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What Is King James ‘Onlyism’?

The phrase ‘King James Onlyism’ describes the heartfelt conviction of multitudes of Bible-believing Christians. Those who believe that God has preserved his words in English where anyone on the face of the earth can find them and read them maintain that the King James Version—the Authorized Version—is where they are preserved.

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The King James Bible

The phrase “King James Onlyism” describes the heartfelt conviction of multitudes of Bible-believing Christians. Those who believe that God has preserved his words in English where anyone on the face of the earth can find them and read them maintain that the King James Version—the Authorized Version—is where they are preserved. But this phrase also serves as a scornful epithet. Those who believe that God has not preserved his words in English where anyone on the face of the earth can find them and read them maintain that somewhere spread among two hundred different modern English translations is where they might be found, but that one must know Greek and Hebrew or have the help of scholars to know where they are and what they say.

King James Onlyism

There are two ways in which advocates of modern Bible versions use the term “King James Onlyism” as a term of derision: guilt by association and appealing to the King James translators. The first way is by associating the origin of or belief in the “King James Only” position with persons that some Christians consider to be unscholarly, out of the mainstream, or unorthodox. The second way is by saying that since the King James translators were not “King James Only,” then it obviously is not a position that a Christian should take.

It is a little late to use the guilt by association argument, given that the Authorized Version was the only version read for three centuries. And no Bible-believing Christian who knows anything about English Bible history teaches that the King James translators were “King James Only.” What, then, is the origin of “King James Onlyism”? Was it invented by some over-zealous modern defender of the Authorized Version? Hardly, for the origin goes back, not to the beginning of the “King James Only” movement in the twentieth century, but four hundred years earlier to King James (1566- 1625) himself.

To begin with, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth (reigned 1558-1603) there was a “Draft for an Act of Parliament for a New Version of the Bible” that begins: “An act for the reducinge of diversities of Bibles now extant in the Englishe tongue to one setled vulgar translated from the original.” Queen Elizabeth died in 1603 and King James VI of Scotland was crowned King James I of England. It was soon after, at the Hampton Court Conference in January of 1604, that the idea for the Authorized Version was born. On the second day of the conference, the Puritan, Dr. John Rainolds (1549-1607), proposed that a new translation of the Bible be undertaken. According to the “official” account by William Barlow (d. 1613), the dean of Chester, who was at the conference: “After that he [Rainolds] moved his majesty that there might be a new translation of the Bible, because those which were allowed in the reign of king Henry the Eight and Edward the Sixt were corrupt and not answerable to the truth of the original.” The king then “wished that some special paines should be taken in that behalf for one uniform translation, (professing that he could never yet see a Bible well translated in English, but the worst of all his majesty thought the Geneva to be,) and this to be done by the best learned in both the universities; after them to be reviewed by the bishops, and the chief learned of the church; from them to be presented to the privy councel; and lastly, to be ratified by his royal authority. And so this whole church to be bound unto it, and none other.”

Tobie Matthew (1546-1628), the bishop of Durham, wrote a letter while he was in attendance at the Hampton Court Conference to the archbishop of York in which he says that the Puritans insisted on “one only translation of the Bible to be authentical, and read in the church.” In a letter written by the king’s Scottish chaplain, Patrick Galloway (1551-1626), who was also at the Hampton Court Conference, to the presbytery of Edinburgh, written less than a month after the conference, there appears “A note of such things as shall be reformed.” Paragraph two, under the heading “OF DOCTRINE,” reads: “That a translation be made of the whole Bible, as consonant as can be to the original Hebrew and Greek; and this to be set out and printed without any marginal notes, and only to be used in all churches of England in time of divine service.”

In one of the four anonymous accounts of the Hampton Court Conference, supposedly favoring the Puritans, there is mention of the incident when Dr. Rainolds suggested the idea of a new translation to the king: “Secondly, amongst those things which concern purity of doctrine, he wished that the translation might be reformed, and one to stand as warranted for all. . . . Then the King freely gave assent that there should be one translation of the Bible consonant to the original Greek and Hebrew and set forth without note, for that some of them enforce a sense further than the text will bear.” In “A Note of Such Things as Shall be Reformed in the Church,” written soon after the Hampton Court Conference (and thought to be written by the bishop of London, Richard Bancroft [1544-1610]), fifteen items are listed. Number ten concerns the proposed new Bible: “One uniform translation of the Bible to be made, and only to be used in all the churches of England.”

