I Highly Recommend this Book

The Twilight saga is a collection of four novels that has been sweeping our nation since the first movie was released a couple of years ago. It is a fictional tale about a teenage girl and her vampire boyfriend. While I've had a hard time seeing what the big deal is, millions of people, mainly young girls to middle aged women have been consuming all four books in a matter of months.

 

My local church, Life Spring, began a venture of our own in January. We are reading through the best selling novel of all time. It's the Bible. Though calling it a novel may seem strange to some, it would be wise to view it as such rather than simply as an instruction manual. It gives plenty of instruction to be sure, but the Bible is so much more than that!

 

The issue we have in the modern Christian world is a unique one. This series of 66 books and letters has been the top seller for some time, but is often quoted more than it is read through systematically. I'd be willing to bet that there have been more Bibles sold in the last few years than actually read from cover to cover. People are more likely to read several books about the Bible than they are to actually read the Bible itself. They are more likely to read daily devotionals regarding various verses from the Bible than to read the through the Bible, understanding those verses in their proper context.

 

The result is that the learner becomes a slave to the instruction of the teacher. The Christian has no discernment as to whether a teacher, preacher or evangelist speaks the truth or whether their teaching may be distorted (Acts 17:11). It is no wonder that so many are deceived into the latest fad doctrines that have come along.

 

It will only get worse unless something is done about it. Churches all across our nation are conforming to the ignorance of their congregations. The Bible is treated as irrelevant to our modern culture. However, who has read it in order to make such a bold suggestion? Instead of teaching people to read the Bible for all it is worth, churches have become content to dumb down the message while throwing in a few quotes from the Bible here and there. Hearers are never encouraged and challenged to read the Bible as one would a novel. On the other hand, the latest Christian best sellers are consistently promoted.

 

If this keeps up, the results will be tragic. What becomes of the next generation of Christians? What will the next generation of Christian leaders look like? The answer is quite clear: ignorant. Will the church wake up before it is too late? We are headed for disaster and deception is its middle name. No one can know the will of God without knowing the Word of God (Psalm 119).

 

Imagine a person who is always quoting from her favorite C.S. Lewis book, "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe". However when asked, to your astonishment she has never read the book. All she knows are a collection of quotes that she randomly found as she flipped through the pages. In fact, as you question further, she can't even tell you what the book is about. She has a general idea, but it is just what she has gathered reading the back cover and speaking with others about the book.

 

It sounds strange, but this is exactly what has been done to the Bible. It has become an acronym meaning "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth". It is treated simply as that. People only read the portions that may apply to a current circumstance as one would only read the section of a car manual that had to do with fixing a brake light.

 

It is cohesive and meant to be read as a unit. When you do, a whole new understanding will be open to the reader. It's been wisely stated that the Gospel doesn't begin two thirds through the Bible when Jesus appears on the scene, but rather in Genesis, the very first book. The whole story should be taken in context. It has also been stated that though the Bible should be read for depth (meaning close, prayerful examination and study is always necessary) it should also be read for breadth. That means that it should be read as a whole; that is as a novel.

 

The Bible is a novel. We should read it as such. It's not just any novel. It is God's living Word, but it is none the less a novel. You could even call it a saga or series as it is a collection of 66 wonderful, and dare I say relevant, books. It is a beautiful story of the world's corruption through sin and God's plan for redemption. It is exciting, dramatic nonfiction literature at its best!

--
Scott A. Hescht

Life Spring Church  <)))><
http://www.lifespringfamily.org

Psalm 22 Ministries
GOD has not forsaken you
http://www.psalm22.net

"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." - Jesus