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The Authorized Version, commonly known as the King James Version, the King James Bible or simply the KJV, is an English translation by the Church of England of the Christian Bible begun in 1604 and completed in 1611.[3] First printed by the King's Printer, Robert Barker,[4][5] this was the third such official translation into English; the first having been the Great Bible commissioned by the Church of England in the reign of King Henry VIII, and the second having been the Bishop's Bible of 1568.[6] In January 1604, King James I of England convened the Hampton Court Conference where a new English version was conceived in response to the perceived problems of the earlier translations as detected by the Puritans,[7] a faction within the Church of England.[8] James gave the translators instructions intended to guarantee that the new version would conform to the ecclesiology and reflect the episcopal structure of the Church of England and its beliefs about an ordained clergy.[9] The translation was by 47 scholars, all of whom were members of the Church of England.[10] In common with most other translations of the period, the New Testament was translated fromGreek, the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew text, while the Apocrypha were translated from the Greek and Latin. In the Book of Common Prayer (1662), the text of the Authorized Version replaced the text of the Great Bible – for Epistle and Gospel readings – and as such was authorized by Act of Parliament.[11] By the first half of the 18th century, the Authorized Version was effectively unchallenged as the English translation used in Anglican and other Protestant churches. Over the course of the 18th century, the Authorized Version supplanted the Latin Vulgate as the standard version of scripture for English speaking scholars.

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/tournaments/upcoming-multi-tier-christian-tourney This idea is simple - we are discussing creating a massive tournament that will be invite-only, and it will extend to different Christian groups. This will be an open tournament, so rating is no issue. It revolves around a simple concept: Friendship and fellowship, over a game we all love - CHESS! Please post in the link provided if you have interest in joining such a tournament, and when it is set up, we will send you an invite!

Shalom aleichem, (Peace be upon you) Chazak u'varuch, (Be strong and blessed) L'shanah tovah, (Have a good year) Labriut, (May you have good health) Shalom. (Good-bye in peace) I put together the above blessing in Hebrew/Yiddish for you and your family. The translation is mostly accurate, but pardon me if some of it is a little off. I hope that God has been near to you through all of this week's ups and downs. Remember, God is FIRST! Our relationship with Him should be our priority. So, I am going to write some of my notes from my study through James. Here are my thoughts on James 2:13-25, 3 and 4. I suggest that you read the chapters so that you can see the context of my notes. Feel free to let me know what your thoughts are when you read it. :) Some of the writing will be based on Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary. Just assenting to the gospel without works is not faith. There is no way to show that we really believe in Jesus unless we show it in our actions and words. Not only must their be assent, but there must be a consent to take Christ. Faith is the root. Good works are the fruit. We must see to it that we have both. An unruly tongue is a great evil. When my tongue is employed in sinful ways, it is set on fire by Hell. No one can tame the tongue without Divine help. Even then, it is still difficult for us because the tongue is so often used and so little thought of. It often happens that as physical strength weakens and people get older, their words often becomes more tart and passionate. True religion will not say contradictions. I need to aim to be consistent in my words and actions. Edifying language comes from a sanctified heart. That is why we expect a Christian to not curse or lie. What comes out of your mouth was already in your heart. Christ only had to suffer once, meanwhile, we die day by day to put on Christ. What does it mean when it says, “By whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison.”? Read the context. Anti-type definition- a person or thing that represents the opposite of someone or something else. Baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God. Everything has been made subject to Him. May the purity, peace, gentleness, teachableness and mercy shown in all our actions and the fruits of righteousness abounding in our lives, prove that God has bestowed upon us this excellent gift. Matthew Henry Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam... Translation: "Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe..."

