Sharp Contrast

contrast

vb [kənˈtrɑːst]

(often foll by with) to distinguish or be distinguished by comparison of unlike or opposite qualities

n [ˈkɒntrɑːst]

1. distinction or emphasis of difference by comparison of opposite or dissimilar things, qualities, etc. (esp in the phrases by contrast, in contrast to or with)

2. a person or thing showing notable differences when compared with another

This FB fast has been good for us.  Really good.  We've had more time to evaluate what really matters to us.   We just finished the biography of George Muller and read that when he died, he had read the Bible, completely, over 300 times!!   One thing that has really stood out to me lately is the amount of Bibles we actually own.    We decided to get out all the Bibles we could find and count them up.   We counted at least 25 full copies, with more in storage, and even more available online (with our kindle, phone, tablet, and computer versions), or the Bible storybooks that we have for the children.  Over 25 copies!!

A sample of our personal bibles....

According to sources like Wikipedia, the Bible is the best-selling book in history with approximate sales estimates ranging from 2.5 billion to 6 billion, and annual sales estimated at 25 million Bibles.     

To be quite honest, even though I've read most of it, I've never read my Bible from cover-to-cover.  I've read tons of other books from start to finish, but not my Bible.  I've tried to read it through.  Remember last year when I (ambitiously) tried reading along with the 90 day plan?  Yeah, that didn't work out so well.    I gave up somewhere around Chronicles...  Isn't that sad?   

What if we lived in a country where owning a Bible was illegal?  What if it meant certain imprisonment or death to even claim Christianity?  It's happening in other countries.   North Korea, for one.   What if the only scripture we had was printed boldly on a balloon and floated across the country's border?   Sound outlandish?   It's not.   It's real, and these brave believers are making it happen every week near the border of North and South Korea.   Read about Peter and "Operation Dandelion".  

Stories like this one, found at Voice of the Martyrs can help us understand the effects that such a brave mission can have.  

    "The plastic balloon held words of encouragement for the three generations of North Koreans. It contained a message from Christians in the West and over six hundred Bible 

verses taking the reader from the creation, to the cross, to the second coming of Jesus Christ. In the last decade, over one hundred thousand of these “Scripture balloons” have been floated into North Korea."

If you have a Bible in your home, read it.  Appreciate it.  Don't take it for granted, friends.