Bible in 90 Days Ripple Effect and Inspiration

Kelleigh, who is one of our Bible in 90 Days mentors, inspired her own dad to read the Bible in 90 days a few sessions back. In turn, he  inspired his own friends to read the Bible in 90 days, which has lead to several of his pastor friends launching the Bible in 90 Days program at their own churches.

Pretty amazing, huh? You never know what your encouragement of another will lead to with this, which I think is pretty exciting.

Kelleigh’s dad sounds like an inspiring guy. His group is wrapping up and he is allowing me to share one of his latest emails to his group with you.

Read on… and then keep up the reading of the Bible yourself. We are definitely in the homestretch! :)

Here’s what he had to say:

I completed my B90 reading schedule on time (give or take a few hours) in a jet plane flying between Rome and the USA on Saturday, September 3, 2011.  The satisfaction derived from being obedient and disciplined to complete it is enough.  But the insights gained and the presence and nearness of God felt is  indescribable!

In all my 62 years, I have never read completely through the Bible.  The last few days of my scheduled reading was actually while in the Holy Land….Israel, specifically.  That only enhanced my experience mentaly and spiritually, as we walked where Jesus walked and were baptized where Jesus was baptized.

Thanks, Bob, for “throwing down” the challenge.  Thank you, Holy Spirit, for teaching and guiding me through these incredible 90 days of Bible reading.  Thank you, Father, for leaving me this precious written Word, spoken and inscribed for my edification, enrichment and encouragement.  My life will forever be changed.

Gratefully,

Vicki

IS THE BIBLE THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD?
By: Jason & Ron Carlson 

During a question and answer session at a recent speaking engagement a university student asked me, “Why do you believe the Bible is the inspired word of God?” Now this is a very interesting question: and probably one of the most important questions any Christian could ask themselves. What is so special, so unique about the Bible that Christians believe it is literally the inspired word of God.

In answering this student’s question, I encouraged him to consider the following facts about the Bible:

First, the Bible is not just one single book. This is a more common misconception than many people realize, especially with people who do not come from a Judeo-Christian background. Rather than being a single book, the Bible is actually a collection of 66 books, which is called the canon of scriptures. These 66 books contain a variety of genres: history, poetry, prophecy, wisdom, literature, letters, and apocalyptic, just to name a few.

Second, these 66 books were written by 40 different authors. These authors came from a variety of backgrounds:  shepherds, fishermen, doctors, kings, prophets, and others. And most of these authors never knew one another personally.

Third, these 66 books were written over a period of 1500 years. Yet again, this is another reminder that many of these authors never knew or collaborated with one another in writing these books.

Fourth, the 66 books of the Bible were written in 3 different languages. In the Bible we have books that were written in the ancient languages of Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic: a reflection of the historical and cultural circumstances in which each of these books were written.

And finally these 66 books were written on 3 different continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe. Once again, this is a testament to the varied historical and cultural circumstances of God’s people.

Think about the above realities: 66 books, written by 40 different authors, over 1500 years, in 3 different languages, on 3 different continents.

What’s more, this collection of books shares a common storyline-the creation, fall, and redemption of God’s people; a common theme – God’s universal love all of humanity;  and a common message – salvation is available to all who repent of their sins and comit to following God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength. In addition to sharing these commonalities, these 66 books contain no historical errors or contradictions.  God’s word truly is an amazing collection of writings!

After I had shared these facts with this student, I offered him the following challenge: I said to him, “If you do not believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, if you do not believe that the Bible is of a supernatural origin, then I challenge you to a test.” I said to the student, “I challenge you to go to any library in the world, you choose any library you like, and find 66 books which match the characteristics of the 66 books in the Bible.  You must choose 66 books, written by 40 different authors, over 1500 years, in 3 different languages, written on 3 different continents. However, they must share a common storyline, a common theme, and a common message, with no historical errors or contradictions.” I went on to say, “If you can produce such a collection of books I will admit that the Bible is not inspired word of God.”

The student’s reply was almost instantaneous, he emphatically stated, “But that’s impossible!”

“But that’s impossible!” It truly is impossible, for any collection of human writings. However, the Bible passes this test. The Bible contains 66 books, written by 40 different authors, over 1500 years in 3 different languages on 3 different continents with no historical errors or contradictions. The entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation, bears the mark of Divine inspiration.

The next time you encounter someone who asks you why you believe the Bible is inspired word of God, try sharing this challenge with them. Better yet, don’t wait until you’re asked, just go ahead and share this challenge with a friend today. You don’t have to mention the Bible up front, just ask them if they think it would be realistic to assemble such a collection of books.

http://theresurgence.com/2011/01/06/a-word-from-the-valedictorian-of-vacation-bible-school