The Bible: God’s One and Only Published Work

Something very sad is happening in contemporary Christianity. People are just not giving the Bible the attention it deserves. Research shows that the number of Christians who read the Bible on a daily or even regular basis is dropping at an alarming rate. Nowadays, it seems, many view Scripture not as a book to read regularly but as a text book that one dips into when wishing to remind oneself of the basis of the faith, or when seeking an answer to some perplexing spiritual issue. However we look at it there is little doubt that the Bible is not being viewed by many of today’s Christians with the same degree of importance as it once was.

There are a number of reasons for this. Liberal Christianity – which puts it own views above God’s views – has attacked the authority and sufficiency of the Bible causing many to believe that whilst the Bible is a good book, even a great book, it is not necessarily God’s book, in the sense that He is its Author. Whatever degree of inspiration may be claimed for the Bible (they say) it is no higher than that which can be claimed for other sacred works such as Paradise Lost or Dante’s Inferno.

But before we spend too long focusing on what is happening in liberal Christianity we must not overlook the fact that something sinister is going on in many of our evangelical/charismatic churches too. In a lot of these communities (thankfully not all) the Christian life is portrayed as less a matter of assimilating truth from the Bible than experiencing a spiritual high. The leaders of such churches, albeit unwittingly, may be conveying the message that the Christian life is more about experiencing something than learning something.

Duncan Leighton, a minister in New Zealand writing in Evangelism Today (August 2000 edition) spoke for all who have a concern about this when he wrote:

There are many who feel that church has become an irrelevance. Music dominates. Sentimental jingles have replaced largely doctrinal-teaching hymns which prepare people for the uncertainties of life. The messages are often pick and mix affairs with the Bible treated like a Promise Box full of goodies with everything nice inside. Much of the resulting doctrine is built upon little more than clever observations and personal experience rather than upon the timeless revelations of God.

Pastors and Christian leaders who do not hold up to their congregations the importance of getting into the Bible for themselves may one day be in the position of pastoring communities who are charismatically sophisticated but biblically illiterate. Whilst I am all for genuine spiritual encounters I have no hesitation in saying that faith and certainty are anchored more to historical and biblical fact than they are to ecstatic spiritual experiences.

Another reason why regular reading of the Bible is dropping amongst today’s community of Christians may be due to the fact that people in general don’t read as much as they once did. Publishers tell us that bulky books are going out of fashion because people, especially the younger generation, have neither the time nor inclination to read them. Thin paperbacks are therefore the order of the day and, as a result, there is a good deal of literary slimming going on. The Bible is a bulky book. It has about 773,000 words, 1,189 chapters and 66 books.  What a book! For this reason many people find the thought of ploughing through it from start to finish somewhat daunting.

However, I think the real reason for this drop-off in Bible reading turns on how the Bible is viewed. One’s convictions on the character and nature of the book makes an enormous difference in one’s approach to it. If one believes, for example, that the Old Testament is nothing more than a fragmentary record of a group of unimportant Semetic tribes, and the New Testament nothing more than the record of a good man named Jesus of Nazareth (and some of His chief disciples) whose main message was that we should love our neighbours as ourselves, then the Bible deserves no exceptional respect. But if a man or woman believes, on the other hand, that, though the Bible was written over a period of fifteen hundred years by about forty penmen, but was actually authored by God, and is His one and only published work, then he or she will come to the book in a completely different frame of mind.

Convinced Christians regard the Bible not as an ordinary book and are teachable before it. They approach it not with thoughts about whether they are in contact with God’s Word (that issue has already been settled) but only with questions about how God’s message relates to their present situation and how they may best translate that message into their daily lives.

In the days when I was a pastor and a counsellor, whenever anyone would come to me complaining that the Bible was a difficult book to get into, I would begin not by attempting to lay out for them a reading plan or strategy but I would try to help them understand the nature of the book itself.

I would start off by saying something like this: nearly every brand of religion is based on a book. From the Book of Mormon to the Koran of Islam there are many illustrations of this fact. That is supremely true of the Christian faith also. It, too, is based on a book, a Holy Book called the Bible. Whilst all well-meaning Christians would speak with profound respect of the sacred writings of other faiths and would not deny the value of their ethical and moral principles, the Bible is in a category all of its own.

As Dr W E Sangster put it:

Whatever degree of divine inspiration may attach to other Christian writings (The Imitation of Christ, The Pilgrim’s Progress and so on) the Bible is unique in that it contains the only record of God’s incarnate life, the spiritual pilgrimage of the race among whom He was born, and the birth of the Christian Church. Scripture is not the first of a group; it is in a classification alone. It is not the leader of equals; it is a book apart.

