July 2, 2016
Bible.is (iOS | Android | Web) (The World Map of Christian Apps: 48 tools every Christian should know about; by Jeffrey Kranz)

This family of Christian apps feature text, audio, and video Bibles in 1600+ languages (including multiple international sign languages). According to their site, Bible.is has the world’s largest Bible language library. This description comes directly from their website: “Launched for the iPhone in June of 2010 with just 218 languages, Bible.is now features 1192 languages and is available on the web and for both iOS and Android devices. Originally only functional in English, the app is now fully localized for a growing number of languages including Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, and Russian.

Faith Comes By Hearing
For more than 40 years, the ministry of Faith Comes By Hearing has been standing with poor and illiterate people of the world to provide them the promises of salvation, hope and comfort in the Word of God. From online technologies like Bible.is, to solar-powered audio Bibles, Faith Comes By Hearing continues to innovate and invite people to hear God’s Word for themselves.”

‘Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Let anyone with ears listen!
“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” Matthew 11:11-19

“Let anyone with ears listen!” Jesus says. That used to be a problem in the world, when there are so many languages used throughout the world. Did you now there are now currently 6500 languages spoken in the world today – and 2000 of those have fewer than 1000 people speaking that language anymore. How then, can we get the word of G-d as an aural experience to those people who need to hear the word of G-d? Well, one way is to use apps like the one mentioned in this devotion. Hearing the word of G-d is one of the means of Grace – to hear the Word read, preached and commented upon by mutual believers. This is one of the ways the Holy Spirit works in the world. But if there is no one to speak it to you in your language, then at least there is an “App For That”.

Pastor Dave