South African Bible-reading marathon pioneer Illona de Wit is looking forward to co-hosting her eighth Bible-reading marathon in seven years — at Spirit Reign Ministries, Kariega (Uitenhage) from October 23 to 26.
She is also encouraged that five churches around the country are holding Bible-reading marathons this year and is hopeful that even more will take up the challenge of hosting events in which the Bible is read out aloud, continuously from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation.
In the years since the inaugural marathon in October 2018, when participants reading in 15 minutes slots, got through the whole Bible in 86 hours and 10 minutes, some of the churches that have caught the vision have taken the initiative in how they organise and conduct the event and even introduced related campaigns — like challenging individual congregants to read through the entire Old and New Testament in 40 days.
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“This year we also arranged a special Bible-reading Marathon Day at Spirit Reign Ministries on on the 27th of April where we encouraged families and friends to group together to reserve a book in the Bible instead of the normal 15-minute reading slot,” said Illona.
“All participants started at 9h00 on the morning of the 27th of April 2024 at their homes, and within a couple of hours the Bible was read aloud from Genesis to Revelation.
“Children, together with their parents were excited to read their own specific section in the Bible. We even had participants from America take part in this special Bible-reading marathon.
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“It was so precious to see people setting aside time on the day to exalt God’s Word,” said Illona.
When she took a step of obedience in 2018 by organising the first marathon in the Despatch Town Hall, she said: “I hope that it will grow into a yearly event and that it would spread across the country for the glory of God and to create a hunger in people for the Word of God.”
Illona commended Jehova Jireh Pinkster Gemeente in Brakpan for completing their first Bible-reading marathon from March 1 to March 5 this year in 86 hours and 35 minutes.
“They successfully completed their Bible-reading marathon with only 19 participants. It shows that the Lord only needs a handful of faithful people to accomplish much for His Kingdom,” she said.
Further marathons lined up this year are:
Spirit Reign Ministries, Uitenhage
Contact persons: Illona de Wit (073 350 6999) or Elmarita Wicks (072 357 2829)
Website: https://brm-sa.co.za/
October 23 – 26
NG Kerk Kareedouw, in conjunction with the Church at Tsitsikamma
@Kareedouw NG Kerk
Contact person: Antoinetta Botha (071 248 7028)
October 8 – 12
Lofdal PPK, Middelburg
Contact person: Pastor Callie Joubert (082 566 6935)
October 24 – 27
Jehova Jireh Pinkster Gemeente, Brakpan
Contact person: Pastor Neels Potgieter (082 974 1770)
Starting October 21 at 7am
PPK Secunda, Secunda
Contact person Jason Coetzer (067 372 1107)
Starting October 1
Below are some brief testimonies from people who participated in the first Jehova Jireh Bible-reading marathon in March:
“Die Woord het werklik lewendig geword vir ons as gemeente gedurende die Bybellees Marathon.Die Heilige Gees het die Woord vir ons oopgebreek en lewendig gemaak. Ons het baie dinge raakgelees wat ons al vergeet het of nog nooit raak gelees het nie.
“Reg deur die Woord van God het ons geleer hoe om dankbaar te wees. Hoe om God te Loof en Prys. Hoe om in alle omstandighede op Hom te vertrou. Ons oe het ook oopgegaan en ons het weereens besef waste genade ons deur Jesus Christus se Kruisdood ontvang het.
“Ons kan werklik getuig dat God die Alfa en Die Omega is. Die begin en die einde. Elke woord en vers is Ja en Amen.” — Pastoor Neels Potgieter
“Laat die wat ore het hoor. Op Dinsdag oggend 5 Maart is dit my tydgleuf om te lees. Ek is vasgevang in die verkeer. Ek vra die dame wat ek die vorige week opgetel het langs die pad, om my foon uit my handsak te haal sodat ek kan kyk waar ek moet begin lees. Sien dat hulle al klaar kom gemaak het maar dat hulle my die geleentheid gee om die laaste 3 boeke in Openbaring te lees.
“Terwyl ek by die robot staan sit ek die audio Bybel aan. En luister. Die dame wat saam my ry is dood stil. Die Heilige Gees is tasbaar teenwoordig in die motor en ek is opgewonde dat sy die Woord kan hoor.
“Toe ons klaar is vra ek haar om net Amen te tik vir die groep en hulle te verwittig ek is klaar.
“Dit is doodstil in die motor ek begin n loflied saggies te sing. Toe ek die dame aflaai , sê sy: ‘tannie dankie vir n interessante oggend.’ Ek weet die Heilige Gees werk in die dame se hart en sy sal gered word. Al die Eer aan die Here. — Pastoor Annetjie van der Berg
Gedurende die naweek het familie ons kom besoek. Ons is besig met Bybellees Marathon. Kort kort vra of ek, my moeder of suster verskoning want ons moet gaan Bybel lees. Die familie was so geinspireer dat hulle dit by hulle gemeente gaan voorstel om dieselfde te doen. — Magda Odendaal
Die Here het by my lewe gevoeg en die Woord vir my oopgebreek. Ons is nou twee wat kan saam bid en Bybel lees — Thys Homan
Ek en my man Deon het weer die begeerte ontwikkel om die Woord te eet. — Harriett Oloff
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