The Bible is unique in four ways. First, the Bible has sold over 5 billion copies – more than any other book ever written. Second, the Bible has been given away for free more than any other book. Third, the Bible is banned from being read by more people in the world than any other book. And fourth, the Bible is the book that is most stolen by people in the world. And I would say that this is because Bibles are everywhere; especially in hotel rooms and churches.
Samuel Morse, who invented the telegraph, used a quote from the Bible for his first message ever transmitted on his device: “What has God wrought.” (Numbers 23:23).
The Liberty Bell, one of America’s great symbols of freedom, has a Bible verse inscribed on it: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” (Leviticus 25:10).
The Bible has been on the best seller list for 2,000 years or 100,000 weeks!
The Bible is the only book that gives the account of special creation. The Bible is the only book that gives a continuous historical record from the first man to the present era and on into the future. The Bible is the only book of antiquity that accurately details prophecies of events to come. And the Bible is the only book that convicts men of sin and leads them to salvation.
Harvard University, which was founded in 1636, had as part of its original 1646 rules and precepts, the following: “Every one shall consider the main end of his life and studies to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life.” “Every one shall so exercise himself in reading the Scriptures twice a day that they be ready to give an account of their proficiency therein, both in theoretical observations of languages and logic, and in practical and spiritual truths….”
On the walls of the Library of Congress, in Washington D.C., the following Bible verse can be found: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” (Psalm 19:1).
The Bible, hands down, is the most inspirational book ever written. Jesus’ teachings on the Sermon on the Mount, the Psalms, the Ten Commandments and the continuous love of God for mankind have down through the centuries been the pillars on which millions have anchored their faith. No book can generate more comfort, encouragement and purpose for life than the Bible. So many great masterpieces of art, literature, music and film have been created by people touched with the message of God that our world would be deprived of much of its very heart and soul if it were deprived of this one book.
Theodore Roosevelt, America’s 26th president, once said: “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.”1
There is a movement underfoot to label America’s Declaration of Independence as dangerous because of what it says. For we read in its second paragraph: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” And in its closing words we read: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
The Bible is ultra-controversial! No book has caused more people to be burned at the stake, brought before firing squads, sent to prison, beheaded, stoned, sawn in two, subjected to scourging, mocked and made a spectacle of than the Bible.
My friends, the Bible is like no other book ever written. It is the only book, that has within its pages, the chance to find real peace, joy, and meaning by entering into a personal relationship with its author – Jesus Christ. If you haven’t done so already why not pick up a copy of the Bible today? You just may find yourself embarking on a scenic tour into a world you never dreamed could exist!