A Sermon for Bible Believers
- ¶ The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
- Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
- ¶ Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
- John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
- And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
- And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
- Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
- I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
- ¶ I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
- I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
- Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
- And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
- And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
- His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
- And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
- And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
- And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
- I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
- Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
- The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
There’s a lot of cool content here in Revelation that would take a very long time to research, study and teach. However, our sermon this time is going to focus on the proper preparation to discerning who are the Spirits of God first mentioned in verse 4 above. Spirits? You thought that there was only one Spirit of God?!! So did I, until I started looking at the matter closely.
Whenever you want to study the word of God, you must obey a number of rules or else you are going to fall into error.
First and foremost, you must be “born again” or regenerated, otherwise you are going to reject God’s truth as “foolishness.” Even if an unsaved man did accept God’s truth, he wouldn’t have the spiritual discernment to understand it. This is why the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation gets preeminence—it’s the first step to learning truth from God’s word and growing thereby in faith. Furthermore, you need to be in tune with the Spirit of God to receive its truth, which is impossible as a “natural man.”
Secondly, you learn by comparing “spiritual things with spiritual,” instead of relying on the so-called wisdom of sinful men, saved or unsaved, myself included. You compare oranges with oranges, not oranges with apples.
- But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
- For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
- Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
- Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
- But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Thirdly, and of equal importance, you must have “the word of truth,” not some perversion masquerading as God’s word, or some private commercially copyrighted interpretation of God’s word.
- ¶ Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
- Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
- But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
- ¶ We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
- Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
- For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The word of God that I’m referring to is the King James Bible (KJB) in the English language. When the king first published the Bible in 1611, everyone that wanted one had a copy and public monies that paid for it prevented a commercial copyright. This Bible was also a book of law and the court system used it as such. Because the courts required laws that didn’t change, the king put a Crown Copyright on it and identified it as the “Authorized Version” (AV) to distinguish it from the common Bible that the people had.
Copyrighted private interpretations and perversions today like to retain the “version” nomenclature in order to mitigate the KJB’s authority and to elevate their own credibility. Make no mistake—the King James Bible is the word of God and there is no equal or version. If you want to learn the truth of God’s word, you must have it to begin with.
Fourthly, as verse 15 above says, you must be “rightly dividing the word of truth.” There’s a right way of dividing and a wrong way. By comparing Scripture with Scripture, you will learn that the word of God has divisions in it called “dispensations.” This is important to know because every dispensation has different rules governing them. Later on, I will lay out these dispensations in full and the rules that govern them. I will touch it today and it will immediately clear up some of the confusion that abounds.
- Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
- Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Finally and not necessarily least, it is important not only to understand English, but also the rules that govern English usage. In particular, the subject matter today entails capitalization. English-speaking peoples from 200 years ago had a better grasp of English usage than modern people do today, which has become rather slipshod and a lot of important understanding has been lost as a result.
10 Rules of Capitalization
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Most of the things we capitalize in English are what we call proper nouns. They are the names of specific, unique things.
- If you are talking about one specific mountain (Mt. Fuji), state (Idaho) or street (Atlantic Ave.), use a capital letter for every word in the name.
- However, when you are talking about a common thing of which there are many - like a mountain, a state or a street - don’t use a capital letter for those words.
Capitals are not used for articles (a, an, the) or prepositions (of, on, for, in, to, with, etc.).
1. Names of people
This one may seem obvious, but there’s also a catch. Of course, you capitalize the first letters of a person’s first, middle and last names (John Quincy Adams), but you also capitalize suffixes (Jr., the Great, Princess of Power, etc.) and titles.
Titles can be as simple as Mr., Mrs. or Dr., but they also apply to situations wherein you address a person by his or her position as though it’s their first name. For example, when we talk about President Lincoln, we are using his role as though it were a part of his name. We don’t always capitalize the word president. Indeed, we could say, “During the Civil War, President Lincoln was the president of the United States.” [1]
As seen in the preceding excerpt, titles require capitalization. Titles are usually created by an office, such as the Office of President, or multiple offices such as Office of Congressman. Therefore, when we see the Spirit(s) of God versus spirit of God in the KJB, what should we be thinking?