Listen to what the Bible has to say about itself:

…prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).

It says this also:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:16).

And this:

…we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe (1 Thess 2:13). 

Just as in the mystery of the Incarnation God linked Himself to humanity, so in the mystery of the inspiration of Holy Scripture God made use of human channels, yet without surrendering His divine authority or permitting the book to become the word of man rather than the Word of God. Both men and message were inspired.

If, when reading the Bible, we are in contact with God’s eternal Word, how can Christians not help then but study it daily, store their memories with precious fragments of it, learn its highways and its byways, and make its reverent reading a prime part of every day? Not to do so almost borders on unbelief.

One great Welsh preacher, John Morgan, said: “The point at which all Christians know they are growing is when they desire to have the mind of Christ in their mind.” This being so, to imagine one can know the mind of Christ without soaking in the book where alone it is disclosed is folly of the first order.

One of the great passions of my life has been to encourage people to get into the Scriptures on a daily basis.  In 1965 I began to encourage people to get into the Bible by writing a series of daily Bible notes entitled Every Day with Jesus. This year (AD 2000)  I celebrate the 35th anniversary of that publication which began with distribution amongst a handful of people and is now read in 150 countries of the world by nearly half a million people every day.

In more recent days I have been gripped by a deep concern to encourage every Christian in the world to read through the whole of the Bible at least once in their lifetime. Many Christians, I find, have their favourite passages of books but, valuable though it is to study them and meditate on them, just to focus on these and nothing else means they have a truncated version of Scripture composed of their favourite passages, but missing out many other parts of the Bible. The only way to make sure such passages are not missed is to go systematically through the Bible and take in its message as a whole.

Some years ago I sat down with a colleague and planned a strategy of reading through the Bible in one year chronologically, that is following the events of the Bible as they happened. The programme is called Cover to Cover – through the Bible following the events of Scripture as they happened.

At the beginning of the year 2000 I set a target of getting one million people around the world to commit themselves to making the first year of the new millennium the year when they would read through the whole of Scripture. Now as we approach the end of the year, over half a million people have taken up the challenge, and there is evidence that in the year 2001 that number may well be exceeded.

The letters I receive from people who are participants in this programme are quite incredible. One person said: ”What began as a duty turned out to be one of the greatest delights of my life.” Another said: “Scriptures I have heard preached on came alive in a new way as I saw them not only in the context of the chapter or even the book but set against the great backdrop of the whole of God’s Word.” Still another: “Delving into the Word of God in this way (chronologically) has given me a sense of God’s Story in a way I have never seen before. Truly history is His Story.” With all the conviction of my being I say this: every Christian I believe would profit in ways beyond their utmost imagination from reading through the whole of the Bible at least once in their lifetime.

To quote Dr W E Sangster again:

The tooth of time gnaws at all books but the Bible. It is relevant to every age. It bears the living water that comes sweet and untainted to the thirsting souls of each succeeding age. It has passed through critical fires no other volume has suffered and its spiritual truth has endured the flames and come out without as much as the smell of burning.

Nothing fortifies the soul, prepares it for the day and tones up the spiritual and mental health of a person like time spent in the Bible. The old aphorism is as true now as it was when it was first uttered: The more your Bible is falling apart the more likely it is that you are a  “together” person.

H J Wilmot-Buxton, a Christian writer tells this story:

I heard of a young man who was left heir to his father’s property but, when the father died, another disputed the son’s claim. The matter came into the law-court and the young man was told that if he could produce his father’s will, his inheritance would be secure. One day he opened the family Bible, seeking comfort and guidance in his troubles, and from between its pages a paper fell out. It was his father’s will which showed quite clearly the property was distinctly left to him.

Spiritually speaking, that sort of thing is a regular occurrence amongst devoted readers of the Bible. Like the psalmist they are able to say: “I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil” (Psalm 119:162).

Let the last word be with the patriarch Job who said: “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12, NKJ). I wonder how many of us see time spent in the Bible as more important than our daily food? If we believe that the Bible is truly God’s one and only published work, and is in a most special sense the Word of God, then we will count any day ill-spent which does not include some time spent perusing its pages. 

Rev. Dr. Selwyn Hughes was the founder and Life President of CWR (Crusade for World Revival). For over 40 years he was the author of the Bible-reading notes “Every Day with Jesus”, read by nearly one million people worldwide. A Welshman, he was trained in Theology in Bristol, England and later attended a number of counselling training courses in the United States. He was a pastor for eighteen years before founding CWR and travelled in many countries presenting seminars on different aspects of the Christian life and ministering to leaders in many nations. Selwyn was also responsible for the development of CWR¹s counsellor training programme.  With over fifty years of counselling experience, Selwyn developed deep spiritual insight into the complexities of human behaviour. He personally trained thousands of Christians throughout the world.

