Is the NKJV a counterfeit translation? Listen Below

The audio below is a podcast response to an article written by Terry Watkins on the NKJV. The article begins by first defining the word 'counterfeit' and then the author draws attention to Satan's deceptive tactics and desires for his reader to see a connection between the two.

Counterfeit: to imitate or copy closely especially with intent to deceive.

 The greatest method of deception is to counterfeit. And the master of counterfeit and deception is Satan. The Bible in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 warns of Satan's counterfeit: "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness;. . ." Isaiah 14: 14 tells of Satan's ultimate counterfeit: ". . . I will BE LIKE the most High." And among his greatest counterfeit's is the New King James Bible (NKJV). Christians that would never touch a New International Version (NIV), New American Standard (NASV), Revised Standard (RSV), the New Revised Standard (NRSV) or other per-versions are being "seduced" by the subtle NKJV. And though the New King James does indeed bear a "likeness" to the 1611 King James Bible, as you'll soon see, there's something else coiled (see Genesis 3:1) "underneath the cover" of the NKJV....more can be found at http://www.av1611.org/nkjv.html.

How Do We Reconcile “Watch and Pray” with “Ye Will Deny Me Thrice”?

Mark 14:38 “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.”

These are the words that Jesus spoke to Peter, James, and John in the Garden of the Oil Press (Gethsemane) just hours before He would be betrayed by Judas and arrested by the Temple guards. Jesus had previously told Peter he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed but two times. But Peter vehemently denied that he would do such a thing, but the Lord Jesus assured Peter that it would in fact happen. Imagine that. So much for Peter’s chances of not denying His Lord. God told him it was going to happen, and it did.

So what are we to make of these situations in which it appears man has no free will?

Do we embrace a fatalistic approach to life? Que Sera, Sera: what will be, will be? Does the Bible teach this kind of fatalism? The answer is wholeheartedly no; and again I say, “no!” Notice verse Mark 14.38 again. Jesus told Peter to watch and pray. If everything is done, planned, laid out, then one might legitimately ask, “Why watch? Why Pray? What is the point?“ Yet, prayer is never presented as pointless. In fact, the Bible repeatedly presents example where it seems to suggest the very course of a particular situation is altered because of a particular human being interceding on behalf of a people or cause. And this is not presented as rare in the Bible. Praying works in the Bible. Prayer makes a difference. We are commanded to pray, taught how to pray, and encouraged to pray with persistence, faith, and the knowledge that God is hearing and answering our prayers.

One might rightfully ask: Why did Jesus tell Peter to watch and pray that he enter not into temptation if the entire situation was a “done” deal?

Watch and pray are human actions; but, more than actions, they are the responsibility of the believer. This is part of God’s plan. These two words combine to communicate our human responsibility. We are not mere pawns, knights, and bishops on a massive chess board where God and Satan are the two players. Instead, the Bible presents us as “pawns” with eyes that can watch and a mouth that can communicate to our Lord. We are charged to do what we can do. We are not standing by idly waiting till we will be moved again. We are not to embrace fatalism. Watch represents all the various words in the Bible that speak to our human responsibility. Repent, believe, turn, confess, choose, do and do not are just a few of the many words in the Bible that communicate our free will. We can repent or choose not to repent. One can believe or not believe. We can choose to serve the Lord or not choose to serve the Lord. Yet these words in most cases are presented in the imperative sense. Everyone is commanded to repent and believe the Gospel. There are specific consequences for our failure to do what we are told to do. Watch didn’t mean merely to “stay awake” in this situation. Watch was a command to be vigilant, to be on guard. Peter was to do all he could to not sin. He was to pray to God for strength, grace, and the willpower or the fortitude to overcome the temptation to sin. Notice, after being told he would deny the Lord, he was told to watch and pray lest he enter temptation. Could he have NOT denied the Lord three times before the rooster crowed twice? That is a very difficult question to answer.

In this very same passage, Jesus asks the Lord of Hosts, His heavenly Father, to take the cup of away.

Mark 14:36 “And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”

Jesus says, “All things are possible unto thee: take away this cup from me.” My gut reaction to that statement is this: How in the world could it be possible for the Father to take away the “cup” of death by crucifixion from His Son at this point? Yet Jesus said it. Jesus said, “All things are possible for you God: take away this cup from me.” One can play games with what Jesus meant by “this cup,” or we can recognize an unbelievably difficult to grasp latitude in the will of God that is beyond our wildest comprehension.
I don’t understand how the Sovereign God who declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46.10) also commands me to do and not do things that seem to suggest I have a wide range of free will. But He does. And I know that each and every day I make choices and decisions. So do you. There is a tension between God’s Sovereignty and man’s free will that is NOT going to be reconciled with words on a blog posting. Instead, the believer and follower of the God of the Bible must embrace two truths that seem as contradictory as two truths possibly could be.

