" and attract a lot of traffic. Also, there are no limitations to the amount of traffic you can get (unlike traditional businesses that must expand geographically in order to reach more customers).

The concept of earning money through advertising revenue and e-commerce is especially cool because you don't have to work regular hours. You can update your site whenever you want and have a company like American Solutions for Business handle all your product shipping and order taking. My friend, Paul Phillips works there and says that they create e-commerce websites for companies all the time. They will create the product you want, warehouse it for you, take the orders from your customers off the website they created for you, ship the order to the customer, and send you your portion of the money. All you have to do is get traffic to your site!

I'm actually going to be purchasing Adobe CS3 Design Premium because I want to take my web presence to a new level and see if I can use it as my primary source of income. I suspect that between advertising revenue, e-commerce, and free lance writing jobs I could make quite a bit of money. We'll find out!

Young Fundamentalists Forums!

Hey all, are you sick of the liberal weirdos over at the Fighting Fundamental Forums? Those guys are good for laughs but when you want a real discussion with like minded Christians it's not the best place to go. Now you have an alternative. Check out the Young Fundamentalists Forums! You'll be able to discuss matters like the preservation of God's Word in the King James Bible without being called a heretic. All you have to do is complete a simple and free registration to become a member. I'm hoping this will become a place where like-minded Christians can have some decent and meaningful discussions/debates/conversations about any issue they want without getting flamed. Start signing up and let's get the ball rolling!

Update: There are still some issues I have to figure out with regards to permissions, so you may not be able to post just yet. I'll let you know...

Link Love

Would you like to be added to my blogroll? I would be happy to add your link if you add mine on your blog. Simply comment on this post with your link. Thanks!

Bad Morning?

Good Search - Money For Your Church

Steve Peaks recently sent us an email about a search engine he discovered called Good Search. This search engine, using Yahoo's search technology, provides all the power of the larger and more popular search engines. The benefit of using it, however, is that they will donate money to your charity every time you search. If you set them as the default for all your church members, this can equal a couple thousand dollars per year. Your church may not be listed, but the process only takes a day or so for them to approve and list it. We've already raised $0.51, and it's only been 3 days (of course, I think there are only 3-4 of us actually searching with them :). Hey, every little bit helps!

Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD

2 Kings[15] And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.[16] And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.[17] And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.

Brother Andy Slabaugh visited our teen ministry last night and preached a dynamic message. He preached from the passage above encouraging the teens to be zealous for the Lord, for the next generation, and for the Gospel. It's so exciting to see young preachers who are picking up the torch that has been passed on to them and running with it.

The part that impacted me most was when he listed many of the great men who have recently made an impact in Baptist churches like D.L. Moody, Billy Sunday, Jack Hyles, and Lester Roloff. Then he said,

"Do you know what all these men have in common? They're all dead!" Wow. That is so true! And no matter how many books and audio sermons they left behind, none of it will do an ounce of good if another generation doesn't fill their shoes and take the message of the Gospel to the lost and dying world. Great preaching Brother!

What Are You Waiting For?

Jas. 4[13] Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:[14] Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.[15] For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Often we feel like now isn't the right time to do something for the Lord, or that when we are older, wiser, richer, or have more time we will do more. I'm here to tell you friend, that day most likely will never come. James said your life is a vapour that vanisheth away. If you are waiting for something to occur before you get busy living for Christ, you are waiting too long. Get busy now. Make Him your number one priority and find time for everything else.

The Return of Free Speech...HOORAY!

Okay everyone, I'm sticking my neck out by doing this, but I've just disabled comment moderation... 'gasp'!

Ever since I turned it on, you all have avoided me like the plague. That's okay though, I can take a hint. Because I encourage dialogue, I'm going to run the risk of people like the guy who cussed at me commenting here by opening it up to whoever feels like stepping up.

So there you have it! Comment away!!!

no more comments? 'sniff' (tear falls to the floor)

Go with the flow this Christmas...

It's always a challenge to keep Christmas fun and light-hearted since devastating things tend to happen to me this time of year. It seems like my trees always fall over, the garage door rips down the christmas lights, and I end up falling off the ladder. My goal this year is to "shake it off" and make sure my kids remember how happy their dad was, even while at the hospital in traction. I'm going with the flow this year...

A Future Preacher!

You can never start 'em too young!

C'MON!!!

Bodily Excercise Profiteth Little

1Tim.4 [8] For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

While some of us try to use this verse as an excuse to be out of shape, it is important to not allow temporal things (like exercise) take up so much time in our day that we don't have any left for eternal things (devotions, soul winning). There are however some neat parallels we can draw between physical exercise and spiritual exercise.

I've been recently on a health kick, trying to get back to the fitness level I was in the Marines. I'm realizing it's all about building habits. Eating right, working out, getting enough sleep; they are all habits that are built over time until they are second nature. The same holds true for our spiritual fitness. The more we do it and force ourselves to be faithful, the more we will form good spiritual habits.

If you struggle with good spiritual habits, try keeping a journal and writing down what you did every day for your devotions. Another idea would be to get a calendar and cross off every day that you successfully completed your tasks. Give yourself some accountability with a partner and encourage each other to be faithful. Keeping a good relationship with the Lord takes effort, but it will be rewarded.

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New Age Religions

Last night we went street preaching in Sebastopol and it was freezing! I got to bring along a couple of highly motivated, fired up teenage boys from my Sunday School class and we had a great time. As I preached to a group of teenagers who were hanging out around a fountain, a bunch of them started yelling back at me. I realized that I get more hecklers and scorners than anyone else. I'm not sure if I'm louder, I speak more clearly, or I'm just more obnoxious (probably the last one), but it seems like every time I preach at lease a couple of kids have to come over and debate me. This time it was a kid with his hair in dreadlocks telling me that my yelling was offensive and Christ wouldn't have done that. I asked him if Christ whispered when he preached to 5,000 people.