Then, in a list of principal matters to be considered, which was also drawn up soon after the conference, the fourth reads: “That care be taken, that one uniform translation of the Bible be printed, and read in the church: and that without any notes.” After the Authorized Version was published in 1611, there were some things written by the translators that relate to the origin of “King James Onlyism.” In the “Epistle Dedicatorie” to the Authorized Version, the translators recounted the king’s actions at the Hampton Court Conference:

There are infinite arguments of this right Christian and Religious affection in Your MAIESTIE; but none is more forcible to declare it to others, then the vehement and perpetuated desire of the accomplishing and publishing of this Worke, which now with all humilitie we present unto Your MAIESTIE. For when Your Highnesse had once out of deepe judgment apprehended, how convenient it was, That, out of the Originall sacred tongues, together with comparing of the labours, both in our owne and other forreigne Languages, of many worthy men who went before us, there should be one more exact Translation of the holy Scriptures into the English tongue.

In the translators’ preface (“The Translators to the Reader”) they also stated:

Truly (good Christian Reader) we never thought from the beginning, that we should need to make a new Translation, nor yet to make of a bad one a good one, (for then the imputation of Sixtus had bin true in some sort, that our people had bene fed with gall of Dragons in stead of wine, with whey in stead of milke:) but to make a good one better, or out of many good ones, one principal good one, not justly to be excepted against, that hath bene our endeavour, that our marke.

After the publication of the Authorized Version, we can see references to it in the visitation articles issued by the bishops and others in the Church of England exercising ecclesiastical jurisdiction during the early Stuart Church. These references specify that it is the Authorized Version that is to be placed in the churches. The earliest such reference appears to be that found in the visitation articles of John King (1559-1621), who was bishop of London from 1611 to 1621. King refers in his 1612 visitation articles to “a large bible of the last edition.” Similar language can be found in many other sets of visitation articles, including the 1614 articles of Henry Cotton (d. 1615), bishop of Salisbury (“a bible of the largest volume, and last translation”), the 1619 articles of John Overall (1559-1619), bishop of Norwich (“the whole bible of the largest volume, and of the last translation”), the 1622 articles of William Laud (1573-1645), bishop of St. David’s (“the whole bible of the largest volume and latest edition”), and the 1622 articles of the aforementioned translator of the Authorized Version, Miles Smith, bishop of Gloucester (“the whole bible in English, of the largest volume and new translation lately set forth by his maiesties authoritie”). We continue to see the same thing after the death of King James in 1625; for example, the 1628 articles of John Howson (1557-1632), bishop of Oxford (“a bible of the largest volume and latest edition”), the 1635 articles of Matthew Wren (1585-1667), bishop of Hereford (“the whole bible in the largest volume of the last translation”), and the 1637 and 1640 articles of Robert Skinner (1590-1670), bishop of Bristol (“the bible of the new translation, lately set forth by the kings authority”).

The evidence is overwhelming that the origin of ‘King James Onlyism’ is therefore not some over-zealous modern defender of the Authorized Version, it is King James himself.

This article is an abridged version of essay ten in the collection of fifteen essays on the Authorized Version by Laurence M. Vance entitled King James, His Bible, and Its Translators. This book is available directly from Vance Publications. For more information go to www.vancepublications.com

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

Please continue to pray for us, and for wisdom for me especially, as we continue taking steps to print the NTEB branded King James Bible for our free Bible and Bibles Behind Bars program. It is exciting and intimidating at the same time. If the Lord has prospered your financially, we ask you to donate to help us continue to send out free Bibles at this level, and even higher than we are at the moment. It takes a lot of prayer, and a lot of resources to do all this. Praise the Lord we are doing it, all of us together, labouring in the Lord’s harvest field. TO THE FIGHT!!!

