march 21 King James or revised king James?

 
King James or revised King James?  If you read from the KJV of the Bible do you prefer the Original 1611 King James Version or the Revised King James Version of 1769? Some of us preachers prefer to preach from the KJV rather than a modern translation.  I would venture to say that we who preach from the KJV read from the Revised King James Version of 1769.  How do you determine the difference?  Actually it is quite easy.  Most of us know John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.      The Revised KJV of 1769 says “Son”. The Original KJV of 1611 spells son “sonne.”  There are about 24,000 text differences in the two translations. Eventually the need to correct and revise the KJV because of printer’s errors over the years and the changes in spelling and word usage became apparent. Consider 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.      Now let’s compare what the Original King James Version of 1611 says: 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Though I speake with the tongues of men & Angels, and haue not charity, I am become as sounding brasse or a tinkling cymbal. 2. And though I haue the gift of prophesie, and vnderstand all mysteries and all knowledge: and though I haue all faith, so that I could remooue mountaines, and haue no charitie, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestowe all my goods to feede the poore, and though I giue my body to bee burned, and haue not charitie, it profiteth me nothing.      If you think the KJV we read today is hard to understand please notice it is easier than the original 16ll translation. To me the important thing is to get the Word of God into our minds and our hearts.  A “I am Holier Than Thou,  I am closer to God because I use the 1611 KJV”  attitude shows not only an innocent ignorant error but also a lack of charity making you sound like sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Whichever translation you use study it.  2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

 
My car wouldn’t start.  That sinking feeling in my heart.  Disappointment.  Thinking, “Oh no Lord. Here we go again.”  At least I was at home in my driveway.  In years past I have had to call a tow truck or pull disabled vehicles home.  It turns out a battery terminal needed tightening.  That was a simple fix.  The previous week we had gone out of town to see a friend who had a stroke but had to turn around and come home because the air conditioner fan kept slowing down and speeding up.  A check of the alternator showed it was bad.  I scheduled a time to leave the car at a shop to have it repaired.  The night before the appointment my friend asked me “Didn’t you have to jump start your car since your trip?”  I explained that the battery terminal was loose.  He suggested that maybe the loose terminal caused the alternator problem.  The ac was working fine now.  I had the alternator checked and sure enough it tested to be okay. I cancelled the scheduled repair and saved several hundred dollars.  I am glad my friend asked me his question.   Proverbs 11:14 (KJV)  Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.       It is good to have friends we can share with.  Don’t live in a lonely world.  You need others and others need you.  Proverbs 27:17 (KJV)  Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.      Communicate.  Listen.  Bounce things back and forth.  Draw wisdom from others.  Some people use the phrase, “Let me pick your brain.”  I picture someone with an ice pick probing my brain.  Not a pretty picture.  I like the way the Bible puts it better. Proverbs 20:5 (KJV) Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.      Draw out wisdom from others.  Do not listen to answer, listen to listen.  I can learn something from every person.  So can you.  Now if you really want good advice go to the book of books.  The Bible.  Proverbs 1:1-5 (KJV)  1  The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 2  To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3  To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4  To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 5  A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:      Jesus who created everything and is wisdom unlimited gave us the Bible.  Read it daily.  Meditate on it.  Let it sink into your brain and heart. Attend church where it is explained.  Jesus will be your greatest counselor if you will let Him.  Communicate with others.  Communicate with God.  Enjoy the adventure. 