Number one: God is in charge, and He has declared the end from the beginning.  Number two: man is a pawn on a chess board, but with eyes that can watch; a mind and a heart that can trust and obey; and a mouth that can pray words which do influence the outcome of the game.

And, perhaps, truth number three: no one can fully explain how that can be.

Watch the sermon that prompted this posting:

Merry Christmas! The Hypostatic Union.

As we join the world in the celebration of this holiday that falls on December 25th we must remember the words of our Lord, who told His Disciples that they were in the world but not of the world (John 17:11-16). “In but not of” is of the utmost importance always, but especially during the Christmas season. While the world conjures the image of an old man dressed in red, we must focus on the glorious truth of the incarnation. Webster defines incarnate as “invested with bodily and especially human nature and form.”  The word incarnate describes what happened when Jesus of Nazareth, God the Son, took on flesh and was born of a woman.  Thus Matthew says, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us (1.23).Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth: the moment when God Incarnate came to dwell among us.  Furthermore, Christmas is the celebration of the hypostatic union of a divine nature and a human nature into one: the Second Person of the Triune Godhead. We use the word hypostatic to speak of the substance or essential nature of an individual, and in this season, it is embodied perfectly in Jesus Christ. Thus, we say that Christ is completely God and completely man; He is still that even today and will never cease to be so (Acts 1.11). Moreover, we say that this hypostatic union was necessary for Christ to be the propitiatory, atoning, and sinless human sacrifice for “not only our sins but the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2.2). God cannot die, and yet, Christ died. This is only possible through the doctrine of the hypostatic union of the God-Man. No other known religion on the planet has anything this special in its core doctrine.

Christmas then becomes yet another opportunity on the calendar to celebrate the Gospel. God is a Spirit, and a Spirit cannot die, so God became a Man, so that God could die for all mankind (1 Peter 3:18). Regardless of the reason the early church led Christians to begin celebrating the birth of Christ during the Winter Solstice, and regardless of what date Christ was actually born, this holiday can be redeemed.  Focus not on the one of whom the legend says “knows whether you have been naughty or nice,” but instead focus on the One who not only knows whether you have been naughty or nice, but demonstrated His great love for you in that while you were naughty: He died for you.  In fact, not only have you been naughty, but you are naughty. You were born naughty, and outside of a work of grace, you will remain naughty all the days of your life. While this naughtiness does not keep you from receiving Christmas gifts, it most certainly keeps you from dwelling with God in eternity. For God is just, and He can’t turn a blind eye to your naughtiness like the man in red does, nor would it even be possible for you to be nice enough to earn salvation.  Don’t confuse your children with a mythical being who seems to possess god-like attributes. Instead, focus on the God-Man, Jesus Christ, and ensure your children understand why the Christian church celebrates Christmas. Every gift we receive and every gift we give should remind us of the unmerited gift of eternal life that we have received by grace through faith.

Finally, we must remember that the baby Jesus isn’t a baby anymore. 2000 years ago he was a babe wrapped in swaddling clothing, but the next time the world sees Christ He will be wrapped in a robe dipped in blood and on this garment and on his thigh will not be the name “baby Jesus.” On the contrary, the name written will be, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Don’t confuse your children with an inaccurate portrayal of the baby Jesus. Instead, remind them that the baby Jesus grew up, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, rose from the grave three days later, and He is now seated on the right hand of God the Father waiting to return to this earth and establish His Kingdom.

Merry Christmas takes on a whole new meaning with the right theological perspective.

Pastor Sean

Classic Premillennialism with a Focus on Israel

This chart attempts to graphically illustrate the classic or historical premillennial view with specific attempt to reconcile the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25, Mark 13) and the book of Revelation especially chapters 19-21. The "T" represents Daniel's 70th Week which includes Jacob's (Israel's) Trouble. The "R" represents the gathering of God's elect who are alive when Christ returns before the Battle of Armageddon (1 Thessalonians 4.17). Although the chart does not illustrate it well the fullness of the Gentiles does not end before Jacob's Trouble but instead includes it (Luke 21.24). The Marriage Supper of the Lamb occurs after Satan is bound and is the inauguration celebration of the Kingdom of God on this earth (Matthew 22). The chart assumes an ongoing judgement in heaven of those who die which is an inference from Hebrews 9.27.

This sermon explains this chart and much more.