I know you don’t like to read books much, perhaps you would rather be informed visually. But remember that nearly every TV program begins first on a written basis. You are missing out on the source of much wisdom found in books that cannot be distilled easily into a 1 hour TV program or documentary. But if you change your position, you shall find much positive and insightful wisdom from books.
I have a confession to make to you that may make you change your mind about the Bible and other Christian books. You won’t be wasting your intellect, life or time if you read them. God says, “Let us reason together.” The Christian isn’t stupid, archaic or possessed by some ancient mumbo jumbo spell.
In fact, life was very, very difficult for me while I wasn’t a Bible-reading Christian.
It was once said that an uninformed citizen is the more dangerous than an armed citizen.
But it took a long time before I regularly read the Bible on more than once a week basis. Thankfully I have a wife who had encouraged me to meet with other men from different walks with God, once a month! This was on the life- journey heavenward. Soon enough the realization came that I had to have a regular time with the Bible in the morning. But I found reading the Bible was sometimes very boring and at many times confusing.
But I had this strong drive to read other opinions and books about the Bible than reading the Bible itself. I did that for about a decade. But looking back I realised that I was walking step by step before I ran step by step into the territory of God.
Why did I decide to read the Bible for myself on a more regular basis?
One simple reason: it was authored by God Himself via human writers as the Bible tells us, so reading it more commenced with the idea of obtaining a bit of insight from the mind of God Himself. Another reason was to be wiser after years and years of errors and stupid mistakes. Another reason, I read that it was the single best –selling book of all time.
When books make the Best seller list of the New York Times, authors cheer. To reach the famous list, a book needs to sell about 100,000 copies. If the book stays on this list for a longer time, it means that it is selling about one million copies. Rarely, but it happens, the longer it sells and remains on the list, means that it is selling in the millions. Word gets around that this particular book is worth reading. It achieves the potentially ripe market of heaps and heaps of people talking, reading and buying more of that book. Spreading the word is the rule of thumb.
Well, the Bible has not only sold millions of books every year, but it remains on the best Seller list year after year for centuries. This is the best- selling book of all time. From the early days of the Hebrew scrolls to present day volumes. No one should overlook this book! Now you can read the Bible on your smartphone. The most popular version on the smartphone is the YouVersion. This has been downloaded 250 million and more times!
So millions and millions of digital Bibles have been sold, but really billions have been sold down the centuries. This fact alone should make you curious about reading it.
The next reason is that I began reading the Bible more regularly was that others were reading it daily and were very successful because of it. For example, one American soldier read the Bible through the year after year in one year for at least 50 times. He was highly regarded among the ranks of senior and junior officers. (I don’t know his name) Remember our global society is fascinated by successful leaders, the movers and shakers of the contemporary world. We hear, see and read about the many celebrities of technology, sport, industry, exploration, entertainment…etc. Our God is the Supreme Sovereign and Creator of the universe. He created these celebrities and gave them the talents, gifts and skillsets to become successful in their field of endeavour. He ‘moves and shakes’ ultimately.
God has revealed Himself to us in a way that is beyond dispute and beyond anything we could ask or imagine. Within the pages of Scripture we see countless examples of God's grace, love, presence, power, and unfathomable desire to have a restored relationship with us.
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