Interested and qualified Crusaders are invited to join the White Knights of the King's Indian Attack and the Black Defenders of Pirc Castle

http://west.jamtour.com/shows/sacramento-ca

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyaNZT0MHSA by Royal Tailor

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He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. Psalm 101:7 Proverbs 14:5 A faithful witness does not lie, But a false witness will utter lies. A true witness delivers souls, But a deceitful witness speaks lies. Proverbs 14:25 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, Colossians 3:9 Greek word lie means- to deceive one by a lie, to speak deliberate falsehoods Truth in Greek means to say all of a fact, deceitful and denying something Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF LIERS- In Genesis, Satan lied to Eve who was deceived and believed him. He is the father of lies. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Cor 11:3 B. Cain C. Abraham-Egyptians said she is my sister. God caused plagues.D. Isaac- king of the philistines said she is my sisterE. Jacob- venison and blessing, skin on arms What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.” F. Laban G. Hebrew midwives – hebrew different than egyptian women, give birth before midwives come. God gave them familyH. Rahab I. Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5:3,4 - "Satan filled your heart to lie to Holy Spirit Ten commandments-You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.Ex 20:16 GOD CANNOT LIE- Numb. 23:19 - "God is not a man, that he should lie"Heb. 6:18 - "it is impossible for God to lie" ANSWER IN COMPLETE TRUTH Matt. 5:37 - "let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No' be 'No'"Eph. 4:15 - "speak the truth in love" WE ARE NOT BEING A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A CHRIST-ian IF WE LIE BECAUSE IT'S AGAINST GOD'S CHARACTER AND ABILITY I Jn. 1:6 - "If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in darkness, we lie, and do not practice the truth"I Jn. 4:20 - "If says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar" Some practical questions and considerations A. Are some personalities more prone to lying than other personalities? B. Do exaggeration, embellishment, inflation of figures qualify as lying? C. Are there degrees of lying? ex. "little white lies" E. Does the end ever justify the means of lying? F. Is there such a thing as a "loving lie"? G. Does the omission of information qualify as a lie? H. Does the phrase, "speak the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15), create a possible contrasting statement? Should u be tactful or tell the truth? Can u do both? How bout when exhorting or rebuking a sin in someone else's life?

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As in water face reflects face, so a man's heart reveals the man. A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself. Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend. Let another man praise you and not your own mouth. Excerpts from Proverbs 27 Hi, When I wrote this, I was on the road to Oceanside to pick up my brother. I had just passed Fresno. There were a lot of desert colored mountains on my left with fields near the highway and on the right there were fields and orchards covered with a layer of fog. So, how are you today? I hope you are delighting in the Lord and working diligently for Him each day by His grace. I was reading Proverbs 27 this morning and I just thought I would share some of the verses that stood out to me. I think it is interesting how in the portion above it talks about the heart, the mouth, the eyes, wisdom, faithfulness, submission and humility among others. That covers a pretty wide range in just a few verses. When we meditate even on just a few verses, we can get a lot out of it that applies to life. Let's talk a little about reputation. To start out with, it basically is what people think of you after you die. What do you think people will say about you? What do they say about you now behind your back? Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches...” Most of the time you won't know what people really think of you, but once in a while you'll overhear someone talking about you and it will either encourage you or disappoint you. If it disappoints you, don't leave it there. Do something about it. We all have to learn a lot in life and have to grow in character and following God's ways closer, so let's make this the time to do it. Study His Word more often. It is often a struggle to make sufficient time to be with God quietly and focused away from the distractions of life. Sometimes we need someone to encourage us to do or even a friend or family member to help make sure you get undistracted time or even to do it with us. Also, there are some good plans to help you read the Bible in 1-2 years and I'm sure there are some simple study books that you can find that will help you understand what you are reading. Or if you are more adventurous, pick up a Bible commentary and read parts of it along with your Bible. I have been very thankful for commentaries lately. It really does give some enlightenment to passages that you may not really understand, but the people who have studied more have written down some ideas and information of what they have found so you can come to a conclusion of what the author meant by writing certain things in unique ways. Meditate on smaller portions of scripture and work your way to bigger portions in order to really understand God's Word using some helpful tools (a study plan, commentaries). As you live, seek to have a reputation that glorifies God. Don't be ashamed of the way God made you. Mold it so that you will bear fruit to holiness and God's glory and you shall have eternal life. Look ahead. Strive toward the goal. Run the race with faithfulness relying on God for strength. “It is your blood bought right to break out of mediocrity, obscurity, and defeatist Christianity and live on the cutting edge of God's will for your life. We have to learn to soar above the dark, polluted waters of this world.“...on eagles wings. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30-31

http://www.bibleornot.org/being-still-and-doing-nothing-are-two-very-different-things/