This guy's whole argument was that as long as you are doing what is right in your heart, Jesus is happy with you and you will make it to Heaven. He says Christians live in fear of doing wrong and not making it to Heaven. In my opinion, he has it backwards. If I had to worry about doing what I know to be right in my heart, I would live in fear. What if I did something I knew was wrong in my heart and died without fixing it? Since I'm saved, I don't have to worry about following my heart because Christ already forgave the wickedness of my heart when He died for me 2,000 years ago. Praise God that we don't live in fear! Sadly, many of our young people have been perverted by New Age religious beliefs, and the modern Bible versions they read actually promote these philosophies. I can only hope that there was one in that crowd that had a heart soft enough to allow the seed of the Word of God to take root. We will know in Heaven!

Mortgages

Right now is a difficult time to be a home owner, especially in California. Many of our friends are struggling to make the payments on their adjustable rate mortgages, and some have had their homes foreclosed. My wife and I bought our home about 6 months ago which is when the housing market had already begun to slow down. I think it was perfect timing for us because we got a house we could afford, but were still able to qualify for 100% financing and a low fixed rate (5.75%)

There are still a lot of mortgages out there for first time home buyers, so if you are planning on moving from that apartment or condo (like we did) and are looking for cheap mortgages, the internet and/or a trustworthy mortgage broker is a good place to start. God really spared us from the current fiasco by providing us with a 40 year fixed, 10 year interest only mortgage (we got the ACORN loan through B of A). If I was in an ARM right now, I would be up a creek without a paddle.

When it comes to finances, a Christian must always remember to put God first in any decision. If you make sure you bathe it in prayer, my experience is that He will help you avoid the landmines that riddle the world of money. Remember, honor God with the first fruits and let Him bless you out of His bounty. buy to let mortgages ~This post is sponsored~

Things That Are Different Are Not the Same by Mickey Carter

This is a book I'm currently reading and I wanted to recommend it to you all. The

author is Mickey Carter, who is the Pastor of Landmark Baptist Church in Haines City, Florida. My wife graduated from his Bible College, Landmark Baptist College, and this book was required reading in one of her classes. I found it in our bookshelf and it's been very useful in helping me understand why we believe God preserved His Word, and why the King James is that preserved Word. It's short and easy to read, and will give you a solid spiritual understanding of this issue. Click below for more detail:
Things that are different are not the same: The truth about the battle for the preserved King James Bible

20 Cool Ways to Make Extra Money

We all can use some extra cash but let's face it, if you had the time to get an extra job, you would! Here are some great ways to earn extra money without spending a lot of time, or breaking the bank to get started.

1. Start And Monetize a Blog
This is one of the coolest, newest ways to make money with zero investment out of your pocket. Google Adsense and other advertising companies have made this a very profitable venture and extremely easy to start and learn (why do you think I'm writing this one?). Go to Blogger or Wordpress, create your free blog, and start posting! For some help on how to make money with it, check out ProBlogger and Skelliewag. Follow their tips to create a cash cow.

2. Sell or trade stuff on Craigslist
You can make a lot of cash with your junk. Click the title to check out a longer post for ideas!

3. Recycle used toner bottles
TonerBuyer.Com and EmptySolution.com will pay you a nice bounty (up to $22.00 per) for those empty toner bottles that your office throws away everyday. You can even hire some teenagers to run around and collect them from local businesses and mail them in for some hefty cheddar!

4. Start a home-based business with Mary Kay or Party Lite
Before you groan and move on, hear me out. Women LOVE this stuff and you can sell buckets of candles and cosmetics over the holidays. Take a catalogue to work, get some friends to host a party, and you're golden! My wife raked in over $300 with her very first Mary Kay party. If you're a guy, tap into that resource called "girlfriend" or "wife". Sign up under her name, run the back end business stuff, and get her to do some parties. Vanity sells!

5. Write a children's book
I know it sounds crazy, but this is a huge industry and authors are making BANK! You don't have to have expertise, do any research, or even be a good writer. You can even illustrate with stick figures! For some info on how to get started, check out The Purple Crayon.

6. Create a forum or top site
You can create a top site list for a niche that you are interested in. Bloggers and website owners who want to keep their name in front of web surfers are always looking for added visibility and are happy to join. These sites can be monetized with AdWords and the like. Check out Top Site List Planet, Top Site World, or Top Site Lists to get started with a free top site hosting service.

7. Start an e-commerce website
If you have a couple Franklins and are willing to shell out, this is actually very easy. Paul Phillips at American Solutions For Business does this for a living, and can set up the site for you, handle the inventory, shipping, and billing. All you have to do is sit back and rake in the profits. So create a cool brand of something niche. Make your own tee-shirts with your blog logo and create a cult following. Sell custom shoelaces. Get creative. Go crazy. You might just turn that insanity into cash flow.

8. Day trade
This is sometimes considered a respectable form of gambling, however there is actually a science to it (unlike gambling which I don't promote). Be aware that you can win big or lose big with this one. That being said, day trading is very lucrative if you are savvy and have the time and intestinal fortitude to stomach it. Open an account with E*Trade, TD Ameritrade, or Charles Schwab and dive in. They have analysis tools and people you can talk to, and there is a wealth of information at the bookstore, library, and online. Experience is going to be your best teacher, and you may lose more than you make at first but persistence is often rewarded. Try this book to get spun up:

9. Sell books on Amazon.com
My brother went crazy with this and made some spare cash. It turns out certain textbooks go for quite a bit and the buyer pays for shipping. All you have to do is list your collection, and when you get a buyer drop your book in the mail. Easy.

10. Go to school and collect scholarships
I heard about a kid who applied for so many scholarships that he ended up bringing in $2,000,000!

11. Flip cars
Okay, I'm not talking about driving recklessly and collecting the insurance settlement, I'm talking about buying cars and reselling them. If you are mechanically inclined, you can purchase a car that needs some TLC, add a bit of your personal touch over the weekend (IE, fix whatever causes it to be currently inoperable) and resell it for a couple hundred buck profit. No sweat? That depends on you. I gave this one a go and quickly found the learning curve to be very time consuming. You should only try this if you already know what you are doing, or you are willing to invest the time to learn (it can become somewhat of a hobby). Also, be aware of the tools that are required for your project as these can end up costing you more than what you make on the vehicle.

