Who Reads the Bible?
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. (1Ti 4:12-13)
America has the most Bibles per person of any nation in the world, But, I daresay that most of the Bibles in America are largely symbolic and unread. When I was ten and on into my early teens I heard several preachers tell this story. “A pastor was visiting in the home of one of the leading members of the church.
After the family had talked a while, the father, wanted to show the pastor how much the family loved the Bible. So, he said to his five-year old, “son, please go get the book we all love so much and spend time reading together.” The little boy ran down the hall and quickly came back lugging the big Sears catalog.”
This week, my school mate of the early fifties, Tom Wallace, posted a picture of his Bible on Facebook and was rejoicing that he had kept one of his New Year’s resolutions. He had read his Bible through in one month by reading forty chapters a day, finishing a day early. I contacted him and asked permission to post a picture of his Bible and his Bible reading story. Brother Wallace has read the Bible through many times, I’m sure, but this was a special occasion. Sharing it with us may encourage us to read our Bibles.
I remember Brother Tom more as a bus captain at Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga. He has been a tireless worker as a Bible preacher and pastor. I’ve heard that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. “I’ll get saved tomorrow. I’m almost persuaded.” “I know I should read my Bible. I’ll do it tomorrow”
I’ve never read my Bible through in one month. In our MORNING MINUTE, we always include: “Read Through the Bible in a Year” and provide a live link to read the daily passage at Bible Gateway.com. By clicking on the little speaker, you can listen to it. That’s the way I use it. I close my eyes and listen. He’s a good reader and I can meditate while he reads.
Poll takers are busy asking Americans about their religious life. Bible reading is not doing as well as Bible buying and Bible giving for Christmas and special occasions. Preachers ought to read their Bibles for their own personal needs. I need to read the Bible, not to be spiritual but because I’m not spiritual. I need help. I’m not a good person within myself. I have to borrow spiritual strength and knowledge and counsel and I know where to get it: from the Bible.
In my earlier days it was held in educational circles, including secular colleges and universities that you were not well-educated if you were not thoroughly rooted in Bible knowledge. It’s encouraging that the nightly Jeopardy show emphasizes Bible knowledge. Some of the contestants shine and some of them tank.
The greatest need in America is a revival of Bible reading. Bible preaching churches are not strong Bible reading churches, usually.We Christians tend to be lazy and love to be spoon-fed. However, most of America’s Bible reading is done by people in Bible-believing churches.
As Brother Roloff built homes to house juvenile delinquents, he found that most of his young people were coming from the homes of pastors and church leaders and the family altar was weak in those homes.
Occasionally I played piano for Brother Roloff to sing with in Bible conferences and was in his home once in Texas. We talked a few times by phone. One day he flew into a storm, trying to get above it and the wind ripped the wing off his little plane at 20,000 feet. They found him on the ground, face down, clutching his King James Bible. I still miss him.
I’ve not read my Bible as much as I should have, but I have read it through several times; enough to have to replace several Bibles. I like the King James Study Bible and have gone through several of those. Barbara and I have read the Bible through together 12-15 times in daily Bible reading. We take turns reading a chapter and then we read our favorite commentaries. Barbara reads from the Morris Study Bible and its comments. Dr. Morris is especially good and strong the book of Genesis. Sometimes we read the MacArthur Study Bible notes and the Bible Knowledge Commentary by Walvoord & Zuck of the Dallas Seminary. This is not a brag. My point here is that we try to practice what we preach.
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. (Hab 2:2) Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. (Rev 1:3)
The weakest physical part of a Bible is its cover. It separates from the Bible and then the Bible comes apart. Someone has said, “When you see a Bible that has come apart, it’s owner probably has not.” Some people won’t mark in their Bibles but I do, and recommend that you mark in your Bible as you read it. Underline special verses and words and use a dry highlighter if you care. I like yellow and pink for highlighting. I usually keep an old plastic card (size of a credit card) in my Bible so I can use it as a straight-edge for underlining verses with a ball-point pen and making notes.
On our M-F MORNING MINUTE there’s always a good song to listen to. It runs from Handel’s great classics to old hymns to Christian Blue Grass. I was raised on Blue Grass. I like guitars but prefer a big grand piano with rich harmony or a big full orchestra. Some of the singers have longer hair than I would wear and some have no hair, like me. I’m waiting for Heaven to hear the perfect music by perfect singers. Meantime, a lot of good Christian music of today touches my soul and that’s what I’m after. Church choirs are a great blessing to me and I love to hear children sing.
Read Through the Bible in a Year
SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 – TUESDAY
A.M. Ecclesiastes 7-9
P.M. 2 Cor. 11:1-15
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
A Good Memory Verse:
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. (Hos 4:6-7)
Song for Today:
Larry Ford and Group: What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coO5Sl8Vnlw&index=3&list=RDAghsSvQ_2B8
(Wait several seconds. You may have to delete an ad.)