This week's letter is based on a portion from a book that I have used as a reference before called, “Assumption that Affect Our Lives.” This portion is called - Freedom Cannot Survive Without Moral Citizens. America is a place where people of all religions and persuasions may freely believe what they so choose. Some people say we are a pluralistic society. If they mean that a single belief system such as a Bible-based system should not be the basis of our laws and civil government, than we are taking a totally opposite direction than our founding fathers did. Some may think that morality can be brought back into our nation without bringing back a respect for the Bible and it's principles. John Adams said that our constitution is inadequate for the governing of any other than a moral and religious people. He said that because he knew that only those people would know how to govern themselves under God. People with self-government or self-control understand what is required of them to live at peace with others. The essence of real moral self-government (choosing to follow Biblical principles) is to be motivated by God's presence in you and knowledge of His Word. Our founding fathers thought that individuals who had Biblical self-government would be the ones to whom this new type of government overruled by God “by the people, for the people” would work. Today we still have the form of a free nation, but we are quickly losing the character that is necessary to sustain it. Our civil freedoms (those that involve the government such as voting or freedom of religion) can only survive as long as the American people are able to govern themselves in a morally responsible way based on Biblical principles. While no freedom-granting government can keep people morally responsible, only morally responsible people can keep government freedom-granting. Interesting point, huh? The more Americans there are who do not practice moral self-government, the greater risk we all have of losing what freedoms we still enjoy. The choice is simple: Either the American people will regain their ability to morally govern themselves from the internal side of things or the strong arm of government will come in and control us from the external side of things. We must be controlled by either by the Word of God or the strong arm of man, either the Bible or the bayonet. Early Americans understood what moral self-government under God was all about. They had sacrificed much in order to attain it. Of course, not all Americans were Christians by any means. So, also those who were Christians were not faultless either. Still, there is no substitute for God and a government based on His principles. Many people are uncomfortable with the term “Christian nation” and for good reason. The phrase itself is not exactly accurate in the sense that a country can never be fully “Christian.” Only individuals can be. The Court that said that did mean though that our laws and institutions “must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of The Redeemer of mankind,...and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.” How far we have drifted! Our revised laws nowadays are no longer based upon the teachings of Jesus as it was once said by the Supreme Court that they should be. So, the point of all this is to bring a clearer picture to our minds of how we can pray for our country and it's leaders.

