How Many Books Do You Read?

That’s a photo of the Kansas City Public Library. Do you visit your city’s library? I can’t because I don’t live in a city. However, I do get to borrow books from our county seat’s library, and I can use any other city’s library simply by walking in. They are used by a good number of people, but not all their activities are centered around book reading.

It seems a goodly number of people no longer read books. Their information is taken in spurts - headlines, memes, messages, graphics, cartoons, or even from photographs with distinctive captioning. Picking up a book to read is often based on one’s favorite author, scholarly subject, or required class reading (for example, Yale's Eng321 requires reading Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte.)

Not everyone has a Bible verse read to them as a child. Fewer have memorized a verse from the Bible as a child. I don’t remember going to church until I eleven – when we moved back to my parents’ home state. Yet, there is one photo in their album where the four of us are dressed in Easter finery at least a couple of years before that. When we settled in Tulsa, it was within walking distance to Immanuel Baptist Church at Third and Xanthus. We made that walk a lot! And memorized a number of verses.

This morning a couple of notices came through YouVersion where friends had completed plans for specific verses. Some plans are for spiritual growth, others for overcoming sorrow, still others address specific personal needs. A few are plans to read the entire Bible through in a specified time period. Some of those are annual plans where the entire Bible is completed in a year. My favorite of those is the Chronological Bible. The order of the books printed in the Bible are not the order in which they were written, neither in the Old nor New Testament. So where should one begin reading?

That’s an excellent question for anyone unfamiliar with the Bible’s full message. Is the answer Genesis? At least that defines what God did:

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 KJV)

But it does little for who God is. If you ask a Christian, I hope they send you to . . .

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8 KJV)

. . .  simply because that’s the best definition of God. However, we also need to know God is just, among other attributes:

He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4 KJV)

Then there is the problem of biblical terms: Garden of Eden, Covenant, Abrahamic religions, stairway to heaven, cherubim, seraphim, born again, baptism, anointed, Passover, Seder, Wise Men. There are so many terms that really sound “not of this world,” and basically – they aren’t. God is a spiritual being, as Jesus explained:

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24 KJV)

Then how did God have a Son? How did Jesus mother become pregnant. We have to go back to Genesis 1:1, where God created the heavens and earth. Jesus tell us:

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26 KJV)

Did you notice that we’ve skipped around through a number of different verses? Why? Because they are the short versions of valid truths that are found across the Bible. So, why are they truth and not simply history?

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV)

Not all scripture are examples to follow, but are examples of what happens when people ignore God and encounter consequences for their action. That’s why scripture must be read in context and studied to see today’s applicability to our lives.

My ending questions: How many books do you read? If you can finish those, how about reading the Bible. I would recommend the King James version in YouVersion – specifically the Chronological plan for the first full reading. You are welcome to become a Contact and share with me as you read. And I welcome questions. I can’t answer them expect by going to the Bible and seeing what is said there. Then for the really hard ones we can ask our Pastor. There is always help in understanding God’s Word.

(That’s another question: What is God’s Word, and what is God’s word? I answered that one a few blogs back. Most likely will answer again in the future.)