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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NTEB RADIO BIBLE STUDY: The Day Of The Lord And The Time Of Jacob’s Trouble Explained

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The Day of Christ and the Day of the Lord could not be more different, one shows you the Pretrib Rapture and the other Jacob’s Trouble

There is a reason why lost men mock Bible prophecy, and there is a reason why lukewarm Christians avoid preaching on the Day of the Lord. It is because the Day of the Lord strips away every refuge of lies, every fake peace plan, every apostate sermon, and every smooth-talking promise that man is going to fix this world and bring in some shining golden age. He is not. This world is not evolving upward, it is collapsing downward, and the Day of the Lord is God’s appointed answer to the rebellion of men and nations.

“Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.” Isaiah 13:6

On this episode of Rightly Dividing, for nearly 2,000 years in the Church Age, God has been extending mercy through the preaching of the gospel of the grace of God. He has been saving sinners by the blood of Jesus Christ, building the Body of Christ, and making a way of escape for anyone willing to come to Calvary. But mercy rejected does not mean judgment canceled. It means judgment delayed. And one day that delay ends. The Day of the Lord is that day. It is the day when the proud are brought low, when the nations are shaken, when the false christ, the false prophet, and the whole satanic system that has seduced the world are dragged into the blazing light of divine justice. Men today swagger across television screens and political stages as if they own tomorrow. They do not own the next breath in their lungs. The Day of the Lord is coming, and when it comes, every king, every banker, every general, every media propagandist, every Christ-rejecting celebrity, and every religious fraud will discover that God was not bluffing. Last week, we gave you the rundown on the Day of Christ and the Pretrib Rapture, tonight we give you everything you need to know about the Day of the Lord and the time of Jacob’s trouble.

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Study Helps And Links For Tonight’s Bible Study

• The BIBLE BELIEVERS Sunday Service

Every Sunday morning, from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM EST, we invite you to join us live and in-person at the Bible Believers Church here inside the NTEB Bookstore in Palatka where we lift up the Lord Jesus Christ in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, and preach a message from the pages of the King James Authorized Version Holy Bible.

OUR MOST RECENT SUNDAY SERVICE VIDEO: Don’t Look Back!


• The RIGHTLY DIVIDING Radio Bible Study

Every Sunday evening from 7:00 – 9:00 PM EST, we offer an in-depth rightly dividing and dispensationally correct rocket ride through the preserved word of God as found within the pages of the King James Holy Bible. 

  • SUNDAY NIGHT: Our original Sunday Night Radio Bible Study, it’s from 7:00 – 9:00 PM EST, and we have praise, singing, testimony and of 90-minute King James Bible study. All our King James bible study programs are archived here.

• The NTEB PROPHECY NEWS PODCAST Hour

Every Monday and Friday afternoons from Noon to 1:30 PM EST, we examine breaking news and current events  in light of bible prophecy. 

  • MONDAY AT NOON: Every Monday at Noon we review all the latest news and events related to bible prophecy, and examine what is happening in light of what is written. If you miss the live show, all of our Prophecy News Podcast programs are archived here.
  • WEDNESDAY: Every Wednesday we do our Midweek Update, to keep you informed of breaking news. Unlike the other two podcasts, this is a pre-recorded program.
  • FRIDAY AT NOON: Friday at Noon we review all the latest news and events related to bible prophecy, and examine what is happening in light of what is written. If you miss the live show, all of our Prophecy News Podcast programs are archived here.

Your Generous Donations Make These Live King James Radio Bible Studies Possible!

On our Sunday and Wednesday night radio bible study, we are preaching and teaching the gospel of the grace of God, rightly divided and dispensationally correct, to a truly global audience who is hungry for the word. These programs would not be possible without your generous support. Listen to just a few of the recent comments we have gotten:

