Billion Bibles
Worldwide Shortage •
Cause • Solution
Bible Shortage
Buying a bible in Western democracies is as easy as walking into a
bookstore or visiting an internet bookstore. The problem
in the West isn't the lack of bibles, but the lack of bible reading.
The situation is much different in countries like China, Laos, Pakistan,
North Korea, Cuba, Bhutan, Vietnam, and Cambodia where bibles are forbidden or restricted,
but where the Lord has been adding to His body in great numbers.
In China, for example, an astounding 50 million of the 100 million
Christians in the underground house churches do not have their own bibles. Many house church
in the rural areas have only one bible for the entire congregation, while
others have none. The Chinese Christians
want bibles so desperately that they have turned their prayers for more
bibles into hymns.
Moreover, bibles that reach such congregations add more fuel to the Lord's
fire. On average, every bible delivered results in five new Christian converts. This means that
50 million bibles
reaching
these Chinese Christians will lead to 250 million more new
Christians who also need bibles, and so on.
The need for more bibles is also qualitative. Due to the lack of bibles,
many new Christians are having trouble distinguishing false teachings from
biblical truths. More swords of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) are needed
to sharpen their theology and to fight the cults and heresies that
Satan sends their way.
God is reaping a mighty harvest around the world that is exploding the demand for bibles. While one billion
more bibles over the next decade may seem like a high number, the current
and projected demand in China alone will require most of that total. One
billion bibles should be no more than our initial target.