As Webster’s points out, a “spirit” is also an attribute lent by a spirit, such as courage or wisdom.
- ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
- See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
- And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
- To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
- And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.
Indeed, God’s word specifically names such attributes as a “fruit of the Spirit.” With seven Spirits before the Lord, we can’t be sure yet as to which one.
- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
- Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Our ignorance had made our faith so simple, as we had credited everything to one Spirit of God, commonly called the “Holy Spirit.” However, as God opened our eyes and our knowledge grew in consequence of that, we began to see that the more we learned, the more we discovered what we don’t know. Adding to the mix is the fact that Satan has his spirits too.
- For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
We should already know that Satan operates entirely on deception and lies. The subject regarding the Spirit is a very deep subject, full of meat, with plenty of intrigue by our adversary. Any mere mortal who Satan has convinced that he is a Bible scholar on the subject, has a fool for a student. As such, without careful preparation of heart and procedure, the possibility of error is real.
- For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
- For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
- But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Just as there are many sons of God and only one Son of God, which office the Lord Jesus Christ occupies, the same is true about God’s spirits. Just as a son of God is not necessarily the Son of God, it is also true that a spirit of God is not necessarily a Spirit of God. It’s important to note these distinctions in order to discern the spiritual truth in God’s word. (See 1Corinthians 2:10-14 above.) If you don’t use a King James Bible or don’t believe that the KJB is the word of God, then the distinctions are already lost to you.
Failure to observe the many such distinctions in God’s word has led to many falsehoods and even false doctrines that have many preachers teaching that repentance and/or baptism is a necessary element of salvation, or that you can find God’s word in any version of the Bible. Finding a gold coin in a dunghill doesn’t make it a bank.
- But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
The answer to the question as to the identity of the seven Spirits range from “it’s impossible to be dogmatic” to “the answer is easily found in Isaiah 11:2. Let’s examine this for ourselves and determine what’s going on.
- ¶ And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
- And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
The first observation is that every spirit mentioned is a “spirit.” The second observation is that “the spirit of the LORD” is the subject of the verse, every spirit following is an attribute of the subject spirit. It is an act of ignorant desperation to convert each attribute to each one of the seven “Spirits of God.” If attributes are “Spirits of God,” there are plenty more attributes to be added to the count, nine of which are in Galatians 5 alone, quoted above. To reject Galatians 5 from this faulty reasoning would be tantamount to declaring Jesus devoid of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance”—all attributes or “fruit” of the Spirit.
In their rush to conform the word of God to their own worldly understanding, the uninformed have broken each attribute down into a “Spirit,” which is never mentioned, and then ignorantly but correctly creating one more out of “spirit of the Lord,” desperately trying to sum up to seven “Spirits.” None of these attributes being wrongly converted into “the seven Spirits of God” are the true identities of the seven Spirits.
Making two spirits out of one attribute (spirit) is a violation of English usage taught to every child in grade school. “The spirit of wisdom and understanding” is only one spirit. If the KJB had intended two spirits, it would have used the plural form of spirit, which it didn’t. The same case applies to “the spirit of counsel and might” and “the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD”—there are only three attributes or spirits here under the rules of English usage.
In conclusion, Isaiah 11:2 is not the proof text for identifying “the seven Spirits of God” and the methodology used to do so is a desperate attempt by sinful men to change God’s word. Later in this series, you will understand this better.
Oddly enough however, “the spirit of the LORD” is ONE of the seven “Spirits of God.” Isaiah 11:2 is prophecy regarding the life and ministry of Jesus, and the baptism of Jesus fulfills it in particular.
In Matthew 3:16, God’s word tells us that “the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him,” which matches up “the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him” from Isaiah 11:2. Therefore, “the spirit of the LORD” is the same as and is one of “the Spirit[s] of God.” Mark 1:10 and John 1:32 confirms this.
