Which study Bible in 2026? Thursday, Dec 18 2025 

Biblical history and Biographical and Church news and Doctrine and Family and Motivational and New Testament and Old Testament and Uncategorized , , , , kennethbow 11:06 am

 Which study Bible for 2026?

One of the most common questions I have been asked over the last 50 years in my travels is simply which is the best study Bible?

I think all of us know there is no singular answer that encompasses everything.

Some Bibles excel in readability like large print. Some Bibles appeal because of their size and ease of carry. I am of the opinion some Bibles are carried in our modern world because they are currently a fad. You know it’s the groovy Bible to carry. It is the latest… Have you got one yet? There are even some Bibles that would carry a certain status with some people. Maybe it’s a collectible. Maybe it’s a new bind in an exotic leather of some type. I really do understand all that, and that is not even my subject today. My subject today is totally trying to focus on the content and what it would add to your knowledge in the next 365 days of 2026.

Every year at this time I spend a little time deciding which study Bible I’m going to use for the next 12 months. This is a simple process that I have used for the last 30 years or so. I have used many study Bibles. Here are a few that I have used. I began with the Thompson Chain Bible. I have also used the Schofield Bible, the Dake Bible, the Companion Bible, the Spirit Application Bible, the Ryrie Study Bible, the Chronological Bible, the Student Bible, the Hebrew Bible, the Apostolic Study Bible, and of course, the Premier Study Bible. There have been others that I have used, but I think you get the picture.

I have read the Bible every year cover to cover since I was 14 years old. The majority of those years has been a different study Bible. I do my best to read not only the Bible text, but the footnotes, the introductions, and all the added information.

When Young ministers ask me what I would recommend them to read I always recommend use a different study Bible every year and read everything. That includes the dates, the notes, the references, all of it. It is my personal opinion this is one way a young preacher can “round out” a lot of his thinking on doctrinal issues and also biblical history.

I would like to tell the young impatient ministers there are no shortcuts to really understanding the Bible. It is a long, lifetime process. There is no one study Bible that’s going to make you brilliant and smart by itself alone. I believe most older advanced ministers would tell you that the more they’ve studied the more they realize what they don’t know.

I would like to add a personal recommendation. If you only read or study so that you can preach a message you’re going to miss the greatest moments in your spiritual life. I believe your study should be because you love Jesus Christ. 

I believe your study should be daily. If you truly study daily, you will never be without a message to preach. You will always have more subjects than you can deliver in public services. Learn to be consistent, learn to put the word of God first, and God will give you sermons and revelations.

Having said that let’s begin. I am not going to include the Premier Study Bible (PSB) in this blog. My reason is, I have spent a number of years participating writing commentary and in the development of this Bible. I am still on the publishing board and the financial board of the PBS. It is impossible for me to be impartial and to not prefer it above the others —so please know that what I’m about to write does not include the PSB. Every young beginning minister should start his ministry by reading the PSB cover to cover.

I realize this next comment will cross swords with a number of preachers, and I am fine if you disagree. I have never read any translation, except the King James version of the Bible. It is my preferred reading and study. I have used other translations to see if there is a meaning in a particular passage that I am overlooking, however, to be honest I’m 99% always using the KJV. I believe in the majority text and I believe it is the correct text to study. This whole subject is maybe for another blog. Suffice it to say that I am not a believer in the minority text and the Bibles that are printed from that textus. This also applies to even the interlinear. It is impossible to remove 60,000 words from the text without affecting what you’re studying.

So today the question I am discussing is: if you could only have one study Bible, which one would it be?

My answer (that excludes the PSB) is if I could only have one Bible, I would want to use the Thompson Chain. It is possible that some of my bias is because it was the first Bible I began to use when I started preaching full-time at 23 years old. I still have it, and it literally has been written on every single page of the Bible. I believe in writing and making notes in my Bible -that is just a personal preference.

The original Thompson Chain-Reference Bible company was purchased in the last few years by Zondervan. They have produced it in a new binding and a new block text. This is a very good Bible. It is a Bible that if you did not own any other reference material, you would still be able to get a very well-rounded picture of doctrine and Bible history. It is literally the Bible on itself -meaning what does the Bible say about the Bible, and it leads you through chains of scriptures to do that.There is no one “Bible wonder” that does everything, but I do think this particular Bible comes closer than the others.

