Cassie L. Wilson

Learning to be the light

The Shepherd’s Rod: a tool of biblical correction?

Inside: a biblical examination of what the shepherd’s rod is and what it is not

I genuinely hope this post comes across seasoned with grace. I absolutely mean no harm to anyone, ever.

But this is a topic I have been simmering on for weeks. Seriously, I have had to ask several Christian friends their opinions and perspectives on this.

What’s the topic? 

The shepherd’s rod.

More specifically, how is the rod used? And is it biblically accurate to say it can be used to break the legs of the sheep?

Friends, the answers to my questions, and my own experiences have genuinely left me heartbroken.

We have to do better, church. 

The Shepherd’s Rod

I was not actually planning to write this post this soon. I had it in mind but planned to post it in the spring. However, it seems there are several more people out there with the same questions about the shepherd’s rod that I had.

Take this Twitter thread, for example. 

And so, I knew it was time to make the post. 

The Purpose of the Shepherd’s Rod in Bible Times

A shepherd’s purpose is to care for and protect his or her flock from predators. In today’s times, shepherds have it much easier because of the invention of modern-day technology. But historically, a shepherd would have used a rod to aid their sheep herding duties.

In Bible times, shepherds used the rod to:

  • Scare away predatory animals 
  • Count sheep
  • Closer examine a sheep’s wool and skin
  • Mark the sheep with dye
  • Gently guide or push sheep back into the appropriate path 

Biblically, Psalm 23:4 famously says, “thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.”

Which is a good indication of what the spiritual rod is supposed to be for Christians, a thing of comfort and protection.

So, dear reader, why have so many Christians been taught to believe the rod is used for heavy correction? As in the shepherd’s rod can be used to break the legs of wandering or misbehaving sheep?

Why were we taught this line of thinking when real shepherds know if they break the legs of one of the precious members of their flocks, they would essentially be leaving their sheep for dead?

The shepherd's rod | Cassie L Wilson - learning to be the light

Psalm 23:4 does not say, “thy rod and thy staff, they break me.”

Is the spiritual rod really meant to comfort? Or can it be used to wound?

These are the question that sent me down a research rabbit hole. 

The Shepherd’s Rod of Correction 

It seems many of us have been taught those within a position of authority can use the rod to break the legs of a sheep. 

When we think about this in spiritual terms, this line of thinking essentially translates to those within a position of authority hold the biblical right to correct members of their congregation by any means necessary– including hurting and wounding them both spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. 

Should a shepherd break the legs of the sheep?

The thought of the shepherd breaking the legs of the sheep is supposed to be combined with the idea of the shepherd nurturing the wounded sheep and bringing it back to health. As the sheep heals from its inflictions, he or she will form a more trusting bond with the one that broke them.

During this time of healing, the wounded sheep is supposed to learn to trust the shepherd and know his voice and commands. 

However, let’s think about this line of thinking in terms of parenting for a second, okay? 

For example, a parent has a child that is prone to wandering off in a store. Clearly, this is a huge safety issue, as anyone with bad intentions could snatch the kid up and kidnap him. But, instead of the parent taking loving measures to ensure the child’s safety, such as holding his hand and guiding him through the store, the parent takes the child home and beats him. The parent uses some kind of rod to beat the child until his leg is broken. At that point, the child cannot walk, accomplishing the parent’s goal: keep the kid from wandering.

Sounds kind of like misconstrued thinking, right? 

That’s because it is. 

No sane person would think this is a good way to parent a child. Not only is it illegal, but it is highly abusive. 

So, why has this same concept been applied to Christian teaching? Why has the rod gone from a symbol of comfort and protection to one of heavy-handed correction?

Using a rod to beat down a fellow brother or sister in Christ with the intent to wound them to keep them in line is not loving correction.

It is abuse. And it is wrong.

Is It Biblical?

Very rarely have I seen this concept play out with the shepherd nursing the wounded sheep back to health. Instead, the wounded sheep are often left to fend for themselves. They’re expected to pick up their broken pieces and fall back into line. If not, they can be sure more “loving correction” is coming. 

But what happens when a wounded sheep (I’m talking about real animals here) lags behind or lies about?

They become easy prey for predators if the shepherd doesn’t slaughter the wounded sheep first.

And wounded Christians?

Also, easy prey for the predator of our souls, considering the Bible does say in 1 Peter 5:8 the devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

I know at this point you might be thinking, “But Cassie. There are scriptures to back up the rod of correction. And sometimes those in authority need to correct a flock member.”

