By David Ettinger
The Right Attitude
A reader recently wrote this in the comments section of one of my blogs: “Meanwhile, I suggest we start memorizing Scripture like never before. Then, when the Bibles are burned, we will have the Word of God still burning in our hearts.”
I concur! Her statement is based on the assumption that the U.S. is racing so far away from God that our political leaders will eventually enact laws forbidding reading, owning, and purchasing Bibles. If this happens, Bibles would be taken and burned, hence my friend’s counsel.
If believers knew for certain our Bibles were going to be confiscated, we should indeed begin memorizing large chunks of Scripture, and, I would add, reading the Bible in ample portions. This is the right attitude, and my blogger friend nailed it.
But, let me present a counter scenario. What if God spoke to every believer and said: “I know how bad things are. They are bad and will get worse. However, My child, the one thing I will not allow to happen is for governments to take away Bibles. This is where I draw the line. You will never lose your Bible.”
How would this affect your Bible reading?
Negative Effect
The answer is simple: Such a promise by God would negatively affect believers. Knowing our Bibles will never leave our possession will cause us to take them for granted. Knowing we will be able to read our Bibles at any time will cause us to get careless about it. Knowing the Lord will protect our Bibles would cause us to regard it as but one of the many books we own.
Hey, wait a minute. Taking our Bibles for granted? Getting careless when it comes to spending time in them? Regarding our Bibles as just “another” book? Hmm, this sounds awfully familiar. Indeed , this describes the present attitude of Western Christians! “Present” as when reading, owning, and purchasing Bibles here in the West is not being threatened.
Sadly this is nothing new. I gave my life to Christ in 1986, and have consumed the Bible since. And during my many occasions in Sunday School, at Bible studies, and in general conversation with other Christians, I have been appalled at the extent of biblical ignorance.
Bluntly put, Christians don’t know their Bibles. Most can’t tell you how many tribes ancient Israel consisted of. Most can’t name at least 4 apostles or 4 commandments. Most believers don’t know how many books are in the Bible, let alone how many in each Testament. Most believers cannot give you the basic outline of the Gospel. Most Christians can’t name a single minor prophet. And most Christians cannot explain, in basic, one-sentence terms, the meaning of such doctrines as condemnation, redemption, sanctification, and election.
The reason for this is that Western Christians don’t read their Bibles! They go to church, attend “small groups,” and love “fellowshipping,” but on their own time, they don’t even think of their Bibles. And the reason for this is – besides most churches not insisting their congregants do so – they take their Bibles for granted!
A New Attitude
To combat this, Western Christians must embrace a new attitude. They must incorporate into their lives the sentiments expressed by my friend. Christians must develop the mindset that our Bibles will be taken away very soon, and to prepare for this, they must read it and memorize it as if their lives depended on it.
If all Western Christians would act as if their Bibles will be stripped from them and burned before their eyes, most would be transformed. They would embrace their Bibles as never before, consuming it in massive portions. There would be a sense of urgency – even desperation – as believers would finally understand that the Bible is God’s primary way of communicating with them, and that they are about to lose it.
Bibles being confiscated and burned has been a worldwide reality for centuries, but not in the West in modern times. It may never be, or could begin happening very soon. But why wait? NOW is the time for all believers to begin dedicating themselves to reading and memorizing Scripture. We should all start acting as if the mandate has become law, and that all Bibles will be seized and burned next month.
Adapt this mindset, and watch the Bible become your most cherished possession!
Blue Collar Theologian
January 13, 2021
I have been saying we need to memorize Scripture and know Scripture well since China prints our Bibles. Only God knows if this will happen but I want to be prepared in the event this becomes reality.
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Blue Collar Theologian
January 13, 2021
I deleted more than I realized. I meant to keep, “Only God knows if this will happen, China altering the Bible, but…”
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dettinger47
January 13, 2021
Definitely!
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Ryan Callahan
January 13, 2021
Amen, David, awesome word of encouragement & wisdom!! I absolutely love reading God’s Word! Praise God that even if they do burn our Bibles, He has written it on our hearts. They will never be able to stop God’s Word! May we all read as much of God’s Word as we possibly can every day. It is our spiritual food, and as the Lord said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Blessings!
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dettinger47
January 13, 2021
“He has written it on our hearts. They will never be able to stop God’s Word!” So true, Ryan!
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sooner8728
January 13, 2021
This is good advice. I’m not sure the United States would get to the point where Bibles wouldn’t be available, but I think that owning will increase the stigmatization of Christians.
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dettinger47
January 13, 2021
I agree!
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Blue Collar Theologian
January 13, 2021
Hey Josh and David, I don’t want to sound like a wacko but it could be a real possibility that we might not be able to download the Bible from app stores. Or they’ll be removed from our devices. I think we are seeing the beginning of things like that with other platforms.
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dettinger47
January 13, 2021
Good point, Mandy. This could well be the case.
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sooner8728
January 13, 2021
Mandy, you’re never a wacko (at least based on what I think I know). Maybe your family could tell us otherwise :D.
I agree with you about the downloading stuff. I don’t read the Bible on apps. I always have. A hard copy. I look to Europe as how the future of the U.S. might look because Europe doesn’t have religious and speech freedom like we do, and they haven’t stopped printing Bibles.
I mean, I really don’t know for sure, but I don’t see something that far happening, though I could see the Bible being harder to find that it is now. There are bookstores now that don’t want to carry certain books in stores because of the fear of violence so they are just carrying them online.
Maybe that’s a sign of things to come?
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vicklea
January 13, 2021
Excellent post! Re-blogging.
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dettinger47
January 13, 2021
Thank you, Vickie.