  • I  thanked God for sending to your website in 2015 , I  live in the South of France near Nice and let me tell you here there isn’t any Bible Believing church at all, the sad reality of France is that is full of freemasons and Muslims. You came to me at the time I  was going to take my own life because of my job. You’re anointed person and I pray for you, family  and  ministry because you’re a blessing to all of us. May God bless you always. I know I’ll meet you in heaven one day. Lots of Love from your sister in Christ, Paula.
  • “Hi Geoffrey and staff, Today is my one year anniversary that I got saved on your podcast!  I am now a KJB only, I threw away my other two versions I had.  I was shocked to learn of the differences and how the new versions twist the words of God, and dilute the message at best. Thank you for the fabulous bible  education and fire for the Lord.  I donate on your website throughout the year.  Thanks for all that you do.” Donna
  • “I have been reading on NTEB for about 5 years and listening as I can to your services.  If I could list the encouragement, the doctrines, the awareness of what is coming (our blessed hope) but also the last days culture in which I live that you have taught me, this email wouldn’t fit in this letter. Because of you, I am a stronger more equipped soldier for Jesus Christ. Thank you sir for you, your ministry in my life. Faithful to the end because He lives in me.” Ruthie Dennis
  • “My name is Carl N from Mumbai, India. My wife Andrea and I have been ardent listeners of your Bible Study and news update podcasts from the very start of the lockdown last year. In fact we make it a point to share these links with our family and friends… many times getting into trouble, as the truth upsets people. We cannot even begin to tell you how this has changed our lives and walk with the Lord. Thank you so much for what you’ve been doing for the Kingdom!! We’ve even switched Bible translations to the KJV. For the last month or so, you’ve been speaking about making end times Bible study materials available. This got us really excited, as we’re eager to use these for our weekly house church group.” Carl N – Mumbai, India
  • “I listen to your podcasts often. Very enlightening and I’ve learned a lot. I’m Catholic and followed the Holy Bible throughout my life however, since listening to your podcasts, I’ve learned much more. I recently sent NTEB a small donation. I’d like to do so again in the future. I’ve also signed up for NTEB chatroom. Anyways, I have a downloaded version of KJB on my computer and I follow your Bible Study with my pdf version KJB. You have offered to send out printed version of KJB if requested. If not too much trouble, when you or your staff get the opportunity please send me a copy.” Kevin W – Frankfurt, Germany
  • Just wanted to let you know that your ministry is producing fruit. After listening to the studies and church on NTEB, I was motivated to write witness letters along with NTEB gospel tracks to friends from my hometown who I know are not saved. I sent two of the letters to former Catholic priests of mine….I attached the response from him urging me to read the book “Prove It!.” My wife and I have been placing your gospel tracks in different places we visit. This coming Sunday, I am hosting my first Bible study in my house with some people in our neighborhood. Tomorrow evening I have been given a chance to teach the lesson to our youth church group (our church is very Laodicean), and I am going to talk to the youth on end times. Thank you so much for your ministry and encouraging us to get something done for Jesus while we still can! Thomas B 
  • “The sole purpose of this email to you is to let you know how much we have been blessed by your amazing ministry/website. ‘We’ is my wife and I, in our early forties, 3 kids, professing, churchgoing, bible believing Christians in The Netherlands.  Since two months, I listen to your bible studies on Sunday evening, and since this week also to your prophecy podcast. I listen to them in the archives, because of the 6 hour time difference. The shofar and the blessing at 0:30 into the study never fails to make tears in my eyes. We are praying for you, we are praying for your voice, that it lasts in these incredible busy times for you. Listening to your podcasts, you seem to do it effortlessly, talking, scanning the chatbox for questions, diving into the texts, from Genesis to Revelation and everything in between, I love it when you realize after 1:30h into the study, actually a lot more subjects need to be addressed! Thank you for all your work and effort, you are doing an amazing job. Although it all seems effortlessly, I know it is not…Our faith is strengthened by your work and we are able to testify in a better way to the people around us!” Wouter D. van der Wiel – Netherlands
  • “Wanted to send you encouragement and thank you for all you are doing!! I’ve been reading from this website for about 5 years and I’ve been on this at least 10 times a day. It’s the most honest prophecy website in history. And you have ministered to me greatly. This lockdown has been amazing as God gets us unto himself and smooths out the paths for us. I was reading devotional from Kenneth Copeland and during that time you had really hit That ministries hard. I was not Word Faith but I was feeding off his teaching. During this time I have removed Kenneth Copeland I wanted to thank you for your exposure of his ministry. Holy Spirit is truly the leader of all truths. The bible study on Bill Gates was tremendous. And I had the same check in my spirit as you did. He’s the guy that gonna lead this one world revolution Amazing times we live in. I’m super excited and living in total victory and peace. Once again thank you for the time you put in your reward in heaven will truly be great. Looking forward to this coming week. My prayer tonight is this …Father send Your Son!! DG
  • Thank you oh so much for sound teaching. I am so thankful and blessed for clicking on your channel. I have been on your Facebook page since 2011 and never subscribed to you-tube channel until today. I loved the live recording of singing, what a delight to hear the joy of the Lord in the voices of the congregation. So wonderful to hear the part about Luke 12:36, that has made my eyebrows furrow when I read and therefore I have always steadfast to not leaning on my own understanding. May God continue to bless you, your family friends and loved ones. All Glory be to Jesus, my Saviour Redeemer and King, Amen.” Susan Anderson
  • Loved this teaching! Presented in a clear contextual manner that was easy to follow along. You connected the dots for me that had previously brought so much confusion, namely the 4th seal covenant, the 5th seal tribulation saints, and the 6th seal 2nd Coming of Christ AFTER the wedding of the Body/Bride of Christ IN HEAVEN. Wow, after 41 years since my being born again by the Holy Spirit in to the Body of Christ, I finally have the answers to end the confusion. What joy and peace has flooded my heart! Thank you for this encouraging teaching of the Word.” SB
  • “I am from Sri Lanka and listen to the radio Bible study every week.” Nihal Perera