12. Get a paper route
This should be a last resort as it is exhausting. I only list it because it was a source of income for me when we were going through hard times, and it doesn't require you to give up your day job (just a lot of sleep).

13. Be a poster guy for a weight loss company
Anyone have any idea how much the Jared Fogle, the subway guy got for losing his weight and advertising? Why not find out first hand? Pick a weight loss product you like, take a picture of yourself before, than shed those pounds and take an "after" photo. They'll probably pay you for your testimonial, and you'll be thinner!

14. Start a non-profit and be the ED
Everyone's about saving the earth or fixing world poverty. Why not cash in on their goodwill? Start a non-profit organization and make sure you get appointed the Executive Director. You'll be able to get government grants and private donations, and you can write your own salary! How cool is that?

15. Do surveys online
Get paid to take surveys? Sure, why not? Check out http://surveymonster.net/ or similar websites for details.

16. Buy and sell coins
Another hobby that can make you bank. If you are like me and are sorely disappointed that your '90s era baseball cards haven't made you a multi-millionaire like you thought they would when you were a teenager, this is the hobby for you. You still get to collect things, and coins have a great appreciation rate.

17. Get a metal detector and find cool stuff to hawk
This is especially cool if you live near a beach in LA or Miami. Rich people get stupid and lose their suave watches just like the rest of us. No sense it letting all that stupidity go to waste; get out there and start hawking!

18. Scam the multi level marketing system
This will definitely be the subject of a much longer post, but there are ways to work the system with some of the MLM companies and make huge cash from the start. It requires planning and strategy, but if you and a group of friends can organize and hit the ground running, you may just build up a network in record time and become the next success story.

19. Become a tax write-off guru, or just hire one
Last year I donated my old junk to the Goodwill. Since it was all "junk" to me, I wasn't going to write it off for very much. Then I used Turbo Tax's donation estimator, and it came back saying my old junk was worth $1200.00! Many of us pass up write-offs that would otherwise bring in a couple of g's at the end of the year simply because we're too lazy to itemize, or we just don't know. If you think that's you, find a good tax dude and tell him you need help. He'll get you on the right track. Uncle Sam has plenty of suckers to extort without you being one of them.

20. Rent out your truck
I have a big, green, gas-hog 1973 Ford 100 that I've yet to flip (see money-making idea number 11). Before I had this truck, I was always annoyed that I didn't have a pickup to use on Saturdays for dump runs, etc. Then the light bulb went on. Surely there are other home-owners like me who are equally annoyed at their current truck-challenged state and would be eager to rent my truck on Saturdays! If you have a truck you don't use that often (or you are waiting to put in a new neutral switch so you can sell the thing and get it out of your yard), why not put a sign on it that says "Rent My Truck-$20/Day" and park it on some high-traffic street Friday night. Come Saturday morning, you may just find yourself $20 richer (or one truck poorer-make sure you lock it). I haven't looked into the liability and insurance issues, so you'll have to figure that out yourself. Hey, it's worth a call to your insurance company, right?

Is Name Calling Really Wrong?

Among the religious academics, you will get scorned for saying that someone is an idiot (even if it's the truth), or they are a "troll" (meaning they are picking a fight on a forum just to stir things up). Name calling is looked down upon as fighting dirty, and is considered a recourse only for those who are ignorant. The "true intellectuals" are supposed to be above all that nonsense. The term "ad hominem" is loosely tossed about, partly because anything Latin makes you sound smart, and partly because people think that name calling falls into this category of fallacies. I would like to challenge that thought.

First of all, the definition for an Ad Hominem attack is as follows:

An ad hominem argument, also known as argumentum ad hominem (Latin: "argument to the man", "argument against the man") consists of replying to an argument or factual claim by attacking or appealing to a characteristic or belief of the person making the argument or claim, rather than by addressing the substance of the argument or producing evidence against the claim. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

You can see that using an ad hominem argument would be like saying, "You're wrong and I know this because you are an idiot!" or "...because you are fat!" There is no logic behind this, therefore it's an ad hominem (an attack against the person). To simply call someone an idiot is not an ad hominem attack, because you are not making an argument. You are making an observation. There is nothing low, ignorant, or dirty about speaking the truth. Hey, there are a lot of idiots on the internet and the truth hurts!

Secondly, Jesus called names:

Matt.3
[7] But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Matt.12
[34] O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Matt.23
[33] Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Luke.3
[7] Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Now I'm sure in the NASB, NIV, and NKJV He says, "Oh you bunch of silly men!" or something limp-wristed along those lines, but in the Bible, we can see that He ripped them up. If it's okay for Jesus to do, it's okay for me. The next time I call someone an idiot and they accuse me of using an ad hominem fallacy, I'm going to point them to the King James Bible and the above verses for my proof text.

My Reply to His Reply to My Reply to His Reply to My Reply

Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel
You equivocated in your use of John 1:1 with Ps. 119:81.

There is no fallacy in my argument, as is evidenced by the use of the word logos in John 1:1:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God , and the Word was God .

The word used to describe the Second Person of the Trinity is the same word used throughout the New Testament to describe God's Word which was given to man. The following is an example of one of the many references to the Bible using the Greek word Logos.

2Tim 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God , a workman that needeth not to be ashamed , rightly dividing the word of truth .

Based on the Greek, John chapter one makes the case that Jesus is the Word of God given by inspiration to man. The have the same relationship as water and ice. Fundamentally the same but manifested in different forms. The capitalization is present because in this case the word "Logos" is referring to the Second Person of the Trinity, who is also manifested in flesh:

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

and in the form of written revelation:

Joh 1:1 ¶ In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Because the Old Testament was written in Hebrew we don't have logos in Psalms 119:89, we have dabar:

Ps 119:89 ¶ LAMED. For ever <`owlam>, O LORD , thy word is settled in heaven .