And I will agree with you. 

There are clear and unfortunate occurrences when a person within a position of authority must correct a congregation member. 

But in those times, leadership must be careful. Leadership needs to be sure their fellow brother or sister in Christ has clearly broken an actual commandment before making any kind of accusation. 

And not only that, but leadership must also be careful to follow Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 18:15-20 on the proper way to handle such situations. Especially if the thing that needs “correcting” isn’t even a primary biblical principle. 

Jesus, The Good Shepherd

If we look at John 21, we see Jesus instructing Peter to take care of His sheep. Jesus did not tell Peter to beat His sheep with the shepherd’s rod. Instead, Jesus instructed Peter to feed the lambs and the sheep and to watch out for them.

He wanted Peter to care for His flock just as He did. He wanted Peter to love them, encourage them, and guide them.

Just as Jesus did.

Nowhere in John 21 do we find Jesus asking Peter to wound or offend sheep to keep them in line. I’m convinced Jesus is too loving to intentionally wound us spiritually like that. 

In fact, we know Jesus is too loving to do something like that because He tells us He is. His parable of the Lost Sheep (found in Matthew 18 and again in Luke 15) tells us Jesus rejoiced over finding the lost one. He did not beat the sheep into submission for the punishment of being out of line. 

Instead, He joyfully carried it back to the fold. 

Not only does Jesus not beat the sheep with the rod, but if you read all of Matthew 18, particularly Matthew 18:6, He also warns us not to intentionally or needlessly offend others.

How do those with the shepherd’s rod intentionally offend, you ask?

By guilting, shaming, manipulating, and humiliating. 

Guilting, shaming, manipulating, and humiliating is not loving and leading, friend. 

Read that again and really let it sink in.

Leave the Correction to God

I am not entirely sure why this concept of the shepherd’s rod being used to wound the sheep has been taught in so many churches, although I have my suspicions. That’s a whole other future blog post.`

You might even be tempted to say that Hebrews 12:4-11 justifies a person within a position of authority using the spiritual rod to correct his congregation, but, dear reader, it does not. 

Hebrew 12:4-11 mentions God correcting his sons and daughters, not anyone else. We can be sure that while God’s discipline might not feel good at the time, it is necessary and will be used for our good and our spiritual growth.

Friend, it is not our place to pass judgment and punishment onto others. When we do that, we essentially pluck the rod right out of the Good Shepherd’s hands and try to do His job for him.

When we try to be God, we really make a mess of things– including turning others away from the Lord completely. 

We are called to be a light, not a harm

It grieves my heart to know so many of us have been taught this line of thinking. And it bothers me even more that so many of us have also been victims of the rod. Especially when it was never intended to be used in that way. 

Spiritual abuse is a very real thing.

Friends, we have to do better. We simply cannot get by with parroting the same questionable ideas we’ve heard for years without taking a hard look at the scripture to find the biblical foundation of these ideas. Some of these ideas, like this one, are extremely harmful.

We’re called to guide and love, friends. Let’s leave the rod of correction in Jesus’ hand and do our best to simply be a light. 

Shine bright.

Love, Cassie

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Encouragement: Strengthen That Which Remains

Inside: encouragement to strengthen that which remains

Writing a new blog post almost feels like I’m blowing the dust off my blue ukulele (that I absolutely bought during the start of the Pandemic, don’t judge) to start practicing chords again.

It’s weird.

And just a fair warning, this post and the ones coming in the near future will probably be extremely raw and honest. Because, as my reader, I want to be nothing but honest with you.

Deep breath. Here we go.

Let your friends guide you to the Light

Churching has been hard lately.

Like, really. hard.

It’s been hard for a multitude of reasons that I won’t go into in this post, but I will eventually. I have a feeling there are others out there that probably need to hear what I have to say, and I’m hoping you, dear reader, will find some encouragement through these posts, too.

During times like these, when it seems that you can’t be the light to someone, much less see the Light yourself, it’s helpful to have a circle of good, Christian friends you can lean on.

(I am extremely grateful for my circle of people; if you’re reading this, thank you for always being there.)

You need Christian friends that let you ask questions. Friends that will fight for you. Encourage you. And care enough to lift your name up in prayer.

You need friends that will send you links to sermons that they know will be exactly what you need to hear.

My friend, Tina, is one of those people. Earlier in the week, she sent me the sermon her pastor preached at her church concerning the Church of Sardis (you can find this in Revelation 3).

