THIS GENERATION HAS DROPPED IT!

“Mum, you know that nice vase that has been handed down from one generation to the next?  Well, this generation has dropped it!”

The priceless treasure this generation has dropped is the Bible.  At the coronation in 1953 the Queen was surrounded by all the riches of the Empire but when handed a Bible, Her Majesty was told, “This is the most valuable thing this world affords!”  Previously Queen Victoria had said, “The Bible is the secret of Britain’s greatness.”

Tragically successive governments have not insisted that all children should be taught the Ten Commandments which produce a reverence for God that is the beginning of all wisdom. [ Psalm 111:10 ]  From this they should go on to learn about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus so that through His strength they can become morally upright citizens.  Because we have largely dropped the Bible we are now reaping the terrible harvest of broken homes, wayward children and an alarming breakdown in law and order.

Our present Bible is still largely based on the translation of the Bible into English by William Tyndale who was born in 1483.  Moveable type had been invented in 1454 and by 1526 Tyndale had printed 6000 copies of the English New Testament in Germany where he had fled to avoid his enemies.  Soon he was exporting Bibles to Britain in sacks of flour, barrels and bales of cloth!  But, the Bishop of London paid a merchant named Pakington to bring Bibles to him so that he could burn them.  Happily Pakington was a secret friend of Tyndale so he gave him the bishop’s money to help him print more Bibles!

In 1536 Tyndale was burnt at the stake as he prayed, “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes”.  Three years later a Bible was placed in every Parish church.