Just for fun I’m going to list some Bibles and what I prefer about these particular Bibles:

For reading: Schuyler (I like the chapter divisions)

For carry to church: Allan ( I like red letter and Allan does not make any)

For size/convience: Cambridge (my first Bible bought with my own money at 16)

For article/cool notes/introductions: The Student Bible (Zondervan-out of print)

For new preppie cool factor: Humble Lamb

For being a collectible: Thomas Nelson Signature Series (out of print)

Whatever Bible you choose to use in 2026 may I highly recommend reading your Bible cover to cover in 2026.

Blessings

 

Holiness and the Talmud Thursday, May 1 2025 

Doctrine , , , , , , , kennethbow 10:21 am

Holiness:

I want to post about our survival as a people-the Aposttolic church so I decided to include the note on the Talmud because it supports our position on holiness in this present day. The Torah is the Jewish name for the Pentateuch. The Pentateuch is the first five books of the Bible. The Talmud is the collection of commentary from Jewish Rabbis on the Torah. Why would this be important to us as Gentiles? My answer is it provides such a beautiful example of how to survive in a world that does not understand us as Apostolics. To live in our world, which views us as outdated and eccentric, is becoming more difficult as society drifts farther and farther from the principals of the Bible. The Jew has survived in every century, in every culture, and in every continent. The Jewish life is as strong today as it was 2000 years ago. As Apostolics, we need to adopt some of the same principles to insure we do not lose our identity. The five books of Moses can be written out in about 350 pages. The Talmud now takes up 523 books in 22 volumes. As the Jew was scuttled from empire to empire, the need arose for a protection from the blows without and the pressure from within. The Talmud has provided that. The Talmud has become the home of the Jew no matter where he lives in the world. The Talmud has single handedly provided the survival of the Jewish person. As Apostolics, it appears to me that we are in danger of losing our heritage of holiness. More and more I see whole churches assimilated into our worlds culture and mores. We need holiness and separation more than ever before. The way we dress and live must not die with this generation. As simple as it may seem, our standards are what will keep us separated from the world. Simple things like sleeve length, and the distinction of dress between male and female, are critical to the survival of the Apostolic heritage. It provides us with the cold concrete of protection from the blows that come from without. In the Talmud, there are many issues that may seem insignificant. But upon inspection the Talmud provided the Jew with answers to the baffling questions of life. The Talmud has done more to preserve the Jewish way of life than any other factor. This oral law that has been discussed over the centuries has kept the Jewish people uniquely Jewish. It is my hope that our holiness standards will keep us Apostolic in a world that has lost all sense of direction. The Rabbis have haggled over every phase of Jewish life. They have argued over every word and comma. In the process of mulling all this over, they created a mandate for survival in a hostile world. When the world attacked, the Talmud was there to soften the blow and stiffen the will. Other ancient cultures have faded from the earth, but the Jew has survived. Can we learn a lesson from them? The authors of the Talmud seemed to think that no issue was too small to discuss. They would debate for months whether a person could wear a false tooth on the Sabbath. A tailor could not take his needle in his hand just before the Sabbath because he might forget and go out with it. You could have candy in your mouth as long as it was put in your mouth before the Sabbath began. They discussed for nine years one statement in the law; “Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.” From this one issue came the whole idea of Kosher food and food that was not Kosher. Our first response might be, that is foolish and insignificant. But never forget it is the small things that have kept them as a people. They have survived. We need to appreciate the “small” things if we are going to preserve this Apostolic way of life. Our standards of dress are important to our survival. Our standards of what we watch and what entertainment we allow is important to our future. Our survival depends on the small things. I will be the first to admit that the Rabbis went to extremes to preserve the Jewish way of life. However, it is beyond argument that the Jew has survived while other people have been assimilated and have vanished from the stage of time. Our survival as a distinct people depends on the small things. We must maintain our holiness and our standards of life. When they become unimportant, you can write the epitaph of the Apostolic movement.

 

The Key: Submission Friday, Dec 6 2024 

Biblical history and Church news and Doctrine and Family and Marriage and Motivational and New Testament and Uncategorized , , , , kennethbow 11:36 am

Napoleon Hill said: You are searching for the magic key that will unlock the door to the source of power; and yet you have the key in your own hands, and you may use it the moment you learn to control your thoughts.

A key that opens many locks is worth buying. A lock that can be opened with many keys isn’t. 

If there truly was one single key that could open all of the blessings and benefits of God, what would it be? Would it be faith? Would it be prayer? Would it be giving? Would it be fasting?

I don’t know that one simple answer is the right key. But I do want to talk about at least one key that I think unlocks many things and possibly all things.