The half-dead church of Sardis

Tina’s pastor went on to preach about spiritually dead churches and the need for revival. If you’re a Bible reader, you know that the Church of Sardis was basically living on its past reputation. The Lord told them He knew of their past works, but just scooting by on what they did in the past wasn’t going to cut it in the future.

Encouragement to strengthen that which remains | Cassie L. Wilson- learning to be the light

Revelation 3:2 says, “Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.” (NASB)

I have been pondering this thought for a few days.

No, this post isn’t about the need for revival in our churches today.

Do we need that? Yes, yes we do. We do need a true revival.

But, this post is a little more personal than that.

The moment I started to worry

Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t see the Light because of all the fog? And no matter what you do or try to do, you just cannot get to the Light?

If you want a good, thick fog recipe, throw together discouragement, disappointment, and hurt. Then, sprinkle in a heavy dose of confusion.

Don’t even measure it, just mix it allllllll together.

I’ve been dealing with this unwanted fog for a while. Much longer than I care to admit.

If you’ve been a regular reader of my blog, you know Bible study is something I did a lot. I was the one encouraging you to read the Word, pray, let go, and let Jesus guide you.

But, it got to the point (and this is when I started to really worry) I felt I couldn’t even do any of that for myself. There was no way I would be able to sit down at my laptop and try to encourage someone else to do what I couldn’t.

It felt like my prayers were being manipulated and that God wouldn’t hear me because of some “wrong” I had done. “Wrongs” that were not sins, but were treated as such.

I felt like Jesus had turned His back on me for these “wrongs” and probably would never come to my rescue ever again, must less take the time to listen to my prayers.

Believe me. I spent a lot of time just whispering, “Lord, help.” And that’s about as far as I’d get.

Jesus is our Helper

But, you know the thing about Jesus? He’s a lot more gracious, kind, and forgiving than some people make Him out to be. And He heard all those times I whispered, “Lord, please help.“

It’s been a different time (or a season, since we Christians like to call everything a ‘season’. Guilty.) compared to the nights I spent writing in my prayer journal and reading and taking notes in the Word.

Without getting into the thick of it in this post, maybe you’re sitting in the same seat I am.

Maybe you’re confused by things you’ve read or have been taught and you’re wondering exactly how it lines up with the scripture. Maybe, you’ve experienced a hurt so deeply, you don’t think you’ll ever come back from it. Or, maybe you’re carrying around a weight that isn’t yours to carry.

Strengthen the things which remain

Reader, lemme tell you something. When you get to the place where you can start to push all that stuff aside and come out of the fog: strengthen the things which remain.

Study the Word for yourself. Hold on to the things you know to be true, honest, and good. And find good, Christian friends that will encourage and support you as you lay down the things holding you back and rebuild upon the Cornerstone that remains.

You don’t have to suffocate from the fog.

But do you know the thing about fog?

The fog eventually lifts when the sun (and you know I mean, the Son) shines.

And He is always shining.

Love, Cassie

Legalism: There’s No Place for it in the Church

Inside: legalism and its effects on the Church 

“What is your story?”

That’s the question the Pastor posed to the congregation last Sunday during his sermon.

As a Christian, hopefully, you can look back on your life and clearly see how God was at work directing and guiding you through life’s difficult moments. I know I can look back on parts of my life and confidently say, “Yep, that was God.”

But, do you know something else about my story? 

There are parts of it littered with legalism and its nasty effects.

Legalism ain’t it, yall, and here’s why.

What is legalism?

Some of my readers may be very familiar with the term “legalism.” But, if you’re not, I like how Laura Petherbridge puts it: “Legalism — a perversion of holiness that masquerades as morality — can look and feel godly, respectable, virtuous, and beneficial.”

In other words, legalism is strict adherence to the law. 

In many church circles, though, that does not necessarily mean strict adherence to just the Word of God. Instead, in some movements, it includes following a list of extra-biblical standards. 

Extra-biblical Standards

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, extra-biblical standards might look like:

  • Women never cut their hair
  • Women only wear their hair up or down, depending on the church
  • Women only wear skirts, never pants (and there are restrictions on the types of skirts, too, in some churches. Knee length or longer. No splits.)
  • Cannot wear athletic skirts with leggings longer than the hem of the skirt
  • Never wear the color red
  • Not wearing t-shirts with logos or writing on the front, especially in the pulpit
  • Not wearing watches or jewelry
  • Not wearing a wedding band or engagement ring
  • Not owning or watching a television
  • No cosmetics
  • No facial hair on men
  • Not attending sporting events or other “worldly” functions, like going bowling or the movies 
  • Strictly only reading the KJV Bible
  • Not associating with people outside of the Church 
  • Not remarrying after divorce, even if there is a biblical right to do so

When a person follows strict lists like these, it may look like “holiness” and “righteousness”, but is it really?

