M.O.M. CHALLENGE DAY 19

Monday, March 19, 2012

M.O.M. CHALLENGE DAY 19

I really like the Message Version of the Bible. It is a newer paraphrased translation. Some peeps get all hung up and stuck on the King James Version suggesting that it is the "only" version that we should be reading, but just between you and me... I think that's a lil' religious, stinkin' thinkin'!

I think that what ever version of the BIBLE you choose to read can edify... it is not the BIBLE alone that brings us closer to GOD, but the desire to get close to HIM that gets HIS attention. Draw near to HIM and HE will draw near to you, & that's a promise! (HIS not mine!)

That said, the Message uses today's slang sometimes and it might get a lil' offensive to some people, and I noticed that this weekend when I was telling my 13 year old son about one of the verses about "stupid children". Today there is another verse that mentions a stupid child...it is found in Proverbs 19:13 in the Message Version of the BIBLE: "A parent is worn to a frazzle by a stupid child, a nagging spouse is a leaky faucet." hmmm...how should I put this delicately? I read that verse again to Luke and he said, "Nice, Momma... so... you calling me stupid?"

To which I lovingly responded (in my best Forrest Gump voice), "Stupid izzz as stupid does, that's what my Momma used to say!" And then I talked with Luke about what he thought the true meaning was behind that verse. Of course I don't run around calling my kids stupid, but I shared the verse with him for the same reason that when I read the second half of that Proverb, I had to ask myself... "Am I a leaky faucet?"

I think of the BIBLE as a mirror.... I did an online BIBLE school a few years back entitled "The Way of The Master" and one of the things that I learned was exactly that...(the BIBLE is like a mirror).

So let's imagine for a minute that you are at a birhday party and they are serving chocolate cake...it is soooo delicious and you are kinda' getting into enjoying that cake by eating, ummm, unladylike bites. Feeling a little unreserved and out of control, you decide you want another piece, but you don't want anyone to notice you makin' a piggy of yourself, so you cut off another lil' piece while everyone else is deep into the good conversation, and you think no one will notice...o'kay, so you just crammed that yumminess in so fast it smears across your cheek, and the icing is kinda stuck on your front teeth. You know that you have just made a total pig of yourself, so do you just sit there at the table in front of everyone...talking, laughing and smiling with chocolate cake on your teeth and face? OR maybe you decide that you should excuse yourself and run to the ladie's room mirror and have a lil' look~see at the delicious mess you have made of yourself?

 Once you look into the mirror, you see that (oops, wow) uh, ya' even got some in your hair...what are you going to do? You gonna' leave it there and ignore it? Perhaps you will wash your face and squidgee your teeth with your finger trying to remove the cake imbedded in your teeth! Yeah, and how will you be feeling while you are tryiing to clean yourself up? Prolly not condemnation, right? Nah, of course not! You would most likely be thinkin'..."Wow, I actually enjoyed that a lil too much, but now it is time to make things right, and get myself cleaned up..."

At that point your best friend walks into the ladie's room, walks up behind you and picks the chocolate cake crumb out of your hair that you might have missed! It sure is good to have a friend, right? Well, your BFF can be HOLY SPIRIT. Would you get offended if your friend was trying to help you get cleaned up by pickin' chocolate cake crumbs outta' your hair or would you be thankful that you have her stickin' close by your side?

The BIBLE is like that mirror you were looking in...it tells you where the mess is. Just the facts, ma'am! And then you have to decide if you want the mess (you) cleaned up! No, you can not clean yourself up completely, that is one reason GOD sent us HOLY SPIRIT to stick closer than a brother. JESUS purifies us, period! In the BIBLE, JESUS says, "No one can come to the FATHER, but by ME." There is no other way to HEAVEN, no other way to get clean. Sure Self-Control is a good start (and did you know that Self-Control is a fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT??) Yup! So if you really think about it, the only way to get things right is just to surrender...look into the mirror of GOD's Word (The BIBLE) and do it often, and talk to GOD... ask HIM to fill you up with HIS HOLY SPIRIT now,right now! Since yeah, with no condemnation...today is the day of salvation!
Blessings,
Shawnie