Abduction Precautions for Women

Because of recent abductions of women in daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation…This is for all the women out there, and for you and to everyone you know.

1.     Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!

2.  Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you….chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.

B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)   

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP . It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her "Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door."

The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, "We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door." He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby’s cry recorded, and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby crying outside their doors, when they’re home alone at night.

Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby. This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory was mentioned on America ’s Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana.

“I Love Life”

         

We are all born to die. What is important is what you do in between.

The following advice should make your life enjoyable, as well as for those around you.

1.                    Say  “Hello” to the people. It’s amazing what a hello from you can do for individual.

2.                    Say “Please” and “Thank you”, even when you don’t really have to. Instead of saying sometimes crude, like “Get out of here and don’t come back”, you should say, “Please get out of here and don’t come back, thank you”. Notice the difference? Sure you do.

3.                    To live a life in fear is cowardly. Learn to face your fears head on.

4.                    Look after your teeth-even though they can be  replaced.

5.                    Look after your eyes – they can’t be replaced.

6.                    Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do or want out of life when in your twenties. The most interesting people I know still don’t know what they want to do with their lives and they’re in their forties!

7.                    Don’t worry about the future. You can not plan or change what’s coming.

8.                    Be on good terms with as many people as possible.

9.                    Make your point quietly and clearly and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant: they too have their story.

10.                 Avoid loud and aggressive people .

11.                 Avoid people with a negative outlook or opinion.

12.                 Don’t expect anyone else to support you. You may have an inheritance, or you may have wealthy spouse. But one day either could run out on you.

13.                 Don’t compare yourself with others, you may become better or vain; there will always be greater and lesser people than yourself.

14.                 Decide for you self what’s important to you in your life.

15.                 Keep interested in your chosen career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

16.                 Exercise caution in your business affairs; the world is full of con men, get rich quick, schemes, deceit and fraud.

17.                 Be yourself. Let your personality shine through.

18.                 Accept that other people will always appear to have more luck than you in health, jobs, love, wealth, friends, and life in general. However, its all half chances. So don’t feel bad or aggrieved. Be happy with your lot, its your life and no one else’s.

19.                 Enjoy your achievement and look forward to your plans.

20.                 Don’t waste time; it’s a precious commodity. Life is short, enjoy it to the full; it is not a dress rehearsal.

21.                 Hang out to your dream whatever they maybe. Ignore the doubter; they’re just jealous because they don’t have any.

22.                 Don’t work too hard for your employer’s; they only care about what you can do for them.

23.                 There’s more to life than a job. When it gets you down, get a new or better one, even if it’s at lower salary. Money isn’t everything.

24.                 Don’t vote for the same politician twice; Make them work for a change. Voting for them only encourages arrogance.

25.                 You can’t buy happiness or love, so don’t even try. It can only buy material goods. Some of the best things in life are free.

26.                 To be loved and wanted is one of life’s greatest feelings. Return the favor in equal measure.

27.                 Do not fake affection; be honest and truthful about your feelings.

28.                 If you love and care about someone, tell them before it’s too late. It’s the things you don’t say you regret the most.

29.                 In a loving relationship, do not count the years, count the moments.

30.                 Keep all of you love letter. Read them when you are down and feel unloved.

31.                 Get to know your parents. You’ll miss them they’re gone for good. Do it before it’s too late.

32.                 Be nice to your siblings. They are your link your past and future.

33.                 You’re not going to get much out of life’ if you only ever do what’s safe.

34.                 A person, who dies rich, dies in disgrace. Donate money to worthy causes, you’ll feel better for it.

35.                 Make the best possible effort in everything you do in your life, while you can. Be part of life and participate in it.

36.                 Enjoy your freedom; you’ll appreciate if it’s taken away from you.

37.                 Pass on your wisdom, and learn from others.

38.                 Cherish every moment with your children; they are young only once in their lives.

39.                 Do not criticize your children too much as they could be bitter towards you afterwards. Praise them more than you criticize.

40.                 If you don’t have anything good to say someone, don’t say anything at all.

41.                 Practice the Teflon technique, where other’s negativity slides off you. Everybody suffers insults and put-downs.

42.                 Fear of failure is no excuse for not trying . There are two only failures in life; not trying and giving up. Nothing comes to those who will not try.

43.                 Quit moaning. Put your energy into doing something positive about the problem instead.

44.                 Learn to cancel and continue. When actors make a mistake they instantly have to put it behind them and give there all to the next part.

