Confidence

King James Only or ?

(Note: this post has been further updated)

I have a great friend and brother in the Lord who belongs to a group believers who are very, very, KJV only oriented. As a result, we have had various friendly conversations on this issue and yes, I have learned a lot from him as we have over a couple of years discussed these things, off and on. It has been genuinely good for me to work through this, coming to see, by the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, and discern the true threat behind all of this innocent appearing issue.

Just recently, after not hearing from him on this subject for a good while,  he sent me a text message with a request that I listen to a “you tube” video called, “Whats the Big Deal about the KJV?”. You can find it here. When I listened to it I heard many things that didn’t register as true. Therefore, I was curious if anyone had presented a case to challenge this video and its claims. There is. You can find all five parts beginning  here. Both opposing presentations are insightful and very different, yet I genuinely believe that “KJV Onlyism” is genuinely standing on extremely weak ground. There is a very real deception related to King James Onlyism. Just to be clear, the King James Bible is not the bottom line, it is not The Standard by which all other Bibles are to be judged or evaluated.

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Categories: A Simple Faith, Bible Translations, Bibles, Changes, Confidence, Elitism, God's Faithfulness, Hearing The Lord, Isolation, Man's Faith, Misplaced Dependency, religious idolatry, Word, Word of God, Work of God | 2 Comments

What is The Heart Of Ministry?

Below is an email that I received and my response to it. I am posting it to see what others might think of this discussion and have some input. So have a shot and we will see where this takes us.

Blessings in Christ Jesus!

Email:

For me to minister, I need a heart to minister, but people are not that enjoyable to minister too.  How do I develop compassion and love for people?

I find people who are going through trials, I find it hard to minister to them, cause I really don’t want to help them, even though the right thing to do is still to minister to them.

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Categories: A Simple Reminder, Absolute Dependency, Authenticity, Awakening, Being Built Up, Benefits, Christian Maturity, Confidence, Dependency, Empowerment, Genuineness, God's Love, Hope, Seeking The Lord Jesus | Leave a comment

Holding Fast To The Truth

Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ESV

In the face of all that is going on around us in the world, let us remain strong in our hope, in our confident expectation regarding the Lord Jesus Christ and His faithfulness, His promises, His Word of Life.

Let us not become those who shrink back, or draw back into fearful compromise, acquiescing to those who would threaten, be offended by the truth, or would attack the message and thus the messengers of the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us not surrender our genuine saving faith and its message for the sake of cultural acceptance or relativity, self-preservation, or even of a worldly appeasement, or worldly acceptance and approval.

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Categories: Authenticity, Calling, Christian Maturity, Church, Communion, Confidence, Encouragement, Following Through, Genuineness, Hope, Persecution, Perseverance, Readiness, Sacrifice, Spiritual Warfare, Standing in Faith, Steadfastness, Suffering, Surrender, Tenaciousness, True Love, Victory, Word of God | Leave a comment

Life Is All About Growing Forward

Proverbs 29:18 (ESV) Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.

The word “vision”, can be translated revelation, the illumination of the Word of God, God given directives that come to us prophetically by the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I have come to see both the truth of not having God’s prophetic revelation in ones life and the fruit of having the Lord grant us this revelation. Let me share with you a critical time where His prophetic revelation made it possible to turn a very significant corner in my life.

There was a time after the Lord had delivered me from an almost certain car wreck on the freeway at night while on drugs, saved me from an overdose death a little later, and various other significant steps of getting my attention and helping to turn me back towards the Lord Jesus in my life. I wasn’t yet married but I had finally become desperate enough to want to get cleaned up and straightened out with my heart, life and relationship with the Lord Jesus. But I discovered early on that it wouldn’t be a quick and easy road to restoration. I had heard how the Lord had done this almost instant deliverance from drugs, etc. for others, but for me, well it was another matter. I would have to learn to walk a different path, a much slower path, a path that was conquered one little step at a time and from revelation to revelation.

