"The problem, Bible illiteracy, is not that people can
not read the Bible, it's they don't read the Bible," says Kroll. "Research
shows that every American (on average) owns three copies of the Bible, but they
don't read any of the three."

According to Kroll, "Bible literacy is not a problems
in the church. Bible literacy is THE problem in the church. It impacts
everything else we do."

Kroll says that's why Back to the Bible started the Bible
Literacy Center one year ago to answer the question, "Why do so many
people own a Bible and so few read it? We have more than 12,000 surveyed people
who have given us insight into what keeps them reading, what gets them going
but they stop. What would be helpful to them."

There's one interesting thing they've learned from the
survey. Kroll says, "There is a direct correlation between how much time a
person spends in the Word and how they believe it's easy to understand. So,
obviously, the more you read the easier it is to understand (the Bible). People
say, 'I can't understand it.' What they're saying to us is, 'I'm not reading
it.'"

Kroll tells us failure to read the Bible robs a Christian.
"We rob ourselves of a moral position if we don't know the Word of God. I
think we also rob ourselves of the ability to move on to spiritual maturity. We
get stuck into spiritual infancy. Certainly (we have an) inability to defend
our faith or share our faith, or even share our faith."

While reading books about the Bible is important, it can't
replace Bible reading. Kroll says, "Faith comes from hearing and hearing
by the Word of God, so we've got to get people between the covers of the
Scripture."

Guilt isn't what's going to persuade people to read the
Bible, says Kroll. "I think we have to show people what they miss if they
don't read the Bible."

If Christians started reading the Bible regularly Kroll believes,
"It will increase the ability of the church to take the message of the
church to take the message of the church to the community."

Back to the Bible has developed survey questions to help you
study and read God Word. Go to BackToTheBible.org to find the survey.

Woodrow Kroll, president of Back to the Bible International, spoke to the crowd of friends who packed a banquet hall in Manila to celebrate the anniversary of the Philippines office. 

The following day Kroll and Back to the Bible's Filipino director, Clem Guillermo, spoke to 3,500 people at a half-day Bringing Families Back to the Bible seminar in Pasay City.  This is just a slice of the work that this broadcast is doing.

The Philippine ministry airs Dr. Kroll's international version of Back to the Bible, as well as two of its own Tagalog programs, and a live, interactive, nightly program. 

The first of the Tagalog programs is Light in the Path of Life a 30-minute program.  It incorporates interviews, in-depth Bible studies, prayer time and a question and answer time.  Happy Home is their second program that tackles family issues such as relationships. 

Finally, Heart Line, an hour and a half radio counseling program, is produced with the help of Far East Broadcasting Company.  This evening program deals with depression and those who are confused or seeking answers.  They receive hundreds of text messages and calls each night.

Pray that their ministry would continue to grow and that God would speak to the listeners.

In early
January, Commodore Frank Bainimarama was sworn in as Fiji's leader, after seizing
control of the country in an armed coup.

He has since
dissolved Parliament and banished the elected Prime Minister. In response, the
ousted official is calling for sanctions on the military-backed regime. 

Sadly, it
appears the region just re-stabilized, a four year process following a coup in
2000.   This new event will send economic shock waves
through the tenuous recovery, hurting the poor the most.

The loss of tourism hurt the most, with exports and gross
domestic product denting significantly.  The
military says it may wield power for
as long as five years or as short as 12 months before restoring democracy.

Because of
the insecurity, the US
government cannot guarantee the safety of US
citizens traveling to Fiji.
However, Back to the Bible's Woodrow Kroll remains determined to keep his
scheduled visit.  

The
US-produced Back to the Bible program can heard in Fiji
on Radio Light from the capital city of Suva.
Please pray for the ministry teams as they continue to air the hope of Christ
in this uncertain time.