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31st August 2024
SaturdayReflection
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Graemme Marshall offers
life, hope and truth
"The Bible: The World's Most
Shoplifted Book?"
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Though Bibles are not free, God's truth is always available for free.
Did you know that the Bible is one of the most shoplifted books of all time?
Though it is difficult to track the statistics, some bookstore owners claim that the Bible is the most shoplifted book on their shelves!
It is clearly the most translated and printed book of all time. But shoplifted?
It is ironic that the book that declares "thou shalt not steal" is apparently often stolen!
Why would a book that contains high standards of morality be desired by a person who practices thievery?
There are a number of reasons hypothesized to explain why people often steal the Book:
● People feel that the Bible should be free -
so they just take it.
● A high-quality Bible can be an expensive
purchase.
● In the frenzy of shopping for the holidays,
people steal for gifts.
● Some steal Bibles to later sell them
on the Internet or streets.
Whatever the reasons people have for stealing copies of the Bible, it still breaks the Eighth Commandment.
But the Bible isn't just being stolen from bookstores!
The Bible is also being removed, legally unfortunately, from many places it used to freely occupy.
It used to be a given that a Gideon Bible would be located in just about any hotel room you rented - all around the globe.
But that has been challenged.
After a complaint, the U.S. Air Force removed the requirement that Bibles be found in military lodgings.
The argument was that U.S. government military facilities should be neutral toward religion rather than provide a special privilege for Christianity.
Some hotel chains and university campuses are removing Bibles.
The prophet Amos wrote of a time when there would be "a famine ... of hearing the words of the LORD" (Amos 8:11).
The Bible is also being removed, legally unfortunately, from many places it used to freely occupy.
Is the Bible being respected and faithfully taught in our culture today?
Or is it being removed from everyday life - both literally and figuratively?
Could it be that the Bible is being shoplifted from more than bookstore shelves?
Has it been stolen from its proper place in our lives by forces that hate it and its message?
Though faithful teaching of the message of the Bible is rare today - yes, even from Christian churches! - the pure, undiluted message of the Bible is still available.
It has not been totally stolen yet.
In fact, that is why this website exists.
LifeHopeandTruth.com - and Discern Magazine - exist to ensure that the Bible and its undiluted truths continue to be available freely to everyone.
We encourage you to not let the Bible be stolen from your life.
><(((°>
Graemme Marshall
was a church pastor for the Church of God, a Worldwide Association
As the Church of God,
our job is to share that message with the world and then care for those who respond to it -
to give them a place to grow and flourish.
We are a community, a brotherhood of believers, marching together toward a common goal - the future promised to us by God.
We don't believe that message needs to be updated or polished or reinvented for the modern age.
The words of God are as timeless and powerful today as the day they were first recorded.
The Bible contains the reason you were created.
It contains the blueprint for living a successful, meaningful life in the present, and inheriting eternity in the future.
Contact the Rector
The Revd.
Nic.Edwards
The Rectory,
Church Lane,
BUGBROOKE,
Northampton,
NN7 3PB
Land Line: 01604 - 815496
(Can be accessed from the mobile device)
Mobile: .....
E-mail:
thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com
Contact the Benefice Office
Sunday School Rooms, Church Lane,
BUGBROOKE, Northampton, NN7 3PB
Land Line: 01604 830373
E-mail:
thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com
Mon., Tues., Wed,, Thur., Fri.
9:00am to 11:30am
For Baptism bookings (Christenings)
to arrange an appointment please contact
the Benefice Office.
For Wedding bookings:
please contact the Benefice Office to arrange
an appointment.
Who Made This?
Seeing as you asked, if you can give helpful
advice or report factual corrections and
'deliberate mistakes',email:-
regparker3 at gmail dot com
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attempt to avoid 'spam',
Type the email address replacing 'at' with '@',
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