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Categories: A Simple Reminder, Absolute Dependency, Authenticity, Being Built Up, Benefits, Changes, Confidence, Dependency, Dying to Self Will, God's Love, Holy Spirit Hearing, Open Ears, Prophetic Revelation, The Power of God, Work of God | 4 Comments

Monergism

{The following article was discovered in an older folder by itself within my computer. I am not sure if I wrote it originally but I don’t think so. However, I have honestly re-worked it quite a bit in order to post it here. I am not sure where I may have gotten it from. It may have been when I was originally doing my research on this topic of Monergism years ago. If anyone reads this and recognizes some its basic nuts and bolts and can identify who wrote them originally, I would gladly post an acknowledgment saying so.}

*****

“It is the Spirit who gives life [quickens]; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me [i.e. believe in me] unless it is granted him by the Father.” John 6:63-65 ESV [text added for clarity]

Definition
The Century Dictionary’s definition of monergism may be helpful:

“In theology, [monergism is] the doctrine that the Holy Spirit is the only efficient agent in regeneration [the new birth] – that the human will possesses no inclination to holiness until regenerated [born again], and therefore cannot cooperate in regeneration.”

Etymology
The word “monergism” consists of two main parts. The Greek prefix “mono” signifies “one”, “single”, or “alone” while the suffix “ergon” means “to work”. Taken together it means “the work of one”.

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Categories: A Compilation of Sources, Authenticity, Belief System, Believer, Calling, Christian Maturity, Confidence, Dependency, Edification, Foundations, God Faith, Grace, Holy Spirit, Hope, Reformed Theology, Saving Faith, Teaching, Thankfulness, Theology, True Love, Word of God, Work of God | 2 Comments

The Compelling Work of God’s Grace

1 Cor 9:16-18 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. ESV (cf Acts 20:22; 2Cor 5:14)

Paul did not choose his life course, it was chosen for him. The Lord chose this course of life and ministry for him and as a result, Paul was compelled by the Lord to preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He does not do this out of his own will, but rather he is constrained to do this, faithfully as the Lord’s servant, as a steward of the Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit of God.

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Categories: Abiding, Authenticity, Benefits, Calling, Confidence, Dying to Self Will, Encouragement, God's Faithfulness, Grace, His Chosen, In Spirit and In Truth, Ministry Motivation, Prayer, Repentance, Selflessness, Simplicity | Tags: , | 2 Comments

Christmas, Santa And A Tree

Part Two

Now as Christianity continued to expand, grow and thus celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus (Christmas, Epiphany, the Feast of the Nativity), His Baptism and obviously His death and Resurrection (Easter), the different cultures added their own marks upon these celebrations. It is these cultural adaptations, which most often incorporated some aspect of their local celebrations or local context into the celebration experience of the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and yes, even of what we call Easter. Now, again, taking the more positive road on this, I believe this was all done for the same purposes as we have already stated in Part One, to replace what was previously observed or worshiped, with the true worship and celebration of the Lord Jesus Christ. How successfully this was always done, I am not always so sure.

The point of all of this is simply that the celebration of what we call Christmas is indeed the celebration of Christ’s birth and this has been in the church, in various forms, from very early on. The celebration of what we call Easter, the celebration of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, has also been a vital part of the church from its very beginning. In fact, it was seen for a very long time as the greatest of the Christian celebrations or remembrances. I believe that Easter should still be our most important celebration. However, this of course is my humble opinion.

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Categories: A Compilation of Sources, Body of Christ, Celebration, Changes, Christmas, Church, Church Forms, Church History, Churches, Confidence, History, Hope, Humility, Questions, Remembrances, Seeking The Lord Jesus, Thanksgiving, The Power of God, Timing, Witness | 2 Comments

Crossing A Point of No Return

How does one cross a point of no return? First of all, one would need to know that there was such a point and where that point was. I was confronted with just this reality for myself on a Saturday evening, May 5th, 2007, when I was fellowshipping with other believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, while in Scotland. The Lord had spoken so clearly to me about the weeks of ministry ahead in Scotland prior to my coming and shortly after my arrival. Right after I had  arrived in this wonderful nation, the Lord Jesus revealed to me my first insight for which I was to be ready for. It was simply this: He showed me that I would come to a point, a line, in which I would have to make a decision, a decision that carried the weight of crossing over a point of no return.

I had no clear idea when, where, how or at what point this moment of decision would come across my path. All I knew was that this would in deed take place, that it was important. Therefore I needed to be ready for it. Immediately I began praying into this forth coming event in my life.

In His timing, this point of decision did come to pass. The Lord Jesus, in a way I could not have imagined, brought things together, with such clarity, power and yet such subtly, that I knew I was at His specific place, time and moment, the moment of my decision. Would I cross over, or would I choose to play it safe, staying where I already was?

