Going To The Mall

I wanted to take a moment today and thank all of you who regularly read our blog.  It is a great and yet humbling honor to be one of the voices that you allow to encourage you on a daily basis.  My thanks especially to those who leave comments on the blog itself or in facebook.  You are an encouragement and a great blessing to me.

I’ve been talking about the importance and the power of the Good News in our lives for awhile now, and I wanted to leave you on this Friday with another thought that you can carry into your weekend.  In talking about the mystery of the Gospel, Paul told his young protégé Timothy that “This message is valid for every era.”  (I Timothy 2:6 Gods Word ©)  Now that verse can be looked at from a variety of angles, but I wanted us to consider it from the thought that God’s message of Good News is valid at anytime, in any place.

In Hebrews 13:8 the author states that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”  (Gods Word ©)  In other words, the things that He did for us and for others in the past (remember, yesterday is also the past!), He can and will do today and tomorrow!  He’s just like the Super Walmart that was near our home when we lived in Oklahoma.  It was open for business 24 hours a day.  There were many times when I would stop in the store after work at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning (I ran the Receiving and Freight teams at Home Depot) to pick up something to eat, or other items that I needed.  It didn’t matter the time of day you went there.  The store was always open, with every department available for shopping.  (And believe me, you could live in a Super Walmart… They offer just about every kind of service!)

That’s how the Good News of Jesus Christ is.  The chapters (or departments) in His book that contain His promises, are always available for us to browse through. So I would encourage you to take advantage of His sales this weekend.  Grab your Bible and go on a shopping spree.  I would also encourage you to find yourself a modern, accurate version of His word.  One that is easy for you to read and comprehend.  I have some older friends and relatives that are older in physical age than me, but yet younger in their Christian walk.  And it really hurts me to see them stuck in tradition by trying to relate to a version that uses old Elizabethan English rather that one that uses up to date terminology and wordage. 

Don’t get me wrong here… I love my King James Version and I use it as a foundation when I have questions concerning the meaning of particular passages, but it is not the translation that I live with on a daily basis.  As you know, I personally enjoy the Good News Version.  Not only is it a remarkably accurate translation, but it is also very easy to read and comprehend.  I truly believe that my friends would read more of the Word and get more out of it if they would consider using a more modern translation.

So, have a great weekend!  Set aside some time each day to go to God’s Shopping Mall and sample some of the merchandise from the Goodness of His heart for you.  We’ll see you again on Monday.  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What GOOD THINGS am I expecting to receive from God’s word today?”