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The Bible Sandwich

Well the preacher had come to visit the Smith family. As mom and pop and the three kids sat visiting, Parson Brown mentioned that he was planning to preach about the importance of Bible reading in the home. "Do you folks have a family Bible?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," Mr. Smith answered. "We read it all the time. Timmy, please go get our family Bible and bring it to the pastor," he said, motioning to his little eight-year-old son.
The boy looked at his father quizzically, then Dad said, "You know, that big book we read all the time."

"Oh, sure," Timmy said, and scampered off. A moment later he returned, carrying the Sears and Roebuck catalog.

Well, that's a story from a few years ago, but things haven't changed much. Unfortunately, although most American families own several Bibles, the Good Book just doesn't get read very much.

But we at Voice of Prophecy would like to change that.

In coming weeks we'll be taking you on a tour of the Bible, book by book, and looking at the Gospels, story by story. We hope you'll join us as we open God's Word together.
Today's program is very special. It's the first in a brand new series--and a brand new format. You'll be hearing some new voices--my own included. I'm Connie Jeffery. We'll be doing more interviews, and you'll hear lively interaction among our own staff here. We hope you enjoy our new, updated format.

Today's topic, The Bible Sandwich, looks at the Bible as a whole--what is this Book anyway? And are there ways to make such an old book practical for 21st Century living? Here's Lonnie Melashenko, director/speaker of Voice of Prophecy, with a couple other VOP staff members who have some great answers to that question.

LONNIE: Welcome to our studio microphone to Jan Judd, our Discover Bible School Counselor.

JAN: Hi Lonnie

LONNIE: And also Ken Wade producer.
KEN: Good to be here.

LONNIE: Ken, C.S. Lewis began his journey as an atheist, and eventually knelt and prayed to God, and said, "Well I became the most dejected man in all of England," but that was the beginning of an exciting, rich experience. You sort of started that way too, your background, your interest was not in the Bible.

KEN: Oh, that's certainly true, as a high school student I really became involved in my biological and chemistry studies, and all of that sort of thing, and I really back in the sixties, I admired the teachers there that all seemed to be atheist, and just kind of fell into that way of thinking, and actually by the end of my high school experience had written a paper on how man invented God.

LONNIE: Evolution was your journey.

KEN: Evolution, and I became what I would call a carefully reasoned atheist. I knew there was no God in the universe.

LONNIE: How did you come to an understanding that changed everything and turned you upside down?

KEN: Well, it's a long story and I won't go into it all today, but I found out through some personal experience and actually almost accidentally saying a prayer that was answered almost instantly that maybe I hadn't taken all the evidence in the universe into account as far as whether there was a God or not, and some things began to happen that pointed me to the fact that there was a God and He was interested in my life.

LONNIE: But somehow Bible Study particularly changed your life.

KEN: Well that's certainly true, it wasn't long after that, that I was actually in prayer once again, and it seemed to me I heard God calling me to be a minister of the Gospel. And when my high school friends heard about that--that I'd gone off to study for ministry, what a surprise that was to them.

LONNIE: You know that reminds me so much of my own journey, Ken. In my own high school years on the island of Bermuda, I was in a British school system and I was suddenly exposed to parties and alcohol, drinking, girls, sex, and so forth, smoking, but I say this sincerely that I happened to enroll in a number of VOP Bible Correspondence Courses.

KEN: Never thought you'd be the director/speaker of the Voice of Prophecy did you? (Laughs)

LONNIE: 14 years of age I remember plastering my walls with all these certificates, but that actually anchored me and helped me focus on the spiritual aspect.

KEN: Well you know that's what happened to me too, is that it wasn't necessarily VOP, but I began to dig into the Bible myself and study it for myself and began to see how God has a plan for our universe, and it just began to change my whole way of looking, and I've seen God's leading ever since, it's a fantastic thing.

LONNIE: And the story goes on. Jan in our Bible School, we're hearing stories all the time of people just like that.

