Keith

As was already stated, we are our own biggest obstacle in our relationship to sin and to Jesus. The answer isn't found in other books. It's in Jesus and His word. Other books should be supplemental - optional even. Not relied on as a shortcut to an answer/victory that we're seeking. If we're not in the word and prayer and relying on the Holy Ghost first and foremost... seeking HIM first and getting counsel from other later... then we are neglecting our relationship with Him and trying to find shortcuts and relying too much on our own efforts. As Christians, especially American Christians, we don't want people to feel bad. I'm the same way. I'm southern! We want to comfort them and make it all better. That's also a huge obstacle in not only our own relationship with sin and Jesus, but in the lives of others, too. We're not the Holy Ghost, Jr. If someone is feeling convicted, that's a good thing! We shouldn't be interfering with the work the Holy Ghost is trying to do in that person by trying to comfort them all the time. And we should also stop trying to seek that kind of comfort and emotional pacifying. There is a place for comfort and encouragement, YES! But, not at the expense of the truth and sound, scriptural counsel.

I'm a pretty straight forward person, especially when it comes to confronting and fighting sin. With that said, beating any sin, including addiction, is possible if people want to badly enough. We need to want Jesus more, and that starts with first admitting that we love our sin more. Then we have to prepare for battle. DO THE HARD THING and turn the TV, phone, gadgets and computer off. Put aside your recreation and get alone with God. Dig in your heels and seek Him like a dying man seeks his next breath. Get in the scriptures. Fifteen minute morning/evening "devotionals" isn't going to cut it. That's like taking one cooking class and believing you're ready to be a chef. Devour the scriptures, pour your heart out in prayer and seek His FACE. Seek HIM. And wait on Him. Give Him time to speak. Remind Him of His promises. Persist like the woman did with the unjust judge until you experience the victory. Professing Christians (speaking in general here, not specifically to Alison) need to stop expecting a Microwave Christianity where everything happens for them quickly. Our way doesn't work. We've already proven that. Trust that God knows your needs and wants to help you even more than you want to BE helped. Trust HIS timing. Let HIM work things into, and out of, you in the process! Don't expect/demand the results you want in a day or two. It's a race, continually run. DO the hard thing and put aside the things of this world and get on YOUR face to seek HIS.

I came across a video on YouTube, by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, that gives a lot of details of significant past events (recent, not historical) as they relate to the blood moons, but also, and specifically, during a Shemitah Year. Being that we're in a Shemitah Year right now, and the exact last day of it just happens to end this year on the final blood moon, seen in Israel... and, well, it's too much "coincidence" for me to pass off. Even if you don't think there's anything to it, this video could change your mind. Allow me to ask a question with boldness: Do you hold firm to not believing there's anything to the blood moon prophecy out of wisdom and evidence - or out of stubborness? To be fair, I'll answer that myself. I hold tightly that it is relevant due to all evidence and prayer. There's too much evidence to be "coincidental" and I've not received any correction or rebuke in prayer as of yet. But I am absolutely open to being corrected by the Holy Spirit. I want the truth, not to be right. Period. I'm also open to being wrong and corrected by the brethren if they can prove it. I personally think it's too risky to not at least consider the possibility in line with the evidence, especially during the last two Shemitahs. I'd rather be wrong and have nothing happen than to be wrong and not prepared. The video on YouTube is called, Jonathan Cahn speaks prophetically on the 2014 2015 shemitah - November 2014 if you're interested. God bless.

It's BigPlant! Quick, someone call Josh Gates and get a new TV going at once!

Apparently the Yeti is a kinder, gentler cousin of Bigfoot. I like that he cares about people's safety.

I never realized that. I just remember it being the first bible translation I ever used but it just didn't "feel right." I didn't know a thing about translations of the bible. I just thought they were all "the bible" and just fine. I was in a Christian bookstore one day and picked up a NKJV and found myself sitting in the store just reading it and loving it. It excited me, so I bought it! I never once considered, or examined, the NIV again.