  • This key I am going to speak about unlocks your relationship with God. 
  • It unlocks your relationship with your pastor. 
  • It unlocks your relationship with your spouse. 
  • It unlocks your relationship with your parents and or with your kids. 
  • It unlocks your relationship with other people in the church 
  • It even unlocks your relationship with your boss and coworkers on the job and even neighbors.

I don’t remember ever hearing an entire sermon on the subject of submission. I’ve heard it alluded to and mentioned hundreds of times. But today I want to speak on this subject of submission. The key that unlocks every door. I hope the Lord will help me present it to you in all of its beauty and power. Too often it is seen as confining, or as an impediment to our will. Sometimes people see it limiting them or holding them back, which is not true.

What is the purpose of submission? Have we fallen into the thought processes that I am to submit to God but I don’t have to submit to my pastor, or I don’t have to submit to my spouse or I don’t have to submit to my parents.

By submitting we allow God complete control of our lives. As he works in us and through us, we will  see Him working around us. And where God works there is healing, life, and restoration. You see, our submission is to God so that He can use our lives to touch the lives of others.

Next blog:

Is there a difference between submitting and obeying?

 

The Key Thursday, Dec 5 2024 

Biblical history and Church news and Doctrine and New Testament , , kennethbow 11:50 am

The Key 

Matthew 16.13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

(Among the Hebrews the symbol of keys did not refer to the priests; it referred to the scribes, the teachers of the law whose duty it was to unlock the truth of God. The scribes had failed miserably in their office by not recognizing their Messiah- and now the Lord committed the keys to Simon Peter.)

After telling the parables of the kingdom, the Lord had said, “Every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old” (Matthew 13:52). 

When Peter made His inspired confession of faith (16:16), he became a scribe “instructed unto the kingdom of heaven.” When the Lord said to him, “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (16:19), He was saying in effect, “You are my scribe.” Simon Peter used these keys to open the door first to the Jews, and then to the Samaritans and then the Gentiles—  he was in essence the scribe to show them the way of truth. He took the key Jesus gave him and unlocked the door.

But these keys were much more than the doors they unlocked in Acts 2, 8, &10. Jesus had given Peter the key of David, which is prophesied to be given to Messiah in Isaiah 22.22.  

And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder;

so he shall open, and none shall shut;

and he shall shut, and none shall open.Jesus had the keys to give to Simon Peter. 

Rev 1.18 Jesus has the keys of death and hell. 

In Rev 9 and also in chapter 20 Jesus has the key of the bottomless pit. The keys belong to Jesus to give to whomever he chooses. 

It is altogether possible he has a key he would like to give you today.

For the next few blogs I would like to write a few things about a key that will transform your life.

Stay tuned…

 

An Apostolic Man In An Apostate World Friday, Mar 3 2023 

Biblical history and Doctrine and Family and Marriage and Motivational and New Testament and Old Testament kennethbow 9:28 am

An Apostolic Man In An Apostate World

What is an Apostolic man? Very simply he is a follower of the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. The current fads and social ideas swirling around him do not faze him. He is Apostolic in his thinking.

He is Apostolic in his doctrine. He is not confused by false teaching or fake Pentecost or plastic Christians. He has read his Bible, studied the doctrine, listened to his Pastor, and there is no doubt in his heart that he is an Apostolic man. 

He is proud to be an Apostolic. Not a sinful pride that would contaminate his Holy Ghost. But a pride born of thankfulness and gratitude, that in a world full of false religion, God has singled him out to be a bearer of the torch of truth. 

Apostolic men are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

  • They will stand in the defiant face of an atheist and proclaim that God is. 
  • They will openly laugh at  an agnostic when he says he is confused whether or not there is a God. In fact a true Apostolic man will lift his voice and tell anyone, I know there is a God for I felt him. I know him and He is personal to me.

The Apostolic man of 2023 does not hide behind the walls of his local church fearful and afraid. He rises each morning to put on the armor of God, and walks into a dark world as the bearer of light of the one true God Jesus Christ.

He looks like an Apostolic man. No punk hairdos or crazy life styles because he represents Jesus Christ. He refuses to disfigure Jesus Christ to the world. He does not get tattoos or earrings or foolish trivial things that contaminate his tabernacle. His appearance is clean, clean shaven, no beards or mustaches or goatees, simple, and godly. When the legions who live in darkness see him, they see a clean wholesome man that represents true manhood. There is no trans gender confusion in the way an Apostolic man dresses and walks through his world.

