The Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) has launched its Corporate Bible Reading and Writing Project involving 1,189 young people to read 1,189 chapters of the Bible on September 1, 2020. When the project was promoted on July 6, 2020, the young people had eagerly signed up showing their willingness to participate. This project aims to read the whole Bible corporately by assigning one chapter per youth, to encourage the youth to read the Bible daily, and to write, hear, and keep the Word of God. (Click here.)
The project, which is being facilitated by young people themselves, follows the Bible reading schedule of the General Conference. Thus, the first youth, Shem Mariano from the North Philippine Union Conference, was assigned to read Isaiah 11 on September 1 (http://bit.ly/SeptemberOneIsaiah11). Each day from this date, a video of a young person reading the Bible will be premiered on the Bible Reading Facebook page (Click here).
Concerning this project, Dr. Rudy Baloyo, SSD Executive Secretary, congratulates the Adventist Youth Ministries (AYM) department for initiating the project that will encourage the youth to read the Bible corporately. He also shares a devotional entitled, “The Bible Transforming Power.” He emphasizes that reading the Bible helps to “listen to God to reveal His plans, His direction, and His will for our lives. And we allow Him to give us instructions, corrections, and training so that we will be equipped for every good work as mentioned in 2 Tim 3:16-17. And when we follow His directions our lives will be transformed. I believe the Word of God is the single most powerful agent for transforming lives.” (Click here)
Dr. Samuel Saw, SSD President, in his message addressing the youth quoted Pastor Ted Wilson, GC President when the latter states that “It is only through connecting to the Bible that we can be fruitful and faithful in this age of faithlessness.” He then quoted Isaiah 55:11, God said, “So My Word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and it will prosper where I sent it.” He concludes that “as we live in this world, the Word of God must be our foundation, our guide, our strength and leading us to have a deeper, stronger, closer relationship with God. As we embrace the Word of God by reading and hearing, meditating, and participating in this worthy project may our faith become stronger, our hope becomes brighter, our love becomes deeper, sympathy becomes broader, and our actions become purer, and we will become resolute to do God’s will.” (Click here)
Pastor Gary Blanchard, GC Youth Director, in his message to the youth of SSD, shared a message on the “Secrets to a Smarter and Successful life.” Quoting Joshua 1:7-8 and Ellen White, he emphasized that the initiative of reading the Bible will make the youth smarter and successful. He also appreciated and congratulated the initiatives of the SSD AYM to lead the youth in fervent prayers through the prayer network and the earnest reading of the Bible corporately. (Click here)
Rebecca Biak Za Hnem, a 23-year old youth from Myanmar (Myanmar Union Mission), testifies, “The chapter that was assigned to me in Jeremiah 4. This chapter that I got is absolutely a timely message for me. I feel like God was about to leave me while I was reading Jeremiah 14:11-14. Because at that time I sinned and I still did not want to repent. But the last verse of the chapter gave me hope again. I thank God for giving me a message and a warning through this Bible reading and writing project. And I also thank our leaders for initiating this project. Now, I read the Bible every morning and evening.”
Jeremy Hutajulu from Indonesia (West Indonesia Union Mission), 23, was assigned to read Ezekiel 14. He relates, “Reading the Bible daily helps me to understand our God's love and salvation. When the Bible taught us about our God and the salvation that He brought to us, we will not remain silent. Once His love touched me, He gave me the strength to witness how gracious and loving our God is.”
Sister Cherry Beulah L. Vidayo, Bible Reading Project coordinator for the North Philippine Union shares, “Reading the Bible makes me grow in Christ. To coordinate the Bible Reading Project is not easy. However, it is a fulfilling experience, knowing that I'm doing this for the Lord.”
Pastor Geronimo Viernes, a youth director from the Central Luzon Conference remarks, “It leads them to a deeper understanding of their mission in life. It makes them more positive as they encounter different challenges along the way. Above all, it gives them more assurance of God's love for them.”
This Bible Reading project is part of the SSD AYM Vision 2020, which is “Healthy young people who are enjoying a saving relationship with Christ and loving the Scriptures as their standard of living to reflect a Christ-like Character.”
Pastor Ron Genebago, SSD Youth Ministries Department Director