 
Nearly 450,000 Americans died.  Between 1999 and 2018 nearly 450,000 Americans died with their death being blamed on the opioid epidemic. An additional 106,000 in America died from drug involved overdose in 2021. I wonder how many more people have died from drug overdose?  Only God knows.  Opioids are involved in the majority of these deaths.  Fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine are the main killers.  Why do people abuse their bodies with drugs?  1. Us humans have an inborn desire to be rebellious and independent.  The desire to selfishly disobey laws comes natural to us. Romans 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14  Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15  Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16  Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17  And the way of peace have they not known: 18  There is no fear of God before their eyes.       In this passage Paul quotes many Old Testament passages.  For deeper understanding read the following verses Paul quotes for an interesting personal Bible study. Psalm 14:1-3.  Psalm 53:1-3.  Ecc 7:20.  Psalm 5:9.  Psalm 140:3.  Psalm 10:7.  Isaiah 59:7-8.  Psalm 36:1.  We have a natural desire to be disobedient.  Then reason number 2 people use drugs is many people enjoy the benefits of drugs.  This includes alcohol.  The buzz they get.  The feeling of relaxation.  The temporary escape from their problems.  The social acceptability.  A temporary hiding place from the harshness of life. If you do an internet search on “ Drug-related Deaths - Notable Celebrities,”  it should break your heart to see the people who seem to be rich and famous and have the best money can buy and die still seeking the meaning of life. Witchcraft is included in the list of the works of the flesh in  Galatians 5:20  … witchcraft.  The  Greek word is “pharmakeia” which means medication (“pharmacy”) magic, sorcery. The prevalence of demonic influence in drugs and witchcraft is a sign of the times we live in. People are searching for truth.  Jesus is the truth. John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.       If you desire truth, desire Jesus.  He is drawing you to Him.  If you will draw close to Him, you can find eternal life.  John 12:32  And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.      Will you seek Him with all your heart?  When you find Him, you find that which you are looking for. 

 Poverty Point.  Long before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620 and long before Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492,  native Americans were building a monument bigger than stone hedge in the lower Mississippi valley.  The location is Pioneer, Louisiana. Also known as Poverty Point, Louisiana.  Some estimates date their civilization back to 9000 B.C.  Remains of 8 mounds can be seen today.  The largest is Mound A.  It is 72 feet high and the base is 705 x 660 feet.  It is estimated it took nearly 2 million cubic yards of soil moved by basket because carts with wheels had not been invented yet. Poverty Point.  Phillip Guier purchased the land to farm on and by 1851 had named it Poverty Point. Also known as Hard Times Plantation. It possibly was named for a place near his old home in Kentucky.  Perhaps the farm was not productive and caused him to go into poverty. No one knows for sure.  The name Poverty Point caught my attention.  I would like to take a moment and consider poverty (the state of being extremely poor) and the Bible.  Our Creator expects us to work for our living.  Because of Adam’s transgression he, and we, have to sweat (work) to make a living. Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.      Lazy people need to find themselves in poverty. Proverbs 6:9-11 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10  Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11  So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.      Fold the hands and sleep, expect poverty.  Proverbs 23:21  For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.      Jesus says of the church at Smyrna Revelation 2:9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich)       They were poor financially but rich in Godliness. Are you rich in Spiritual things? The New Testament solution for laziness is hunger. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 …if any would not work, neither should he eat. J     esus who had everything became nothing so He can save us. 2 Corinthians 8:9  For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.      Jesus went from the riches in Glory to poverty to die for our sins.  Praise God He arose.  He will raise you up from your slumber if you will turn to Him.  Are you at the point of poverty spiritually so that you are willing to turn to Jesus and ask Him to save you?  He will if you will.   

 She could say, “I slept with the king.”  She was beautiful.  She was probably fourteen or fifteen years old.  Israel had a beauty contest.  She was selected and given the assignment to lay beside King David as he was dying.  1 Kings 1:1 Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. 2 Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.       This beauty queen was named Abishag.  Let’s consider for a moment how she may have felt.  Here is a seventy year old senior citizen dying in his bed.  She probably had never been introduced to him in person.  Now she is to take care of him and lie next to him to keep him warm as the cold hand of death shuts down his body.  On the surface I would think this would be a repulsive assignment.  Sometimes the things life demands of us is not very pleasant.  She had no choice.  She did as she was commanded.  The record states that David did not have sex with her.  If he had been strong enough and he desired her she would have had no choice but to do as he commanded.  She had been made part of his harem.  Instead of being repulsed perhaps she was honored to be assigned this task.  King David was loved by his people and her loving care would be appreciated by the nation.  Most if not all marriages back then were arranged.  By the way, did you know that today more marriages in the world are arranged rather than the good old American way of meeting, dating, falling in love and getting married?  These majority modern day arranged marriages statistically have less divorce than our un-arranged marriages.  I wonder?   No, we prefer the modern way even if it is more painful with divorce over fifty percent of the time.  It is so important that we ask our Lord to lead us to our future mate.  Marriage is difficult enough without Jesus being Lord.  Your marriage can be much better too if you both will trust the Lord. But back to Abishag. She was obedient to her king.  She gave him her all.  Us Christians are redeemed by King Jesus.  Our hearts desire should be to live for Him.  Life may not be very pleasant sometimes as we serve Him.  After all we like to get revenge on those who wrong us, and we like to have an unforgiving spirit. It is not normal the things Jesus expects of us. Turn the other cheek.  I could go on and on.  Jesus knows best.  May we follow the example of this young beauty queen and say, “Not my will but thy will be done.” 