JAN: Yeah, that's great Lonnie that you were talking about Discover, because just about a week or two ago I had a letter from a man in South Carolina, and he's just started studying Discover, and he said "I've never heard salvation explained like in these lessons." He said his church taught him that when you're saved you become sinless, and they also taught that if he sinned after he was saved, that he was lost forever. Which is absolutely tragic.

KEN: Oh what a discouraging way to live.

JAN: And also to retain salvation, he had to continue to live without sin. And he said he was in just a constant state of depression, he ended up wanting to kill himself. He became addicted to cocaine and alcohol. His church and his whole family abandoned him. He had a successful business in finance, but lost it.

KEN: So when he became so discouraged with his Christian experience, it just led him off a cliff so to speak.

JAN: Well he couldn't live, he said "I can't live up to this" so I might as well quit.

LONNIE: Sounds like Martin Luther's story all over again, doesn't it?

JAN: Terrible, really, really, sad that that can happen. I wrote and gave him some wonderful texts from the Bible, and told him about how Jesus saves him as he is at that moment and sets him free. He wrote back and said, "I just cried and cried as I read that letter, I couldn't believe that salvation could be so simple." And it was just exciting, he's now working at an alcohol and drug rehab center. He said, "I'm just telling people what Jesus can do for them, how He can change their lives. I'm telling them today, we do good works because God has saved us, we're not saved because we do good works." He thanked God for the VOP and the Discover Guides, he just said it's helped him to really understand Salvation. I love letters like that.

LONNIE: Fantastic. So many people just sort of flirt with the scriptures, they just gargle with it, kind of like the TV mouthwash commercials, they really don't drink. To many people, unfortunately, just a spiritual fortune cookie--see what kind of advice it might have today for them.

KEN: Yeah, open up and point to a verse.

LONNIE: But the more you dug into it Ken, and the more these individuals are writing to our Discover Bible School, as they actually get acquainted with the God of the Bible, the person of the Bible, makes the difference.

KEN: Well that was the key for me, getting into those basic teachings of what God is like, God's love for me and finding it there, I just began to drink in the Bible and it was like my mind just expanded as I came to understand that there was much more to the universe than my science teachers had told me.

LONNIE: Many people going through life without any sense of direction just living from day to day, but thank you Jan and thank you Ken. We have a reliable guide in the Bible.

JAN: Yes.

KEN: Amen!

CONNIE: It's certainly true that the Bible is a reliable guide, as Psalm 119:105 says: "Thy Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet."

MUSIC 1: Connie Jeffery, Thy Word

CONNIE: Yes, the Word of God is a lamp to guide our feet. I'm tempted to say That the music was provided by a mystery artist, but actually, that's taken from a CD I did myself a few years back.

If you ever have a hard time understanding the Bible, I know you'll be interested in our next segments, particularly as Lonnie interviews Kurt Johnson about the wonderful service provided by the Discover Bible Schools around the world. Voice of Prophecy first began offering correspondence Bible courses nearly 60 years ago. And we're still doing it, on a grand scale!

LONNIE: Kurt, Discover Bible School means that people that are behind bars in prison, or riding on a space shuttle, or ships at sea, a submarine in the depths of the ocean can get involved. And they are literally--by what kind of numbers?

KURT: Well Lonnie, literally there's millions of people that have taken the Discover Guide, and their all over the world like you mentioned.

LONNIE: It's the largest Bible School of it's kind, isn't it?

KURT: That's correct, in fact Lonnie we have Bible Schools in over 100 countries around the world.

LONNIE: How many languages?

KURT: Well there's over 60 languages and dialects

LONNIE: Now, something brand new has just come out. We're so excited about it here at the VOP, tell us about it.

KURT: Well our Discover Bible Guides, Lonnie, are 26 short lessons. They help us understand the major teachings of the Bible, and they point a person to Jesus Christ.

LONNIE: And they are Christ centered, aren't they?

KURT: That's right.

LONNIE: My own secretary took them, she was just absolutely thrilled. Well, how are people responding to these courses?

KURT: I have excerpts from a couple of students. We recently received a letter, one said, "The Discover Guides have been a great help to me, the words of the Bible seem to jump right off the page and I feel I'm being brought closer to Jesus as I study the word of God."

