Is the LSB a money making Translation?

If you have followed me for some on social media and on this blog, you would know that I use the Legacy Standard Bible for the past few years. There have many that made the switch such as myself but there are others that think it is only here to make money.

In this video, Justin Peters interview Abner Chou and William Varner, two of the translators of the LSB. They are going to discuss how it came about and address if it is around only to make a profit.

Jonny Ardavanis: Transforming & Sustaining Grace

Do We Become Angels When We Die?

 Angels have always been an interesting subject especially around the time when the hit TV show, "Touched by an Angel" was on the air. There have been many discussions about them including whether or not each individual person as a guardian angel.

One question that does come up from time to time is whether or not we, human beings in general, become angels when we die. I am really not sure what has led people to ponder this question., but I do know some people, including Christians, believe we are going to become angels especially after we have done enough good in the world. 

Does the Bible have anything to say on this? As a matter of fact, it does.

First, angels are servants to those who receive salvation: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14). Those who inherit salvation are those who have put their faith and trust in Christ

Second, Jesus is the only Begotten Son of God made in the likeness of His brothers to become our High Priest and make propitiation for our sins (see Hebrews 1 and 2). 

Third, angels are not sparred when they sin: For if God did not spare angels who sinned, but cast them into the pit and delivered them to chains of darkness, being kept for judgment (2 Peter 2:4).

Fourth, Christians will judge the angels: Does any one of you, when he has a case against another, dare to be tried before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not worthy to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? (1 Corinthians 6:1-3).

Fifth, Jesus said, "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10). There is rejoicing when a sinner repents in the presence of angels meaning those who repent will not become angels.

Sixth, angels will not experience salvation: It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been declared to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look (1 Peter 1:12).

Seventh, "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight—we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). Saints who depart this life are at home with the Lord and do not be transformed into angels.  

Finally, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18). Christians are being transformed into the likeness of Christ not angels. 

Will we become angels when we die? Biblically speaking, no. 

Joel Beeke: Christ Builds His Church

This message is from the Coram Deo Conference 2025 at Trinity Bible Church in Morgan Hill, CA:

Book Review: A Heart Aflame for God by Matthew C Bingham

The Bible says we are to guard our heart (Proverbs 4:23), workout our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), and grow in the grace of the Lord Jesus (2 Peter 3:18), however there some Christians that might look at this and say it sound like we are trying to maintain our salvation because we can lose it.

We are saved by grace through faith, yet we are to make every effort to grow in our walk with Christ. There are some good materials out there that are helpful while others not so much. 

What about getting practical ideas from those who have gone before us, like the Puritans, that can assist us in growing spiritually. To help us grow in that grace of Christ 2 Peter 3:18 addresses. This is what Matthew Bingham addresses in his book, A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation.

Bingham looks at Puritan Piety for how modern Christians can grow in their faith not as a means to gain salvation but as a result of their salvation. Growing in grace is the proper response for all believers. Bingham addresses how the Puritans used scripture, meditation, and prayer as spiritual disciplines. 

One area I really appreciated from Bingham was the area of self-examination. Self-examination may seem like doubting your salvation to some, but it is really not. What Bingham is writing about is we need to examine ourselves to fight against the indwelling sin that is in us. We need to see where our blind spots are at times and that requires examining ourselves. The result of this should lead us to, as Bingham writes, confession, repentance, and a renewed sense of gospel assurance. 

There are some that think that spiritual disciplines are a more modern approach to grow in the faith. I am thankful that Bingham wrote this book showing how the Puritans grew in their faith and that spiritual disciplines are not a new concept. 

I received this book from Crossway in exchange for an honest review.

Justin Peters: Christ Protects His Church

This message is from the Coram Deo Conference 2025 at Trinity Bible Church in Morgan Hill, CA:

Ken Ham on Genesis 1-11

This message is from the 2022 Truth Matters Conference.

Brad Klassen on the Aseity of God

Hensworth Jonas Preaching on the Elect

Darrell Harrison: Christ Unites His Church

This message is from the Coram Deo Conference 2025 at Trinity Bible Church in Morgan Hill, CA:

True Spiritual Worship

This is a point of vast importance and one that every professing Christian should look fairly in the face. Too many are apt to cut the knot of all difficulties about the subject before us by referring to their own feelings.