 She sleeps over the washer.  We have a cat named “Teacher.”  We recently got a kitten who still has no name as I write this.  The kitten loves Teacher and constantly grabs her tail, jumps on her neck and in general loves to kick and bite her playfully.  Teacher gets tired of the pest and frequently you can hear him squeal in pain as she fights him off.  But he keeps coming back for more.  Now Teacher sleeps on a shelf above the washing machine. It dawned on me recently she sleeps up there because “Pest” cannot climb up there.  Yet.  Hopefully by time the kitten learns how to get up there he will have matured enough so as to not be a pest.  This reminds me of our adversary,  Satan.  He loves to pester us.  Worse than a pesky fly that rascal continues to attack us as faithfully as the waves roll in at  at Galveston.  Endlessly.  Jesus experienced Satan’s temptations more than you or I ever will.  Luke 4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.       The word “departed” can be translated “to step aside.”  Not to go off and leave.  But to stand aside and let the person travel on yet still have the pest follow him.  Waiting for a more convenient time to tempt again after a season.  How do we stop the pest?  Teacher climbs higher than her pest.  Can you and I climb higher than our adversary?  In a spiritual sense, yes.  The closer we walk with Jesus the less influence Satan has on us.  Stay close to the Shepherd and His protection is stronger.  We waver between faithful and indifferent.  Can we stay on fire for Jesus?  Yes.  Can we walk closer to Him each day?  Yes.  We chose how close to our Shepherd we want to stay.  I don’t like getting pounced on by the devil, so I try to live close to Jesus. James 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.      This is a New Testament promise.  Surrender your will to the Lords’ will and Jesus will give you the power to resist the temptations and Satan will flee from you.  You can take that to the bank.  1 Peter 5:8   Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:       The sheep who strays from his shepherd becomes fair game for the roaring lion.  Jesus comes after us.  Thank God.  He doesn’t want to see Satan pester us and cause anguish and heartbreak.  Read your Bible daily.  Pray.  Attend a Bible preaching church.  Let Jesus guide your steps.  Then you can rest in His arms, high above the pest below.  Psalm 61:2  From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 

 Talking to myself.  Our company truck had a Qualcomm computer in it.  Satellite service allowed me to communicate with my boss and other cable TV technicians.  Our company home office and satellite monitoring office was in Tyler, Texas.  I could send and receive messages wherever I was. I told my boss I would be working in Brookeland, Texas the next day.  He said he may head that way for lunch.  Not to be surprised if he showed up.  The next day I completed the work in that area and was ready to go back towards Beaumont, Texas.  I sent him a message on our satellite service.  “Are you in Brookeland?”  The response: “Are you in Brookeland?”   I thought “Just a yes or no answer would be great.”  But I tried to be nice. Typed I, “I am in Brookeland.”  The response, “I am in Brookeland.”  I am thinking, “Don’t play games.  Just tell me where you are, and we can get lunch.”  So, I sent to him this message, “Where in Brookeland are you?”  The answer, “Where in Brookeland are you?”  I was fit to be tied. I started to send him my location and then it dawned on me.  Instead of putting his truck number in the computer I was putting my own truck number in the computer.  So, the message went from my truck to the satellite and then back to my truck.  With the office in Tyler monitoring the messages. I was talking to myself.  How embarrassing.  About that time the office in Tyler sent the following message. “Yes Tom, we know you are in Brookeland.” Silence.  Not another word.  No need to explain. Just let it go.  Lesson learned.  I wonder how many people pray to God, but their prayer isn’t communicated to Him?  Not that He doesn’t hear what they think or say.  But their prayer has no power because He doesn’t live in their heart.  The first prayer God is obligated to hear, and heed is: Luke 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.     God hears the thoughts and words of the lost person, and God may intervene in their prayer requests, however He is under no obligation to put power to their prayer until they turn to Him in repentance from their sins.  Then the connection is made.  When we repent and ask Jesus to save us His Holy Spirit comes to live within us.  The Spirit takes our feeble prayers and utters them to God in a language unintelligible to us. Romans 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.      As a child of God your prayers have power.  As an outsider you are talking to yourself?  Are you saved? 

