Faithful Bible Reading by G. W. Anderson, there is a serious problem in the Church today. Never before have there been so many editions and versions of the English Bible in print, while at the same time, never before have so few Christians been reading the Bible. An evangelist and Bible teacher, who has preached literally thousands of times in many hundreds of Bible-believing churches, likes to encourage people to read the Bible through. He asks two questions in order to help believers to identify the problem and deal with it. How many of you have read all 66 books of the Bible in the past 12 months? And how many of you have ever read all of the Bible through? He says, in almost every instance, less than 5% of the congregation have read the 66 books of the Bible through in the previous year. In answer to the second question, it is a rare thing to see even 20% of the congregation raise their hand. This means that most people, including people who go to church regularly, are not reading their Bible. It has been the experience of this writer that very few people read the Bible faithfully and consistently. The following is an analysis, followed by practical suggestions on how believers, who do not have a regular system of reading the Bible through, might begin to do so. A common problem It is the practice of most people who have devotional time to use some kind of simplistic helps. These include promise boxes, calendars, daily devotionals, which usually contain a verse or two, several superficial sentences of application and poetry, such as our daily bread, or they just read a verse or two a day to keep the devil away. While it is somewhat encouraging to see people engaged in the reading of selected scripture portions in a limited way, it is not the same as faithfully reading and studying the whole Bible. The problem is not limited to individual people. Most couples do not spend time in the Word of God together, and even fewer have family devotions. The problem is present, and it shows by the way families live together. Judging by the number of books which contain great errors of doctrine and practice, the problems brought about by the lack of Bible reading have affected the ability of many to discern truth from error. Heresy abounds in about every area of Christian living. By the number of annotated study Bibles, from many different and often opposing points of view, Now available publishers recognise the illiteracy in many Christian churches today. By the number of unscriptural sermons, often topical preaching with no depth, being preached in pulpits and on radio and television, it appears that the problem goes to the schedules of pastors, and even extends to wrong emphasis in Christian universities and seminaries. The problem extends even beyond national boundaries. Churches in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia are among the nations where this problem exists. God's Wonderful Word The Bible contains numerous statements of the supernatural wonders and spiritual blessings of God's Word. We are told that God's Word is truth, John 17 verse 17. His words are spirit and life, John 6 verse 63. His word is living and powerful, Hebrews 4 verse 12. His word imparts faith, Romans 10 verse 17. His word restores our souls, Psalm 23 verse 3 with 19 verse 7. Man is to live by every word of God, Luke 4 verse 4. It tells us all about eternal salvation from the guilt and power of sin. It tells us what pleases God and how we may be able to see him work in our lives. It teaches us about temptation and how to have victory over the power of sin in our lives. It gives us precepts and proverbs to live by. It tells the stories of sinners like us and their experiences with God. It tells us about the wonderful person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Practical plans We who love and cherish the authorised version should be at the forefront of those who faithfully read the Bible through. Having learned the important spiritual lessons, we should now make practical arrangements to read the Bible through. We should establish the habit of daily Bible reading. First, it is necessary to decide how the Bible is to be read through. Would it be best to do it in a year? Would taking two years be better? If you decide to take one year, you will need to read at least four chapters a day to complete it. There are Bible reading plans available from the Trinitarian Bible Society, as well as from many Christian bookshops. Christian publishers such as Moody Press and the Banner of Truth Trust print them. Some Bible publishers print Bibles with Bible reading plans in them. The Society has several which do so. Also, one publisher now prints the one-year Bible, which contains the text of the authorised version, arranged in 365 daily readings, plus alternative plans to meet the needs of some people. The second suggestion is to find a place and time which can be set aside for reading. It would be beneficial to ask God for help in setting aside the time daily to use for reading, for he loves to meet with his children. most people find morning is the best time for them. This may mean that arrangements may need to be made to rise a few minutes earlier. It is recommended that when you miss a reading, as will probably happen on occasion, please continue on the current day's reading. If it is possible, the missed passages can be made up at a later time. The purpose is to read the Bible through faithfully, not to read it in order to boast later that every word of every verse has been read. Third, it is helpful to start and end your time with the Lord with prayer. Some people find it helpful to use a notebook to keep devotional thoughts, prayers answered, and lessons learned. Many find that God will often use this time to open their hearts to His will. It should be remembered that this is a good opportunity to get to know Him better. Fourth, some people find it helpful to talk to someone about their Bible reading time. They see that talking with others helps them to be more accountable to use the time faithfully. Your pastor, a Christian leader or a godly friend would be a good person from whom to seek help. Husbands and wives find it helpful to encourage each other in Bible reading and devotions. If your church has a planned congregational reading of the Bible through in a year, you might consider getting involved in it. Starting on November 1st and reading through until October 31st is just as good as starting on January 1st and reading through to December 31st. The same principles can be used for couples or family reading together. With children present, it might be advisable to go at a slower pace. Faithfulness needs to be established, not a speed record. Remember that children will learn spiritual habits from you whether you want them to or not. Faithfulness in Bible reading is a good one for them to learn. Conclusion and commitment A helpful verse in the reading and studying of the Bible is given by the Apostle Paul. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2 verse 15. The Greek word for study is a command for the believer to give continual diligence. It means to make every effort while being diligent for the purpose of showing yourself to be approved, proven to be genuine and real what you profess to be unto God. Since this is a command made to believers, it is not optional. If God is working in your heart to put this into practice daily, you might consider encouraging others to read the Bible faithfully every day too. There is a serious problem in the church today. the lack of knowledge of God's Word. It is not enough for Bible believers to uphold and defend the excellence of the Authorized Version. We need to read it faithfully, obey it consistently, and by God's grace, live it daily. We who hold to the excellence and authority of the Authorized Version have opportunities to improve our own Bible reading time and to encourage others to do the same. May God help each one of us to be faithful in reading the Word of God through regularly. The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Psalm 33 verse 11.