BBD 08.19.20 The Collectors (Classic)

#1 · August 19, 2020, 12:06 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on August 19, 2020, 12:06 pm
Posted by: burningbushdevo <burningbushdevo@...>

Classic from 2002

Burning Bush Devotional

19 August 2020

The Collectors

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. - Matthew 4:4.

Bob Burke an Oklahoma City attorney, historian, and collector has given his collection of over 2,000 Bibles, to the University of Oklahoma. In this collection of Bibles, there are over 200 languages represented and the dates of publication range from 1492 to the year 2000. The collection is thought to be the largest privately owned collection, and it is estimated that it has a value of several hundred thousand dollars. However, many of the Bibles are priceless being irreplaceable. Burke related that the Bibles had just been packed into his office and that he was relieved “because they are now in safe hands and they will be used.”

The Bible is such a wonderful book it still ranks near the top each year in numbers of books sold and there have been more Bibles printed than any other book. According to the Bible, every part is “inspired by God” and “is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).”

The Bible is not only “inspired by God” it is “living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).” The Bible is not only inspired by God and living, powerful, sharper than a human sword, but it is also the “sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).”

In addition, the Bible is our spiritual food, which is needed just as frequently as physical food which we eat every day (Matthew 4:4). The Bible gives us direction to the way of life (John 14:6; 1 Peter 1:23) and through the Bible we will find true success (Joshua 1:8). It is through the Bible that we will find strength to resist and overcome temptation (Psalm 119:9, 11).

How large is your Bible collection? Within my reach are four Bibles and our family has a total of 15 or so and possibly more. I enjoy the way some of the Bibles look on the outside with nice leather covers and some have brightly colored designs, which are appealing to the eye. I like the feel of the pages, which are thin, and with gold on the edge. I like the small pocket Bible that I can carry with me concealed but ready for an emergency, just in case they ask us to lift our Bibles up in the air at a pastor's conference.

Does it do me any good to have all of these Bibles if I am just going to admire them? My Bible collection is only a collection and worthless spiritually if I never open up their pages and read the words of life printed on them. Even if we only have one Bible, we have a priceless possession that many would even today risk their lives to read and are risking their lives to read. Most of us risk nothing if we were to open up the pages of one of our Bibles and read the living words of God. Why do we just collect them? Why do we just admire them? Why don’t we read them?

In 2009, my wife was in a meeting and heard of how in China a family in a house church was given a Bible and they were so thankful for receiving it that they wanted to have their picture taken with the man giving the Bible to them. This was even after it was known that someone had called the police to report the gathering because a man was upset that his wife had been saved. Do you love God’s Word that much?

Copyright © 2002 - 2020. Ed Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of those first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the Burning Bush website:

www.theburningbush.net

The Burning Bush websites are celebrating 22 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than thousands of subscribers across the world.

You can leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top right-hand corner of all of the pages.

Check out the Scripture Index being constructed for the Devotionals at the Burning Bush website. The Links are in about the middle of the home page. Topics for each devotional are now being added to the Index.

Please pray for the healing of all with the COVID-19 virus and that no one else would be infected. Pray for an end to the pandemic.

Additional Prayer Requests from my church family for healing: Kathy Wright (Stage 4 cancer), Beverly Jay, Harvey Redelsperger, Sr., Pat Sharp, Evi Porter, Sharon and Frank Hamilton, Tammy Pena, Jean Cain, Scott Hines, Phil Webb, and Ryan Thomas.

Please pray for all those who receive this devotional that God will make His will be done in all their hearts, lives, and situations.

Please pray for an end to the racial hatred in the USA and that it will be replaced with peace and love. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. Please pray for the riots and destruction to come to an end. You can also post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me. 03.18.18 I accepted the call to be the pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Elk City, Oklahoma. Please pray for me and for this church.).

You can contact Ed Wrather at theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: THE BURNING BUSH DAILY DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE.

