Several years ago, well I was still managing the church library; we had two Christian book stores in this area. There were two locations for Zondervan’s family stores and Lighthouse books in downtown.

Over time, a group called family Christian book stores bought the Zondervan stores, and closed one of the two stores. They than bought the Lighthouse Christian books store, and closed it.

I still used the store often in the purchase of books. About 5 years ago, it was decided by Family Christian book that they would be open on Sunday. My Pastor’s wife wrote a letter to the office headquarters. She received a letter in response. She told me what the letter said but I did not read it myself.

They told her that the reason they are going to be open on Sunday was because if someone accepts Christ at morning service, they could than come and buy a new Bible. The letter made it all sound so Christian based in theory, a new Bible for a new believer.

I resigned from doing library ministry about 3 years ago. My trips to the Family Christian book store are no long frequent. I have started a new church. The pew Bibles and the Bible Pastor used for his sermons is the American Standard. I thought following along with his sermon notes would be easier if I could read the same words he was using.

I decided to make a trip to Family Christian Book Store. I enter the store. No one welcomes me as was done in the past. I go to the front section new the registers where the Bibles always were. No Bibles. I look around. There are all kinds of greeting cards in this section. In the very center next to them is a very large jewelry display. Just past them are the gifts, cups, wedding gifts and such.

I walk further into the store. Finally I find the Bibles. There are now on the very back wall of the store where the greeting cards were.

My thoughts went back to that letter Pastor’s wife received, open on Sunday so a new Christian could buy a Bible after accepting Christ at morning church. What a deceptive lie of Satan.

How very disappointing. I had researched on line before going to the store for the NAS Bible that I wanted. It was not even in the selection of Bibles. The friendliness that was the original Zondervan Christian family stores is gone. There was no one to help me, people talking in the back corner but no clerk to offer help or assistance.

How deceptive is that of Satan? The owners and managers of the store probably believed that little lie of Satan. They were very deceived. It is clear that the store is about making money, not about Bibles for new Christians.

How many people does Satan deceive in this manner? They believe they are listening to the voice of God but are deceived. They allow themselves to be deceived into believing something is true that is not of God.

There are many areas in which this happens. In the garden, Adam and Eve believed a lie of Satan and fell from grace. “Did God really say you will die if you eat this fruit?”

KraftyKatz

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