As you say, this too refers to the written Word of God:


Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel
In Ps. 119:81, "word" is a reference to God's special revelation, given to Israel via Moses (compare with vv. 91-95, where his "word" is also termed "ordinances," "law," "precepts," and "testimonies").

...however we see in John chapter one that the two references to "word" refer to the same thing. God's Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, in His verbal manifestation. I see no other way of reading these passages.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel
You then say, "It existed before the creation of the World." What is the referent of "it"? The second Person of the Trinity, or God's spoken revelation? These two things are not the same.

I think the fact that you make a distinction is leading you to some heresies (or at least wrong conclusions). John 1:3-4 says that it was the Word (Jesus) that created the world:

Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

...so when God said, "let there be light" He was not at that moment creating the second Person of the Trinity, He was the second Person of the Trinity manifesting Himself in verbal form.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel
Again, you equivocated when you said "The truth is the Word of God is Jesus in written form.”

Here, I think you misunderstood me and I will attribute it to the lack of a properly placed comma. The phrase was intended to mean, "The truth is, the Word of God is Jesus in written form." I wasn't saying that the truth is Jesus. Jesus did say, "I am the Truth..." however that wasn't the point I was trying to make.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel
You again used the same fallacy when you said, "They in effect, translated the Bible into human language to be available for all to read." For this statement to be true, you would have to admit that the Bible is Jesus Christ.

The above is only a fallacy like you say it is if my statements about Jesus and the Bible are false. John 1 indicates Jesus and the Bible are two different manifestations of the second Person of the Trinity. Because this is true, it's not wrong to say that the "Word" exsisted in Heaven before it was written in human language. In fact, the Bible indicates this in Psalm 119:89 and John 1 (not to belabor the point). You and I clearly differ on this point.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel
You then say, "Because this was a translation, it does not take away its inspiration." This time you are again equivocating on the word "translation." The inspired words written down by the original biblical authors were not a "translation." A translation is a given text transformed into another language. When the biblical authors wrote the Scripture, they were not "translating" eternal truth (Jesus?) into another language. Your use of the word here may be used that way in a poetic sense, but that poetic sense of the word "translation" is not in accordance with the way the word is normally employed in speech.

The Bible is and eternal truth. It exsists outside of the boundries of human language, speech, and verbiage. It is not bound to the feeble limitations of a particualar language or group of languages. To limit God's eternal Word to the Hebrew, Greek, and Armamaic is to say that God isn't big enough to give us His Word, exactly the way He wants it, in any other language. That would be a feeble God indeed. In reality, we see God giving us His eternal, perfect Word through imperfect men using imperfect languages, and yet they produced a perfect Bible. If God did this to give us the Bible in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, why couldn't He do this when the Bible was translated into English, Spanish, Tagolog, etc.? It's true that the Greek doesn't translate word for word into English. We don't claim that it does. We do however believe that God has given us His Word in a perfect form in the English language. Because God is bigger than human language and He is ultimately the Author of the Bible, He has full liberty to direct the translation in order to ensure it says what He wants it to say.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel
Would you say Pharaoh's words "existed before the creation of the World"? Of course not, and yet you have already said that since the "Word" did, so must the Bible have. All this confusion is the result of your numerous equivocations.

I believe the entire Bible existed before the creation of the world, and that would include the words Pharaoh spoke. God knew everything that would occur throughout history before He created the world. We can see this in 1Pet 1:19-20 where we are told that before the foundation of the world (prior to Adam and Eve's sin) God knew He would need to provide Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sin:

1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

If God was thinking this far ahead, it's not hard to believe that He already knew everything that Pharaoh would do and say.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel
If any true preservation is taking place, it must be in the languages the Bible was originally written/inspired in (and that, obviously, cannot be English).

True preservation, in the sense in which you are speaking, takes place only in Heaven since that is where the Word of God originated (again, see Psalm 119:89). Because we are told in the Bible that God's Word will be preserved on earth, we can say it has been preserved. We mean that it has been protected from corruption and destruction, not that it has been maintained in the original language. The original human language is essentially irrelevent because even it is an intermediary, however it does aid us in study and research.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel
Of course the manuscripts differ -- and thus, the discussion of preservation must surround the manuscripts. There are different views regarding preservation of God's word through the manuscripts, and one view is that the Textus Receptus represents the most appropriate preserved manuscripts. But then if that is true, any translation from the Textus Receptus would be faithful to God's word, and the Textus Receptus itself would be inspired.

Exactly. The difference between them all (for Riverwalkers sake since he is so bent on the Geneva Bible) is that the preceding Bibles were translated prior to the English language being standardized in it's spelling and grammar.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel
-- but, of course, the translations are not a preservation of God's word, the Textus Receptus is. And so, you have no ground to argue against the NKJV, for example, which is based on the Textus Receptus just as the KJV is.

Wrong. The NKJV is not based on the Textus Receptus. It is based on the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus just like the other modern versions.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel
You can talk about the preservation of the KJV, and that only since 1611 -- you cannot talk about the KJV preserving God's word, since God's word was written in the first century, and English didn't even exist as a language when God's word was inscripturated.

You're right. God has not always chosen to preserve His Word in English. It seems He has given the English speaking people a perfect Bible because of the prominence of the language. This does not mean He isn't also preserving His Word in other languages.

You say that you believe God preserved His Word in the original languages. The Vaticanus and Sinaiticus upon which the modern versions are based are corrupt manuscripts. Men like Origen, Jerome, and others damaged God’s Word for the sake of the Catholic Church. The debate about whether God’s Word is preserved in the Textus Receptus or the KJV is among KJVO’s, because if you subscribe to either position, you must throw out all modern English translations. They all go back to the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus manuscripts.

His Reply to My Reply to His Reply to My Reply

Quote:
Originally Posted by dgscott4
thx. I wonder if I will get a response.

Oh, don't worry, you've got one.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dgscott4
Wow, I appreciate your detailed response. Is it possible to create a thread without name-calling? I doubt it (someone will offend), but let’s try...

No problem, and we'll see how it goes.