THE BURNING BUSH DAILY DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE

Devotion vs Devotional: We do our devotions, we read devotionals.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--
To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: burningbushdevo <burningbushdevo@...>

Classic from 2002

Burning Bush Devotional

19 August 2020

The Collectors

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. - Matthew 4:4.

Bob Burke an Oklahoma City attorney, historian, and collector has given his collection of over 2,000 Bibles, to the University of Oklahoma. In this collection of Bibles, there are over 200 languages represented and the dates of publication range from 1492 to the year 2000. The collection is thought to be the largest privately owned collection, and it is estimated that it has a value of several hundred thousand dollars. However, many of the Bibles are priceless being irreplaceable. Burke related that the Bibles had just been packed into his office and that he was relieved “because they are now in safe hands and they will be used.”

The Bible is such a wonderful book it still ranks near the top each year in numbers of books sold and there have been more Bibles printed than any other book. According to the Bible, every part is “inspired by God” and “is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).”

The Bible is not only “inspired by God” it is “living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).” The Bible is not only inspired by God and living, powerful, sharper than a human sword, but it is also the “sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).”

In addition, the Bible is our spiritual food, which is needed just as frequently as physical food which we eat every day (Matthew 4:4). The Bible gives us direction to the way of life (John 14:6; 1 Peter 1:23) and through the Bible we will find true success (Joshua 1:8). It is through the Bible that we will find strength to resist and overcome temptation (Psalm 119:9, 11).

How large is your Bible collection? Within my reach are four Bibles and our family has a total of 15 or so and possibly more. I enjoy the way some of the Bibles look on the outside with nice leather covers and some have brightly colored designs, which are appealing to the eye. I like the feel of the pages, which are thin, and with gold on the edge. I like the small pocket Bible that I can carry with me concealed but ready for an emergency, just in case they ask us to lift our Bibles up in the air at a pastor's conference.

Does it do me any good to have all of these Bibles if I am just going to admire them? My Bible collection is only a collection and worthless spiritually if I never open up their pages and read the words of life printed on them. Even if we only have one Bible, we have a priceless possession that many would even today risk their lives to read and are risking their lives to read. Most of us risk nothing if we were to open up the pages of one of our Bibles and read the living words of God. Why do we just collect them? Why do we just admire them? Why don’t we read them?

In 2009, my wife was in a meeting and heard of how in China a family in a house church was given a Bible and they were so thankful for receiving it that they wanted to have their picture taken with the man giving the Bible to them. This was even after it was known that someone had called the police to report the gathering because a man was upset that his wife had been saved. Do you love God’s Word that much?

Copyright © 2002 - 2020. Ed Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of those first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the Burning Bush website:

http://www.theburningbush.net

The Burning Bush websites are celebrating 22 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than thousands of subscribers across the world.

You can leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top right-hand corner of all of the pages.

Check out the Scripture Index being constructed for the Devotionals at the Burning Bush website. The Links are in about the middle of the home page. Topics for each devotional are now being added to the Index.

Please pray for the healing of all with the COVID-19 virus and that no one else would be infected. Pray for an end to the pandemic.

Additional Prayer Requests from my church family for healing: Kathy Wright (Stage 4 cancer), Beverly Jay, Harvey Redelsperger, Sr., Pat Sharp, Evi Porter, Sharon and Frank Hamilton, Tammy Pena, Jean Cain, Scott Hines, Phil Webb, and Ryan Thomas.

Please pray for all those who receive this devotional that God will make His will be done in all their hearts, lives, and situations.

Please pray for an end to the racial hatred in the USA and that it will be replaced with peace and love. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. Please pray for the riots and destruction to come to an end. You can also post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me. 03.18.18 I accepted the call to be the pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Elk City, Oklahoma. Please pray for me and for this church.).

You can contact Ed Wrather at theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: THE BURNING BUSH DAILY DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE.

THE BURNING BUSH DAILY DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE

Devotion vs Devotional: We do our devotions, we read devotionals.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--
To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org