45.                 When you are angry with someone, do nothing until you’ve cooled down – or you’ll say something you’ll regret.

46.                 Try to be calm; you’ll have a better chance of being heard. If you shout, the person you’re telling off will hear anger- rather than the point you’re trying to make.

47.                 Dance or sing a regular basis. By yourself, with your spouse or in a group, but just do it. Either will make you feel good.

48.                 Every year make five promises. Try to accomplish one of them.

49.                 Exercise on a regular basis. It’s good for your body as well as your mind, so exercise, by running, playing sports or in the gym.

50.                 Never trust a skinny cook.

1. What are ICTs?

ICTs are technologies that are linked to the information and communication industries, for example telecommunications, satellite systems, WAP technology, computers, and the Internet. Even television sets, postal services, and radios can be considered ICTs because they are technologies that advance economic and social development in the same way as other ICT’s.

2. What is the digital divide?

The term digital divide refers to the disparity between those who have use of and access to information and communication technology (ICT) tools and those who do not. The digital divide describes the differences between nations in terms of their access to and use of ICTs as a tool for social and economic development. The term can also be used to describe differences in access to these tools within a country.

3. Why is the digital divide a key global issue?

Bridging the digital divide is of benefit to all. Although they do not inherently guarantee economic and social development, ICTs are generally believed to enable a better quality of life. ICT development can influence the way a country reaches its capabilities and leapfrogs the traditional barriers to development. Bridging the divide means we can prevent a situation where some benefit from technological innovation while others cannot access it.

John Rambo N. Rizon was born on June 24, 1983 at Rosales St., Cotabato City. He finished his elementary at Sero Central Elementary School, Cotabato City in the year 1996 at the age of 12.

            At the age of 16, he finished his Highschool Studies at Notre Dame of Cotabato, Sinsuat Avenue, Cotabato City. During his Highschool years, he widened his musical ability and became a band member of the NDC Band. John eventually became the band leader group. This musical group provided him an avenue for maximizing his talents in music. Besides, in these years he broadened his skills in computer such as encoding, programming, design and troubleshooting.

            After finishing Highschool, John Rizon decided to take up Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Major in Multimedia and Creative Technologies. He developed his skills in Computer Programming considering that the computer trend during those days were rapidly upgrading. He discovered many computer innovations and intensified his skills in Multimedia and Web development. He later finished the course within 3 years at AMA Computer College Cotabato City Campus which held its Commencement Exercises last May 2, 2004.

During his collegiate years, John was member of different school organizations e.g. I.T. CLUB, AMACC Band and The Rhythm Band where he was a keyboardist. It was also during these years that he became the member of the music ministry of the Servants of the Lord Catholic Charismatic Community, he is assigned as the keyboardist and the SLCC Musical Director.

            One month after graduation, he was hired as the Auditor’s assistant at Commission on Audit under Auditor Rey I. Selagpo. This working experience enriched his skills in computer troubleshooting, community relations, accounting and computation. After this fruitful undertaking, he served as a teacher and an IT department head at Mindanao Cooperative Institute of Technology for six months.

            At present, he is the General Manager and IT Technician and Administrator of the PRB Global Business Center. He is also the ICT Assistant Director of Portege Youth Development Initiative and an advocate of Grand Master Balinas Memorial Chess Club for 6 months now. In addition, John Rizon is affiliated with IT-CAN, Unite for Sight and the Webmaster of AIDPH.org

Culture of Life Against Culture of Death

    The greed and hunger of power and wealth, covetousness and desire for fame and honor, the thirst for luxuries of life on earth and many other forms of unsatiable human wants and other similar character traits and culture are no doubt the root causes of evil acts and thoughts.

    The deliberate curtailment of human life has been one among the various places. This ruthless act renders the victims surviving family broke and weary, relatives and friends could only show their sympathy to the bereaved family and clan. Our constituents in the community could only clamor for justice due the victim hoping to indemnify the offended party.

    The frequent recurrences of shooting incidents in our places have somehow gradually inculcated in the minds and conditions the thinking of our innocent younger generations that killing a person is within normalcy. It is indeed very difficult to understand why some educated people seem to appear uncivilized.

    We should not be overwhelmed with the concept of the seemingly prevailing strong force of the culture of death. I am opitimistics as I encourage the entirety of the local councils of this Order to overcome this evil force of the culture of death by extinguishing it with the culture of life.

    In line with the thoughts of our Supreme Knight’s messages "Where the future of the Order lies" and along the great effort of Pope John Paul II "The New Evangelization" in the incoming third millenium the entire Order is called to secure the victory of the culture of life in its great conflict with the culture of death.