Quote:
John.1
[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Pss.119
[89] For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

The Bible indicates that the Word of God existed before it was written in the "original languages". The truth is the Word of God is Jesus in written form (John 1). It existed before the creation of the World. When God gave it to man, He inspired men to write it in a language they could understand. They in effect, translated the Bible into human language to be available for all to read. Because this was a translation, it does not take away its inspiration. In fact, we can see many instances throughout the Bible where God inspired translations. An example is when Joseph served in Pharaoh’s court, he spoke Egyptian but his words were translated into Hebrew when the Old Testament was written. This translation was inspired by God.

The fallacy you employed above is called equivocation, and you used it a number of times before you reached your conclusion.

You equivocated in your use of John 1:1 with Ps. 119:81. In Scripture, the context of the verse determines the meaning of the word. In John 1:1, "Word" is a reference to the second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God (prior to the incarnation), as is proved from v. 14 where we read that "the Word became flesh." In Ps. 119:81, "word" is a reference to God's special revelation, given to Israel via Moses (compare with vv. 91-95, where his "word" is also termed "ordinances," "law," "precepts," and "testimonies"). The KJV itself acknowledges the difference by using a capitalized "Word" in John 1:1 (as a title for a Person) and a lowercased "word" in Ps. 119:81 (as a reference to God's spoken revelation, i.e., not a person).

You then say, "It existed before the creation of the World." What is the referent of "it"? The second Person of the Trinity, or God's spoken revelation? These two things are not the same. You have equivocated here, because the two verses are not referring to the same thing (hence "Word" and "word"). God's spoken revelation is not the same thing as the second Person of the Trinity. When God said "let there be light," he did not at that moment "create" the second Person of the Trinity. Your not distinguishing between the second Person of the Trinity, and God's temporal revelation to mankind through the spoken (and written) word, can potentially lead to any number of serious heresies.

Again, you equivocated when you said "The truth is the Word of God is Jesus in written form (John 1)." "Truth" is not the same as a Person. You cannot say that "truth" is "Jesus." Of course the source of truth is God, and the second Person of the Trinity is God, and so he is true and everything he says and does is true, and we can call him "Truth," and the written word that he inspired is true, but you are nevertheless equivocating on the word. I can say, "the world is round," and that is a truth statement, but that does not mean the statement "the world is round" is Jesus Christ.

You again used the same fallacy when you said, "They in effect, translated the Bible into human language to be available for all to read." For this statement to be true, you would have to admit that the Bible is Jesus Christ. That is the blunt way of demonstrating the equivocation you have employed, especially if you believe "truth" and "Jesus" are the same thing.

You then say, "Because this was a translation, it does not take away its inspiration." This time you are again equivocating on the word "translation." The inspired words written down by the original biblical authors were not a "translation." A translation is a given text transformed into another language. When the biblical authors wrote the Scripture, they were not "translating" eternal truth (Jesus?) into another language. Your use of the word here may be used that way in a poetic sense, but that poetic sense of the word "translation" is not in accordance with the way the word is normally employed in speech.

Your next few sentences ("In fact, we can see many instances throughout the Bible where God inspired translations. An example is when Joseph served in Pharaoh’s court, he spoke Egyptian but his words were translated into Hebrew when the Old Testament was written. This translation was inspired by God.") are proof of what a am saying here, because Pharaoh speaking in Egyptian and Joseph translating his words into Hebrew is the ordinary use of the word "translate" (not the "poetic" sense you used in reference to inspiration). Joseph simply recorded Pharaoh's words in Hebrew, and they are inspired as written by Moses, a true account of what Pharaoh actually said. But it's the Hebrew words written by Moses that are inspired and God's word, not the original words spoken by Pharaoh.

Would you say Pharaoh's words "existed before the creation of the World"? Of course not, and yet you have already said that since the "Word" did, so must the Bible have. All this confusion is the result of your numerous equivocations.

Quote:
It is not a moot point since you can't study the originals. They don't exist.

And now you are equivocating on the word "original." I was referring to the original language Scriptures, not the original autographa, which of course no longer exist. As copies of the original autographa have been made, it is through those copies that God's word has been preserved. And those copies are, of course, in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek -- anything in any other language cannot be a preservation of God's written word, since God's written word was inspired in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

Quote:
This is something that a lot of non-KJVO's ignore, but the original autographs have all been destroyed and all we have are manuscripts, the oldest of which date to 400 years after Christ's death.

No one is ignoring it, you are simply equivocating on the word "original" and thus misunderstanding, or misrepresenting, others' views. There were the original autographa, which were written in the original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The contents of the original autographa were preserved through copies, and all those copies were in the original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. If any true preservation is taking place, it must be in the languages the Bible was originally written/inspired in (and that, obviously, cannot be English).

Quote:
The manuscripts in question differ greatly, which account for the differences in the modern Bible versions when compared to the KJV.

Of course the manuscripts differ -- and thus, the discussion of preservation must surround the manuscripts. There are different views regarding preservation of God's word through the manuscripts, and one view is that the Textus Receptus represents the most appropriate preserved manuscripts. But then if that is true, any translation from the Textus Receptus would be faithful to God's word, and the Textus Receptus itself would be inspired. Translations based off the Textus Receptus would each equally be legitimately held in esteem as translations of God's word, so far as they are faithful to the original language manuscripts -- but, of course, the translations are not a preservation of God's word, the Textus Receptus is. And so, you have no ground to argue against the NKJV, for example, which is based on the Textus Receptus just as the KJV is.

Quote:
Just because you study the Bible in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic doesn't mean this discussion is moot.

Yes it does, because you have taken the discussion of inspiration to translations -- discussion surrounding inspiration and, particularly, preservation must regard copies of the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. You can talk about the preservation of the KJV, and that only since 1611 -- you cannot talk about the KJV preserving God's word, since God's word was written in the first century, and English didn't even exist as a language when God's word was inscripturated.