 That’s not my voice.  As a youngster I received a battery-operated reel to reel tape recorder. This was before cassette tapes were invented. We had fun recording and playing back that which we had said.  Well, most of us had fun.  One of my aunts denied it was her voice played back.  She insisted the voice she heard from the tape was not her voice.  Even though we all assured her it was her voice. And actually, she was right.  And she was wrong.  You see you hear your voice through the air and through the bones in your skull.  When you eat chips, they are louder to you than to those around you because not only do your ears hear the sound from the air, but they also hear the sound through bone conduction.  When you are tested for hearing loss headphones play tones from different frequencies. Then the tester removes the headphones and places a bone conduction device on the bone behind your ear.  Your inner ear hears tones again. If the hearing is normal under bone conduction and at a loss under air conduction the person may benefit from surgery on the bones in his ears or on his eardrum. We hear our voice through air conduction and bone conduction.  Others hear our voice only through air conduction. Hence our voice does sound different to us when we hear it played back.  Over time our mind compensates for the difference and most of us don’t pay any attention to it.  So, my aunt was right.  And she was wrong.  How does this apply in the spiritual realm?  We all have a built-in desire to know God even though we may not be aware of it.  God normally speaks through a still small voice.  1 Kings 19:12  “And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”    God is speaking to you if you will listen.  He especially speaks through His Word, the Bible.  Read your Bible. Attend a church where the Bible is taught as the Word of God, and you can hear His still small voice.  Plus, your words and actions are being recorded.  Luke 8:17  “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.”       On your judgment day you cannot say “that is not my voice.” or “Those are not my actions.”  All will be replayed and how ashamed we will be.  However, if you repent and put your faith in Jesus the sins on that tape are erased.  Isaiah 1:18  “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”      Jesus will wash away your sins and blank that part of the tape if you will repent and ask Him to. 

 The flat tire.  “Psalm 30:1  I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.”  David says Lord, because you have lifted me up and delivered me from  my foes, I will lift you up.  Extol means to be high.  Raise up.  Movement in an upward direction.  May I suggest when you count your many blessings and remember how wonderful God has been to you and when you lift Him up on high you lift yourself up at the same time.  Cause and effect.  He is wonderful to us.  We praise Him.  Praising Him lifts us up even more. The more we praise Him the more we are lifted up.  Consider a tire low on air.  We pump air into it and it rises up.  The more we pump the more the tire inflates. Satan wants to make your life like a low tire.  He doesn’t want you to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  He wants to get you down in the dumps and stay there.  Your car is not dependable with a low tire.  You are not as productive when you are overwhelmed with your problems.  Driving with a low tire wears out the tire and eventually it will fall apart.  You living your life in depression and regret and fear wears out your life.  When you consider how Jesus has blessed you and brought you up through many trials, pains, sickness, loneliness, heart breaks, depression, fears, and distress you can’t help but turn to Him in praise.  And the more you praise Him the more you fill your cup spiritually.  You don’t have to go around with a flat tire.  Or with an empty cup.  “Ephesians 5:18 (KJV) And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”   This commandment to Christians is to be filled with the Spirit.  You can turn to booze and drugs and gambling and other pleasures of the world which seem to help for a moment but after a while you realize your problems are still there and you have just thrown away good money.  That leads to more depression.  That can lead to more booze to drown out your problems and cause more sorrow.  This can be a downward spiral that ends in the grave.  On the other hand, if you will count your blessings and give praise to the Lord, He will lift you up and give you joy.  You are baptized with the Holy Spirit when you ask Jesus to save you.  He comes in to live in your heart.  What a wonderful joy.  However, after time sin throws water on the flame.  You can never put out the flame however you can quench the spirit and lose your joy.  You can restore that flame and your joy will return and grow as you repent, confess your sins, read your Bible, attend church, and do the things He has equipped you to do.