The Public Display of Scripture
For the past five hours, I had been on the road. As I headed north along the motorway, the English landscape began to blend into one green mass. The only differences were the occasional billboards lining the side of the road. As I continued to drive, one sign jumped out at me – it wasn’t in English; rather, it was in Arabic. As I whizzed by, I noticed an English translation underneath. The sign contained a public declaration of the wonders of Islam and Muhammad. Not far from Birmingham, on a busy road, Muslims had thought it worthwhile to proclaim the praise of their false religion.
For the rest of the drive, I pondered the sign. When I passed it again a few days later on my return trip, I started to wonder, “Why haven’t I seen any Scripture signs on the side of the road?” Occasionally, I do see Bible verses on electronic billboards, but they are few and far between. Yet here, in a busy location, there was nothing. Hours of driving, and no biblical truth had been proclaimed.
This got me thinking. I started to ask, “Is the reason we don’t display Scripture because we are embarrassed by it, or is it because we no longer believe God uses His Word to save the lost?” I’m aware that merely displaying Scripture doesn’t align with the latest developments in missional thinking, but I am convinced that if there were more Scripture in public, we would see more people coming to Jesus!
I remember hearing the testimony of a man who was saved while sitting at a train station. His train was delayed, so as he waited, he noticed a Scripture poster displaying Isaiah 55:6 in the Authorised (King James) Version: “Seek ye the Lord!” At first, he scoffed, but then he began to think, “Why do I need to seek the Lord?” As he considered the question, the Lord gave him spiritual light to seek the Saviour.
These types of testimonies shouldn’t surprise us, as Psalm 119:130 declares, “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Moreover, God promises in Romans 10:17 to use His Word to bring about saving faith: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
In the United Kingdom, we are very much in a post-Christian culture, where there is great spiritual darkness, so I believe the best remedy is to turn on the light of God’s Word. As I write this, people are celebrating the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale printing the New Testament in English. That event transformed a spiritually dark land – the Word did its job! Surely, the Lord can do it again. If we hide away the Bible, or if we downplay Scripture, then we must not expect people to be saved – but if we unleash God’s Word, He will rescue sinners!
God promises to use His Word to save sinners, so let’s ensure we are busy spreading the Word. We should look for opportunities to publish Scripture in public; we need to get the Word out where people are gathered. Millions will never come to church, so how will they encounter the Bible?
There are many ways we can display Scripture in public. Perhaps your church could put up a poster containing a Bible verse so that those passing by can read it. At the front door of our house, we have a Scripture verse on display so that the postman and delivery drivers can read the Word of God. We change this verse each month so that over the year, they are exposed to more light.
If you have the money, hire a billboard and post a verse of Scripture. Maybe you can hand out copies of God’s Word. If you have social media, use your online presence to spread Scripture. I regularly share Bible verses, and currently, I am reading through whole books of the Bible on TikTok.
We need to take action to spread Scripture. Use the windows of your home, your church building, social media, billboards, signs at train stations and bus stops, and so on. Do whatever you can to spread the Word of God.
Let me give you a few helpful resources to assist you in spreading God’s Word.
Scripture Posters for Your Church or Home: Truth Vine & Trinitarian Bible Society
Gospels for Distribution: The Open-Air Mission & Pocket Testament League
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