There
is a book to which the best sellers on the New York Times list can never
compare. It is the best seller of all time. No book has ever come close. But it
is seldom read.
That's
right. It's the bible.
Many
of us have them on our shelves. Most of us have more than one copy. We have
them in different fonts and translations. We have children's versions for our
kids. We have them in the pews of our churches. But they function more like
dust-gatherers than tools for growth.
This
March, on the History channel, a new mini-series is showing on Sunday evenings.
It is titled "The Bible". It will be shown in five episodes, two hours long
each. I'm pretty excited about it.
Being
able to read the bible is wonderful. Being able to see it is amazing. The first
episode has already been aired at the writing of this article, and it was
wonderful. Did it include everything I would have included if I had made the
show? No! But I didn't make the show. Is it a great conversation piece for
those who are less exposed to what the bible says? Yes!
We
need to be people of the word. The people who were considered as noble people
in the New Testament, the Bereans, were considered as such because they
searched the scriptures to verify the truth.
We
Christians claim to know the truth, but many of us can't even name the 66 books
of the bible. How familiar are you to the stories therein? If I asked you what
the book of Zephaniah was about, would you know? Do you take what the preachers
say at face value, or do you search the scripture to verify their truth claims?
I
encourage everyone who hears me teach to verify what I teach. I want to be held
accountable to the word of God. It's not my word I claim to teach, it's His,
and I want to be true to it.
This
week, I want to encourage you to get in the word. If you're watching "The
Bible" read the scriptures that coincide with the stories and see what else
they didn't have time to put in their series. There is so much more.
If
you'd like to see the series but don't want to watch it alone or don't have
cable or dish, then you're welcome to come watch it with us at the Aztec church of Christ. Whatever you do, be in the Word --
God's Word.
I'd
love to pray for you and talk to you more about the saving message of Jesus
found in the bible. If you'd like to talk, feel free to call me at the office
at 505-334-6626 or email me at mrjdobbs@gmail.com. Blessings be yours as you
dive into the greatest story ever told.