This week's letter will have a bunch of different thoughts on different topics. So, bear with the sudden changes of topic and hopefully we'll learn something. I learned a lot as I studied for these answers. There is a difference between killing and murdering. The latter is done with malice toward another. Here is a true story from the life of Corrie Ten Boom. It portrays both viewpoints. Never telling a lie even if it looks like lives will be hurt or lying to protect innocent lives. “Even though Peter had come home, he was still not safe, because German soldiers were using a method of forced servitude that the Dutch called the “razzia.” They would perform a lightning search and seizure of all the young men they could find and transport them away to work in munitions factories. One night, it happened in their neighborhood, and Peter and his older brother, Bob, rushed into Nollie’s house, looking for a place to hide. Nollie put them in her secret spot in the potato cellar under the kitchen table. When the soldiers burst down the door, they demanded the boys’ younger sister, Cocky, tell them where her brothers were. Without missing beat, she said they were under the table. When the soldiers lifted up the tablecloth, Cocky began to laugh, and so did everyone else. The soldiers, feeling humiliated, left, and the ten Booms spent the rest of the evening feeling both grateful for their safety and arguing over Cocky’s insistence on telling the truth. Nollie stood by her daughter and said, “God honors truth-telling with perfect protection!” Corrie finally realized that the argument was unsolvable and that even though they were often forced to lie, like Christ, they could honor both truth and love at the same time - by dying, if necessary. It was a significant realization for her, and one which would help her through the next few years.” What would u do? I do not know what I would of done. If a case like that happens to me, I would pray for God to help me do what is right and then decide hopefully in the way that God leads my conscience through His Spirit. About telling the truth in all areas of life. Someone asked whether we should tell someone we know something that may be the truth, but they may not like such as they have a terrible haircut or something even worse. I think that the truth, tact, proper sensitive delivery as well as knowing the and person whom you are telling whether they can handle it and how to make it so it will go well afterward are very important. Another guy said, "(by the way I still think that after a few lines of discussion you all would agree that lies, thefts and killings are not bad - perhaps only good Christians and extreme pacifists wouldn't)." How could he say that? His perspective was warped and God hadn't opened his eyes to see the truth yet. If someone took a poll of average people on the street, we would find that 99% of them believe that lies, thefts and murder ARE wrong. Why? Because they are moral and generally know the difference between right and wrong, but not specifically because they don't believe the Bible to be the Word of God and that it must be followed in everyday life not just on Sunday. They do generally try to be good and say nice things and not use bad language and all that, but they aren't doing it for God's glory. The guy also said, "Maybe even Hitler himself justified the genocide of Jews rationally." Of course he did! He wouldn't be doing it if he didn't think it was right in his own eyes. That is why there has to be some rule or something higher than us that sets a line between right and wrong. Agreed? That is God's law. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. James 4:17

Vale of Tears Quote Origin by stevec828 I had heard the quote “vale of tears” before, but to my surprise I had always mistakenly thought that it was “veil of tears”, not realizing what the quote really meant. The word “vale” is synonymous with “valley”, and knowing this makes the quote make a lot more sense. Now when looking into the origin of vale of tears there are several places where we can find today’s quote. “Beyond this vale of tears there is a life above.” – James Montgomery, British Hymnwriter and Poet “Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart, and all is darkened in the vale of tears.” – Katharina A. von Schlegel, German Hymnwriter “To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.” – Catholic Hymn Salve Regina, c. 1080 Here are three Christian references to vale of tears, each coming from hymns of different denominations, listed from newest to oldest (even though they’re all pretty old). Clearly the oldest appearance of vale of tears in written text is from the Catholic hymn Salve Regina. But are other uses simply adaptations inspired by the original or does this quote about a vale, or valley of tears, originate from the Bible? In the Bible in Psalm 84:6 we find this passage about the Valley of Baca: “Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.” – Psalm 84:6 KJV According to Strong’s, the word Baca (בָּכָא Baka’ {baw-kaw’}) means “weeping”, and so Psalm 84 could alternately be “Who passing through the valley of weeping (vale of tears) make it a well”. And so while the actual quote may not be found exactly in the Bible, we see that the idea clearly originates in the Bible and in turn has inspired the quote vale of tears. But let’s not stop there. The vale of tears is not to be a place of despair for those who make God the Lord of their life. If you read the Psalm, and even just the one verse, the Lord promises those who dwell in the house of the Lord that their vale of tears would be turned into a well of life-giving water, and that the rain would become refreshing pools. That we would go from strength to strength. And that God would be with us always. Selah.

This is per an excellent suggestion by Schubomb (in the Open Discussion group). He suggested that, instead of starting new forums for every GodTalk post, to create a centralized forum in each group, and post daily within that forum. I found that to be an excellent idea, and I am beginning a new forum in each group called "GodTalk Daily Blog". I look forward to more excellent, friendly and fresh discussion in each group! I really am excited about the progress we have seen with GodTalk - over the past 2-3 months, we have seen the Facebook membership grow to almost 130 people, plus we share our blog on my homepage, and 4 other groups on Facebook. Here on chess.com, it is shared on my personal blog, plus 5 groups (Open Discussion and 4 different Christian groups). To everyone who has contributed - thank you very much! I look forward to more fruitful discussions in the future! BTW, don't forget to check out my main hub for the blogs at http://godtalklouisvilleky.blogspot.com/ - God bless!