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. (1Ti 4:12-13)
America has the most Bibles per person of any nation in the world, But, I daresay that most of the Bibles in America are largely symbolic and unread. When I was ten and on into my early teens I heard several preachers tell this story. “A pastor was visiting in the home of one of the leading members of the church.
After the family had talked a while, the father, wanted to show the pastor how much the family loved the Bible. So, he said to his five-year old, “son, please go get the book we all love so much and spend time reading together.” The little boy ran down the hall and quickly came back lugging the big Sears catalog.”
This week, my school mate of the early fifties, Tom Wallace, posted a picture of his Bible on Facebook and was rejoicing that he had kept one of his New Year’s resolutions. He had read his Bible through in one month by reading forty chapters a day, finishing a day early. I contacted him and asked permission to post a picture of his Bible and his Bible reading story. Brother Wallace has read the Bible through many times, I’m sure, but this was a special occasion. Sharing it with us may encourage us to read our Bibles.
I remember Brother Tom more as a bus captain at Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga. He has been a tireless worker as a Bible preacher and pastor. I’ve heard that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. “I’ll get saved tomorrow. I’m almost persuaded.” “I know I should read my Bible. I’ll do it tomorrow”
I’ve never read my Bible through in one month. In our MORNING MINUTE, we always include: “Read Through the Bible in a Year” and provide a live link to read the daily passage at Bible Gateway.com. By clicking on the little speaker, you can listen to it. That’s the way I use it. I close my eyes and listen. He’s a good reader and I can meditate while he reads.
Poll takers are busy asking Americans about their religious life. Bible reading is not doing as well as Bible buying and Bible giving for Christmas and special occasions. Preachers ought to read their Bibles for their own personal needs. I need to read the Bible, not to be spiritual but because I’m not spiritual. I need help. I’m not a good person within myself. I have to borrow spiritual strength and knowledge and counsel and I know where to get it: from the Bible.
In my earlier days it was held in educational circles, including secular colleges and universities that you were not well-educated if you were not thoroughly rooted in Bible knowledge. It’s encouraging that the nightly Jeopardy show emphasizes Bible knowledge. Some of the contestants shine and some of them tank.
The greatest need in America is a revival of Bible reading. Bible preaching churches are not strong Bible reading churches, usually.We Christians tend to be lazy and love to be spoon-fed. However, most of America’s Bible reading is done by people in Bible-believing churches.
As Brother Roloff built homes to house juvenile delinquents, he found that most of his young people were coming from the homes of pastors and church leaders and the family altar was weak in those homes.
Occasionally I played piano for Brother Roloff to sing with in Bible conferences and was in his home once in Texas. We talked a few times by phone. One day he flew into a storm, trying to get above it and the wind ripped the wing off his little plane at 20,000 feet. They found him on the ground, face down, clutching his King James Bible. I still miss him.
I’ve not read my Bible as much as I should have, but I have read it through several times; enough to have to replace several Bibles. I like the King James Study Bible and have gone through several of those. Barbara and I have read the Bible through together 12-15 times in daily Bible reading. We take turns reading a chapter and then we read our favorite commentaries. Barbara reads from the Morris Study Bible and its comments. Dr. Morris is especially good and strong the book of Genesis. Sometimes we read the MacArthur Study Bible notes and the Bible Knowledge Commentary by Walvoord & Zuck of the Dallas Seminary. This is not a brag. My point here is that we try to practice what we preach.
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. (Hab 2:2) Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. (Rev 1:3)
The weakest physical part of a Bible is its cover. It separates from the Bible and then the Bible comes apart. Someone has said, “When you see a Bible that has come apart, it’s owner probably has not.” Some people won’t mark in their Bibles but I do, and recommend that you mark in your Bible as you read it. Underline special verses and words and use a dry highlighter if you care. I like yellow and pink for highlighting. I usually keep an old plastic card (size of a credit card) in my Bible so I can use it as a straight-edge for underlining verses with a ball-point pen and making notes.
On our M-F MORNING MINUTE there’s always a good song to listen to. It runs from Handel’s great classics to old hymns to Christian Blue Grass. I was raised on Blue Grass. I like guitars but prefer a big grand piano with rich harmony or a big full orchestra. Some of the singers have longer hair than I would wear and some have no hair, like me. I’m waiting for Heaven to hear the perfect music by perfect singers. Meantime, a lot of good Christian music of today touches my soul and that’s what I’m after. Church choirs are a great blessing to me and I love to hear children sing.
Read Through the Bible in a Year
SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 – TUESDAY
A.M. Ecclesiastes 7-9
P.M. 2 Cor. 11:1-15
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
A Good Memory Verse:
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. (Hos 4:6-7)
Song for Today:
Larry Ford and Group: What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coO5Sl8Vnlw&index=3&list=RDAghsSvQ_2B8
(Wait several seconds. You may have to delete an ad.)
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