An Amazing Fact: Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press has been called the most important invention of the last thousand years. In the 1450s, it revolutionized book production. The Gutenberg Bible was the first major book printed on the new invention; only 150 copies were produced. Amazingly, 49 of them still exist today—and they are the most valuable books in the world. Each one is worth over $35 million!
It’s incredible that a person could own a Bible worth $35 million and never read it. Yet the original Gutenberg Bibles typically sit in dark vaults or highly secured museum displays. How tragic! Fortunately, with your help, millions of seekers are reading Amazing Facts Bibles, Study Guides, and hundreds of other books and magazines produced by our publishing department each year. And it is growing!
The printing press brought a revolution of reading but, naturally, Bibles and Christian books were not the only things printed. Sadly, even after 500 years, there are still multitudes around the world locked in biblical ignorance.
But there is something you can do to bring another revolution of reading truth!
Paper Still Pleases
I see it frequently when I fly—a sharply dressed, young businessperson sitting across the aisle working on a laptop. Then they put away their device and pull out a real-life book. These young professionals are clearly into state-of-the-art technology, but when they want to relax and read, they opt for an old-fashioned book they can hold in their hands.
At Amazing Facts, we know people still want something in their hands. Just ask the 87,000 students enrolled in our correspondence Bible school! In 2016, we sent out more than 1.3 million individual items to searching souls—a seven percent increase from 2015. Requests for literature continue to climb.
Of course, one thing we don’t print is money. It is your generous gifts that have enabled Amazing Facts to stay in the sacred publishing business. Your partnership places thousands of Scripture-based books, magazines, and Bible lessons before searching eyes to educate masses of souls about God’s truth for our times.
We know these quality spiritual resources change lives. Just ask Mike and Linda …
Mom Sent a Book
Linda grew up attending Sunday school. Mike was raised a Sabbath-keeper but drifted away during his teen years—and he stayed away from church for decades. But, eventually, he longed to return to the biblical teachings of his childhood.
Mike’s mother then encouraged them to watch Amazing Facts programs. “I had long resisted,” says Mike. “But my mom just kept urging us to connect with Amazing Facts. Then she sent us Doug Batchelor’s book The Richest Caveman. Reading it led us to watch Amazing Facts online.”
There is still power in the printed page! Eventually, Mike and Linda watched the whole Landmarks of Prophecy series and were baptized.
I could go on telling stories like this for hours. You are leading thousands to Christ every year through Amazing Facts publishing resources.
Gutenberg Still Needed!
I wish you could stand with me in our shipping department and watch our workers packing and shipping hundreds of Bible lessons every day. You helped send out nearly 540,000 pieces of free literature so far this year! Your gifts are causing a reading revolution around the world.
Here is just a sample of what your gifts made possible to create in 2016: The Amazing Facts Book of Bible Promises, updated Amazing Facts Bible Study Guides, A Cloud of Witnesses devotional, Hero of Hacksaw Ridge, and The Day of the Lord sharing magazine.
And today you can help us finish the work of creating a new afterlife sharing magazine and witnessing tracts, a reformation lesson book and DVD series, the Spanish version of The Day of the Lord magazine, God’s Amazing 8: Laws of Health, and so much more.
We’ve come a long way since Gutenberg, friend!
Sharing Printed Truth
But the Amazing Facts sharing resources you’ve helped create aren’t just for those in distant lands. Our evangelistic materials are meant for you. You can pick them, walk across the street, and share them with your neighbor.
Since their baptism, Mike and Linda are actively sharing the truth—telling people about amazingfacts.org and sharing the blessing of printed truth by handing out over 7,000 copies of Hero of Hacksaw Ridge in their hometown. This book features an invitation for free Bible studies. And today Mike and Linda are distributing free Bible Study Guides weekly!
You Are Special
Mike shares, “Amazing Facts helped us get to where we are today. Thanks to all who help—including those who partner financially with Amazing Facts to make this ministry possible. Without these special people, our testimony would not be a testimony at all!”
You are the “special people” who deserve the thanks from the thousands who have come to know Jesus through Amazing Facts. But there are millions more waiting to hear God’s final message. Let’s keep pressing the truth revolution forward!
Pastor Doug