“It was an absolute blessing to all of us,” said Bible Reading Marathon visionary Illona de Wit about the event which took place from Wednesday to Sunday last week.
An enthusiastic team of “marathoners”, each reading out aloud for 15 minutes, took 82 hours and five minutes to read through the entire Bible during the event at Spirit Reign Ministries in Kariega (Uitenhage).
Illona said that she had received a few responses to a call she made before the start of the marathon to churches in other regions to host their own Bible-reading events. She said a few people had approached her and expressed interest. She is ready to help new marathon hosts with administrative advice and resources. She can be contacted at 073 350 6999.
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She said before the start of this year’s event, the fifth that her team has hosted in Nelson Mandela Bay, Rene Pirie brought worship to the Lord. And Marius du Toit had the privilege of taking the reading team across the finish line as he read Revelation 22.
“The schedule was almost fully booked at the start of the marathon. During the marathon there was a waiting list for reading slots to open,” she said.
Before this year’s marathon, Illona told Gateway News: “We hope the Bible Reading Marathon will spread over South Africa and create a spiritual hunger in people to read the Word of God for themselves and to proclaim the Word of God as they read over their city, town or province.”
Below are brief testimonies from some of the people who participated in this year’s marathon.
I read the text in 2 Kings about the life and rule of king of Jerusalem that did right in the eyes of the Lord, King Josiah and the Lord reminded me that this is the name of my next son if or when my wife agrees to have more children.
Anonymous
Altyd ‘n voorreg om deel te kan hê aan die Bybel Lees Marathon. Die Here is so goed vir ‘n mens. Dis die minste wat ‘n mens kan doen en tyd so afstaan. Dit was ‘n voorreg en altyd ‘n seen.
Louise Arendt
As in Isaiah 43 the Lord has redeemed me, so I feel His redemption while participating in the Bible Reading Marathon. What a privilege to serve the Lord.
Barbara Reynolds
Thanks this was such a great blessing. Shalom!!
Gordon Cotter
Ek het Ezegiel 37-39 gelees. Vandag het dit gevoel die is die Woord vir vandag – vir nou – profeties oor die tyd waarin ons nou leef, maar ook waar ons nou leef– ons metro. God praat steeds. Hy het nooit op gehou praat nie. Ons moet net still raak om te luister wat Hy sê.
Adéle Kennedy
I read the account of Noah and the Ark, Abram and Sarai becoming Abraham and Sarah, Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah. For me it was a stark reminder of the evil that God could not bear to witness. In the story of Noah the whole earth was “cleansed” of sin only sparing Noah yet sin followed.
Abraham begged God not to destroy Sodom if he could find 50 righteous men, down to 10 righteous men. Only Lot was found righteous to save, yet sin followed Lot immediately with his daughters. Our salvation is our own, our righteousness is our own.
Each of us is accountable individually. God is willing to spare our families through our righteousness, but it doesn’t mean they are righteous. In these accounts Noah, Abraham and Lot trusted the Lord but their families didn’t all trust the Lord or honour Him. The promises the Lord made were not broken by the disobedience of others but were kept and are still true today because of the obedience of Noah and Abraham.
Amanda Rathbone
Well, all I can say is this was wonderful. I love this so much and it was my first time being here… I can’t wait for the next Bible Reading Marathon.
This is a real blessing and I know that those people that came after me were just as blessed as I am. We all know that God speaks to us through His Word and His Word is true.
Quintin Strydom
While reading in Ezra and Nehemiah in certain area’s it felt like declaring not just reading.
Godfrey Roberts
I helped the BRM by doing the flowers. I had aloe flowers on my heart, but when we tried to find them, we could find nothing. Until the morning of the BRM, where I came across a bush-full in a nursery that agreed that we could take them. I felt Jesus reminding me how worthy of trust He is: when something is His plan, He works it out. If I have confidence that what I do in my life is in obedience to Him, then I can have confidence that He is working all things out for me, for His purposes. I can trust Him with my “how?”.
Every time I read in the BRM I feel as though God has especially picked out specific passages for me, to speak into my life with Love, be it wise correction, warning, motivation, encouragement or simply sweetness.
This year one reading that stood out to me was in Job 19:23-27. In this difficult and ancient book, Holy Spirit revealed Jesus to me in a way that resonated with me deeply.
Grace Galunszynchi
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