- ¶ Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
- But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
- And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
- And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
- And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
- ¶ And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
- And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
- And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
- And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
- And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
Furthermore, this “spirit of the LORD,” which is also one of the “Spirit[s] of God,” is identified as “the Holy Ghost” in Luke 3:22.
- ¶ Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
- And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
But if “the Holy Ghost” is “the spirit of the LORD” and is one of the seven “Spirit[s] of God,” then who is the “Spirit of the LORD” mentioned 26 times in the KJB? It is the Lord God Himself!
- Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
- God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
This particular Spirit of God has been the hardest to identify; the others are fairly straight-forward and they will be revealed in the next sermon. But the answer is not in Isaiah 11:2—not even close.
If there’s one thing I want you to get out of this discourse, it is that you must submit to the authority of God’s word without attempting to correct or to rewrite it. God reveals the truth to those who trust His word to be perfect and without error, and obeys and submits to it. The King James Bible (KJB) is the word of God in the English language.
- The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
If anyone reading this sermon is seeking the Lord and is trying to find the truth in a world filled with lies and deceit, I invite all of you to throw yourselves on the mercies of your Maker as multitudes before you, and become a Bible believer as one of God’s children and thus ensure your life for all eternity.
- ¶ And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
- Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
- The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
- I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
- 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.
- I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
No church, no priest, no good works, no amount of money or suffering, no Bible, no saint, no angel, nor any other thing in Heaven or Earth can save you outside of the Son of God Himself.
- Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
- ¶ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
If you know in your heart that you need to be born again and receive the Holy Ghost into your heart, and resist doing so, the day will come when you will not be able to do so because God will cause you to believe a lie, which will foreclose on your ability to believe the truth and be saved.
- And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
- Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
- And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
- And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
- That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Compared to eternity, all life on this earth is short. Make it count! Your future for all eternity is in your heart. Eventually, you will bow your knee to your Maker. You can do it the easy way, which is now, or you can do it the hard way, which is later when any hope of salvation is lost.
- Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
- I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Then let us know of your decision to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour and we will help you find others of like faith that you might have fellowship with and thus strengthen your faith through the teaching and preaching of God’s truth from His word, the King James Bible.
Interesting Facts about Christianity for Bible Believers
for Bible Believers
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY to The Holy Bible, aka The King James Bible, and Its Analysis (part 1)
to The Holy Bible,
aka The King James Bible,
and Its Analysis
(part 1)
As the King James Bible went to the press in 1611, Thomas Bilson wrote a dedication, and Miles Smith wrote an admonition to the reader. These two works in combination show the intention of the translators in their work, and explain various principles in their laboring of the word of God.
In time, with the rise of modernistic thinking, which rejects the superiority of the King James Bible, some have deliberately tried to use the translators’ words against themselves, or to use their ideas to try to counteract the argument that the King James Bible is not only superior but is inerrant. Some have even exhibited spite against the King James Bible and its supporters
It is rare to find the following Dedicatory in any of the King James Bibles on the market today. And for good reason—it is politically and religiously incorrect. Those who want to maintain power over their captives do so by covering up the truth, which involves destroying or corrupting the King James Bible.
- ¶ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
- And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
The evidence of God’s hand in the making of the King James Bible, and the judgment on Antichrist’s power was manifest in the thwarted Gunpowder Plot. On November 5, 1605, the Providence of God exposed a conspiracy of Roman Catholics to blow up the government of England. Not only was King James and the Parliament saved, but also the lives of those translators who were members of the House of Lords.
The master plan of the Jesuits was to put a new Catholic government into place in England, which would have ended the translation of the King James Bible. One of the translators, Lancelot Andrewes, said that this day was “ours,” that it was a day of God’s making, that what was done was the Lord’s doing, and that it was to be held in perpetual memory throughout all generations. It was something to remember even four hundred years later, that true Christianity was triumphing over everything that opposed it.
The translators of the King James Bible wrote this as an open letter to King James the First; language is eloquent throughout, as befitting a king.