Nothing thrills my soul like teaching the word of God, it is what the Lord called me to do 29 years ago, and Now The End Begins is the vehicle in which I am able to do it. How exciting it is to be able to teach the Bible to tens of thousands of people per year. Like I told you with the first post of 2020, I have dedicated myself now full-time to NTEB, and it is only through your generous support that such a thing is possible.

HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

Listen to what our donation angels have to say about the ministry of Now The End Begins

  • “You are truly an end time ministry and I appreciate how our Precious Lord is using you to educate his very own flock. There is a lot of confusion , but your ministry is putting scripture in the right prospective. Thank-you so so much Geoffrey S Grider for standing firm and putting in a lot of hours of your time. God Bless You , also your Ministry and your family. IN JESUS MIGHT NAME.” T. Muto
  • “Jesus. I am now 64 years old and never in all the years I’ve been a Christian was I able to grow in the Lord as much as I have in the last past year. All because of our blessed brother’s work Geoffrey Grider who as the bravery of standing fast forward without fear of claiming the truth of God by the power of his love in Jesus Christ. May God bless you abundantly to the end my dear brother… ROMANS: 8: 36,37,38” Mireille Anderson
  • “I met you at the car dealership earlier this year. We spoke briefly, then you handed me a card and told me to check out the website. You left. A few minutes later, you returned to tell me not to forget to look up the website. I told you…” I already did. I already subscribed.” In that short time we spoke, I experienced from you…a total stranger…peace, joy, kindness, gentleness, compassion, and love. I am convinced that God sent you to share the Good News that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. For that, and for the work you are doing for the Kingdom of God, I say…Thank you and God Bless You.” Sonia Merced
  • “I really enjoy the emails and Bible studies! I haven’t found a church and enjoy your services very much! Be blessed brother!” Marcia Mann
  • “You and your organization are on the front lines in the Battle For Truth…. current events, end times, and trying to awaken a sleeping laodicean Church. Thank you brother for fighting for us and all your teaching and insight God bless…” Daniel Cartrette
  • “I’m a KJB believer. We’re so close to being “caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. I have many lost family who don’t want the truth, including my husband & son. I’ve been banned from seeing my grandsons since I comforted the 4 1/2 year old with sharing Jesus loving the little children & telling him about the one who created him last he stayed overnight March 3rd. He was so excited to hear about Jesus! His dad (my son) was angry that I told him & wants me to apologize. I never will do so. If my own family won’t hear, I know there’s others searching for the truth. My heart grieves for all the lost who will spend eternity in hell if they reject the Lord Jesus Christ, the expectant hope of the world. He is not willing that any should perish. God bless your ministry, Geoffrey! (I continue to pass out your tracts & you’re on my prayer list!)” LouAnn Benham
  • “Love the Sunday night bible study. I want to support someone who has the passion for the lost like Geoffrey does and rightly divides the word of God. God bless you.” Teresa Carey
  • “I give because not many news outlets are brave enough or Godly enough to tell these stories from a Christian’s point of view. I see stories here that will not be seen anywhere else.” William Grayshaw

HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

STREET-TESTED NTEB GOSPEL TRACTS:

This is the official gospel tract of NTEB, used here on the streets of Saint Augustine and sent around the world as they are purchased through our website. We ask you to prayerfully consider supporting the work of Now The End Begins by purchasing a box of these full-color, high-quality gospel tracts. Thank you in advance!

