Author Archives: Dean N. Hoff

Christian, Inspirational

Scared Straight

I keep hearing preachers defining the “Fear of the Lord” as reverential awe. In my opinion this downplays what we know in our heart the word fear actually means.

According to Merriam Webster it can mean reverential awe, but it also means anxious concern and reason for alarm.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 KJV, And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Paul said in Philippians 2:12 KJV
Wherefore, my beloved, … work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Does that sound like reverential awe or does it sound like what you know in your heart fear means, it means I’m afraid. I’m scared. My eternal salvation is in jeopardy if I continue in sin.

Jude 1:23 KJV says, And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

There is certainly a place for reverential awe. There is also a time and place for realizing eternity is at stake, a time for reasonable, genuine fear.

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Christian, Inspirational

The First Condition

God’s love is not unconditional. If you believe it is, I suggest you read John 3:16 KJV:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Read it again. Did you catch the first condition to everlasting life?

Belief. One must believe Jesus is the Son of God.

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Christian, Inspirational

Power in The Blood

There is an old hymn entitled There is Power in the Blood.

There is indeed power in the blood of Jesus, but do you know how to utilize it?

When you are baptized or born again you are immediately under the blood of Jesus, you arise from the surface of the water sin free, cleansed of sins past. Acts 22:16, Roman’s 3:25

Yet, what do you do about future sin? First strive against it, but we are human, and God provides a way to stay under the blood in 1 John 1:9!

Would you be free from the burden of sin? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood – but you do need to know how to use it!

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Christian

I Study Greek and Hebrew

I study Greek and Hebrew, says Kathie Lee Gifford on Daystar. My thought, why? Do you like to waste your time? Are you fascinated by new meanings discovered by so called rabbis? Are you planning on visiting Israel or Greece?

Why study Greek and Hebrew? In regard to the Bible I know I can’t do any better than the Holy Ghost did through learned men in translating the KJV. When modern pastors say something like do you know what it really says in the Greek. My immediate thought is yes, whatever the King James Version says it is.

Don’t let pastors or rabbis who think they know better than God knock your biblical foundation, which is sure in the KJV. They like to come up with new stories and new meanings to keep their followers interested. The Bible tells of the ancient Athenians in Acts 17:21 KJV
who …spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing. 2 Timothy 4:3 predicts people will have itching ears and will not keep sound doctrine.

I was wondering why God blessed the English speaker with a perfect translation in the KJV? I think that question is similar to why did he choose the Jews first? The answer is that was his desire.

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Christian

Any Other Name

These are a few things that bother me about what people are calling God these days. Admittedly, they may not bother the Lord, but they bother me.

Father God – I think this is mainly a Baptist creation, but we don’t say Son God or Holy Spirit God. Even though it may be an accurate description, Father God won’t be found in the KJV. Proper titles are Heavenly Father, Lord God Almighty, God the Father, Yahweh, and his name is Jehovah.

Holy Spirit – We’re so close we don’t have to say the in front of the title. It seems to imply a familiarity that I’m not sure really exists. Proper names are The Holy Spirit or The Holy Ghost.

Yeshua – To me Jesus will always be Jesus. I’m not entirely convinced Yeshua is even accurate. It seems to me to be a modern Hebrewization of the name Jesus. They say it’s historical Hebrew, but I haven’t seen any historical text were the name Yeshua is actually used in print. Proper names or titles are many: Jesus, Son of God, Rose of Sharon, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, The Messiah. I suppose there are more, but that’s all that come to mind at the moment.

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Christian, Inspirational

Choose Wisely

In Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade he must choose the Holy Grail, the cup Jesus drank from at the Last Supper. If he chooses poorly he will wither, shrivel, and die. If he chooses correctly he will live.

Today we have to make the same choice. Do we drink from God’s word or do we drink from a cup of pollution and corruption that could kill us?

So, as we search for the correct cup to drink from let us choose wisely. The King James Version Holy Bible is the inerrant word of the Lord. It was translated under the supervision of the Holy Ghost. How do we know this?

  • Faith
  • It was done under a King appointed by God. Daniel 2:21
  • It was authorized. It says so on the inner cover. No other bibles even make this claim.

Why trust your eternal salvation to translation made by the hubris of men. All other English versions were made by men who said in their heart, I think I know better or I understand Hebrew or Greek better than the learned men that worked on the KJV translation. Hebrew is today a revived language and the Greek has had 2,000 years to change in meaning. Don’t put your trust in new found meanings by men claiming to be Rabbis. We as Christians have one Rabbi, the Lord Jesus Christ. Further, I don’t need Greek translations made in the last 50 years when I put my trust in God’s authorized translation done over 400 years ago.

Other translations might be shiny and new, but if you speak English and have chosen the KJV you have chosen wisely.

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Christian, Inspirational

Alter Calls are Nice

Alter Calls are nice.

Prayers of Salvation have pretty words.

But, why won’t you be baptized by immersion in the name of God into his family?

Mark 16:16 KJV says, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

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Christian, Inspirational

A Day to Worship

I just watched an Adventist show, Beyond the Search, promoting the worship of the Lord on Saturday. I largely agreed with it, especially with the historical investigation on how a counterfeit Sunday took it’s place.

So what day should I worship? Is it Saturday or is it Sunday?

My answer is: wouldn’t it be nice if we met to worship the Lord seven days a week? And kept the Sabbath? The Sabbath is actually to be celebrated Friday eve to Saturday eve. Leviticus 23:32. If you ever desired to keep the Sabbath, a perfect keeping is described in Isaiah 58:13-14.

I was once interested in joining the Amish. I read an article where an Amish writer said if you want to live as the Amish do – go ahead and do so. You don’t need to come and join an Amish community. What’s my point? You don’t need to join the Seventh Day Adventists to observe the Sabbath. If you wish to continue church services on Sunday, you can still honor the Lord by keeping his Sabbath on Saturday and worshipping on Sunday.

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Christian, Inspirational

In Jesus Name

Did you know some Bible scholars don’t know why we pray in Jesus name?

Can you imagine appearing in an earthly courtroom without an attorney?

1 Timothy 2:5 KJV says, For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

When we pray in Jesus name we appear before the Heavenly Father with Jesus by our side, an attorney that’s already paid for.

If you enjoy a more figurative explanation and biblical theme read the book of Esther and search the word sceptre in your Holy Bible. If you appeared unbidden before the King of Persia in Esther’s time he would hold out his scepter signifying life. If he withheld it from the petitioner it meant a sentence of death.

Jesus is the sceptre already held out by the Lord God Almighty. If you accept him you shall have eternal life.

With Jesus as our mediator each and every time, we may present ourselves before Jehovah, the Most High and Holy and live.

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Christian, Inspirational

Synonyms

Religion and Relationship with God are synonymous. I am a Christian. It is my religion. How I follow Christ is my relationship with him, which is my religion.

When someone says we aren’t religious or we don’t believe in religion, we believe in relationship – often what they are really saying is we don’t believe in God’s rules. For them religion is synonymous with keeping the law and they want no part of God’s rules and regulations.

The truth is we must strive to keep the law if we want to make it to Heaven. Keeping the law is a critical part of our relationship with Jesus. Jesus said, if you love me keep my commandments. John 14:15.

He repeated it again in John 14:21 KJV: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

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