LONNIE: That's great, now you've got something brand new as we enter this new millennium, and soon to come off the presses. Tell us about it.

KURT: In just a few weeks the presses are going to roll, and a new set of lessons called "Focus On Prophecy" are going to be printed. This is a chapter by chapter study of the Books of Daniel and Revelation.

LONNIE: I was just going to say, people are particularly intrigued by those two books which are somewhat confusing too, a dime a dozen different interpretations. Tell us a little more about that.

KURT: Well what will happen; the person studies as I mentioned chapter by chapter. These lessons will focus on understanding Bible prophecy and especially how it applies to issues that we face in daily life.

LONNIE: We're into the 21st century now, and how do people study these lessons? Are there ways that are kind of user friendly so to speak--on the web? Can we get them by mail the old fashioned way? What options are there?

KURT: There are several options. One of those is they can take them by correspondence, and they can also take them on the Internet as you just mentioned. In fact, if they would go into our website at www.vop.com, they can take these lessons.

LONNIE: Well that's simple, www.vop.com What about a phone number if they want to call for the correspondence and they want to send these in absolutely confidential, nobody will call on them. What is the number?

KURT: We have a toll free number and they simply call, leave their name and address, we'd like them to repeat it twice, and speak it very clearly for us, and that number is 1-888-456-7933. That number again is 1-888-456-7933.

LONNIE: Is there any age limit to this?

KURT: We have students all the way from 7 year olds, all the way up to those who are in their senior years.

LONNIE: So literally if you're out in a mobile home park, or you live in a moving vehicle and you're never in the same address, there is a way to get involved in the Discover Bible School, whether you're a truck driver or whatever.

KURT: That's correct, in fact we have truck drivers that send in these lessons, they listen to our radio broadcasts, they do the lessons and they mail them from that truck stop or hotel, or wherever they may be.

LONNIE: One more story.

KURT: OK Lonnie, we received another letter, and this person says, "I've been a Christian for a long time, but I stand in awe at the Bible truths these Bible Studies have brought to me.

LONNIE: Terrific, Thank You Kurt.

CONNIE: The Discover Bible School has been an inspiration to many people. You can check our web site at www.vop.com for more information, or call 1-888-456-7933 to enroll in the course of your choice.

Now, Lonnie, your message today is titled "The Bible Sandwich." I take it we're going to have some fast food today?

SERMON

Lonnie: That's right! Have you read a good bestseller lately? It's summer time, after all, a good time for taking the latest, greatest popular writing to the beach for a leisurely afternoon of reading.

By the way, do you know which book is the biggest best-seller this year?
Well, I haven't checked the latest New York Times list, but I do know what book is the best-seller of all time. Here's how the Los Angeles Times described it in an article published last summer:

It is the biggest bestseller in the history of the planet.
It recounts gripping stories of sin, sex, brutal violence, awesome miracles, divine compassion and the faith and redemption of the fallen and flawed. Its larger-than-life characters defeat giants, part seas, get swallowed by whales, suffer horrible deaths, spring back to life.

The book is a cornerstone of Western civilization, inspiring the art of Michelangelo, the plays of William Shakespeare, the novels of John Steinbeck and the films of Hollywood. Its ethical standards have launched freedom movements worldwide. Its prose has enlivened our language: Salt of the earth. Wolves in sheep's clothing. Drop in the bucket. Skin of my teeth. Woe is me!

You've probably figured out by now what book I'm referring to. It doesn't usually appear on the bestseller lists we see in newspapers, but it continues to outsell all other books year after year. It's the book we call the Holy Bible.

But the odd thing about the Bible is that even though it sells better than any other book, most people don't spend much time reading it. In fact, a recent poll by the Barna Research Group revealed that while more people are reading the Bible regularly these days than a few years ago, still only about 40 percent of Americans read it at least once a week. Most people can't name the four Gospels that begin the New Testament, and recently it was revealed that only one out of 50 students enrolling in a Baptist seminary could name all of the Ten Commandments!