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Categories: Abiding, Absolute Dependency, Angels, Anointing, Being Built Up, Boundaries, Breaking Forth, Calling, Changes, Confidence, Divine Encounters, Following Through, Genuineness, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, God's Love, Grace, Growing in Faith, New Beginnings | Leave a comment

Let Us Arise, Yet Again!

There is so very much more than we are experiencing in and of Christ Jesus. There is so very much more of the Kingdom of God than we know or understand. There is so very much more of life in the Spirit than we are living out on a daily basis. There simply is so very much more yet to do and that needs to be done; I for one, long to know, do and experience the more. I also am haunted by what I have known, have accomplished or think I know. I also understand how tempting, as I get older, it is to remain in what I have come to know and experience.

What I mean is, that what I have known, done or think I know of Christ Jesus and the Kingdom of God, seems at times to get in the way of the more. It gets in the way by having captured my attention, my heart and the battles that were for or needed to contend for it has passed. Yesterdays victories become all too easily today’s excuses. As I look forward to the more, this means more battles, contending, more stretching, more dying, more of that which we already and all too often resist in our growing in the Lord Jesus Christ. This looking forward seems to be less and less attractive when I honestly consider the cost of the past. While I know that nothing of what life and ministry has cost us compares to that sacrifice of Christ Jesus, it still, for us remains a very tangible, real and essential counting of the cost. We have given our all so many times, yet the call remains, to surrender our all yet once again.

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Categories: A Genuine Heart Cry, Abiding, Absolute Dependency, Anointing, Awakening, Belief System, Believer, Body of Christ, Breaking Forth, Calling, Character, Christian Maturity, Church, Commands, Confidence, Covering, Dependency, Dying to Self Will, Edification, Empowerment, Encouragement, Exhortation, Faith, Family, Father, Fear of God, Flesh, Following Through, Foundations, Genuineness, God's Faithfulness, God's Love, Grace, Healing, His Chosen, His Gift of Love, Holiness, Holy Ghost Burdens, Hope, Humility, In Spirit and In Truth, Inspiration, Light, Ministry, Mother, Noise and Distractions, Now Word, Obedience, Persecution, Perseverance, Pioneering, Prayer, Priorities, Process, Promises, Readiness, Relationship, Rest, Resurrection Life, Righteousness, Sacrifice, Seeking The Lord Jesus, Self Justification, Selfishness, Selflessness, Separatism, Simplicity, Spiritual Fathers/Mothers, Spiritual Warfare, Standing in Faith, Steadfastness, Tenaciousness, Thanksgiving, The Lord Jesus, The Lord's Fullness, The Power of God, Timing, Truth, Victory, Wind of the Spirit, Witness, Word, Word of God | Leave a comment

The Vitalness of His Manifest Presence

Exodus 33:14-16 (ESV) And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

Here in Exodus we see that the presence of the Lord was so vital to Moses that he said to the Lord that if the Lord was not going to come with them, then don’t send Israel up to the Promise Land. The Lord offered earlier to send up an Angel who would assure them of the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise in providing them the Promise Land. For Moses this was not enough. He wanted the Lord’s presence, not simply the presence of an Angel no matter how great the Angel was.

I find this so very significant for us today as well. The evidence of Gods manifest presence with and amongst His people is both that which confirms the favor of God concerning His people and that which makes them distinct from the rest of the World. This distinction is vital for us as the people of God. We’re to be in, yet not of the world. The question remains however, how far shall we go without His manifest, evident, or tangible presence?

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Categories: A Genuine Heart Cry, A Simple Reminder, Abiding, Absolute Dependency, Angels, Anointing, Authenticity, Belief System, Benefits, Body of Christ, Boundaries, Breaking Forth, Calling, Church, Church Forms, Churches, Communion, Confidence, Core Values, Covering, Dependency, Edification, Empowerment, Encouragement, Exhortation, Family, Father, Genuineness, God's Faithfulness, God's Love, Grace, Healing, His Chosen, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Hope, Humility, In Spirit and In Truth, Intimacy, Mercy, Ministry, Prayer, Presumptions, Relationship, Rest, Seeking The Lord Jesus, Signs & Wonders, Simplicity, Spirit, Spiritual Hunger and Thirst, Stirrings, Surrender, Teaching, Thanksgiving, The Lord Jesus, The Power of God, Transcendence, Truth, Waiting on the Lord, Witness, Word of God, Work of God, Worship | 2 Comments

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