The LOVE Chapter...Verse by Verse

.....He Says:

"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."

(1 Cor 13:1)

.....I Hear:

"If I could clearly communicate

with those around me,

especially those closest to me,

but I did not love them,

I would simply be another blaring TV,

radio, or irritating cell phone ringing."

1 Corinthians 13:1

(My Interpretation)

Reading the Bible isn't supposed to be an item to check off our to-do list.  He uses it to speak directly to us...Listen to what He says to you when you read His word...hint: you have to open His word to hear what He says...

Have a blessed day!

Winds of Change

Very sorry for disappearing for a bit...things have been a bit crazy...and as the title implicates, I have been experiencing a taste of the winds of change coming just around the corner.

I'm not sure why we struggle so much with change, because it is necessary if we are to be a healthy growing person, but oh, how we struggle!  The same way, I suppose, as the first disciples struggled when Jesus began telling them He had to go away.  Those words were the beginning of the winds of change for the disciples.  Then, in the garden that night, the change began to take place. 

We have so many options when facing the winds of change:

1. FLEE - Many of the disciples chose to flee the scene that night when things got ugly and change was at the door.
2. FIGHT - Peter, specifically, decided he wasn't going to allow this change to take place, and therefore, he chose to fight through the change in order to hold on to what he knew and was comfortable with.
3. FREEDOM - Jesus, however, chose to be free.  Through this freedom, He gave up His life for the lives around Him...and of course, not only them, but us as well.  He chose to set us free, He stepped up to the obstacle, faced the change head-on, and whipped it!

We can follow Christ's example.  We can face that looming change head-on, with confidence and freedom.  We have nothing to fear, if we are striving hard after Christ and His desires for us.  He knows our heart, our motivation.  Is your desire to please God or yourself? 

As we all are or will be heading for the winds of change, I want to challenge you to study God's word.  Do not flip around and see where the page lands.  Pick a book, or five chapters, and dedicate yourself to read and meditate on those for a full 30 days...everyday.  You will be surprised how much He speaks to you.  I know He has been speaking loudly to me!

Have a blessed day!

NO EXCUSES

How many times do we whiz through the day without even thinking about picking up our Bible and reading God's word?  Yet we have plenty of time to lurk at our 'friends' on Facebook...just to see what the rest of the world is doing. 

I want to challenge you, even while you are lurking at the unsuspecting friends on Facebook to go to Blue Letter Bible's web page (http://www.blueletterbible.org/reader/daily/generic.cfm) ...you can listen to God's word in a various selection of translations.  You can listen while doing other things, or you can listen intently expecting to hear from Him!

In this technologic time we live in, we truly have NO EXCUSES to not hear or read God's word daily.  We have smart phones - with the touch of a button we have God's word, we spend days at work on the internet, and even audible versions of the Bible available at our fingertips...

He is reaching out to you.  Will you meet Him?