Many people report that they'd like to read the Bible more, and that they'd like to understand it better, but it just seems overwhelming to them--difficult to understand.
Well, if you've ever felt that way, I hope that you'll listen carefully for the next few minutes, because I want to share with you a simple secret that brings everything in the Bible into clear focus.

I call it the Fast Food Secret. Or the Sandwich Secret.
It's a secret that helps me remember what the Bible is about, and to get the big picture so the things I read all fit together like a good story. And I'd like to share that secret with you.

Here it is: The Bible is constructed like a sandwich--and here's what I mean by that:
When you start reading the Bible in the book of Genesis, you find a story--a wonderful story about the great place that God created for people to live in: The Garden of Eden, otherwise known as Paradise. That beautiful story continues for just two chapters and then something terrible happens.

The people God created, Adam and Eve, rebel against God and lose their right to live in Paradise--lose the privilege of living right with God.
So, the first slice of bread in our Bible Sandwich is made up of the first two chapters of Genesis.

After you've read those two chapters, try this. Skip over to the very end of the Bible. To the book of Revelation, and go to the LAST two chapters of that book, chapters 21 and 22. In my Bible, there's a heading at the beginning of Revelation 21: "New Heaven and Earth Are Created." Isn't that fascinating? The first 2 chapters of the Bible deal with creation of earth, the last two deal with RE-creation of earth and heaven.
The first 2 chapters tell about an ideal, wonderful place--a Paradise--where Adam and Eve were to live, and where God would come and visit with them. Now, notice this from Revelation 21: 3

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with the, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

The first two chapters of the Bible tell about Paradise, the third chapter tells how Paradise was lost, but then the last two chapters of the Bible tell us how Paradise will be restored.
The last two chapters are the second slice of bread in our Bible Sandwich. They wrap up the Bible with a promise that God will bring back the perfect state of things that He originally created for us to live in. He'll come back to live with us once again.
So, what's the rest of the Bible about? What's in the filling between the two slices of Paradise?

Well, if you look at the Bible this way, the most important thing to see is that it is all one big story. There are, of course, many different stories in the Book, but it's important to see each story as part of the bigger picture: The story of Paradise lost and Paradise restored. It's important to see each part of the story as a part of God's plan to solve all the problems of the world.

So, when you read Genesis chapter 3, and all the chapters from there on to Revelation 20, you're reading the story of what happened to human beings as a result of their separation from God.

All the heartaches, all the death, all the wars, famines, and plagues that the Bible tells about are there to reveal to us what happens when people choose to separate themselves from God.

Oh, of course there are some beautiful pictures too--of good times that came when people followed God's guidance. And especially in the New Testament we find the wonderful stories about Jesus and how He revealed God's love to people. These are a foretaste of what life will be like in Paradise Restored.

When you remember the Bible Sandwich, whatever part of the story you read, you can see it as part of a bigger picture. If you read about a terrible war where the innocent were slaughtered, remember, that's not the way it was supposed to be--God never intended for those things to happen. And most important of all, remember the way the book ends--with God's triumph, and with Paradise restored.

Bernard Travaille tells a story about a man who understood the big picture:
There was no gymnasium on our seminary campus, [he writes] so we played basketball in a nearby public school. The janitor, an old black man with white hair, would wait patiently until the seminarians had finished playing. Invariably he sat there reading his Bible.
One day I went up to him and inquired, "What are you reading?"
The man did not simply reply, "The Bible." Instead he answered, "The Book of Revelation."

With a bit of surprise, I asked, "The Book of Revelation? Do you understand it?"
"Oh yes," the man assured me. "I understand it."
"You understand the Book of Revelation! What does it mean?"
Very quietly that old janitor answered, "It means that Jesus is gonna win."

Oh, yes, friend, that's what the Bible means. Every word of it is wrapped up in the pictures of Genesis 1 & 2 and Revelation 21 & 22. In the beginning we learn that God created our world as a wonderful place free of strife and sadness, and in the end, we learn that He plans to restore it to that perfect state once again!
It's a beautiful picture of a beautiful plan: God's plan for your life and mine! It begins with God in charge and it ends that way too!