Hello Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
This is my first post.  I’ve been reading the letters for a while, and receive a tremendous amount of encouragement from everyone.  I want to especially thank Randy for his letters.  I’ve seen many disagreements among the flock for years, about every issue under the sun...and this won’t change until we finally go home...but the one non-negotiable issue among the entire flock is the belief in the redemptive power of Jesus.  He is solely responsible for our salvation.  End of story...lest no man should boast.  I believe that anything we do only impacts the rewards we will receive, which is hard to reconcile considering that our works are like filthy rags...but praise God that He sees things much more clearly than I do, for we all most certainly look through a glass darkly.  I will always trust His sight and His understanding before my own.
 
I ran across an article discussing 1 John 5:4-8, which many use when discussing overcoming the world.  I submit it for your discernment.  (http://www.divineviewpoint.com/sane/dbm/setup/1stJohn/1Jno77.htm)
 
I know that this article also opens up a whole can of worms regarding the KJV.  There will always be contentions regarding different translations of the Bible.  Regardless of what everyone says, we know that God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit, and that His message can get through to us regardless of which translation we are reading.  I remember quite clearly that His word got through to me before I had paid any attention whatsoever to the Bible.  In fact, the Bible made no sense to me at all before I was saved and made a commitment to Jesus Christ.  Now it is my roadmap.  It’s amazing how God changed my entire perspective and way of thinking overnight.  Because of His guidance, I choose to disregard the contentious man-made debates over different translations, and will often read multiple translations when researching individual topics.  I don’t pick and choose, but read them all.  My Luke-like nature makes me gravitate toward a particular translation, but I recognize this and take it for what it’s worth.  I try to research the original Hebrew and/or Greek as well as the context, history, and audience of each passage.  I also have a tendency to try to overanalyze everything, which I continuously have to keep in check.  Praise God for the fruits of the Spirit, especially self-control.  Funny how even self-control is not our own doing, but that of the Holy Spirit within us.  The bottom line, however, is that answers about anything, including questions about specific Biblical texts, always comes after prayer and communion with God, and only if I don’t let myself get in the way.  It’s only after listening to God in prayer that I can be sure of anything.
 
Blessings in Christ,
 
Eric
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Welcome to the Doves, Eric!
John