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

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THE BIBLE BELIEVERS SUNDAY SERVICE: Don’t Look Back!

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Stop Longing For What Once Enslaved You And Start Rejoicing In Where God Is Taking You, Don’t Look Back!

The Bible is a Book that moves forward, not backwards. It was first written in Aramaic, then Hebrew, then in Greek and put into Old Syriac, Old Latin, Old German and finally in Old English. God pulls us forward into the light, Satan lurks in the shadows behind us, looking back puts us in the ring with the Devil. Staying there too long and we become bruised and bloodied in the battle. Today my message is ‘Don’t Look Back!’, and it’s a call to putting our eyes on Jesus Christ as He moves us forward here in these last days.

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (KJB)

SUNDAY SERVICE STUDY NOTES: Don’t Look Back!

Don’t Look Back!

1). Looking Back Shows a Divided Heart

Main Text

 “Remember Lot’s wife.” Luke 17:32 (KJB)

Supporting Text

 “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:26 (KJB)

Truth

Lot’s wife left Sodom with her body, but her heart was still tied to what God was judging. Looking back revealed inward attachment to a condemned world.

Application

A Christian can be outwardly separated and yet inwardly longing for the old life. God wants not just our feet moving forward, but our heart moving forward as well.

2). Looking Back Is Dangerous When God Has Called You Out

Main Text

“And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.” Genesis 19:17 (KJB)

Truth

The command not to look back was connected to survival. Sodom was under judgment, and hesitation in a place of judgment was deadly.

Application

When God delivers you from sin, worldliness, false religion, or compromise, you are not to linger over what He has called you to leave behind.

3). Looking Back Makes You Unfit for Effective Service

Main Text

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 (KJB)

Truth

A ploughman looking backward cannot plough a straight row. A backward glance in the Christian life destroys focus, direction, and usefulness.

Application

You cannot serve the Lord well while constantly longing for yesterday, revisiting old sins, old loves, old ambitions, or old defeats.

4). Looking Back Hinders Forward Growth

Main Text

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (KJB)

Truth

Paul teaches that spiritual progress requires forgetting the things behind and reaching toward the things ahead. The Christian life is a forward walk.

Application

Looking back at past failures can paralyze you. Looking back at past victories can puff you up. Either way, looking back keeps you from pressing toward the mark.

5). Looking Back Can Mean Longing for the Old Life of Bondage

Main Text

“And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Exodus 16:3 (KJB)

Supporting Text

“We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:” Numbers 11:5 (KJB)

Truth

Israel kept looking back to Egypt, forgetting the bondage and remembering only the pleasures. This is what the flesh does. It edits the memory and romanticizes what enslaved us.

Application

Many Christians do the same with the old life. They forget the chains and remember only the passing pleasures of sin.

6). Looking Back Reveals Unbelief in God’s Future Provision

Main Text

“And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:15-16 (KJB)

Truth

The saints in Hebrews 11 did not keep their minds fixed on what they left. They looked for something better ahead. Faith looks forward.

Application

To keep looking back is often a sign that we doubt God has something better before us than what lies behind us.

7). Looking Back Can Pull You Back Into Defilement

Main Text

“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” 2 Peter 2:20-22 (KJB)

Truth

Looking back often leads to turning back. What begins with a glance can end in entanglement.

Application

The Christian must guard his mind, affections, and desires, because the backward look can become a backward step.

8). Looking Back Distracts Us From Christ

Main Text

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (KJB)

Truth

The Christian race is not run by looking backward, inward, or sideways, but by looking unto Jesus.

Application

When your eyes leave Christ and drift back toward the world, the flesh, regret, bitterness, or nostalgia, your race will suffer.

9). Looking Back Keeps Old Things Alive That God Has Put Away

Main Text

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJB)

Supporting Text

“I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:15-19 (KJB)

Truth

God has made the believer a new creature in Christ. Constant backward living keeps old things on life support that God says are passed away.