Exactly. When I was 20, I was on a Greyhound Bus and I met two young Amish men slightly older than me. I still remember their names. Devon and Dennis Schlabach. They asked me how long I knew the Lord. I was shocked and asked how they knew I did. They looked at each other and smiled, then looked at me and said, "We can tell by your eyes." I've never forgotten that. We even exchanged addresses and remained penpals for awhile. I don't know why that didn't continue though. Yes, they're very legalistic and have a works-based faith with the belief that you can lose your salvation. I know some Christians believe that, too, but I don't. The bishop makes a lot of man-made rules that they must adhere to like scriptures or face shunning, too. It started with the teachings of Jacob Ammann. And I don't like that they generally don't believe in interacting with Englishers to share their faith and spread the gospel. They tend to only interact when they have to, but not socially or regularly. There's so much about the Amish that I love - their simplicity, integrity, craftmanship, work ethic, their desire to stay pure in the Lord, and definitely their cooking. I have quite a few authentic Amish recipes that I enjoy.

There is so much that I admire about the Amish. I don't agree with them about everything, but I love the simplicity in which they live, how God-centered they are, and how community-oriented they are. Surely that barn must be for the community and not one family!

I just fell in love with this a d o r a b l e little girl!

What a great kindness that you took the time to provide a transcript! Thank you for doing that!

Thank you, Keith. I started this thread simply to discuss your favorite translations, not to provide a soapbox as to why your version is the best and others are inferior. If you want to debate the merits and fallacies of the Textus Receptus (which the KJV is based upon), then please make your posts on another thread or start your own. Thank you. Also, thank you very much to everyone who has posted with their favorite translations. It's very interesting to see people's favorites. You're welcome. I have to admit, though, I don't really know why my favorite translations are the ESV, NKJV, and the NASB. Over time, I found errors and bad word/thought translations in other versions, like the NIV, that really put me off. I've not found anything very disconcerting in the ESV, NKJV or the NASB. None are perfect and I rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit in my studies. I've just never felt any red flags about these versions. God was a big enough God to be sure I saw the horrific tragedy that's called The Message Bible, as well as the red flags in the NIV, so I continue to trust He'll carry me through other translations I might use.

Just a friendly reminder, this thread is about what people's favorite versions of the Bible are. It's not a debate about which version is "best."

And yet, it's still a "version" and not infallible, perfect or inspired. That's all I'm saying.

I came across a YouTube video that addresses people's stories of their trips to heaven. I found it worthy of my time and very informative. Search for Stories of Trips To Heaven - Deception. It's 29:21 long.

Yup, I should have included the NASB, too. Personally, I believe that if a person is sincerely seeking God and wanting to learn the Word, that the Holy Spirit is perfectly able to protect and guide them in the truth, no matter which version they use. I'm not saying that all versions are right and good to use, just that the Holy Spirit is able to expose error and bad translations to a person and cause them to leave it. He did it with me. I like to remind the version/translation obsessed that all of them are translations and prone to errors. Even the KJV. (The "V" stands for "version" not "original.") The only perfect, infallible, inspired scriptures are the original texts in their original languages. But, if God was able to protect His words through 1,500+ years and bring it together as one, then He is able to protect us from modern translation errors as we seek and abide in Him.

I enjoy the NKJV and ESV the most. Online I use the Blue Letter Bible website.

Precisely. This is the reason why I don't live in fear or dread of anything going on in the world right now. God is still on the throne and in control. He's not subject to the governments, economies, or anything else of this earth. When I read about situations in the news, I stop and pray, leaving it in His hands. I don't try to suss them out, get angry, or find someone to blame. I simply trust God and don't lose the peace He's given me.

I just came across this news story on Fox News. Here's a blurb: That's another thing about Iran. They don't like getting their own hands dirty. They often call on their allies (puppets) to do their bidding.

Thanks for your understanding, Sam. It's greatly appreciated. I'm going to bow out of the conversation since I've said my piece and I'm not out to convince anyone. Shiloh, I admire your posts in many topics on this forum. Your logic and common sense reasoning is refreshing, especially since, from my experience, it's sorely lacking in the world today. It's rare that people will go any deeper than surface-level thinking. The first thought that comes to mind is the one they go with and set their beliefs accordingly.