Quote:
It's true that there are differences in the languages and things change when the Bible is interpreted, but God is bigger than language and translation, and can make sure that whether the Bible is being translated into Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, English, or Spanish, it says what He wants it to say. It is perfect.

When the last book of the Bible was written, God stopped inspiring men for creating inscripturated revelation with his authority. If you believe God truly "inspires" men when they translate the original language Scriptures (into, e.g., English, like the KJV), then there is no need for preservation. Preservation is an important doctrine because inspiration has ceased. No translation of the Bible is perfect; all you need to do is learn a foreign language to know that.

Quote:
If God cared enough to give us the Bible, why do you find it hard to believe He would care enough to preserve the Bible in a perfect form?

I do believe he has preserved it in a perfect form; just that that form cannot be in English, because if it were, it wouldn't be preservation, it would be inspiration.

My Reply to His Reply to My Reply

Wow, I appreciate your detailed response. Is it possible to create a thread without name-calling? I doubt it (someone will offend), but let’s try...


John.1
[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Pss.119
[89] For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

The Bible indicates that the Word of God existed before it was written in the "original languages". The truth is the Word of God is Jesus in written form (John 1). It existed before the creation of the World. When God gave it to man, He inspired men to write it in a language they could understand. They in effect, translated the Bible into human language to be available for all to read. Because this was a translation, it does not take away its inspiration. In fact, we can see many instances throughout the Bible where God inspired translations. An example is when Joseph served in Pharaoh’s court, he spoke Egyptian but his words were translated into Hebrew when the Old Testament was written. This translation was inspired by God.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel
A translation is a translation, and it's only as good as the translation is faithful to the original languages. Seeing as how I study the Bible in the original languages (and not in English), it's a moot point. Are you going to say that my Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek Bible isn't the preserved Word of God? Indeed, it's the only true preserved Word of God, because God didn't move men by the Holy Spirit to write in English -- English, of course, didn't even exist when the Bible was written. So, obviously, it would be impossible to claim that any English translation is a preservation of God's Word when God's Word was never originally written in English.

It is not a moot point since you can't study the originals. They don't exist. This is something that a lot of non-KJVO's ignore, but the original autographs have all been destroyed and all we have are manuscripts, the oldest of which date to 400 years after Christ's death. The manuscripts in question differ greatly, which account for the differences in the modern Bible versions when compared to the KJV. Just because you study the Bible in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic doesn't mean this discussion is moot.

It's true that there are differences in the languages and things change when the Bible is interpreted, but God is bigger than language and translation, and can make sure that whether the Bible is being translated into Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, English, or Spanish, it says what He wants it to say. It is perfect.

If God cared enough to give us the Bible, why do you find it hard to believe He would care enough to preserve the Bible in a perfect form?

His Reply to My Reply

Quote:
Originally Posted by dgscott4
I'm saying that many doctrines must be accepted by faith because they cannot be proven. Prove to me that Jesus saves. You can show me in the Bible, but you can't PROVE that your soul has been saved from Hell; you have to trust in Christ that He will do as He promised.

Yes, that is called faith in what the Scripture teaches. Scripture teaches that salvation is through Jesus Christ, and if I am in him, I will be saved. Can I empirically prove that I am in him? No, but such proof is irrelevant to faith.

Quote:
I can show you where God promised to preserve His Word in the Bible, and this is a doctrine, however I can't scientifically prove that He has done so (although there is much circumstantial evidence). I accept it by faith.

So far so good.

Quote:
You say that because there is no mention of the King James in God's Word, our belief that God has used the King James to preserve His Word in our age is not a Biblical doctrine. I don't believe that God spells out every detail in the Bible. We are told in James 1:2-3 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." God doesn't give us the exhaustive list of trails we will face in life, but that doesn't change the doctrine that if we experience trials, it will work patience. If you said, "I'm experiencing a trial that is not listed in the Bible, therefore I don't believe it will produce patience," you would sound immature.

King James had nothing to do with preserving God's Word, but he had something to do with propagating it by authorizing a translation that he approved. Those are two different things.

Quote:
Likewise it's silly to expect that God would have spelled out the names of every version He would use to preserve His Word, but preservation is still a Biblical Doctrine so we can by faith believe that there must be the preserved Word of God available.

But the Word of God was not written in English, and the preserved Word therefore cannot be in English. God's Word was written down in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek -- to preserve it means to have it in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. An English translation is just that, a translation, and thus an essential modification to God's Word: the language was modified, and thus it is not a preservation of God's Word. A translation (if faithful) contains the same concepts and communicates the same thing as the original language Bible, but it has essentially changed on account of it being written in a new language. If it's in a new language, it goes without saying that it's not a preservation of the Bible. I'm not arguing that translations of the Bible are wrong; they are obviously necessary, but translations are for propagation, not preservation, as contemporary language inevitably changes.

Quote:
I don't understand why you are fighting this so hard, except that maybe you feel you would be looked down upon for accepting this Bible truth at face value. Let me assure you that you may lose some friends, but you will gain others and we all aren't as dumb as we look.

I do accept what the Bible says at face value, I just don't believe there is anything special regarding the King James Version as compared to any other faithful translation. A translation is a translation, and it's only as good as the translation is faithful to the original languages. Seeing as how I study the Bible in the original languages (and not in English), it's a moot point. Are you going to say that my Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek Bible isn't the preserved Word of God? Indeed, it's the only true preserved Word of God, because God didn't move men by the Holy Spirit to write in English -- English, of course, didn't even exist when the Bible was written. So, obviously, it would be impossible to claim that any English translation is a preservation of God's Word when God's Word was never originally written in English.

My Reply to a KJV Only Critic

Q. Can you prove that God preserved his word?

A. Many doctrines must be accepted by faith because they cannot be proven. Prove to me that Jesus saves. You can show me in the Bible, but you can't PROVE that your soul has been saved from Hell; you have to trust in Christ that He will do as He promised.

I can show you where God promised to preserve His Word in the Bible, and this is a doctrine, however I can't scientifically prove that He has done so (although there is much circumstantial evidence). I accept it by faith.