Labor of Love Quote Origin & Meaning by Bible or Not Oftentimes when asking someone why they may spend a lot of time doing a certain thing, the answer comes back that “it’s a labor of love”. There are many examples, like prayer, charity, ministry, nursing, teaching, reading, writing, athletics, etc. It could be the reason why someone takes a lower-paying job, or why they may donate their time and money to certain causes. I am sure that everyone has their own labor of love. For me, writing for Bible or Not is my labor of love. Labor of Love Meaning – The quote ‘labor of love’ is used to describe a person’s reason for doing work that may not have a self-serving or monetary benefit. The work and energy, i.e. labor, is expended for the benefit of others or because it provides a sense of purpose, goodness, satisfaction or well being. Labor of Love Origin – The origin of the labor of love quote comes from the King James Bible and is found in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 and Hebrews 6:10. The original King James Version uses the English spelling of “labour” but the New King James and other modern translations use the American English spelling of “labor”. What is your labor of love? Please leave a comment below to share with our readers. Here are the King James Bible passages using the labor of love quote: 1Thessalonians 1:3 – Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. Hebrews 6:10 - For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord by stevec828 I recently received and email from my parents that included today’s quote, and it was so inspiring that I thought I would share. I had heard this quote since I was a child, but never realized the origin and the context of it. “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord.” – The Battle Hymn of the Republic, Julia Ward Howe, written November 1861 and first published February 1862 This quote is the opening line of the patriotic hymn “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” that was written and made popular during the civil war. I remember singing this song as a kid with silly lyrics like “Mine eyes have seen the coming of the glory of the Lord, he is coming down the alley in a 67 Ford” and “Glory glory hallelujah, teacher hit me with the ruler”. How many of you did that? Do kids still do that today? Actually, the email that sparked me to look into this hymn had a link to a group of high school choirs with a childrens choir in the mix. I’ll bet they sing it with some funny words too. But seriously, when you look into the words and origin of this hymn, it’s quite inspiring. The original melody came from popular spiritual written in 1856 but was then adopted with new words written by a Union soldier about the abolitionist John Brown’s body, how though he was dead his soul is marching on in the army of the Lord. Julia Ward Howe reportedly had heard it while seeing a review of the troops in Virginia and the next morning wrote the lyrics we know today. You can read the full account in Wikipedia. So, here is a song, that was being used by soldiers in the northern army as a marching cadence with an anti-slavery theme and motivation for their cause; it then is transformed into a patriotic anthem of the righteous cause of God. The truth that those who oppress others and those who reject the living God will meet the sword of His justice is nothing less than chilling. And the willingness that American soldiers have, from the revolution until this present day, to die that others may be free is profound. Read the lyrics, i think you will be as amazed as I was. Here are the full lyrics of the song Battle Hymn of the Republic as it was originally penned by Julia Ward Howe in November 1861. The version published in February 1862 is a little different, and then another verse was added later that year or as late as 1863. There are a bazillion recordings of this song on Youtube, so enjoy! LYRICS TO ORIGINAL VERSION OF BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC BY JULIA WARD HOWE Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.He is trampling out the wine press, where the grapes of wrath are stored,He hath loosed the fateful lightnings of his terrible swift sword,His truth is marching on. I have seen him in the watchfires of an hundred circling campsThey have builded him an altar in the evening dews and damps,I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps,His day is marching on. I have read a burning Gospel writ in fiery rows of steel,As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal,Let the hero born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,Our God is marching on. He has sounded out the trumpet that shall never call retreat,He has waked the earth’s dull sorrow with a high ecstatic beat,Oh! be swift my soul to answer him, be jubilant my feet!Our God is marching on. In the whiteness of the lilies he was born across the sea,With a glory in his bosom that shines out on you and me,As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,Our God is marching on. He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,He is wisdom to the mighty, he is succour to the brave,So the world shall be his footstool, and the soul of Time his slave,Our God is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah!Glory, glory, hallelujah!Glory, glory, hallelujah!Our God is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah!Glory, glory, hallelujah!Glory, glory, hallelujah!His truth is marching on.

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