Thank you, I'm glad. It is NEVER my intention to insult anyone. We may not agree on this subject, but there's nothing that says we have to. I respect your right to believe what you do. In the end, nothing that either of us believe, or say, about this situation, is going to change policy or affect what any countries governments do. I ONLY care how we act/react in this conversation. I care about how it affects our walk with Christ and a non-believer might read this and perceive Christianity.

I haven't seen anyone marginalize (i.e., to consider insignificant) your opinions. Just disagree with them, and perhaps the way you state them. And no matter what the reason is for your anger, it's up to you, as a Christian, to control it and practice self-discipline. We all have to do that. The kids TV shows I'm talking about are what Iran is showing to their children. And not just Iran, but Hamas, Egypt and other Islamic countries. They have animated cartoons, and characters similar to Barney the Dinosaur, that teach their children about the glory of being a suicide bomber and telling them that they must kill Jews when they see them. These shows are broadcast all over Islamic countries. They've created a "drama" broadcast that had a "Jew" kill a Christian child and use his blood to make Matzah at Passover. To wait for your enemy to strike first takes a huge risk on them striking on your own soil. THAT is exactly what the U.S. has prevented so far. That's the purpose of pre-emptive strikes. They have missiles that can reach the U.S. already. Should they have to use that first, in order for the U.S. to step in and protect itself?

That was an honest mistake on my part, Shiloh. I apologize profusely for my carelessness. I don't know how I got that wrong.

It was not an insult. It was an honest mistake which I have apologized for.

I misread your profile. My sincerest apologies. I must have clicked on a different profile or something. Please forgive me. That's just it, Sam, I don't trust what comes from the State Department... or the government as a whole. Or the lamestream media. But I do trust what I see coming out of Iran, especially when it matches up with their own media, including children's TV shows to their own children. And that's vicious and vile. When people, including countries, tell you who they are... believe them. I'm with Shiloh on this one. I think his posts have been 100% spot on. But that doesn't mean that we're living in fear of Iran. On the contrary. I live in His peace. It has ruled my life for the last two years. I know the second I step out of it and I immediately repent, or realign myself, and enter back into it. Governments are going to do what they do. I can't affect that in any way. So, I don't worry about it. I don't fear any country or government because I know that God isn't subject to them. They are subject to His allowing them to do what they do. That's why, when I read about what's happening, I take it to prayer and then leave it there, staying in His peace. Anything more is fruitless, in my opinion. I can turn what you said around and ask you this: Why would you chose to live with anger over this topic? There is anger there. It's evident in your posts.

The "God-giving sight of faith" is Charles Spurgeon's way of saying that we could never have come to Jesus without faith, and that faith was given to us by God Himself. Jesus said in John 6:44, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." So, even our own coming to Christ was possible because God gave us the faith to recognize our need for Jesus. But just accepting Jesus, and knowing about Him, isn't enough. That God given faith causes us to act on our faith, and not just being content with only knowing about Him. When Spurgeon says, "suffer no cobwebs to linger on the harpstrings," he's creating a picture of what he said about the difference between just knowing about Jesus and putting our faith into action. Here's the picture he described: Coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus, is like receiving a beautiful harp that is capable of playing the sweetest music that praises and glorifies God! But, if we don't put our faith into action, that harp can't play. It just sits there, with no music coming from it. Cobwebs only grow on things that are idle and not used. Spurgeon is encouraging us to not let cobwebs grow on the harp! When we put our faith into action, that's like using our fingers to strum on the harp and play the music that praises and glorifies God! Cobwebs can't grow on our faith and knowledge of Jesus if we're putting that faith and knowledge into action! Only if we're content with just knowing about Jesus and not doing anything about it. So, he used that picture to say this: Don't be content with just being saved and knowing about Jesus. Put your faith into action, and let God be glorified through it! James 2:14-20, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?"