BIBLE NEWS: Bible More Accessible Than Anytime in History

It was not so long ago that you were a very lucky person if you had access to a Bible.  For centuries, they were held almost exclusively by priests and monks.  Then for centuries more, they were mostly held by the rich.  By the time our parents and grandparents came along, Bibles were everywhere in the Western world, but still forbidden across most of the east.  But now, experts are saying the Bible is accessible to nearly anyone, more-so than any time in history.  And it may be fulfillment of prophecy!

Creson states that "the last translator for the last Bible translation is alive somewhere in the world today." He told CP why he believes that. "Thirty years ago, the average New Testament took over 20 years to translate," Creson explained. Today, it takes about 8 years.
The Wycliffe president also testified his belief that organization's work helps bring about the End Times. "I believe that the work we do hastens the return of Jesus Christ," Creson told CP. Citing Matthew 24:14, he paraphrased Jesus' words saying "this good news message has to be preached to the whole world, to every tongue, tribe, and nation, and then the end will come."

BIBLE NEWS: Online Bible reading at an all-time high

It is no secret that Coach Matt and I are techies.  We've been reading the Bible in electronic forms since the 1990s!  But for many Christians, the idea of reading the Word of God outside of paper is still quite strange.  Still, a new study indicates that more people than ever before are reading the Bible online!

“The data shows a continual shift to digital content. The number of Bible readers who use their smartphone or cell phone to search for Bible content has increased each year, with a 6 percent increase in the use of this format from 2012,” said the Society. “Use of Internet to find Bible content has also increased, up 4 percent from 2011.”
...However, the report also found a decrease in Bible ownership: 92 percent of American households owned a physical copy of the book in 1993, while only 88 percent do today. That's still a tremendous number, of course; the decrease is likely more indicative of the increased access to scripture online than lessened interest.

 The day is fast approaching when anyone in the world can access the Bible anytime they need it.  But the day may also be fast approaching when finding a paper Bible is next to impossible.

"Find a Bible"

It is easy to find an English Bible. We have many translations, paraphrases, interlinears, etc. In fact, we have so many different kinds of Bibles that for Quizzing, we have to specify the exact translation to use (NIV, not TNIV or ESV or KJV). But that is not the case for many others whose language is not one of the majority. So, what do you do if your first language is not English, and you can't read 1st-century Greek? The Forum of Bible Agencies has introduced "Find a Bible", a new interactive website for locating translations and resources (online or otherwise) for virtually any language the translators have gotten to. Click on over and check it out. It is amazing to see just how many languages it covers for the USA alone!

Prayer for the Internet Generation