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IT'S JUST THE BOOK FOR ME
Most of you know the Sunday school song,
"The B-I-B-L-E". It goes, "The B-I-B-L-E, it’s just the book
for me. I stand alone on the word of God. It’s The
B-I-B-L-E." But is it just the book for you? It is not the
book for millions of Americans. It seems that self-help
books have displaced the Bible.
Dr. Ben Martin writes, "About 2,000 new
titles a year move on and off bookstore shelves — books that
promise to help you stop grieving, to take away your pain,
and to bring you hope if you feel hopeless. Are these books
really helpful or are they only hype?" That’s a great
question.
Not long ago, a depressed middle-aged
balding man needed help and didn’t know where to go.
Thankfully, a friend gave him the name of a local
psychiatrist. He made an appointment and met with the
doctor. After talking with him for over an hour, the
psychiatrist said, "I am going to recommend that you take
some advice instead of some medicine. I want you to go to
Borders and buy "Self Matters", by Dr. Phil. It addresses
your inner struggle with self-esteem. Have you ever read
it?" The man paused and replied, "Yes, I wrote it."
The truth is that we can’t help our
"self." If that were true we would only need one self-help
book. But I believe there is one "self-help" book and it is
the best selling book of all time. In fact, the book has
sold over 6 billion copies. More amazing still, this number
refers to all versions ever printed, many of which have been
given away freely, not sold.
It is the B-I-B-L-E and it is just the
book for me! But is it just the book for Christians?
Although most Christians have a Bible, they are nearly as
illiterate as non-Christians. What about you? Where is your
Bible? When is the last time you opened it? We take it for
granted and, as a result, churches in America fall prey to
theologies and beliefs that are neither supported by
scripture nor within the realm of Christian theology.
John Wesley was convinced that the Holy
Bible is the most important and powerful compilation of the
work, wonder and witness of the living God, revealed in and
through history. He often referred to himself as a "Bible
bigot" and demanded daily Bible reading and prayer.
Unfortunately, there is another kind of Bible bigot – those
who deny the holiness and power of the Bible. Sadly, in 2008
many nations ban the distribution of the Bible. China is one
of them. Moreover, the Bible is among objects prohibited at
the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Beijing, Nov. 2, 2007, (Catholic News
Agency), reports, "Organizers of the 2008 Olympics in
Beijing have published a list of ‘prohibited objects’ in the
Olympic village where athletes will stay. To the surprise of
many, Bibles are among the objects that will not be allowed.
According to the Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport,
organizers have cited ‘security reasons’ and have prohibited
athletes from bearing any kind of religious symbol at
Olympic facilities. Other objects on the list include video
cameras and cups. The Spanish daily La Razon said the rule
was one of a number of ‘signs of censure and intolerance’
towards religious objects, particularly those used by
Christians in China. Currently in China five bishops and
fifteen priests are in prison for opposing the official
Church of China.
It is happening here in the
United States of America. August 21, 2007, St. Louis (AP) —
A federal appeals court upheld a lower court ruling that
prohibited the distribution of Bibles to grade school
students in a southern Missouri school district. At issue
was a long-held practice at South Iron Elementary School in
Annapolis, 120 miles southwest of St. Louis, in which
Gideons International representatives came to fifth-grade
classrooms and gave away Bibles. A U.S. district judge
issued a temporary injunction, and a three-judge panel of
the 8th U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals in St. Louis
agreed the classroom distribution should be prohibited.
No one can prohibit you from reading the
Bible at home. But do you? If not, then start today. And, as
you look to the summer months, I want to encourage you to
attend worship as often as you can, enroll in a 10/10 class,
Bible study, small group or active ministry. Read your Bible
often and live it daily. The Bible is not merely a
collection of interesting inspirational stories and
accounts. The Bible is, as Martin Luther describes, "the
cradle of Christ." It is a book that directs us to a
personal relationship with Jesus the Messiah. It is not
about information; it is about transformation.
It is said that during the 1957 World
Series between the Milwaukee Braves and the New York
Yankees, slugger Hank Aaron came up to bat. Yogi Berra, the
Yankee catcher, noticed he was holding the bat wrong. "Turn
it around," he told Aaron. "So you can read the trademark."
Hank never looked back, but said, "Didn’t come up here to
read. Came up here to hit." Likewise, we’re called to do
more than read the Bible – we are called to live it. May the
Holy Spirit empower you to live a life of faith because, to
many, you may be the only Bible they will read.
In Christ’s service,
Bill Donahue |
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