How come you've NOT read the whole Bible before?

This quarter, my church has been focusing on the theme,  Renewal in the Church. Yesterday, a visiting preacher, Rev. JFK Mensah preached on the theme, Renewal in the Church: Emphasis on the Word. He is such a fiery preacher, who has such an undying passion for the study of God’s Word and wholehearted commitment to God. You cannot expect to leave his presence without critically making some life-changing decisions. He doesn’t mince his words.

So he did little exercise in the beginning and requested the whole congregation to close their eyes. With our eyes closed, he asked, “Raise your hands, if you’ve read the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelations before.” Hands went up and he counted.

Next, he asked one of his sons and his wife to each give a 5-minute talk on what the Word of God meant to them and what it had done for them before he preached his sermon.  His son talked about his indifference to the Word of God as a child. However, he has recently come to love the Word for himself (I think, he’s in his late teens or early 20s now). He talked about being set free from sin through the Word.

His wife talked about how God’s word (book of Job) comforted her when they lost their first daughter.  She also said her reading of the whole Bible had given her an appreciation of the Old Testament (OT) and a deeper understanding of concepts in the New Testament (NT) that had its foundation in the OT.

I was intrigued, because I have experienced some of what they both mentioned.

Bible Reading: Cover to Cover
Now back to point one. He expressed disappointment that in my church, he counted about 30-35 hands who indicated they had read the Bible, cover to cover.

In his estimation, we are the “most literate church in Ghana” so he was expecting more from us. I was surprised that he would think that my church family was the “most literate church in Ghana.” Yet on reflection, he may be right because:
1. My church family is made up of mainly academics or children of academics, professionals in the formal sector, many adults who have at least a tertiary degree (university, polytechnic, some professional training, etc). And we are based on one of the university campuses in Accra.
2. He frequently preaches in other congregations and would be able to give a fair assessment of our ‘literacy level.’

I was also surprised that only a few people had read the whole Bible in my church. What happened to the initial hunger of the Word of God when one becomes born-again? Wouldn’t that compel new Christians to read the Bible and say, “I can’t get enough of this, I want more!” Ever since my first and second Bible 90-day reading challenge, I’ve been telling friends about it and encouraging them to read the Bible and to take it as a challenge. I even e-mailed and distributed printed copies of the 90-day reading schedule to these friends. I don’t know whether any of them has actually taken up the challenge yet… maybe I should make a few phone calls to find out. I won’t be surprised if none of these friends bothered to take up the challenge. But, it amazes me, this apathy to the God’s Word.

I do know that people easily lose track of reading the Bible in 1 year, I’m a typical example. However, reading the Bible in 3 short months and seeing it as a personal challenge is highly motivating.

“You say, 3 months/90 days? Why not?! Dude, I'm up for it!" 12 months sounds long and dragging… in my opinion. But hey, if you choose to do it that way and will be committed to such a pursuit, do so.

What the Bible has meant to me
Just like Mrs. Mensah, I also have come to appreciate the Old Testament more. In fact, I’m always looking out for connections between the OT and the NT in my Bible reading.

Before I became a born-again Christian, I didn’t know how unhappy and depressed I was until I tasted joy from God’s word. I would constantly read the Psalms –I love the Psalms!- whenever I felt unease in my heart. And I’d often beam with joy and peace after a reading session.

God’s word has often pulled me out of anxiety about "this and that", things I’ve no control over (Phil. 4:6).

God has broken the cords of habitual sin in my life through His Word and He continues to do so.

I’ve been transformed in my thinking through God’s word and it continues to today.

I’ve seen God’s faithfulness: As have I obeyed His instructions from the Bible even when it was difficult and God has responded accordingly, just as His promised.

I have come to understand this world better and do not take world news as seriously as a news junkie or an atheist would. I have a different perspective of life. The ‘little skirmishes’ as God has called it in a prophetic word all over the world, do have a divine purpose.

There are many more things that God’s word has done in my life, but these are just a few that immediately come to mind.

I just can’t live without the Word of God. It’s my lifeline.

My conclusion
*If you can read and write, You’re blessed. Don’t take it for granted.

*If you can read and write and you’re a Christian, what’s stopping you from reading the Bible from cover to cover, if you haven’t done so already? You have no idea, how illiterate Christians yearn to read and write so that they can read just one verse for themselves!

*There are some things you won’t know for sure till you practice it. Reading the Bible is not enough but it will facilitate your rich experience of life as a Christian. And that’s how you’ll be able to testify how good and faithful God's Word is. 

*If you’re up for a challenge, click here to explore the website.  A pdf schedule can be found here.  Don’t wait till January 2013, you and I know it won’t work :- )

*Finally, people... if you're going to do life as a Christian, you must as well do it well. (Note: I did not say, "perfectly.") The Bible is the guide to that life.

What is worth doing, is worth doing well.

Start now! Let me know, I'll cheer you on,
Lady Akofa.:-)