Or is it just performing to stay in the good graces of the lawgiver (which, usually isn’t Jesus)?

Sure, there might be some biblical backing for some of these extra-biblical rules. But, more often than not, the scriptures used to back up these standards are often a stretch or sorely misinterpreted. 

Reader, let me be clear: there is nothing wrong with personally following these rules yourself. 

However, it becomes a problem (otherwise known as legalism) when leadership enforces these types of rules on a congregation and implies salvation is tied to how closely someone can follow those extra-biblical standards.

Why is legalism harmful?

Let me say this again for good measure: if you feel like you must live by these rules to stay on the straight and narrow, that is fine. 

But, when these rules are enforced, used to control the congregation, or are used as a measuring stick of one’s salvation, we’re stepping right into the bounds of legalism.

Oftentimes, if a member of a legalistic congregation is not following the standards as they should, according to leadership, or they happen to disagree with a standard after careful study of the Word, they are threatened with removal from their ministry position and referred to as a “compromiser”.

And, that, my friend, is harmful because it is not compromising if scripture does not back it up.

Not only is it harmful, but legalism also breeds perfectionism, superiority, and judgment. 

Perfectionism

I know what you’re thinking, reader, especially if you’re well aware of extra-biblical standards. “But, we’re supposed to be perfect like the Lord. The Word says that. And this helps keep us separate from the world and in line with Christ.”

Friend, yes, scripture does say in Matthew 5:48, “Therefore ye shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

But, that scripture does not mean you will be made perfect by following extra-biblical standards. In the context of Matthew 5:48, it means you will be perfect if you reflect the attitude of Christ and love your enemies and your neighbors. (See Matthew 5:43-48 for further reading.)

Giving up more things and living more strictly to appear holy and perfect is not how one receives or keeps salvation. Friend, that is straight-up legalism and it’s exhausting. 

Superiority 

Legalism can also bring about an attitude of superiority, too. For example, those who pride themselves on strictly following extra-biblical standards may feel as if they are superior, or better than, other Christians who do not follow those standards.

Legalism: does it really have a place in the church? | Cassie L. Wilson - learning to be the light

Even worse, they may look down on someone who so desperately needs to hear about the Gospel of Grace simply because they’re different or dressed differently.

How will we ever reach the lost, if we feel this way?

Judgment

When it comes to legalism, superiority and judgment go hand in hand.

If one feels superior, they’ll likely take on the role of judge and jury, too. Meaning, they will harshly judge and criticize someone else’s salvation for not strictly adhering to the same rules they do.

This can look like claiming other churches (whether in the same denomination or not) are preaching falsities and are on their way to Hell because they do not follow the same list of standards. 

Or, it can be excluding a new congregation member from a ministry position because they have not adhered to the standards quickly enough, even though they clearly love the Lord and are trying their best. 

This kind of judgment will squash the enthusiasm of a new heart in Christ faster than anything else. And, if we’re not careful, it can turn a heart from Christ completely. 

What does Jesus say about legalism?

I really cannot stress this enough: holding yourself to a higher standard is fine if your heart is in the right place and you’re not requiring others to follow or judging them for not doing so. 

If we don’t watch out, legalism can give us a false sense of salvation– holy on the outside, but downright rotten on the inside. 

Jesus even warned us against this in Matthew 23:25-28.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but the inside they are full of robbery and self indulgence. 

You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 

So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Matthew 23:25-28 (NASB)

Friend, when we follow a list of extra-biblical standards, it’s easy to judge, shame, and criticize others who do not.

I know this because at one point in my life, I strived to be the perfect Christian. I took the phrase “You are the only Bible some people will read” to heart. Even while trying to be the perfect Christian and following the standards as best as I could, oftentimes, it still was not enough. There was always some other standard or expectation I was not meeting, in one way or another. On the flip side of that, I became critical and judgemental of others who were not following the same extra-biblical standards as I was. Surely those people weren’t real Christians, right?

But the thing about Bible is this: it is a collection of stories about perfectly imperfect people.

Jesus still loved them enough to die for their sins and God still used them, even when they failed miserably.