They will tell us that they are not theologians, that they do not pretend to understand the difference between one school of divinity and another.

But they do know that the worship in which they take part makes them feel so much better, that they cannot doubt it is all right. Some thoughts:

1. True spiritual worship will affect a man's heart and conscience. It will make him feel more keenly the sinfulness of sin, and his own particular personal corruption. It will deepen his humility. It will render him more jealously careful over his inward life. False public wor-ship, like liquor drinking and opium eating, will every year produce weaker impressions. True spiritual worship, like wholesome food, will strengthen him who uses it, and make him grow inwardly every year.

2. True spiritual worship will draw a man into close communion with Jesus Christ Himself. It will lift him far above churches and ordinances and ministers. It will make him hunger and thirst after a sight of the King. The more he sincerely hears and reads and prays and praises the more he will feel that nothing, but Christ Himself will feed the life of his soul and that heart communion with Him is food indeed and drink indeed.

3. True spiritual worship will continually increase the holiness of a man's life. It will make him every year more watchful over tongue and temper and time and behavior in every relation of life. The true worshiper's conscience becomes annually more tender. The false worshipers become annually more seared and more hard.

This is the worship that comes down from heaven and has the stamp and seal and superscription of God.

Adapted from Our Great Redeemer: 365 Days with J. C. Ryle

Voddie Baucham on the Rise of LGBT & CRT in the Church

Brad Klassen on the Knowability of God

Manny Pereira: The Bride of Christ

This message is from the Coram Deo Conference 2025 at Trinity Bible Church in Morgan Hill, CA:

Book Review: Out of Formation by Gary E Gilley

There is nothing to mature in your faith nor wanting to be disciplined in the faith. However, there are some practices that have crept into the church that have come from questionable source. Some have accepted them as Christian because it has the endorsement of popular Christian authors including those who preach. In his book, Out of Formation: The Infiltration of the Spiritual Formation Movement and Its Impact on Evangelicalism, Gary Gilley breaks down the modern Spiritual Formation movement and shows us true spiritual formation from the Word of God.

In the first part of the book, Gilley addresses the history of the modern Spiritual Formation movement and who supports it. He mentions that this movement focuses more on the individual's experience rather than the Biblical truth. It is more philosophical than Biblical. A lot of the "disciplines" from the modern Spiritual Formation movement are based on the teaching of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy which are not Christian dominations. Both of these religions teach mysticism. 

Gilley addresses the "disciplines" of the modern Spiritual Formation movement that have not Biblical support such as Contemplative Prayer and Lectio Divina. He even dives into what the charismatics and other religions believe about worship, prayer, and fasting. He also shares those in this movement believe that God speaks outside of the Bible and does not question it. Those involved in the modern Spiritual Formation movement have no discernment and they do not encourage it to their followers. 

In the second half of the book, Gilley into true discipline in the Christian life. Those are speaking to God in prayer. Laying our requests to Him while giving Him praise. Second, allowing God to speak to us from the Bible. Third, grow in our fellowship with fellow believers. Finally, living the transformed life as a result of the Spirit of God working in you. 

Colossians 2:8 says that we are not to let any "philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world " take us captive yet there are some Christians who have been taking captive by these things and are teaching them in the church whether behind the pulpit, in a podcast, or the books they write. Gilley's book exposes these dangerous disciplines and where they come from. Highly recommend this book

I received this book from G3 Press in exchange for an honest review. 

Brad Klassen on the Incomprehensibility of God

Allen Nelson Debates with a Catholic Priest on the Gospel

In this debate, Allen Nelson debates with a Roman Catholic priest by the name of Stephen Hart on whether or not the Catholic Church is a gospel-denying church.

An Introduction to the Study of God with Brad Klassen

Is Biblicism a Boogeyman?

This discussion from the Urban Puritano podcast.

Why Jesus Had to Be Fully God and Fully Man?

There have always been questions regarding the deity and humanity of Christ. Some have wondered did Jesus had to be fully man and fully God at the same time. Some have wondered if Jesus laid aside His divinity or some parts of His humanity. 

Lots of questions yet we must engage them as best we can. In this video, we see Scott Aniol give a classroom lecture Grace Bible Theological Seminary on why Jesus had to be fully God and fully man.