He acts like an Apostolic man. A true apostolic man puts a bridle on his tongue so that he speaks a language that edifies Jesus Christ. He has put away lying, gossiping, critical words, curse words, and he uses his voice to lift up the name of Jesus Christ~ at home and at the workplace. His speech and his words do not betray his testimony.

He leads like an Apostolic man. He surrenders his self will so he can lead his family in the things of God. He loves his wife, and prefers his wife, for he has read the instructions in the Holy Book, husbands love your wives. He does not provoke his children to wrath for the same Holy Book teaches him he must be gentle unto all men. He does not drive his family, he leads them. He leads them in prayer,  he leads them in being consistent,  he leads them in submitting to authority, and he is an example to his wife and family.

The Apostolic man is not confused. The shifting winds of social change do not deter his course. He has set his sails and he is headed for the Celestial City. His mind is made up, his gait is steady, his direction unswerving. He knows who he is in an apostate world. 

The Apostolic man of 2023 accepts his role of following in the footsteps of the truly great Apostolic men of the past. It began with the Apostles, Peter, John, and Paul. It has continued now for 2000 years and the Apostolic man of 2023 is not about to drop the torch of truth on his leg of the race. 

He is not intimidated by the challenge for he is of a rare breed of men that has survived for over 2000 years, and is as strong today as it has ever been. He is a warrior in the model of Shamgar, Gideon, and David. The Apostolic man does not cower in the shadows, he steps out into the bright sunlight of his world and continues the destiny of Apostolic men for the last 2000 years.

You are an Apostolic man in 2023. Stand strong. Be brave. Walk with confidence in a changing world. 

Stand beside your Pastor and hold his hands up as we continue the march of great Apostolic men of the last two millennials. 

Our forbears all handed us a trail that they blazed as surely as Lewis and Clark made the Northwest Trek. 

Today we proclaim here to reaffirm our commitment to being an Apostolic man in 2023.

 

The Temple Wednesday, Nov 5 2014 

Doctrine kennethbow 8:36 am

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1Corinthians 3.17.

While reading this today I looked up the word temple and was surprised at the meaning. The metaphorical meaning is: the spiritual temple consisting of the saints of all ages joined together by and in Christ.

That would mean if I defile this temporal temple I not only defile myself but all the other men and women who have stood for truth throughout the ages. Sin brings contamination to the entire temple and the multitudes who have lived clean in centuries past.

We are compelled to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present age, not just for ourselves, but for all those who have gone before us holding up the torch of Godliness.

Thanks for reading today!

 

The discarded Christian trait…. Friday, Aug 1 2014 

Doctrine and Motivational kennethbow 11:42 am

Ephesians 4.32 “And be ye kind one to another”

I Corinthians 13.4 “Charity suffereth long and is kind”

Kind: To show oneself mild, to be kind, use kindness.

I see a social phenomenon that troubles me. It is the habit some develop under the guise of humor or teasing that puts another person down so the person with inferiority can feel better about themselves.

Many barbed statements are communicated and then at the end, the attached “lol” is supposed to soften or deny the intent of the barb. By this means many people who do not feel good about themselves, or feel inferior, seem to put others down so they can feel better about themselves.

In my opinion this habit of teasing has a subtil purpose. Possibly it becomes a habit and the person may not ever realize they do it. Possibly they are in an environment where it is constant so they join the verbal fray. Whatever the reason it goes against Biblical teaching of honoring and esteeming one another.

I will possibly be looked at in this post as a “knit picker” or overly critical or even someone who cannot take the banter. However, let me take a Biblical approach. That is always safe 🙂

Is there Biblical teaching on this matter? Yes, there actually is. As a christian we are instructed to act and speak to one another in kindness. We are made to know from many places in scripture that our words are important. They can heal and they can wound.

There are times when the person who is the butt of the remark smiles and shows a good spirit, but down inside they feel the sting or hurt.

Are we big enough as Apostolics to look in the mirror and acknowledge this is part of living for God also? There are some inward standards that are important as well as our outward standards of dress and life style.

Putting another child of God down through humor or teasing them can indeed have consequences spiritually. We are judged by how we judge others. If we criticize, demean, make unkind jokes, and generally speak unkindly of others, well that is what gets delivered in our spiritual mailbox!

Colossians 4.6 Let your speech be always with grace…(grace here means: that which affords joy, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness).

I am an advocate of kind words, upbuilding words, words that encourage another pilgrim on the road to the Celestial City! Let’s help one another get to heaven by making their journey lighter and easier!