Stepping away from legalism

I am learning now that there is no grace in an attitude like that. There is no freedom, only condemnation— of others and of myself.

Salvation is not condemnation.

After this post, I am sure there will be comments of “She’s a compromiser” or “She’s backsliding.” But, that’s just not the case at all.

I am learning to look to the scripture for all things. And, I have learned being holy does not necessarily mean following a strict list of extra-biblical rules or requiring others to do the same. Instead, it means following the Word of God and loving others as He has asked us to do. That includes loving others right where they are, no strings attached. 

Galatians 5:13 tells us, “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.” (NASB)

And Romans 8:1-4 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (ESV)

Love, not legalism

Friend, we are not called to judge others by our own set of standards. Stripping others of opportunities to work in ministry, serve the Lord, or even come to better know Christ because they have chosen to follow the Word and not extra-biblical standards is essentially booting God off the throne and putting ourselves right in the judgment seat.

And, my friend, that is not our place. 

We have to do better– for ourselves, our friends, and most importantly, for those who do not yet know Christ.

There’s really no way around it.

Love, Cassie

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KJV Only: The Only Accurate Bible Translation?

Inside: why I am open to different Bible translations and no longer KJV Only

I fully realize this post may be dipping my toes into a more controversial territory than I am used to. But hear me out first, okay?

I mean no disrespect to anyone, ever.

And truthfully, finding a Bible translation to study, read, and, more importantly, comprehend should never be a point of contention for anyone. But nevertheless, Christians will argue one side of the KJV Only debate up one side and down the other for various reasons. And to that, I say, to each their own. 

At one point, I was a KJV Only kind of person, too. That is, until about two years ago.

But things are different now, and here’s why.

KJV and a Religion Class from College

Time to take a tiny trip down memory lane for a second.

Way back in my college days, I had to take a class that was supposed to be a literary study of the Book of John. It ended up being more like a mix of a literary study, a religious study, and a good, ol’ fashioned debate. 

I’m not one to debate much of anything, and more often than not, the class ended up in a debate about fundamental and core beliefs. There were a couple of reasons I was not a giant fan of this class. Debating was a major reason and the fact that I had to purchase the NASB translation of the Bible as the required text for the course.

My thinking was: I already had a perfectly good KJV Bible. I (and I admit, in my limited knowledge of Bible translations) was adamant it was the only version worth reading. Every other translation had added “stuff” to it, or key scripture was removed. Or, so I thought.

When I brought this point up to my very kind professor, he gently pointed out that if I wanted to read the scripture exactly as it was written, I needed to learn Greek and Hebrew to read the original texts.

*Gasp*. How rude. (Even though there was no hint of rudeness at all in his tone.) 

At the time, I dismissed his comments and did what I needed to do to pass the class: read the NASB as the textbook. When I tell you I felt like a sinner, I mean that. The NASB was not the KJV translation. I had grown up believing the KJV was the only translation worth reading, and reading something else felt extremely wrong.

It wasn’t until about two years ago that I fully understood what my professor meant.

Where does the KJV fall on the Bible translation chart?

Did you know the King James Version of the Bible was originally released in 1611? 

According to Britannica, in 1604, King James I commissioned a group of about 54 men to translate the original manuscripts of the Word to Common English (which is known today as the King’s Engish. You know, with the “thee” and “thou”).  Seven years later, the KJV was published.

Is the KJV a bad translation of the holy texts?

No. No, it is not.

In fact, according to Bible Gateway, it is a pretty close word-for-word translation of the original texts.  Bible Gateway ranks the KJV translation as the 6th top word-for-word translation.

Bible translation chart

So, what’s my issue with the KJV, and why am I no longer KJV Only?

KJV Only? Or Should I Consider Other Translations? 

Technically, there is no inherent problem with the KJV. (Although some scholars will say otherwise.) If the KJV is the version you know, love, and understand, great!

Personally, though, the King’s English is hard for me to comprehend. It is not very modern, and no one I know speaks this way anymore. If we’re being honest, not even Jesus himself spoke like that.

If I am still honest with you, I have struggled with not fully comprehending the scriptures for a while. Not fully understanding what I was reading made it somewhat difficult to “study to show myself approved” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Is the KJV the only accurate Bible translation? | Cassie L. Wilson - learning to be the light

I wrestled with the idea of even considering branching out and looking at other translations. After all, I had been taught KJV is the only, true translation.

But, is it?

The answer is no.

