This is going to be a series of direct and blunt messages about a famine that has infected the nations. Its progression has affected every individual worldwide and the tragedy is that we have allowed it to fester due to neglect, self-centeredness, and pride. We have a famine of God’s Word, and it is our fault. We have neglected the power of the Holy Bible to change the course of both people and nations. We have lost confidence in its authority, and we have allowed the church of Jesus Christ to slip into a state of near oblivion. Our souls are gaunt and sick with the “junk food” of the world system and its darkness (1 John 2:15-17). We MUST call the nations back to repentance, obedience, and authentic faith in Jesus Christ. Our willful slide into biblical illiteracy has contributed to the decline of the social fabric of America, and we have let it permeate the character of what made this nation unique above all others and be the “shining city on a hill: our founders set forth to establish. We cannot afford to dismiss or make light of this issue.
Biblical illiteracy is more than just the inability to answer some trivia questions online. It is the condition in which people lack the knowledge, context, habits, and obedience needed to understand God’s revealed truth (John 17:17) and order life by it. It is a plague not just in society but is rampant in the churches, hence, it is a famine that can be prevented, yet up to now has been ignored. This cannot be emphasized enough! This series will move from diagnosis to consequences, from excuses to remedies, from Christ’s warnings to a final gospel appeal. Preachers should speak with both clarity and courage, while remembering that ignorance is not cured by contempt but by truth taught with patience, modeled faithfully, and received humbly.
The American Bible Society, the Pew Research Center, Barna Research, and Lifeway have all collected data from an estimated 36, 908 adults who held a variety of opinions on biblical knowledge and the lack thereof. Lifeway recorded that in 2026, 11% of churchgoers named a New Testament story or book when asked for a favorite Old Testament story. Barna reported that while Bible reading has gone up from 30 % in 2024 to 42% for 2025, only 36% of those surveyed stated that the Bible is totally accurate. Access does not necessarily equal settled conviction. The Pew Research Center also found that 62% of Americans considered themselves as “Christian”, while religiously unaffiliated Americans, defined as those who profess no belief in God or do not attend services anywhere rose to 29% nationwide. These statistics are a combination of tragedy and cautious optimism, and an opportunity for evangelism. The trouble is whether the last days church will get serious enough about Jesus Christ to do something about it. My next post, Lord willing, will deal with the issue about this famine in a land full of Bibles.