Application

Stop building memorials to what God has already buried.

10). Looking Back Is the Opposite of Hope

Main Text

“Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.” Proverbs 4:25 (KJB)

Supporting Text

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:1-2 (KJB)

Truth

The Christian life is built on hope, expectation, and forward vision. We are not camped in the ruins of the past. We are heading toward Jesus Christ, the judgment seat of Christ, and home.

Application

A backward Christian is usually a discouraged Christian. A forward-looking Christian is a hopeful Christian.

Practical Areas Where Christians Look Back

  1. Past sins

The devil wants you chained to forgiven things.

  1. Past wounds

Bitterness keeps your face turned toward old pain instead of future grace.

  1. Past successes

Living on yesterday’s victories produces present-day barrenness.

  1. Former worldly pleasures

The flesh loves to make Egypt look better than it was.

  1. Old relationships and attachments

What God removed from your life does not need to be resurrected.

What Happens When We Stop Looking Back

  1. We walk by faith

2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJB) “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

  1. We grow in maturity

Forward motion is the mark of spiritual health.

  1. We become useful to God

A fixed eye makes a straight furrow.

  1. We gain victory over the flesh

Forward focus weakens backward cravings.

  1. We finish well

The Christian life is not about how you started, but how you finish.

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24 (KJB)

Closing Challenge

  • Lot’s wife looked back and died in judgment.
  • Israel looked back and wandered in defeat.
  • Paul refused to look back and pressed toward the prize.

The lesson is plain: what God has called you out of is not worth turning around to admire. The world behind you is under judgment, but the glory ahead of you is in Jesus Christ. Keep your eyes forward.

“Remember Lot’s wife.” Luke 17:32 (KJB)

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

 

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A Combined Drone And Missile Attack From Iran Incredibly Pierced American Air Defenses Resulting In 12 US Troops Wounded And 2 Possibly Dead

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While Trump Says The War Is Going Well, 12 American Troops Are Wounded In Saudi Arabia By Iran Strike As Middle East Burns Hotter Still

There is a very hard, very uncomfortable truth staring America in the face tonight, and no amount of White House spin can make it go away. If the war is “going well,” then why are American troops bleeding on a U.S. base in Saudi Arabia? On Friday, March 27, 2026, an Iranian strike on Prince Sultan Air Base wounded 12 U.S. service members, with 2 seriously injured, and also damaged American aircraft. That is not the picture of a war moving smoothly toward some neat and orderly conclusion. That is the picture of a widening conflict that is still very much alive and still very, very dangerous.

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Matthew 24:7,8 (KJB)

And this stands in stark opposition to the way President Trump has been talking about the war. Publicly, Trump has projected confidence, declaring Iran “obliterated,” while his administration has pushed the line that Tehran’s military capability has been badly crippled. At the same time, Trump has also said negotiations are “going very well,” presenting the conflict as though it is being steadily brought under control. But the missiles falling on American forces tell another story entirely.

Let’s say it plainly: you do not measure victory by press statements; you measure it by realities on the ground. And the reality on the ground is that Iran still has enough reach, enough hardware, and enough operational capability to strike a major American installation in Saudi Arabia and put U.S. troops in the hospital. The Washington Post reported that even after extensive U.S.-Israeli strikes, Iran still retains a potent arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones. That means the administration’s narrative of decisive control is colliding head-on with battlefield reality.

This was also not some isolated fluke. Prince Sultan Air Base had already been struck earlier in the conflict, including a March 1 attack that later resulted in the death of Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington. So what we are looking at is not a one-off embarrassment, but a pattern. The base remains vulnerable, and American personnel remain exposed. That matters, because every time officials suggest the threat is fading, another strike reminds everyone that the enemy still has teeth.

That is why the messaging coming out of Washington rings hollow. If Trump says the war is going well, and if administration officials say Iran has been neutralized, then how exactly do we explain more wounded Americans, damaged aircraft, expanding regional attacks, and now even broader instability involving actors like the Houthis? You cannot call it under control while the war keeps spilling into new theaters and fresh casualties keep piling up. We are being lied to on a daily basis, and it is time for the American people to rise up and demand accountability from our elected leaders before it’s too late.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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