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Stuart L. Tutt
January 13, 2021
Reblogged this on Something to Stu Over and commented:
This could happen folks! Have you memorized enough to have it etched in your heart and mind? I know I haven’t.
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dettinger47
January 13, 2021
Thank you, Stuart!
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Stuart L. Tutt
January 13, 2021
My pleasure David!
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mrsmariposa2014
January 13, 2021
This is an excellent point! We must treat the Word of God as what it is-a lifeline, and consume it as such. Something much emphasized in our church that I truly appreciate is the value of the Bible and need to commit it to memory, from the young ones on up. Whatever comes our way, to have those precious words to summon up in time of need is so important!
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dettinger47
January 14, 2021
So true, Marisa.
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Renee🌻
January 13, 2021
This will probably happen eventually. May we all hide His Word in our hearts! A great post!
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dettinger47
January 14, 2021
Thank you, Remee.
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seekingdivineperspective
January 14, 2021
Amen. Smart friend you’ve got there. 😏
Congregations could divide up the Scripture memory, with everyone learning a few chapters or more, so that collectively they could recite the whole New Testament!
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dettinger47
January 14, 2021
Good plan on the memorization! On another note, you can split the royalties with me for this blog! 😄
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Tom
January 14, 2021
Thanks for the exhortation, David. There’s no doubt that most American Christians take their Bibles for granted and prioritize everything else in their day ahead of Bible reading and prayer. That was the blatant case in the “small group” (12 people) we participated in for two years.
It’s only a matter of time before the Bible, with its teaching re: homosexuality, will be branded as “hate literature.” It’s inevitable.
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dettinger47
January 14, 2021
Absolutely, Tom. I have been thinking this for a number of years now.
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Crissy
January 14, 2021
The Bible may eventually be labelled hate literature. We were discussing the same thing last week.
Great post David and worth sharing.
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dettinger47
January 14, 2021
I absolutely agree, Crissy. In fact, the comment right before yours makes the exact same point.
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Crissy
January 15, 2021
I hadn’t noticed Tom’s comment. 🤗
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Crissy
January 14, 2021
Reblogged this on WALKING BY FAITH.
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dettinger47
January 14, 2021
Thank you for the reblog, Crissy!
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Crissy
January 15, 2021
You are welcome
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Over the Hill 242
January 14, 2021
I TOTALLY agree! In fact, your heading alone caused me to read.
Honestly, my brother said recently that he has begun memorizing scriptures. I truly believe the time will come when Bibles will be confiscated. By what method, only God knows, but certainly, we MUST hide the Word in our hearts NOW.
PS – Do you blog daily?
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dettinger47
January 14, 2021
I absolutely agree!
Regarding my blogging, I try to blog at least 5 days a week, but that doesn’t always happen. However, that’s my goal. Thank you for asking!
And a question for you … Reading some of your blogs, do you have a journalism background? I notice that you write feature stories, which I have done for years.
I was a journalist for just under 20 years in the Southwest, working for Scripps Howard and Gannett newspapers (1981-2001).
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Over the Hill 242
January 18, 2021
Wow! I’m honoured you even recognized that. Yes, I have a journalism background. I worked in news for 10 years! I worked in newspaper, radio and television.
As for blogging five days a week, that’s admirable. I do notice your consistency.
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tastybiteweb
January 14, 2021
Reblogged this on Welcome to Tasty Bite:.
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dettinger47
January 14, 2021
Thank you for the reblog, Tasty Bite!
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tastybiteweb
January 14, 2021
This was so great a read! Thank you for posting.
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dettinger47
January 14, 2021
Thank you!
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Kathy Wire
January 14, 2021
Agreed – this is a real possibility.
It saddens me to read in your post that most Christians don’t read their Bibles, couldn’t answer simple questions regarding God’s Word. Most of my Christian friends are ravenous for Scripture, and we have wonderful, deep discussions about our varying perspectives and observations. I pray that hunger attacks God’s body.
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dettinger47
January 14, 2021
Thanks, Kathy. Yours are the kind of friends I want to have. You’re blessed!
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Kathy Wire
January 14, 2021
Oh yes; God blesses in so many ways!
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Lisa Beth
January 14, 2021
Well, not sure if I agree with all you said, David. Yes indeed Anerican Christians, who own the most Bibles in the world, know so little of this precious living book. However, to jump start a love for it is like telling a negligent husband, “love your wife as though she’s leaving you!”.
The drive will be utterly temporal without a true awakening and love. Many American Christians are self sufficient, confident, and worldly – totally opposite to a life that fears God, with a heart to serve and live dependent upon Him.
Christians will be ostracized here and everywhere, which will refine and expose who actually loved the Lord all along, good times and bad.
Press on brother….
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dettinger47
January 15, 2021
Great points, Lisa Beth!
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heavensreef
January 14, 2021
Thanks David for encouraging all of us to read, read and read more!! I have actually thought of somehow hiding one now in a special place. I know for me if taken from me I will be so heartbroken…….but I know GOD would give me the strength and please dear LORD the memory that I need!! Going to go and read right now!
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dettinger47
January 15, 2021
Hiding a Bible is a great idea, Maxine!
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heavensreef
January 19, 2021
Seriously thinking of this……right now.
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SLIMJIM
January 16, 2021
Sobering
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dawnfanshawe
January 18, 2021
Thank you. This last year has shaken us all up to these possibilities, i think. I have begun memorising scripture. Our church now always encourages us all to “turn to the page” in our own Bibles during readings and sermons too. He has memorised huge chunks of scripture too. If it never happens, at least we will have all been fully blessed by having His words to hand and heart. “If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.” I ask that His word will be preserved for as long as the earth is preserved. Amen
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dettinger47
January 18, 2021
Amen, Dawn. So well said!
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