You say that because there is no mention of the King James in God's Word, our belief that God has used the King James to preserve His Word in our age is not a Biblical doctrine. I don't believe that God spells out every detail in the Bible. We are told in James 1:2-3 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." God doesn't give us the exhaustive list of trails we will face in life, but that doesn't change the doctrine that if we experience trials, it will work patience. If you said, "I'm experiencing a trial that is not listed in the Bible, therefore I don't believe it will produce patience," you would sound immature.

Likewise it's silly to expect that God would have spelled out the names of every version He would use to preserve His Word, but preservation is still a Biblical Doctrine so we can by faith believe that there must be the preserved Word of God available.

I don't understand why you are fighting this so hard, except that maybe you feel you would be looked down upon for accepting this Bible truth at face value. Let me assure you that you may lose some friends, but you will gain others and we all aren't as dumb as we look.

Answering Tough Questions

2Tim.2
[15] Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

1Pet.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:

As a youth worker, I am ofter asked questions about the Bible, about our standards, or about other related issues that are often difficult to explain. When you find yourself in a situation like this the temptation can be strong to refer the young person to another who may be more knowledgeable about the subject than yourself. Before you pass the buck, however, consider the benefits of challenging yourself to find the answer:

1. If you do some studying, you will be obeying 2 Tim 2:15


2. You will gain more credibility amoung the youth in your ministry, and they will be more inclined to listen when you preach/teach.


3. God will use these situations to solidify in your own mind what you believe and your own faith will be strengthened.


4. You will no longer have to rely on the study of another for your convictions, because you will be able to point back to your own study of the Word.


5. The next time someone comes to you with that question, you will be ready to give them an answer (now you are also obeying 1 Pet 3:15).


6. You will reduce the workload on the Pastor and other leaders by not passing deep questions off to them.


7. You will be an example to the other workers of how one should study their Bible.


8. You will become well equipped to train up new leaders because you are well grounded in the Word.

Hey, ministry involves work and committment so don't shy away from the idea of digging into the Bible for some answers. You'll become a stronger Christian and God will reward you for your efforts!

Are You Thankful for the Rough Times?

James 1:2 - 4 [2] My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; [3] Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. [4] But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

We always hear preachers say that it's easy to cry out to God in the hard times, then they exhort us to remember God during the good times. I have the opposite problem. When times are good I remember to thank and praise God, but when I'm going through trials I have a hard time remembering to even ask God for help. I get frustrated and discouraged and don't feel like spending time with Him, which tends to make things worse. The truth is God wants us to recognize that the trials are just as good for us as the blessings because they strengthen us spiritually. The next time you are going through a valley, challenge yourself to ask God for help and thank Him for the opportunity to learn to lean on Him.

HooRay! A New Address!!!

You can now visit this blog at www.YoungFundamentalists.com!!! The old address will still work, however this one is shorter and easier to remember. Tell your friends!

How to Decide Where You Stand on the KJV Only Controversy

The following was my thought process that helped me come to a conclusion on the King James Only controversy. If you are undecided on this issue, try the following:

1. Before addressing which version is perfect, the definition of "preservation" must be resolved. When we have two different ways of defining preservation, we will never be able to move forward to the deeper questions like which one is the "preserved" Word of God. If you define preservation as simply maintaining the fundamental doctrines of the faith, than yes, all modern versions could be considered acceptable. Sadly, many lose such finer points as the virgin birth (changing the word "virgin" to "young woman") or the Deity of Christ (changing the reference to Jesus as the "Son of God" to calling Him "God's Servant"). Many say that these are of no consequence, but I would argue that for a new believer, they may skew his/her doctrine. If you seriously want to come to a decision for yourself, I would suggest starting with deciding, based on your own study of the Bible, to what standard God promised to preserve His Word. The conclusion you come to will be a good starting point for further study.

Matt. 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

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

2. If you decide that you believe God promised to preserve His Word forever, and that means every word (not just idea or doctrine) than the second thing you must decide is which version has the preserved Words of God (since all versions differ, only one can be correct, right?).

The King James Version Only crowd didn't just pick their favorite, they picked based on a specific criteria. There are two different underlying manuscripts. The KJV is the only English translation in mass production today that comes from the Textus Receptus (for a quick explanation of the Textus Receptus, visit The Answer Book by Sam Gipp). The other modern versions are based off of the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus. When boiled down to which underlying manuscript is the most accurate, the issue becomes much easier to wade through. Scientifically, non-KJVO's claim their manuscript holds up better under textual criticism, however KJVO's claim they can trace it back and see alterations by men who did not fear God (the Catholic Church played a big role in producing these corrupt manuscripts). The truth is that we don't have the "original autographs" (original writings), and are using around 6,000 different fragments to create our English Translations. Many modern day versions are based on the corrupt texts that Wescott and Hort compiled from the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus manuscripts, and therefore have many passages missing, changed, or corrupted when compared to the Textus Receptus (click here to view their ommissions).

3. If you decide that you agree with using a Bible that has been translated from the Textus Receptus, than you can reaffirm your decision by looking at who is in each camp. On one side we have those who say that the King James Bible is the only preserved, inerrant Word of God for the English speaking people, and on the other side are those who say that all English versions are acceptable. If you believe point number one (that God preserved every word) than you can only be in one camp. There is nobody that claims that the NASB is the preserved Word of God to the exclusion of all others, nor the NIV, the NKJV, etc.

This is my simple yet effective thought process in wading through the information overload that is out there on this issue. I continue to study, read, and discuss the finer details, however I do so knowing that when God makes a promise, He will keep it.

The Atheist and the Bear

An atheist was walking through the woods.

"What majestic trees"!

"What powerful rivers"!

"What beautiful animals"!

He said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder & saw that the bear was closing in on him.

He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer. He tripped & fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right On top of him, reaching for him with his left paw & raising his right paw to strike him. At that instant the Atheist cried out, "Oh my God!"

Time Stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was still.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky. "You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation to cosmic accident." "Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer"?

