I just started reading a book....

I just started reading a book entitled "The Post-American Presidency" by Pamela Geller with Robert Spencer. I haven't even gotten out of the Preface yet and I am already wanting to memorialize, if only for myself, some quotes from the book -- here.

The subject matter at this juncture has to do with Barack Obama's upbringing, and to wit, the fact that he simply just did not grow up in America. In his own words, he says, "I was a little Jakarta street kid."  When you hear how he grew up in the state of Hawaii, it would do well for you to remember that Hawaii has only become a state of the Union two years prior to his birth, and many there were not happy about it.

IMPACT!  (Yes, this is what I was reading when I felt the "IMPACT" of her words.)
Pamela Geller then says this: "You have to grow up in America to get America. Or you have to escape tyranny, oppression, and suppression and live the dream by emigrating to America. Obama is missing the DNA of the USA. It's just not in him--through no fault of his own."

Obama has read a very different book...."The Post-American World" by Fareen Zakaria was his choice while on the campaign trail in 2008.

"Obama is missing the DNA of the USA."

Today I just happened to be watching a DVD entitled "Sinbad: Where U Been?"

In the first 10 minutes of the show Sinbad began to talk about Obama.  He made some very funny remarks, and then he said this about his fellow "brotha's" reaction and response to Obama - when they first became aware of him, running for President of the United States of America.  Sinbad quipped, ",,,we was textin' each other -- who IS this brotha' - wait just a dang minute -- I never seen him before! Ha! Just you wait...next time he'll (meaning another possible black presidential nominee for President of the USA) be a brotha' from Cleveland,,,,then you'll see --- how it REALLY is!"

POINT!

Which Translation To Use?

I found a new website today that may be helpful to some - especially when dealing with and encountering our own questions regarding bible translations.  While I am beginning to stand more solidly than ever on using the King James Version (KJV) as my preferred version of choice, I understand the need for, and indeed that is WHY I turned to The Message in my own day, a help in understanding more easily the Word of God.

I would like to note at this time that I have just received my own copy of the Expositor's Study Bible produced by Brother Jimmy Swaggart. It is a KJV but many, many verses have commentaries/explanations written DIRECTLY beneath the verse.  Brother Swaggart has said specifically that he was led by the Spirit of God to produce this Study Bible in the fashion in which it is done.  I feel blessed to have discovered this wonderful tool, and am using it now in my own study.  Certainly I can say that the deeper I go into the Word of God, the deeper I want to go - further and further - to learn and understand what He is saying to us through His Word.

Here is the website I spoke of in the first paragraph:

http://www.hem-of-his-garment-bible-study.org/best-bible-translation.html

Not to be spammmmmmming -- but if you are interested in the Expositor's Study Bible -- here is the website for more information:

www.jsm.org


Be blessed :o) !!

Every time....

....every single time I took the time to post something that was deep on my conscience - to Facebook - it would arouse the ire of who knows who about who knows what and I would be accused of "attacking" the innocent, or being inflammatory. The following is a recent "Note" I recently posted. I deleted the post. But I have since decided to create a new blog, where I can vent and the choice to read it is the reader's. Here is the post I deleted from Facebook.

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I have a problem. This blog will be an attempt on my part to satisfy hopefully my obedience to the Holy Spirit to set my record straight. Here goes:

I have recommended the use of The Message, a "rendering" of the Bible, by Eugene H. Peterson. I have used it in my own reading and even used it in my Young Adults Sunday School class. I am feeling less and less inclined to do so any longer. Allow me to add some quotes others have written. Their comments ring true with my own thoughts as I have grown to know more recently what The Message really is and what it is not.

"The Message is NOT a [Bible] translation or a paraphrase, but a commentary." ~J.R. Miller

"This book should be recognized for what it is. It began as a stimulating paraphrase of the Epistle to the Galatians included in a popular devotional book, and it remains a piece of stimulating devotional literature. But it is not the Word of God. As Craig Blomberg of Denver Seminary has put it, 'it is freer even than a paraphrase. I think of it more as devotional literature than as a version of the Bible and wouldn't recommend it for any other role.' " ~Michael D. Marlowe

The above comments are indeed lightweight compared to others I have found.

More recently I became aware the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples, the prayer we refer to as the "Our Father" - has in it an extremely common phrase used in New Age philosophy and teaching. Let us review from Matthew 6:9-13

[KJV] After this manner therefore pray ye:

[Msg] With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

[KJV] Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

[Msg] Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are.

[KJV] Thy kingdom come . Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

[Msg] Set the world right; Do what's best - as above, so below.

[KJV] Give us this day our daily bread.

[Msg] Keep us alive with three square meals.

[KJV] And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

[Msg] Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.

[KJV] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

[Msg] Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! You can do anything you want! You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.

