THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT

by CharlesRobey
(Trussville AL, USA)

"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.(1 Cor 2:13)]

Are you aware of the fact that mobile apps have completely changed the way we communicate in today's society? If not, just simply turn on your vendor's social media device and surf over to the "app store". Yes, there's an app for just about anything amenable. And with the innumerable new apps being developed every day, the future has finally arrived. So, should we Christians all get on board?.

With the current trends showing mobile apps to be one of the easier and faster ways of communication. There are now app alerts such as medical emergencies, weather emergencies, fire emergencies, among many others. And now this new fad has reached into the world of Christendom.

Sitting in church the other day, as the worship leader gave the scripture passage to be read, his introduction was as follows, " please take your Bibles, your iphones, or your ipads and turn to such-and-such scripture. What has happened to that old weather torn, leather bound, thumb indexed "Bible" ?

Once, as a small child, our grandson requested a Bible, with the following stipulation. It had to state it was a "The King James Holy Bible". And this was before the invention of the "app". Out of the mouth of babies (Matthew 21:16).

Nonetheless, in this highly charged technology instant know-how environment, if we must use this new form of media we good guys must obtain the lead, and not let evil sneak in (Ephesians 6:12). For you can bet the bad guys will figure a way to creep the ungodly thinking into our Christian apps. If we must use this new know-how, we must get the competitive edge. It is to our advantage to take the "proactive" rather than the "reactive" approach to the scriptures. (2 Timothy 3:16) (2 Peter 1:20-21).

I realize there are many interpolations of scripture, new and old, as these variations are simply a matter of personal choice, in most cases. However, we should never add, or take away from the scripture (Revelation 22:18-19). And this includes any form of Bible apps.

For regardless of how the scripture is obtained, God's word is truth (Psalm 12:6) (Psalm 119:89) (Proverbs 30:5-6). You see, when applied to the scared writings, inerrancy is the belief that the words are God's true revelation to mankind. An inerrant text is considered infallible, truthful, reliable, totally free of error and absolutely authoritative. In other words, the scripture speaks to us individually, as God reveals His plans for our lives.

Try this experiment sometime, in your group Bible study. When giving out a particular scripture verse, have each person write down how it applies to their life. You will be surprised at the number of interpolations.

Yes, inerrancy is not restricted to moral and religious truth. It is normally applied to all statements of fact in the Bible, scientific, historical, or geographical.

So, go ahead and click on your Bible app. As for me, call me a "dinosaur " if you may, I still like the "Old Time" religion. And that includes my "Holy Bible". I'll just leave my iPod at home, and enjoy the service.

Author's Post Script.
What is an "app" you might ask? In January 2011,the app (short for application) was named word of the year by the "American Dialect Society". However, just because a dialect such as this has suddenly become popular, doesn't mean that everyone knows its existence and purpose. Simply put, this new noun basically refers to a software application or software program, that enables the retrieval of quick information. So, for most of us novelists, it’s sufficient to think of an app as being a software program that you use online or on mobile devices, to gain certain information on a certain subject. All you need do is press the icon and you are suddenly in the world of knowledge.