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord…

Thanks for reading today…

 

Mark Thursday, Feb 17 2011 

Biblical history and Doctrine and New Testament kennethbow 8:54 am

My last blog was about Matthew, today is Mark.

I will post Luke and John next.

The Gospels.

Four books that the Holy Ghost approved out of the 200 gospels written about Jesus.

Mark

Mark’s gospel was the first gospel written in 50 AD. It was written to the Roman world. It came at a very critical time! The Caesars were killing the Christians in Rome and there was fear and consternation across the empire. Nero was on a rampage! The need was for direction. And the need was now!

So we have the Gospel of Mark. It is the shortest Gospel because time was of the essence. It is the fastest paced Gospel. It uses hurry up adverbs 42 times. Words like immediately, and straightway are the norm.

I am convinced Mark’s Gospel was dictated by Simon Peter. This was a commonly held belief well into the second century. Papias says this in AD 60-150. Papias call Mark Peter’s interpreter. Probably Peter spoke in Aramic and Mark translated into Greek. Finally, Peter calls Mark his “son”, 1 Peter 5.13.

Mark is the timeline that Matthew and Luke work off of. 90% of his gospel is found in Matthew and Luke. He is fast. He has three miracles in the first chapter. The other writers wait until chapter three before introducing a miracle.

Because it is to the Roman world, Mark quotes the Old Testament only one time. He ignores the Mosaic law, then explains the Jewish laws and the passover. Once again, time was pressing them to get this message into the hands of suffering Christians.

It is the shortest gospel, and is proclaimed by an eyewitness, so hence the nod goes to Peter. Matthew repeats over 90% of Mark in his gospel and Luke repeats over 53%,(330 out of 660 verses).

It is interesting to me that Mark does not mention anything about Jesus before Jesus’ baptism. No birth, no early years, or any other information.

Also, Mark deals with Jesus’ humanity. Mark shows Jesus tired, weary and hungry. The Roman world and the new Christians needed to be reminded He was the Messiah. The Avatar, the highest form of God in humanity.

In all probability, the Christians of that day expected the return of Christ any day. They no doubt saw no need for a record of his life, for they would all remember. However when He did not return quickly, it became obvious a whole new generation needed the facts to be recorded.

It is certainly reasonable to assume that Mark knew all the early church leaders and populace. He was a relative of Barnabas and traveled with Barnabas and Paul on their one and only missionary journey together.

Mark is also believed to be one of the few men who accompanied Simon Peter to Cornelius house in Acts chapter ten.

So it was the first Gospel written of the four in your Bible.

It is authored by Mark and dictated by Simon Peter and inspired by God himself!

Thanks for reading today!

 

Matthew Wednesday, Feb 16 2011 

Biblical history and Doctrine and New Testament kennethbow 3:28 pm

Matthew

The Bible is the best selling book of all time. Therefore it is reasonable that the Bible is the most read book of all time. Statistics say that Matthew is the most read book of the Bible for almost everyone starts there!

Now if you or I were going to write a book that we knew more people were going to read more than any other book in the history of the world, would we start it out with a long list of names that no one can even pronounce? Yet God in His wisdom does just that! Why?

Well, one supposition is that He loved the Jewish nation and preferred them with the first Gospel in honor to His commitment to them through the centuries. One thing is for sure; Jesus was not the Messiah they were looking for! He did not fit the image of their expectations!

The Jewish nation were looking for someone to come in and overthrow the Roman grip on their land. Jesus came to overthrow the grip Satan had on their land. So we have the Gospel of Matthew…

• Matthew was a tax collector, therefore he speaks of money more than any other writer, (example, Peter go catch fish and there will be a coin in it’s mouth)

• He starts his genealogy with Abraham instead of Adam because his book is to the Jew

• He has 31 passages unique to him, 10 parables, 2 miracles, 9 discourses, 6 events

• He is the only gospel writer to mention the church

• Uses the term Kingdom of heaven because the Jews did not use the name “God”

• Writes like a tax collector, Example 8 beatitudes at start of book and 8 woes at

end, like bookends

• His style is narrative, discourse. Jesus’ story then, speech or sermon. 5 times says “when Jesus had ended these sayings”

• Quotes the Old testament more times than any other New Testament writer (129 times)

• 16 times says “that it might be fulfilled”

• 2 great sermons, sermon on the mount, and Olivet discourse (one at beginning of book, one toward end of book)

There had been 400 years of silence! Then Matthew’s gospel pulls it all together.

It is the bridge.

Matthew portrays Jesus as the King of the Jews. His gospel is considered as the most important book in Christendom by the French skeptic Renan!

