Scripture
As for God, His way is perfect: the LORD’s word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him.
~Psalm 18:30, NIV
Quote
The best gift in the world, next to the incarnate or Living Word, is the written word and it will ignite your heart if you give it a chance.
~Timothy Keller
We have a group of twenty at Grace Point who are reading through the CEV and some of them have questions for me each Sunday. I can literally see the word of God igniting their faith and it is a glorious thing to behold. I was talking with David Orr yesterday. David read the KJV from cover to cover and he confessed that it was a hard read. Folks, the KJV is a hard read for a Greek scholar. I challenged him to find an easy read version and read through the word again. I will guarantee that it will change your life. There are several easy to read versions: Contemporary English Version, Good News Translation, God’s Word, and the NIRV which is the NIV for children and it is a wonderful read. When you finish with one of these; then go to NIV, NCV, ESV, or NRSV. These are more difficult but still much easier than the AV which you know at KJV. By the time you get to your tenth read, try something hard like Moffatt, NASB or the Amplified Bible. I love the Moffatt Bible but don’t start there. Since God is perfect, it stands to reason that His word is perfect. Simple understand that it is the original manuscripts that are inspired and humans [scribes] do make errors. If you read the bible to try to find errors or contradiction, your motives are wrong and you will not be blessed. You will become bitter, cynical and critical. If you read the bible to gain knowledge, you will become self-righteous, arrogant and inflated with pride. You will want to use your knowledge to win arguments and to impress others but you will be of no use in the Kingdom of God.
Your motive for reading the word is to get to know the WORD [Logos]. The more you get to know Jesus, the Logos, the living WORD, the more He will reveal Himself to you and you to you. In your natural fallen state, you don’t know yourself. Wouldn’t you like to get to know you? The only one who can show you to you is Jesus. No one who knows them self can be proud. Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before and everyday with Jesus, He will reveal you to you more and more. So make reading God’s word a habit and then over time it will become a passion. Had you rather watch TV than read the word? Had you rather read fiction than to read the word? Had you rather read the News Paper than to read the word? The reason for this is you are not reading the word: read until it becomes a driving passion. The simplest way to get started in to read the bible through in an easy to read translation. If you will do this for five or six years in a row, it will become a passion. I guarantee it!
Lou is being moved today from CRMC to Falkville Nursing Home. Terry Cole is supposed to come home from HH today. Sheryl Childers is still not feeling well and she is scheduled for more test. I still have no arrangements on Charles Sanders brother-in-law. I am headed to Athens in a few minutes where my sister June Daphney is having a knee replaced. I had hoped to go for at least a day with no hospitals but I had rather visit one than to be in one, amen!
My apologies to Aubrey and Chloe and all they children who were broken hearted this morning. I do not know why they make such predictions. They don’t know what it is going to do and last night is proof of the pudding. I think they are in cahoots with Krogers. Couldn’t they have said, “There is a slight possibility we may get snow.” No, they guaranteed an inch and even canceled school.