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Reading the Bible in 2007 Would Be the Best Resolution You Could Make
It must be one of those American facts that rank in the “very
strange but true” category. According to a recent report in
the George Barna study group, 47% of Americans claim to read their
Bible at least once a week. 91% of American households contain a
Bible. The average home in America already owns 4 copies. The
Bible must be the most widely possessed book in the entire
nation. However, once again, the best selling book listed for
2005 was not some Clancy or Grisham paperback. It was not Harry
Potter in one of its myriad of volumes. You guessed it; it was
the Bible, the sacred book of Christianity. Counting the number
of Bibles sold in America is considered a task that is almost
impossible because of the large number of publishing firms that print
it. However, the conservative estimate for 2005 is that 25
million copies were sold at the amount of roughly a half billion
dollars. That was about 10 times the amount of money that was
spent for the latest rendition of Harry Potter.
These days, it is possible to find a protestant version of the Bible in
any one of about two dozen widely used translations. Although the
King James Version of the Bible was finally outpaced by the New
International Version, the KJV is still probably the most widely used
and loved by the majority of Christians in America. A few decades
back, when you bought a Bible, all the choices you had, beyond its two
or three translations, were whether you wanted bonded leather or a
cheaper grain, or red, brown or black. At that time, some Bibles
had red letters for the words of Jesus and some did not. Some
contained center column references and some contained a few footnotes
for study helps. However, the choices have now expanded
radically. Today, you can find different Bibles that fit an extremely
wide variety of needs or preferences. You can find Bibles for
women, Bibles for men, devotional Bibles for couples or for
seniors. You can a number of “magazine” style New
Testaments that are designed with helps, columns, and features for
teenage girls or boys, or for young women, or young men. You can
find extremely small and tiny Bibles that will fit in your coat or vest
pocket, or large family Bibles that you can keep in your living room
area with large color paintings and photos of the Holy Land. You
can find particular Bibles for particular study needs, such as Bibles
for scholars, Bibles for students, Bibles for children, Bibles for
teens. You can find illustrated Bibles, “comic book”
Bibles, Bibles with commentary notes, or Bibles with application
articles under every page. You can find specialized Bibles for
policemen, firemen, soldiers, sailors, hunters, and fishermen.
You can even find special Bibles with helps made especially for
ministers to do weddings, funerals, etc. Imagine that! You
can buy Bible software that allows you to do rapid searches, sorts on
passages, and collections of verses on any topic you choose. You
can even download free editions of advanced Bible software with
excellent study helps and notes.
There was once a young man who was majoring in literature and
journalism in college. He had neither belief in the Bible, nor
any use for it. He went to class one day, and a very wise
professor asked him if he believed the Bible. The young man
protested and said, “I don’t believe in the Bible! It
is full of myths, legends, and fairy tales!” The
professor replied, “How do you know? Have you ever read
it?” The young man said, “Absolutely not! I
don’t have time to read all of those stories and
legends.” The professor looked at him glaringly and
said, “Do you mean to tell me that you are a studying and
preparing for a degree in English journalism and literature, and you
have not even read the best selling book of all time in the English
language? How can you possibly say that you are accomplished in
English literature at all, when you haven’t even read the most
popular book of all time?” The young man was
astonished. He left the class as angry as a hornet, because he
had been so humiliated by the professor. He immediately went to
the bookstore, and bought a Bible, thinking he would read it through
within a couple of nights. (The poor young man never realized how
long the Bible was.) However, he persisted, and within the next
week, he managed to read the entire Bible all the way through. As
a result of reading the Bible, that young man trusted his heart and
life to Jesus Christ, and became active in the church and in ministry.
If you are one of those individuals who believes the Bible is for
grandmothers or wimps, or you believe it is full of only fairy tales or
legends, I would like to challenge you with a question. How long
has it been since you have read it? How can you call
yourself a well-read or well-educated person if you have never read the
most popular and the best selling book of all time? I challenge
you to read the Bible in 2007. Read it like you have never read
it before. It will change your life. “Search the
scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are
they which testify of me.” (John 5:39)
James Sanders
Pastor,
sandersjc@yahoo.com
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The Wounded Heart Ministries,
Inc., is a non-profit organization and is exempt from federal
income tax under section 501 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Donors to the Wounded Heart Ministries, Inc., may deduct contributions
and gifts, with no consideration received. All donations and gifts
to the Wounded Heart Ministries, Inc., will be disbursed in accordance
with the purpose statement of this ministry and all donors will
receive proper credit for gifts received. All donations and gifts
are greatly appreciated and may be sent to:
The Wounded
Heart Ministries, Inc.,
c/o Dr. Benny F. Woods, Founder and President,
3608 Bellhaven Dr., Valdosta, GA 31605
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