One of the great contributions of Matthew to oneness people is his information on the transfiguration. In chapter 16 Matthew begins the story of Jesus leaving the area of Galilee and going north to the regions of Caesarea Philippi. Jesus literally turns His back on the country of Israel and goes to a gentile region and spends about 8 days with His disciples.

After 6 days of rest and relaxation, He poses the question to them, who do men say that I am? It is a supreme moment in Jesus’ earthly journey. For 3 1⁄2 years He has prepared this select group of men for this revelation. They offer the current scuttlebutt of names, and then Simon Peter makes the famous reply, “Thou art the Christ”.

Jesus no doubt breathed a sigh of relief knowing they had truly got the concept of His being the messiah. Two days later is a remarkable event. I call this “When a good Jewish son took over the family business”.

The event is called the mount of transfiguration. Jesus waits another 2 days and then takes Peter, James, and John with Him up on the mountain. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all inform us what happened there.

Jesus is transfigured before them and Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus. The disciples are speechless, and stunned. Peter finally blurts out an inane babbling, something about three temples.

These three disciples are witness to the transfer of all spiritual spokesman ship from the Father to the Son! A voice booms from the heavens and says, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him”.

This same voice had spoken at the baptism of Jesus, but had not said, “Hear ye him”. At that moment, the eternal spirit of God proclaimed His residence forever to be in the man Christ Jesus. Christ’s earthly ministry was complete. The only thing left was to be the perfect sacrifice.

Never since that moment has the voice of God ever spoken outside of Jesus Christ! The voice that spoke worlds into existence, the voice that spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai, now speaks only through the mouth of Jesus Christ! He is God manifest in the flesh!

Go to your Bible and look. God has never spoken again outside the mouth of Jesus Christ! What a wonderful revelation to the oneness of God.

Truly in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily!

Thanks for reading today!

 

Kill The Indian Monday, Jun 28 2010 

Biographical and Doctrine and Motivational kennethbow 8:41 am

In the late 1800’s the United States government was faced with the issue of how to deal with the Native American.  It was a perplexing problem.

First of all there were many different tribes.  Then there was the distances and areas where the tribes lived.  Mostly there was the issue of war.  The native American was a formidable warrior!  If the Indian tribes had joined forces and fought the U.S. military as a coalition, who knows the outcome?

History tells us the Indian did not join other tribes to resist and consequently, the tribes were slowly methodically eliminated.

Their story is a long, brutal, heart wrenching story.  It is a sad epilogue on our government that they made promises and then broke those promises many many times.

If you have never read the story of the Nez Perce, it would be my recommendation to add it to your to do list of reading.  It is the story of Chief Joseph leading his people 800 miles to attempt to escape to Canada.  The Nez Perce chiefs astounded the Calvary over and over with their tactics.  They used brilliant manuvers like the best trained generals of the world.

Eventually Chief Joseph and his survivors were brought to bay, and his surrender speech is still a classic today.  You can google it and read it.  It will make you weep!

As the government wrestled with the problem of resettling the Indian, and signing treaties, a speech was given in Denver in 1892.  Captain Richard Pratt spoke and in his speech he made a statement that has entered into American lore.  He declared…

“A great general has said that the only good Indian is a dead one, and the high sanction of his destruction has been an enormous factor in promoting Indian massacres.  In a sense I agree with the sentiment, but only in this: that all the Indian there is in the race should be dead.  Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.”

There began an effort to change the Indian into a white man.  He was forced to no longer speak his native tongue.  He was forced to change his appearance to look like his white captors. It was an all out effort to kill the Indian, but save the man.

John 10.10 says our enemy is determined to steal, kill and destroy.  It is my opinion that Satan wants to kill the Apostolic, but save the christian.

Satan wants us to change our Apostolic appearance to look like the christians around us.  His desire is we become what everyone else is.

Satan desires that we surrender our Apostolic worship and adopt the more calm, respected ways of other churches.

Satan desires that we surrender our Apostolic doctrine of Acts 2.38 so we can live peacefully with those of differing views.

Satan desires to kill the Apostolic, but save the christian.

Just for the record, there is a small band of Apostolics in the Northwest corner of the United States that have decided we will not surrender!

We will not surrender our Apostolic appearance.  We will not surrender our Apostolic worship.  We will not surrender our Apostolic doctrine.

Like Chief Joseph, we have no desire to fight and war, but when Satan attempts to take away our identity, we have decided we will fight.

Thanks for reading today!

 

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