COLUMN: No more excuses: Get in the word

I was thinking this morning about how many excuses I have heard about not reading the Bible.
One person said he did not read the Bible because that is what he paid the preacher for. Another said he did not read the Bible because he did not understand one earthly thing about it. Another said he read the Bible until he came to the place where it said “little known, little required” and after that he just folded it up and did not read it anymore. One said they didn’ t read Revelation because it was dutch to him and could not understand one thing that was written in it. People who do not read the Bible will tell you they do not have time to read it.
I believe that if anyone wanted to read the Bible, they would make time to read it. Here is what I think is the reason most people do not read the Bible: it will convict them about the sinful things they are doing. The name of Jesus itself is convicting. Did you ever try talking about God in a crowd and then change God into the name of Jesus? If you do this, you will see how convicting the name of Jesus really is. That is the reason God named his son, Jesus. In reading the Bible, I believe the greatest Hell-fire preacher in the Bible is Jesus.
Let’s take a look at Jesus preaching in Matthew 5:27-29. Ye have heard it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast if from thee, for it is profitable that thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell.
Mark 9:43-44. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed than having two hands to go to Hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched. Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.
In our church sometimes I preach one of these sermons, which comes directly from Jesus Christ.
A few months ago, one person visited and that morning I preached a Hell fire sermon, after the service he said “You really preach the truth and I will be back.” He said that I really hit him but the amazing thing is that he has never been back.
I believe the reason people do not want to hear this kind of preaching is what Jesus described in John 3:19, “And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.