According to the doctrine of “divine representation,” the king or chief magistrate was a representative of God upon the earth, set up by God, and responsible to Him.
- LET every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
- Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
- For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
- For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
- Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
- For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
- Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
- Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
- Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
- This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
A ruler, such as a king, is responsible to God. If he is evil, he is subject to perishing. Righteousness in the stead of wickedness always justifies its establishment. However, there was no reason for King James to be overthrown, because he was, in God’s eyes, a king who did good.
- When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.
- ¶ And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
- This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
- TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
- PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
The “prince” in “Prince James,” describes the state of being first, or principal, as the children of Heth also called Abraham a “prince.”
- ¶ And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,
- I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
- And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
- Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
- And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
The name “James” is the Greek form of “Jacob,” which appears in the New Testament as the name of the half-brother of Jesus, who led the Jerusalem Church, and of the apostle, the brother of John. King James was the first king of England by that name. Originally, he was king of Scotland, and ruled on the throne of England from 1603 to 1625, the year he died. His most famous attribute besides his Bible version was that he advocated the divine right of kings. It was not by man, but by God’s grace and providence that James was king of England.
- For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
It was providential that James was the king, and from this position, he curbed the excesses of Calvinism and kept England free from the rule and terror of Romanism.
Pope Leo the Tenth gave the title “Defender of the Faith” from Jude verse 3 to Henry the Eighth for his attack on Martin Luther, which King Henry’s parliament ratified in 1544. However, the “faith” which King James contended for was not Romanism, but Protestantism.
- Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
The translators were godly men, and their language here reflected the style of the Pauline Pastoral Epistles in their will for grace, mercy and peace.
- Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
- o Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
- To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
The translators also showed that the witness of the Holy Ghost was present, since no one could say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Spirit.
- Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Thus, the translators were true and genuine Christians, and that King James himself was also a Christian.
England at the time was in danger of falling back to Romanism.
- Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.
King James kept Britain from falling back to a state of Romanism. This was the mercy of God at work.
- Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Such a state led to great thanksgiving to God for His work.
- Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
- BEHOLD, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
- And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,
- We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.
The rule was the authority, the royal power and administration, while the reign was the period and time in which the rule worked out. King James both ruled and reigned.
The translators well understood not only the Bible, but also the times and seasons, that is, the signs around them. They knew that God was blessing England for a purpose, namely, for the propagation of the Bible throughout the world. These words foreshow that one day, the greatest blessing of all, the word of God, would be — by God’s grace and favour — put forth in its most purified form all over the world.
English translations of the Bible by John Wycliffe and his followers circulated widely in manuscript form, but Archbishop Arundel condemned them in 1407. Translating the Bible into English was still illegal when William Tyndale, classical and Hebrew scholar, wanted to make a new translation. In 1524, after failing to enlist episcopal support, Tyndale left England for Germany. He printed his New Testament at Worms in 1526, and copies were smuggled into England in large numbers, only to have them suppressed and burnt with only three surviving copies. A revised version appeared in 1534. Tyndale’s translation of the first five Old Testament books from the Hebrew appeared in 1530. Arrested in 1535 while translating the prophets in Antwerp, the Catholic Church tried Tyndale for heresy, and burned him at the stake in 1536. Miles Coverdale, a Cambridge graduate and priest, tried reforming the Church in the late 1520s, whereupon the Catholic Church forced him abroad. By 1534, he was making his own translation. He modified Tyndale’s New Testament, and collated translations of the Old Testament by Tyndale and others. Published in 1535, his was the first printing of the whole Bible in English. [3]
About Me and the Ministry
Soul-winning in a nearby village called Shape, I met this woman with her daughters Chidinma and Gift who has been a lifelong Catholic. Sincerely wanting to go to heaven, she saw for the first time in her life how the Bible explains salvation, whereupon she and her daughter accepted Christ as their Saviour that very day.
Here is one of our small prayer meetings where I try to edify the people through teaching. This day I was teaching on the spirit, which blessed many.
