Why all the Bible translations?

Have you ever wondered why there are so many modern translations of the Bible? The bottom line is quite possibly marketing and money. Here is an article that you should read:

How many versions of the Bible do we need?

One of the men quoted in this article actually says the Bible translation issue is drifting towards a Babel of translations. Wow! What a thought when the Bible says:

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Have you ever been in a Bible study and during discussion about three or four different people comment that 'their' version reads differently than the teachers? Confusion.

I know whom I have believed

Bible Reading: 2 Kings 10 & 11; 2 Timothy 1; Hosea 2; Psalm 119:97-120

2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

These powerful, inspired words were written from a prison cell. Paul was not ashamed even though he was locked up in jail. Most people who are locked up are there for doing something immoral. However, Paul was locked up for preaching the gospel. As he wrote to encourage Timothy and us, he was pointing out that he was just as determined as ever that the preaching of the cross was absolutely necessary and he was not moved.

He knew who he believed. He knew Jesus! He had a relationship with his Creator and Savior. Jesus said:

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Eternal life is knowing Jesus Christ. Do you know him? Paul was persuaded that Christ was able to keep what Paul had entrusted to him. What exactly had Paul put in Jesus’ trust? He had put his heart in Jesus’ trust. He had put his physical life in Jesus’ trust. He had put his eternal destiny in the trust of Jesus Christ. The day is coming when every man will stand before their Creator and answer for the life they lived on this earth. As Paul thought about that day, he was ready because he trusted Christ with his eternity.

This is a magnificent passage about the confidence a believer can have in Jesus. Paul was not afraid of losing his salvation. He trusted Jesus and he knew that his sins were taken away. He knew that when Jesus was ready for him to come home, he would take Paul. He had no fear of death because he knew it would be a glorious homecoming for him.

Do you have this kind of confidence as you think about eternity? You may not be as close to death as Paul was, but we never really know how close we are, do we? There is only one way to have confidence as we consider standing before God. We must trust completely in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross. Then we can have confidence that we are forgiven and as God raised Jesus from the dead, he will raise us from the dead too!

In Christ,

Rody

Pray for China

The 'church' that is not really the Church

I read an article by Pat Regan this morning that really made me think.

JESUS - Blind Faith and the Danger Of the Fundamentalist Mindset

By the way, if you actually click on the link above you will find that it is published in the UFO Digest. This article makes me think of two things.

1. The UFO idea offers an alternative. Instead of having faith in God's Word about the origin of life, you can have faith in an alien race that manipulated DNA and engineered humanity on earth. With this belief system comes supposed answers to many questions for skeptics. Men like Erich Von Daniken and Zechariah Sitchin (who passed away a few weeks ago) have presented a theory for the ancient monoliths, massive structures and paintings on earth that are clearly very old. They say that aliens once ruled this planet and engineered humans as a slave race. Their theories have literally spawned a religious following that is world-wide.

2. The syncretistic practices of Roman Catholicism and Greek Orthodoxy have come full circle. many people have realized that the Roman Catholic 'church' has simply borrowed ancient pagan practices and incorporated them into their system. For example the pagan spring equinox festival was and is celebrated all over the world. The Roman church created Easter to coincide with this. Christmas is also deeply rooted in paganism. It occurs just after the winter solstice and most of the traditions associated with it can be found in pagan rituals. Jesus was not born on December 25!

When unbelievers look at the 'church' that is not the Church they see these inconsistencies. Please show me in the Bible where we are instructed what day to celebrate Easter on? Please show me Jesus' instructions on how to celebrated his birth?

The world needs to see genuine disciples of Christ who are filled with the Spirit and are abiding in His Word. It does not believe religion. It needs the truth of the Bible and to see the love of genuine Christians.

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Are you a part of the 'church' that is not the Church? Get back to the Word of God and see what the true church really is!

Pray for Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia it is illegal to proselytize and conversion to any other religion other than Islam is punishable by death. It is against the law to bring Bibles into the kingdom.

A tourist carrying a Bible onto a Saudi airplane will have it confiscated at the check point and it will be shredded in the airport. If someone is caught carrying a quantity of Bibles inside the kingdom, they will be whipped and possibly executed.

As we pray for Saudi Arabia this week, please cry out to God for those few believers who live there to be strong in their faith and that the gospel might be proclaimed in Saudi Arabia.

Just stop and think

Stop & Think from Stop & Think on Vimeo.