Magyar Egyház, 1998 (77. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
1998 / 4. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 5. oldal THE BIBLE LEAGUE CELEBRATES 60TH ANNIVERSARY WORLDWIDE MINISTRY NOW REACHES MORE THAN 85 COUNTRIES! Constantine, a former soldier in the Russian army, started a new life this year. His parents recently shared their Bible with their alcoholic son. “I began to read it,” he says, “and discovered something a million times better than alcohol: Jesus Christ. - This Holy Bible changed our lives. Thank you for making the Bible available to poor people!” Similar testimonials first came from thankful people in Walkerton, Indiana in 1938. This year, as The Bible League celebrates 60 years of Scripture placement ministry, founder William Chapman’s vision to supply every home in America with a Bible has spread across continents to millions of people worldwide. The Bible League has placed more than 530 million Scriptures in 90 countries in the past 60 years. William Chapman was committed to the evangelistic premise of God empowering his Church to nurture new believers through the Word and then provide continuing discipleship. The Bible League extends this strategy today with documented proof that it is the most effective and efficient way to share the Gospel in any language and in any nation. Outside North America, many countries still face a critical Bible shortage. In China, for example, an estimated 40 - 50 million Christians and hundreds of millions of curious non-Christians await their first Bible. By providing an average of 3,000 Scriptures per day, The Bible League is known to be the largest provider of Bibles and study materials for China’s underground house church movement. In Ethiopia only I out of 10 Christians have a Bible. The accelerating growth of Christianity in developing nations creates a huge demand for Bibles. A church leader in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, affirms that God’s Word is able to transform even social and economic conditions. When new converts do receive their own copy of Scripture, It brings a new dignity and self-worth based on love - the love of God through Christ. “For example, Christians are more literate than non-believers in my area,” he says. “They are motivated to read because they want to read the Bible.” The Bible League places Bibles with national evangelists who disciple new believers. These individuals study with mature Christians, earning their own New Testaments and whole Bibles as they complete study courses. Bible study cell groups form and eventually join together to begin a new church fellowship. “We’ve found that The Bible League’s effectiveness in advancing the Gospel comes through empowering indigenous people to do evangelism,” says Rev. Dennis Mulder, President of The Bible League. “That is, when we harness the economic power of the western church to the skill of the local church in any nation, God works in powerful ways!” Since 1987, when The Bible League began keeping such statistics, Bible League-trained national evangelists have planted more than 1 1,000 churches, and more than 1 million people have been baptized into local congregations around the world. “We must continue to work where God’s Spirit is moving,” says Rev. Mulder. “When through prayer and careful research we believe God is confirming a new ministry opportunity, The Bible League will respond as he enables us in years to come.” ADVENT: THE TIME OF PREPARATION FOR CHRISTMAS “This is one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke, when he said “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness.” Matthew 3:3 The words of the prophet Isaiah are quoted by the Gospel writer- the voice of one crying in the wilderness. We usually don’t care that much about the voice, but we heed the message. The voice is trying to get a road crew ready to begin the work in the wilderness. God is coming, as He had come so many times before, by way of the wilderness. The voice is that of John the Baptist, and his message is “change everything”. And so the season of Advent begins, not with carols and bells and shepherds and stars, but with a call to prepare. To prepare for what? Already we know the Christmas story. Already we know about the birth in a manger so long ago. So what are we supposed to prepare for? The answer is US. As the prophet Isaiah implored people many centuries ago to prepare their lives for the coming of the King, so he implores us in the same way. If our hearts are a desert wilderness, he calls us to nourish them with prayer and meditation and the reading of the scriptures. If our lives are cluttered with sin and selfishness, Isaiah calls us to clear the way for God. Maybe the best way to begin the season of Advent is to take an honest look within, and see what changes might need to be made if we are going to be host to a King. Decide now to spend time each day preparing the road to your heart upon which the King may travel. The season of Advent can be an adventure. Who knows how God will shape us, mold us, and change us? Amazing things can happen when one prepares for the coming of royalty! So in this little message, I, only ask for His blessings on your Advent adventure! SMT
