Monthly Archives: March 2013

03/28/13

Psalm 2 [Easy Read Version]

Psalm 2

 

Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

 

 

1 Why are the nations so angry?
Why are the people making such foolish plans?
2 Their kings and leaders join together
to fight against the Lord and his chosen king.[a]
3 They say, “Let’s rebel against them.
Let’s break free from them!”

 

 

4 But the one who rules in heaven laughs at them.
The Lord makes fun of them.
5 He speaks to them in anger,
and it fills them with fear.
6 He says, “I have chosen this man to be king,
and he will rule on Zion, my holy mountain.”

 

 

7 Let me tell you about the Lord’s agreement:
He said to me, “Today I have become your father,[b]
and you are my son.
8 If you ask, I will give you the nations.
Everyone on earth will be yours.
9 You will rule over them with great power.
You will scatter your enemies like broken pieces of pottery!”

 

 

10 So, kings and rulers, be smart
and learn this lesson.
11 Serve the Lord with fear and trembling.
12 Show that you are loyal to his son,[c]
or the Lord will be angry and destroy you.
He is almost angry enough to do that now,
but those who go to him for protection will be blessed.

 

Footnotes:

 

 

Psalm 2:2 his chosen king Or “his anointed one.”
Psalm 2:7 I have become your father Literally, “I fathered you.” Originally, this probably meant God was “adopting” the king as his son.
Psalm 2:12 Show … his son Literally, “Kiss the son.”

 

 

Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

 

Copyright © 2006 by World Bible Translation Center

03/20/13

1 Peter 2 (Easy-to-Read Version)

1 Peter 2

 

Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

 

The Living Stone and the Holy Nation

 

2 So then, stop doing anything to hurt others. Don’t lie anymore, and stop trying to fool people. Don’t be jealous or say bad things about others. 2 Like newborn babies hungry for milk, you should want the pure teaching that feeds your spirit. With it you can grow up and be saved. 3 You have already tasted the goodness of the Lord.

4 The Lord Jesus is the living stone.[a] The people of the world decided that they did not want this stone. But he is the one God chose as one of great value. So come to him. 5 You also are like living stones, and God is using you to build a spiritual house.[b] You are to serve God in this house as holy priests, offering him spiritual sacrifices that he will accept because of Jesus Christ. 6 The Scriptures say,

“Look, I have chosen a cornerstone of great value,
and I put that stone in Zion.
Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.”

7 So, that stone brings honor for you who believe. But for those who don’t believe he is

“the stone that the builders refused to accept,
which became the most important stone.”

8 For them he is also

“a stone that makes people stumble,
a rock that makes people fall.”

People stumble because they don’t obey what God says. This is what God planned to happen to those people.

9 But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light.

10 In the past you were not a special people,
but now you are God’s people.
Once you had not received mercy,
but now God has given you his mercy.[c]

 

Live for God

 

11 Dear friends, you are like visitors and strangers in this world. So I beg you to keep your lives free from the evil things you want to do, those desires that fight against your true selves. 12 People who don’t believe are living all around you. They may say that you are doing wrong. So live such good lives that they will see the good you do, and they will give glory to God on the day he comes.

 

Obey Every Human Authority

 

13 Be willing to serve the people who have authority[d] in this world. Do this for the Lord. Obey the king, the highest authority. 14 And obey the leaders who are sent by the king. They are sent to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do good. 15 When you do good, you stop ignorant people from saying foolish things about you. This is what God wants. 16 Live like free people, but don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as those who are serving God. 17 Show respect for all people. Love your brothers and sisters in God’s family. Respect God, and honor the king.

 

The Example of Christ’s Suffering

 

18 Slaves, be willing to serve your masters. Do this with all respect. You should obey the masters who are good and kind, and you should obey the masters who are bad. 19 One of you might have to suffer even when you have done nothing wrong. If you think of God and bear the pain, this pleases God. 20 But if you are punished for doing wrong, there is no reason to praise you for bearing that punishment. But if you suffer for doing good and you are patient, this pleases God. 21 This is what you were chosen to do. Christ gave you an example to follow. He suffered for you. So you should do the same as he did:

22 “He never sinned,
and he never told a lie.”

23 People insulted him, but he did not insult them back. He suffered, but he did not threaten anyone. No, he let God take care of him. God is the one who judges rightly. 24 Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you were healed. 25 You were like sheep that went the wrong way. But now you have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your lives.

 

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Peter 2:4stone The most important stone in God’s spiritual temple or house (his people).
  2. 1 Peter 2:5house God’s house—the place where God’s people worship him. Here, it means that believers are the spiritual building where God lives.
  3. 1 Peter 2:10In the past … his mercy See Hos. 2:23.
  4. 1 Peter 2:13people … authority Literally, “every human creation,” meaning rulers, governors, presidents, or other government leaders.

Copyright © 2006 by World Bible Translation Center

03/5/13

I Met Truth at a Strip Mall

 

by Jim Munroe

 

The night before I went to the weird little church in the strip mall, I was out drinking on 6th street until 2 am. I wasn’t buzzed or tipsy, I was “passed-out-and-wake-up-in-Mexico” drunk. Luckily, I didn’t, and somehow, I managed to pull myself together, take a quick nap, hop in the shower, and jump in my truck.

 

I rolled into the back of the church with my hat pulled low, wearing my sunglasses. I didn’t want anyone to see my bloodshot eyes, and my hangover pounded away on the sides of my skull louder than the drum kit. The drummer, the lead singer, and the style of music were way different than anything I’d ever seen or heard in “church” before. They were African-American—this was a full-on Gospel music experience.

 

To say I was uncomfortable and out of my element would be a huge understatement … and yet … I stayed. I can’t explain it. I don’t understand why I didn’t find a reason to bail. Something was happening, but I knew too much to let it happen. I was a master of illusion, a psych major, keenly aware of the culture and psychological triggers ministers use to captivate their audience.

 

But it wasn’t about them. I was looking for something deeper. And suddenly, unexpectedly, miraculously, I found it.

 

Through the passion, the music, and the message, I experienced something new. It wasn’t a feeling. It wasn’t an emotion. It was more mysterious and profound. It was a supernatural connection, pulling at my heart.

 

My head couldn’t stop this. These weren’t facts that I was learning through the recesses of my mind. I don’t remember what was said. In that moment, the undeniable reality of God’s existence became so clear. He wasn’t a series of facts to be debated or researched. Truth wasn’t a set of right answers.

 

Truth was a person—and He and I met that morning.

 

I’ve never been the same since.

 

 
Excerpted from The Charlatan by Jim Munroe. ©2012 by Jim Munroe. Published by Inprov, Ltd. Used with permission.

 

Charlene’s Source:  LIFEToday with James Robison

 

 

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