Hello, everyone! This is Moses Nyiku again and this is my second newsletter since I started laboring for the Lord here in Zida village, Nigeria, as a local missionary and I wanted to let you all know what’s been happening.
It is so good to see the Lord working here. Too many people are addicted to drinking and fornication as a way of life, that it destroys the industriousness of the community, which contributes greatly to the peoples’ poverty. When these people accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour, they become a positive influence on those around them, where other lost people want to improve their condition and ensure their eternal destiny as well.
The church has increased its numbers due to the soul-winning and teaching programs, and five young men committed themselves to Christ and followed Him into Believer’s Baptism, turning their lives around. Devoted men like Solomon have been very faithful as my soul-winning partner.
One of the biggest difficulties with missions in Nigeria has been the language barrier, even for native missionaries. Would you believe that there is something like 500 different tribes in Nigeria with over 250 ethnic groups, most with their own language? Even though English is the official language of Nigeria, it is at best a secondary language. Most of the people in rural areas don't speak English and then I need to find someone who can interpret or give out Gospel tracts with good pictures that explain the Salvation message.
Nevertheless, God has been greatly blessing our labors in the field and we are thankful to Him for His help! The school ministry has reached many children and their teachers, which goes on to reach their parents and friends. The Lord has been so good with the ministry! Praise God! Thank you, most of all, for your prayerful and financial support for our material needs, as the economy here is so meager that survival is barely possible!
Of a truth, we are all equal before God. He loves the poor as equally as He loves the wealthy, all regardless of color. God is no respecter of persons.
- ¶ Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Sadly, prejudice still exists and always will, but “Christians” who are accused of it will have to explain their actions before the Judgment Seat of Christ—if they really are Christians.
- For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
I invite all of you to be a part of this great ministry of bringing the Gospel to Africa’s lost. The vast majority of these people have never heard the Gospel. Without someone physically meeting them one-on-one, they will remain lost.
- ¶ For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
- For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
- How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
- And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
I am already here as a native and it is my desire to devote my time entirely to the Lord’s Ministry. It’s been my prayer that God’s people, who are able, would be willing to support this most worthy mission—the salvation of souls of Africa’s poorest people. Whether by donating directly or patronizing the ads, you will be supporting this ministry. May God bless all of you!
My soul-winning partner Solomon and I visited this woman, Loveth. She had left her father a long time ago and had been living a terrible life of drinking and fornication because she wanted to die so she could rest. When she learned that there’s no rest in hell-fire, she wanted salvation and she accepted Christ as her Saviour. Her life has totally turned around.
This is Jonah, who was in his house reading his language Bible when I met him. He told me that he wanted to understand it but he had no teacher. When he heard the gospel, he accepted Christ as his Saviour and immediately Matthew, a deacon in my home church, baptized him. Now he’s eagerly attending Bible classes.
This is the fruit of our school ministry. These teenagers were saved during our school ministry here in Zida. Their teacher, Solomon, is also my soul-winning partner! Thank God for his faithfulness.
Here’s Matthew, one of the deacons in my home church, conducting Joshua’s baptism here in Zida. Joshua has been faithful ever since he accepted Christ as his Saviour.
Those little kids: Love, Nehemiah, Felix, Fear God, Salama, Vera and Elizabeth have been such a blessing! Any lesson or memory verse that I teach during the school ministry, they take it home to their friends and parents. Many have come to know about our ministry here through these little kids.
This is Michael. He grew up in the Catholic church, but by chance, he attended one of our prayer meetings here in Zida where I was teaching on John 3:16. He accepted Christ as his Saviour and Matthew baptized him.
This is a group picture with the members of another village church, Salvation Baptist Church Chafu, where I come and teach on Saturdays. The wonderful people here are eager to learn God’s word and to keep it in their hearts.
This young man, Matthew, had been living a life of sin but ever since he accepted Christ as his Saviour, he has been faithful! His parents are very glad to see him living a better life in Christ Jesus!
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