Writer finds God, asks that others do the same

Do you like free gifts?
Most of you had an opportunity to receive a free gift Wednesday. The Gideons were
out and about on campus distributing free copies of the New Testament with Psalms
and Proverbs.
Did you take it?
I’m sure most of you did.
Did you want it?
Many of you probably did not.
Why?
Probably because some of you don’t see the value of it.
I can imagine some of the thoughts in students’ heads.
“What are they trying to sell me now?”
“I hope these guys don’t start preaching to me.”
“Like I need one more book to haul around this campus.”
Instead, the Gideons were doing you a favor in giving to you a great gift, the
gift of the greatest book in the world.
Regardless of what you think of the Bible, it continues year after year to be
the world’s No. 1 best-seller.
The reasons for this could vary.
Many think they have to have one just to have one, even if it just sits on their
shelves. Some people buy them in mass quantities and distribute to their friends
and family members with the same idea as the Gideons. Others are so hungry for
the Bible they can’t help but read it and want to have one, if not many.
In fact, more would probably be published each year, but there are still barriers
in some countries to getting a Bible.
One of those is translation. There are still some languages in which the Bible
is yet to be translated.
The bigger problem is government. Certain countries have completely banned the
reading and or distribution of Bibles within their borders.
When people do distribute or read the Bible in these countries, they are often
imprisoned or killed.
I once heard that because something is controversial or worthy of being banned
makes it that much more intriguing to readers. If you want to read a controversial
or “banned” book, I couldn’t think of a better one than the Bible.
Besides its controversy, this is a book that has had a tremendous impact on the
world.
Phrases, ideas and entire belief systems have been based on this book. To pass
it off as something that is simply boring or out of date is to miss out on something
of great value.
Just think about what year we are in — the year 2000 (A.D. meaning Anno Domini,
in the year of our Lord, or C.E. meaning Common Era). Either way you see it, this
way of dating relates back to the year of the birth of Jesus.
Granted, that number could be off by up to three years, but the reason for the
number remains — Jesus.
The life of Jesus is one filled with controversy, hope and intrigue. You cannot
help reading about the life of Jesus and not be interested. This is a story of
a man born “out in the barn” to a virgin, rejected by his own hometown,
baptized by his cousin John.
He performed great miracles of healing, walked on water, fed multitudes with little
more than a brown-bag school lunch, was hated by the religious leaders of his
time, and was given an “after-dark” trial.
After all of this, he was beaten until he didn’t even look human, had his
best friend deny that he even knew him, and died in the middle of the day with
darkness all around and the temple curtain splitting in two pieces from top to
bottom.
After all of this, he shows the world he cannot be stopped.
He rises on the third day.
At first, all of his friends think he’s a ghost.
To one of them, Thomas, Jesus appears to him, and the resurrection is described
as if Thomas doesn’t trust it until he too gets to touch the wounds of Jesus.
Then he believes.
His friends would deny Jesus no more.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit, this group of disciples would become the witnesses
to the world. Some of them would write gospels (good news) about Jesus. Some would
be interviewed by later followers who wrote gospels.
Then a devout Jew who was killing off the early Christians became one after being
blinded by his divine experience with Jesus. This man was Paul.
Paul would become the world’s biggest proponent of the Gospel of Jesus and
write half of the New Testament.
This is a story worth reading. Take some time to do it today.
Ask yourself this question: Who is this Jesus?
Final exam questions are important, general life questions are important, but
no single question is more important than this.
Take advantage of your free gift, read the New Testament today and find out for
yourselves: Who is Jesus?