Aside from the fact that this Message "Our Father" is completely different from the original, did you notice the use of the phrase "As above, so below" ... ?

Let me quote again and this time from a website that distinctly lets us know the origins of that phrase:

"This phrase comes from the beginning of The Emerald Tablet and embraces the entire system of traditional and modern magic which was inscribed upon the tablet in cryptic wording by Hermes Trismegistus. The significance of this phrase is that it is believed to hold the key to all mysteries. All systems of magic are claimed to function by this formula. 'That which is above is the same as that which is below'...Macrocosmos is the same as microcosmos. The universe is the same as God, God is the same as man, man is the same as the cell, the cell is the same as the atom, the atom is the same as...and so on, ad infinitum.' "

What?????????? The old "God is in all and all is God" LIE????

By the way - the website from which that quote is taken was the 2nd hit on Google for the phrase, "as above, so below."

Now -- I personally heard a gentleman by the name of Warren Smith, who has written several books, including one entitled, "Deceived On Purpose," (and who, himself, was caught up in the New Age garbage for a number of years, and is now a strong Bible-believing Christian who writes WARNING to the church regarding deception in the church) say he had contacted Eugene H. Peterson regarding that particular phrase in The Message, letting him know its origins were right smack dab in the middle of New Age teaching. Mr. Peterson responded he had not been aware of such; however, Warren Smith indicated that contact had been made many years ago, and the phrase is STILL in every printing!

Another quote - from a forum:

"The following is from a newsletter I was emailed from Lighthouse Trails:

The Message "Bible" Omits "Lord Jesus"

The King James Bible refers to Jesus as "Lord Jesus" about 115 times. The New King James Bible uses this term about the same amount of times and the New American Standard about 100 times. How many times does Eugene Peterson's The Message use the phrase "Lord Jesus"? None! Not once. Never!

What The Message does refer to Jesus 77 times is the title "Master Jesus." This is a New Age term. Warren Smith discusses this in his book, Deceived on Purpose:The New Age Implications of The Purpose Driven Church. If you haven't read this book, we strongly encourage you to do so.

http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/themessage.htm "

All right, I've made to some degree, if you will, my case. I can provide more but this should suffice for the time. Honestly, I believe I have misled some of my students in my Young Adults Class, and for that error I want to apologize and, indeed, ask your forgiveness. I, personally, will only have a copy of The Message in my library as a tool to remind me of what The Bible, the living Word of God, does NOT say. Not to mention, the tool that it might be is the one at the bottom of my "stack of Bibles."

Another quote: "...liberal policies have influenced in The Message, the popular version championed by the center-left. Eugene Peterson's 10-million selling The Message Bible alters Scripture in the name of environmentalism.

The Message translates John 3:17, saying that Jesus "came to help, to put the world right again," instead of "that the world through Him might be saved" (referring to salvation of souls, as stated in the KJV).

Peterson doesn't stop there. He also adds "green" to Romans 15:13: "Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy …"

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=225429

What? Who in the world is this god of green hope? And what in the world IS "green hope" anyway?" Next I'll be "attacking" if I say anything about the latest entry into the Christian environmentalist market, the "Green Bible."

I do not believe Eugene H. Peterson did his work rendering (his words) the Bible into The Message Bible with malicious intent. I know it was an effort that took many years, a labor of love...but I wonder about the influences that may have governed his thinking that he took into account as he wrote.

I am still using the Message Bible to check my own self in this argument that I have attempted to present. The Romans 15:13 reference is a good example actually. When I read it again...besides the "God of green hope" reference - it goes on to reduce the POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST (KVJ) to "the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit." I attempted to bring this out to a couple of Christian brethren and the response I got was essentially, that these are terms that are more understandable .... uhhhh..... now-a-days. That is precisely the problem, as I view it - many of these "understandable terms" are "understandable" because they emanate from NEW AGE VERNACULAR in COMMON USE today. Is there ANYONE in the USA that does not know what one means when one uses the term "green." Here's the thing....drawing on new age buzz words throughout any document purporting itself to be a commentary on, a rendering of, a translation of, or "dynamic equivalent" of -- the Word of God is - on face - wrong - in my book. And one can only wonder, wonder, wonder, what influences governed the choosing of those particular words in attempting to capture the heart of the true message of Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. See Galatians 1:8

For further insights - please check out this website. I found it today when I googled the 'god of green hope.' http://www.seekgod.ca/msgdoctrine2.htm

I have entitled.....

....my blog Impact! because what I choose to write about will be those things that have made an Impact! on me, and my thinking.

I also desire to use 1 Corinthians 2:2 as my foundation - that is: "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified."

Galatians 1:8 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

Ephesians 5:11 "And hve no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

Anyone who says it is wrong to take a stand against error and/or deception in the church, let alone the world,,,,read the Book.