In April this year the Lofdal Gesinskerk in Middelburg, Mpumalanga hosted their first Bible Reading Marathon after accepting a challenge to SA Christians issued by Eastern Cape Bible Reading Marathon pioneer Illona de Wit.
The Middleburg group read the Bible non-stop, from cover to cover in 90 hours and 35 minutes with various people each reading 15-minute slots. Then they announced that they will be holding another such event in October — the same month in which Illona and her team are hosting their sixth consecutive annual Bible Reading Marathon in Nelson Mandela Bay.
But the Lofdal believers’ appetite for Bible reading challenges does not end there. Inspired by the YouTube testimony of a former drug addict who read the Bible in 40 days after he was saved and healed by Jesus, Lofdal elder Gerhard Nell challenged his congregants to read the Bible themselves in 40 days.
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Last weekend Gerhard had the pleasure of handing out certificates of completion to the first group who had completed the 40 days challenge and this weekend he expects to present some more certificates. He says nine congregants, including himself took on the challenge. One of them, a pensioner, completed reading the Bible in 22 days “and it was life changing for him — he is so excited”, said Gerhard. He said his children, who live in Johannesburg, are also reading through the Bible in 40 days — “and they are inspiring others to do the same”.
“And the cherry on the top is that the people who have just read the Bible in 40 days want to do it again,” he said.
Gerhard said he will be asking a colleague to coordinate the next 40-day challenge while he focuses on the upcoming Bible Reading Marathon at the church from Thursday October 19 to Sunday October 22. You can contact Gerhard at 073 169 0402 or Izak van Breda at 082 504 4505 for more information on the event.
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He said he is hopeful that two other churches — in eMalahleni (Witbank) and Secunda — will also host Bible Reading Marathons in October.
The NG Kerk, Kareedouw and the Church at Tzitzikamma, who were the first to accept Illona’s challenge to follow her lead in hosting Bible Reading Marathons, will be hosting their second event at the NG Kerk, Kareedouw, from Tuesday October 24 to Saturday October 28. They held their first event in November last year. For more information about this event contact Antoinetta Botha at 071 248 7028 or antoinettacbotha@gmail.com
Meanwhile Illona and her team will be holding their sixth annual Bible Reading Marathon from Wednesday October 25 to Saturday October 28, at Spirit Reign Ministries, Kariega (Uitenhage).
40-day challenge testimonies
See testimonies below from some of the participants in the recent 40-days challenge on their experience:
The “40 day Bible reading challenge” was an awesome experience, in that one now had the full narrative of how the whole puzzle fits together. I found a lot of scripture that I previously missed. It was all ways a scripture here and another there, but reading the Bible continuesly like novel in a short space of time gave me a whole picture. Now I’m eager to study the scriptures and learn what teaches.
– Gerhard Nell
Wat ek (Theuns) geleer het in die 40 dae Bybellees uitdaging.
In die begin het God die heelal in 6 dae geskape. Daarna het sonde het in die tuin van Eden begin, nadat Satan as een van die vernaamste engele uit die hemel uitgegooi was op die aarde. Hy was te hoogmoedig en wou beter as God wees.
Na al die sondes wat die mense gedoen het, was God spyt dat Hy die mens gemaak het. Selfs nadat die sondvloed gebeur het, en die 10 gebooie vir die mense gegee was, het hulle nog steeds aangegaan met sonde en selfs afgode aanbidding. Dit was ook toe die toring van Babel gebou was.
Daar is baie dinge wat ons uit die ou testament kan leer, maar ook in die nuwe testament. In die nuwe testament leer ons van die eerste gemeentes wat onder leiding van Jesus begin was. Ons het ook gesien dat sondes in die ou testament anders vergewe was as in die nuwe testament. In die ou testament was dit vergewe met die offer van diere bloed, en in die nuwe testament en tot nou toe nog, met die bloed wat God se seun, Jesus Christus, aan die kruis gestort het vir ons elkeen.
Die sonde in die wêreld word al hoe erger en die mense raak al verder weg van God af. Die wêreld word meer afvallig maar die Bybel voorspel dat dit is wat gaan gebeur. God sal sy Bruid kom haal met die wederkoms, hemel toe. Daarna sal die Groot verdrukking van plaasvind waar die Antichris sal regeer op die aarde saam met Satan.
Aan die einde van daardie groot verdrukking sal die slag van Armageddon gebeur waar die Antichris en Satan vernietig sal word. Dan begin daar ‘n nuwe hemel en ‘n nuwe aarde. Die deur lees van die Bybel in 40 dae was baie leersaam.
– Theunis Botha
Wat ek (Anna) geleer het in die 40 dae Bybellees uitdaging.
Dat sonde begin het alreeds in die 1 ste boek van die Bybel, naamlik Genesis. Dit het begin toe Satan die slang vir Eva verlei het om van die boom van goed en kwaad tee eet. Daarna het die mens al hoe meer begin sondig. Dit het later so erg geraak dat God spyt gekry het dat Hy die mensdom geskape het en het toe besluit om Die sondvloed te laat plaasvind, waar Hy dan die hele aarde verdelg het onder die water, met net ‘n paar oorblywende mense en diere oor in die Ark van Noag. Nadat Hy weer die aarde opgedroog het, het hy vir Moses die tien gebooie gegee om met die volk van Israel te deel, sodat almal sou weet wat Hy van hulle verwag en wat nie. Later het God sy Seun Jesus Christus uit die maagd Maria laat gebore word. Hy was gebore om die Messias te wees, die Redder en Saligmaker vir die hele wêreld. Die Jode wou Hom nie aanvaar as die Messias nie.
Sy Seun Jesus sou dan later op die houtkruis sterwe om vir elkeen se sondes te betaal. Dit is egter so dat daar altyd ‘n magstryd is tussen Satan en die Vader. Daarom is dit so bestem dat die Antichris stelselmatig aan bewind sal kom om die aarde te regeer, selfs na die wegraping of wederkoms. Dan sal die Slag van Armageddon uiteindelik plaasvind waar God die Antichris en Satan finaal sal uitwis en ook die aarde. Dan word die nuwe hemel en die nuwe aarde geskep.
Daar is baie dinge wat deur die profete geprofeteer was, wat alreeds waar geword het, en wat ook nog in die res van die nuwe testament gaan gebeur. Daar is baie ooreenkomste tussen die ou testament en die nuwe testament. Ons lewe nou in die laaste dae van afvalligheid en sonde. Dit gaan al hoe erger raak totdat God genoeg gehad het. Dit was ‘n interessante reis deur die Bybel.
– Anna Botha
Wat ek uit hierdie 40 Bybellees uitdaging geleer het.
God is n kwaai maar liefde volle God. Jy gaan betaal vir jou sonde en verkeerde keuses wat jy nie bely het nie.
God is n regverdige God en gee jou n eie wil, kies reg en wees gehoorsaam aan God en Hy sal jou gebruik in die weg wat Hy vir jou beplan het. Glo en vertrou Hom net.
– Antoinette van Wyk
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