According to an article in the New Yorker from about a year ago, 88 percent of Americans own a Bible. About 25 percent own more than 5 copies. The Bible is not only the best-selling book of all-time, it is also the best-selling book of the year every year. According to www.guinnessworldrecords.com, more than 5 billion Bibles were printed between 1815 and 1975.
photc by Abby Henry
With so many Bibles in American homes, we should expect our country to act more Christian than it does. The sad truth is that although the Bible is readily available, it is scarcely read and studied. Even many who identify as Jesus-followers seem woefully Biblically illiterate. We are living in days that reflect God’s prophecy in Amos 8:11:
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
“when I will send a famine on the land—
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Lord.”
Three Reasons We Need a Bible Study Revival
I pray that God’s people would develop a hunger for His Word. We need now more than ever to return to the discipline of studying God’s Word. At least 3 reasons compel us to return to the Word.
False “Christian” Teaching
The information age provides an opportunity for anyone to gather an audience and claim to speak for God. I see very little teaching on TV these days that accurately follows God’s Word. Many men and women stand before audiences and broadcast to the masses their messages of moral positive thinking. Their messages contain great sound bites but lack Biblical substance.
The best way a Jesus-follower can recognize this extra-biblical teaching is to know the truth of God’s Word for themselves. The best way to spot a counterfeit is to know what is genuine and real. (2 Timothy 2:14-18; 1 John 4:1)
False Religion Exposure
The world has come to your doorstep. No longer do you need to travel around the world to meet a follower of a false religion that opposes Jesus. That family now lives next door. Our culture tries to intimidate us – in the name of “religious tolerance” – into accepting all religions as equally valid. We need to know what it means to be a Jesus-follower and how to articulate our beliefs intelligently. God’s Word is our only perfect infallible source for matters of faith and Christian living. (1 Peter 3:15)
The Increasing Intensity of Temptation
The Bible teaches that none of us experience temptation that is new or novel, but what is common to all. We do live in a time, however, when the intensity of that temptation is at an all-time high. The growth of technology and the loosening of entertainment standards have exponentially increased the temptations we experience every day.
The Word of God feeds our soul and strengthens our hearts that we can stay clean. (Psalm 119:9) The Bible also illuminates our way so that we can avoid the landmines our enemy lays in our path. (Psalm 119:105)
If you are not already engaged in personal Bible study, I cannot overly stress the importance begin today. Scroll through my blog archives where you can find several articles to help you get started in Bible study. I list several below as good places to start.
We live in desperate times and need the Word of God desperately.
Blogs about Personal Bible Study
5 Questions That Help You Probe Scripture
How to Do a Verse Analysis (includes optional video tutorial link)