One of my favorite worship songs is "I'm Ready Now," by the Desperation Band. It's a song of surrender and of submission. It's a passion really, that springs from a heart that is hungry to fulfill the Lord's purpose under any circumstances. When I listen to it, I can hear the longing and even the craving for dependence upon the presence of God. I love the line that goes, "So take my heart, and make it new, and make it true, and make it like You. So take my hands, I lift them high, they're Yours not mine to do, do what You will." Simple, but powerful! Not complicated, but dangerous. Dangerous in the sense that, what if God will take a prayer like that serious? What if He will receive our surrender and truly do what He wants to do? What if that leads you down the path of the unexpected? What if that results in you going places that you never wanted to go and experiencing things you never wanted to experience? Are you READY? NOW? Come what will? Say with me: I'M READY NOW, LORD...DO WHAT YOU WILL!

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I remember being newly saved and hearing this quirky phrase come out of Pastor Jaron’s mouth: “Readers are Leaders and Leaders are Readers!” As silly as it first sounded, this phrase is not only entirely true, but also entirely biblical. In 1 Timothy 4:12-13, Paul commands Timothy to be an example to his church and what is often forgotten is that part of that example is found in “giving attention to reading.” What Paul was essentially saying to young Timothy was, “if you want to lead, you MUST read!” I know that for many of you, being told that you have to read is absolute drudgery. You and I live in a culture that is so technologically advanced that reading seems as archaic as cassette tapes and typewriters. A common cry is “Why read when you can listen to the book on CD?” Or “Why read the book when you can go and rent the movie?” While technology has certainly provided our world with incredible benefits (I personally like the fact that I can access the Scriptures in any translation in mere seconds with just a tap of the keys on my computer) it has also cheapened our society out of the amazing rewards of reading. It is a proven fact that people who are readers are wealthier, more successful in their jobs and in all of life, have more variety of interests, have a greater ability to understand how other people think and feel, are better writers, can concentrate better, and have much more influence in their world than non-readers. (information taken from Focus on the Family website, family.org) And this is concerning just reading in general, but how about the importance of reading the Bible! Mark Twain once said, “People say when they get to heaven, they’ll fly around from cloud to cloud playing a harp; but I don’t see too many people trying to learn how to fly or too many taking harp lessons to get ready for the event.” Many believers say they want to serve God and obey his word, but how many are reading the Bible in order to learn how? The Bible is not just one big book, but actually a collection of 66 smaller books written over a period of at least 1600 years by about 40 different authors. Everything they wrote was inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). Our Bible is NOT just a book! The great Abraham Lincoln understood this when he wrote, “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Saviour of the world is communicated to us through this book.” George Washington said, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” Here’s what the philosopher Immanuel Kant had to say, which you will probably never hear quoted in any philosophy class, “The existence of the Bible, as a book for the people, is the greatest benefit which the human race has ever experienced. Every attempt to belittle it is a crime against humanity.” You know one way that we “belittle” the Bible? YOU DON’T READ IT! In 1839 Alexander Campbell wrote, “The Bible is to the intellectual and moral world of man what the sun is to the planets in our system,--the fountain and source of light and life, spiritual and eternal....” Patrick Henry the fierce patriot who fueled the start of the American Revolution once said, “The Bible is worth more than all other books which have ever been printed.” And finally, Charles Dickens one of the greatest literary minds the world has ever known proclaimed, “The New Testament is the very best book that ever was or will be known in the world!” And yet so many Christians simply miss out on the treasures of reading the Scriptures! Don't let that be YOU! GET READING TODAY!

The English preacher John Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim's Progress, an allegory about the Christian life. He wrote that story from Bedford Jail, where he was imprisoned for preaching. Bunyan depicted the Christian life through the allegorical character named Christian, who was embarking on a spiritual pilgrimage. Christian was first taken to Interpreter's House because there were some things he needed to know to make his pilgrimage successful. Inside Interpreter's House he was shown the painting of a preacher that he might realize the importance of the preacher's office. The portrait "had eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in his hand, the law of truth was written upon his lips, the world was behind his back. He stood as if he pleaded with men, and a crown of gold did hang over his head." This should be the portrait of every believer! Amen.