According to the handy chart of Bible Gateway, there are five other Bible translations that are closer to word-to-word compared to the KJV. 

As I studied the chart, I understood why my professor was adamant about using the NASB for the religion class. Besides the Interlinear translation (which doesn’t seem as readily available? Maybe I am wrong? Someone let me know if I am about this.), the NASB is at the top of the chart.

Another perk of the NASB and more modern translations? They are written in today’s common English. Meaning no “thee”, “thou”, or verbs that end with “-eth”.

Is the KJV Comprehensible?

If you didn’t know, reader, I teach Spanish as a second language. Since I started teaching nearly five years ago, comprehensible input is a topic I have intensely studied. 

Without nerding out on you about it, comprehensible input means delivering comprehensible chunks of language to produce an intelligible output. Basically, if the student understands what I am speaking to them in Spanish, they will eventually begin to pick up on the language and speak it, too.

It’s a fascinating concept that I’ve seen in action over and over.

But the more I thought about Bible study, the more I realized the same concept applied.

If I did not fully understand the scriptures, how could I live a Christian life as Jesus intended? And how could I spread the Gospel or confidently answer questions about my faith?

So, what did I do? 

I bought Zondervan’s NIV/KJV/NASB/Amplified Parallel Bible. 

I chose this Bible because the NASB is the 2nd ranked word-for-word translation. The Amplified Version is is third highest-ranked word-for-word translation. And the KJV is the 6th-ranked word-for-word translation.  The NIV falls smack in the middle of the chart between word-for-word and thought-for-thought.

This particular study Bible contains all four versions of the Word under one cover. Each page features two columns, and laying flat, the reader can compare the same scriptures from all four versions of the Word.

Imagine my complete and utter shock when I read a somewhat confusing scripture from the Old Testament in the King James Verison but then read the three other translations that used different words (the same across each of the three translations) that made sense. Suddenly, I wondered which other scriptures I had misunderstood because I did not fully understand the KJV.

(If you’re interested in this study Bible, Christianbooks.com actually has it cheaper than Amazon. But I think you might still have to pay shipping. So, do the math before you make a purchase to save some dollars, y’all. And none of these links are affiliate links, just FYI for good measure.)

Study to Show Yourself Approved

I won’t lie to you. It took a bit to be fully comfortable consulting other versions of the Word. KJV Only was ingrained deep in my head.

But I wanted to understand the Word. I wanted to live the Word. 

I wanted to understand why I believed things the way I believed them. And I also wanted to know what was church tradition and what was the scriptural basis for those traditions. 

I think it comes to a point for all Christians where we need to not rely on what others have said but really dig into the Word and discover it for ourselves.

To help me understand, I had to branch out and consult other translations. I needed to do what Phillipians 2:12 says and work out my own salvation with fear and trembling. 

I needed to study, research, and learn for myself.

Pick a Translation that is Best for You

Don’t take this post as me saying ditch the KJV altogether. I am not saying that at all. 

In fact, these days, I still consult the KJV for my Bible study, but I also compare it with the NASB and the Amplified Version.

It’s a proven fact that language changes over time. Although language might change and words or phrases may be sent into retirement to never be uttered again (like, “cool beans”, who, but dinosaurs, says that these days? Kidding.), modern translations of the Word have been carefully translated to the current language, but the integrity and the meaning of scripture has not changed.

If the KJV works for you and you can understand it, great! Seriously, I mean that.

But if you’re like me and it goes over your head, don’t be afraid to branch out to other translations. Just be sure to do your research first.

You’re not doing anything wrong by wanting to study and understand the scriptures. Promise.

Shine bright!

Love, Cassie

P.S. If you like what you’re reading, subscribe to the mailing list. I won’t spam you, promise!

Why You Need to Be Confident in Your Calling from God

Inside: why you need to be confident in your calling from God

If you have browsed around my blog for any length of time, you know that I seem to write an awful lot about the call God puts on our lives.

I’m not entirely sure why this is the case. I guess because I want you, dear reader, to be confident in your call from God. I want you to be encouraged and go forth in faith and do what He has laid on your heart to do.

And I’ll be the first to tell you, friend, sometimes taking that first step of faith is hard.

It’s scary. It’s nerve wracking. And it can be downright paralyzing if you let fear get the best of you. (Which, by the way, is exactly what the enemy of our souls wants to happen. Not today, Satan. Not. today.)

If this is where you currently are, stuck in fear of your calling, take heart, my friend. You’re in good company.

But, you can’t stay there and here’s why.

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