Having preached to several hundred thousand people in evangelistic meetings
in churches of all denominations throughout the country, having ministered
to millions via television and radio through the years, and having prayed
for and intimately counseled thousands and thousands of people over my 18
years of ministry…I would have to say the biggest problem I have
encountered with Believers is the vast majority have never read the
instruction manual!!!

Statistical research shows that less than 10% of professing Christians have
ever read the entire Bible. The church as a whole is Biblically illiterate!
From time to time in my Devotional I will give my opinion on an issue and I
am very careful to always let you know when it is Bill Keller’s opinion.
Most of the time I just let God’s words speak for themselves. There is not
one issue, one thing we deal with in everyday life that is not covered in
the Bible.

How many people are in terrible marriages where one spouse is a nonbeliever.
Do you think God admonished us to “not be unequally yoked” for nothing? How
about those dealing with horrible illnesses because they abused themselves
over the years with alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, and food. Does God not tell
us our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit? How many families are ripped
apart by bitterness and hatred when the Bible commands us to “have love one
for another,” to “forgive as Christ has forgiven you,” and to “love your
enemies.” I have to be honest. In many cases it is not as much rebellion
towards God as it is complete ignorance of God’s Word.

Like many men, I get a new electronic toy and the first thing I do is open
the box, toss the instructions to the side, and start “putting it together.”
Usually after a period of time when it is not working or I have broken
something, I grab the instructions and put it together correctly. How much
easier would it have been if I had done that first. It is the same in our
walk with God. Many people claim they can’t hear God. God may be talking to
you and you can’t hear Him because you don’t know what to be listening for.
The Bible is one way that God speaks to us. If you want to hear God, just
read the Book.

I know that those who get this Devotional each day are of above average
intelligence which is why I am very direct and to the point. I share things
knowing that you are smart enough to understand what God expects you to do,
I don’t have to paint a picture. So if you ever listened to me at all,
listen to what I am going to say to you now. This applies to everyone, even
those that may have read the Bible cover to cover 100 times.

***It takes an individual of average reading ability 90 hours to read the
entire Bible. That is one hour a day for 3 months, or one half hour a day
for 6 months, or 15 minutes a day for 12 months. Most people make New Year’s
resolutions. Here is one for you with eternal rewards and will be more
valuable than losing 10 pounds that you will just put back on. Carve out one
hour, 30 minutes, or 15 minutes every day starting January 1st and start
reading at Genesis 1:1. One hour, 30 minutes, or 15 minutes, you choose. I
suggest that for those 90 days, or 6 months, or the next 12 months, you get
up that amount of time earlier than normal and do it the very first thing.
Trust me, God will give you the strength you need during the day. Losing a
little sleep will not kill you. Quite the opposite. It will save you 100
times that in lost sleep over the years from problems caused because you
didn’t take time to read the instruction book.

( If you would like to listen to the “Walk thru the Bible in a year” via the
telephone, the phone number is:   1-727.342.5672 )

Now listen, I understand that some of the Old Testament can be dry. The
Jewish laws, the genealogy of kings, some of the prophetic books can be very
confusing and at times boring. Plug on. Don’t get discouraged because you
don’t understand everything you are reading. Having read the Bible cover to
cover many, many, many times, each time is a new experience for me. WARNING:
I am not the Bible answer man so don’t start flooding me with questions.
I’ll pray for you anytime, but I cannot handle thousands of Bible questions.
I do suggest though you keep a notepad of questions and talk them over with
your pastor.

Trust me when I tell you, reading the Bible cover to cover will change your
life. You will see things you never thought were in the Bible. You will see
God’s warnings and promises to help you through tough times. Most of all,
you will start to understand how God thinks. How can you please God if you
don’t understand how He thinks? He knows you are not a mind reader. That is
one reason He gave you the Bible so you could begin to understand what God
expects from your life.

I promise you the time you spend reading the Bible cover to cover will be
the most important time of your life. I cannot emphasize enough the
importance of what I am challenging you to do. Start at the very beginning.
That way you can see God from the creation of our world, to the very end. It
is better than any book or movie you have ever read or seen.

The Bible is our final authority for all matters concerning this life. In
this day of being politically correct, accepting everyone’s beliefs and
ideas, we are in the mess we are morally and spiritually because we have
gotten away from the black and white truth of God’s Word. We have no one to
blame but ourselves. In this day of instant gratification, drive thru food,
cell phones, fax machines, email, Federal Express, jet travel, we want what
we want now and refuse to wait.

We have become lazy which is why we don’t take the time to read the Bible. I
guarantee you that you will spend 90 hours plus in front of the television,
the computer, with the newspaper, or doing something else that you enjoy. I
am not saying quit living and enjoying your life. What I am saying is that
you have the time, it is only a matter of whether this is a big enough
priority for you to take the time.

I love you, care about you, and my heart breaks every day as I read the
thousands of prayer requests I receive. How much heartache and pain could
have been avoided if people would have only read the Book and followed the
instructions. You cannot believe how much sense this life makes when you are
living under the direction of God’s Word. As I say often, our way does not
work, God’s way does!

I will be praying that the Lord really opens your heart and conviction
floods you right now as you read these words. I can’t force you to do it,
you have to want to do it. I will be praying and trusting the Holy Spirit to
move on your heart to take this challenge, even now as you read these words.
This will be the best New Year’s resolution you will ever make.

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller