God's message changes lives

When was the last time you read the Bible through? While I read the Bible daily in one way or another, it has been a while since I have read it cover to cover. There are a few things that you may not know about the Bible, so here we go.

1: The Bible is not one book. It is a portable library of books given to us by God. There are 66 books in the protestant bible, all telling the love story of God for his creation.

2: The Old Testament is made up of History, Poetry, Law and Philosophy/Wisdom. At one time, in America, it was the textbook for many schools.

3: The New Testament has four eyewitness accounts and one investigative account of Jesus Christ. Matthew was there, Peter dictated to Mark (John Mark), and John was there. Paul shares his experience with Christ. Luke came along later and wrote a history.

4: And this is the best; Everything necessary for salvation is contained in the Bible.

Now, the one thing I am not going to argue is which translation is best. The fact is, except for a couple of translations, all the English translations tell the same stories and share the same message. Whether you read the Wycliff Bible, the Geneva Bible, or the Common English Bible, or any of the others in between, you will read the message of God.

The key is, we must open it and read it to truly get anything out of it. And, quite frankly, there is no excuse for not reading the bible. There is a plethora of free apps on your phone that will allow you to read the Bible. Unless you want one that is gold embossed and leather bound, bibles are quite affordable. Thus, they are accessible to everyone. I cannot speak for other churches, but ours gives them away. It’s a pretty good bet that you can get one if you show up at church.

And there is the thing. Get to church. (I can’t believe you didn’t see this coming.) At church, not only can you get a bible, or have access to one, but you can learn about it. Reading and discussing scripture is a great way to learn and enjoy the word of God. A task of the church is to make sure there is an environment that allows you to grow in grace. So, get to church and check out the Bible Studies and Sunday Schools. They are there to help you understand.

And by the way, bring the kids, they need to know Christ. If you want a brighter future for your children, grandchildren, or others, get them to church and teach them the bible. It doesn’t matter what church you go to, as long as they share and study the bible.

The Bible is still the best-selling book ever written and has been translated into more languages than any other book. It has even been used by governments to learn a foreign language. But more importantly, it will change lives.

See you in church.

Rev. Kent Wilfong is the pastor at the United Methodist Church, Doniphan/Neelyville.