The atheist looked directly into the light, "It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask You to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps You could make the BEAR a Christian"?

"Very Well," said the Voice.

The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head & spoke:

"Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen."

Time Management Help

Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

There is much to do and very little time to get it all done. Our eternal rewards will be determined by what we get done while we are here on Earth. I pray this month's article will prove to be helpful as you strive to serve the Savior.



YES, YOU CAN GET IT ALL DONE!

Almost everyone I know complains that they have more to do than they can get done in the time they have. I often find myself saying the same thing. But the truth of the matter is that we have all the time we need to succeed. Our problem is that we do not effectively manage our time and workload. Denying the truth about our faults during the time of our pilgrimage here on Earth will not help us in the future when we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Things we can't use to excuse our failures:

1. Ignorance We can't blame ignorance because the answers are available if we seek them. All we have to do is take the time to learn. The only reasons we don't learn what we need is that we are too undisciplined, apathetic, or feel unable to learn. Believing you lack the intelligence to learn is really a lack of faith. The bible clearly states that God will give you the wisdom you need if you ask Him. (James 1:5)
2. Help We can't blame a lack of help because we are the ones who are responsible for recruiting volunteers and training them to help. If there is no one to recruit or train then we probably have the wrong priorities. Our job is to reach people for Christ. If we do, then we will have a pool of people to work with. If we don't reach anyone then we have few people to serve and our work load is so small that we can do everything ourselves.
3. Time We set our own priorities, even if we work for someone else. Bosses reward production and success. If you are producing and can show your boss how you can produce more if they allow you to control your time, they will more than likely concede. So, in reality, if your boss controls your time it is probably because they don't feel you will do a good job if left to yourself.
4. Money Budgets are great but there is never enough money to pay for everything. However, you will find that people in your field will often lend you the resources that will teach you what you need to know, or they will teach you what you need to know for free. However, I recommend that you spend your own money to improve. It has been said that you are what you spend money on. Financial commitment helps insure you don't waste the resources available. When things are free you often treat them like they are worth nothing.
5. Spiritual Gifts Some feel ill equipped to accomplish what they have been called by God to do. My response to that is that God is not a cruel taskmaster and He would never call you to a ministry without providing the gifts required to accomplish the work. 1 Tim 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
6. Incompetent Boss. This is the worst excuse of all and I hear it all too often when counseling with church staff members. More full-time Christian workers are placed in the body in a subservient relationship than in the most senior position. It follows that God will not place the vast majority of His servants in a position where they cannot succeed. So that means that God will prosper you even if you are under the control of a less than stellar boss. King David served Saul for years, but he was blessed by God for his faithfulness.

Things we can do to help get it all done!

1. Environment: Your office is very important. When we hire someone on our church staff the first thing we do is set them up in a really nice office. We let them design it themselves and then we buy them a good computer and great communication equipment. They can perform work from anywhere, but they prefer to be in their office. Their offices are quiet, comfortable, well lit, and conveniently located near each other. You may not be able to spend lots of money on offices, but you need to understand that the environment can be a major distraction and make it hard to get any work done. If the room is too hot or cold people won't want to be there. If it is noisy and furnished with Salvation Army throw away furniture the workers won't want to bring people to their office for appointments or to accomplish work. The bottom line is that if you outfit people in unprofessional environments don't expect them to perform professionally.
2. Organization Structure is vitally important. You must have your files organized and know where everything is. Your organizational systems must be designed to eliminate wasted time and allow you to know exactly what you are doing and when you are going to do it. Everything can be organized; even disruptions and drop-ins. You can publish when you are free to receive drop-ins, when you return telephone calls, when you like to receive tasks from your boss, and when you need to be left alone to perform work. There are probably more books written on organizing your environment, time, and calendar than anything else.
3. Goals Without written goals you will accomplish little more than reacting to things that happen to you. In most ministries the telephone rings all day long, emails arrive by the hundreds, and there are so many things that need to be accomplished routinely that you will not find any time to accomplish the things that really matter. Study after study has proven that those who succeed do so because they have clearly defined, written goals.
4. Workable Plan If you do not plan when you are going to work the plan that leads to the accomplishment of your goals you will spend your day reacting to minutia and not progressing toward your goals. I know you have probably heard this speech a hundred times, but it is still the single most important thing you can do to get everything done that you need to get done. There must be a time when you sit down and decide what you are supposed to accomplish and design a way to get there. The plan must be workable or it won't work. It is just that simple.
5. Constant Progress You need to constantly examine your progress toward your goals or you will drift off course. Multitudes set great goals and devise great plans to get there, but after a few months they realize they have fallen back into the disastrous routine of reacting to the endless tide of meaningless expectations others have cast upon them. It should be no surprise to learn that people who are successful are successful because of the things they decide not to do as well as by the things they decide to do.

Learning to work efficiently and developing the discipline to do what you have learned is a life long process. Leaders are readers and learning is the wind in the sail that powers their ship to success. Yes, the bible is the most important book on leadership, but it is not the only book on leadership and management you should read. I encourage you to visit your local bookstore or visit AMAZON online and scan the resources available. While most of the books are not written by Christians, they teach principles that are biblical. Remember that Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, taught Moses about delegation. While Jethro was not a Hebrew, God chose to use him to help Moses learn how to handle his workload.

Lastly, it should be noted that knowledge is not the end goal. Multitudes who are overweight know how to lose weight. The problem is that their flesh fights against their heart and mind and makes it difficult to do what they know is right. The same thing happens to those who are trying to implement the leadership skills they know. They have to overcome entrenched bad habits and implement what they know is right. This is a problem for me as well as every other person who leads.

The solution to this truth is reading, prayer and practice. We must continually refresh our vision of leadership and pray regularly and fervently for the Lord to help overcome our flesh. We must then constantly exercise the new desired behavior until it becomes ingrained and replaces our old behaviors. So, start praying now and see if God will do as He promised. Remember, you have not because ye ask not.

-Excerpt from Jeff Wade's monthly newsletter. Subscribe at www.bibleleader.com to receive your own!