In February of 1455, Johann Gutenberg produced the first Gutenberg bibles, the same bibles that initiated a spiritual revolution and centuries of ecclesiastical reform. Scripture that was previously available to only Roman Catholic priests and clergy were suddenly available to everybody, and many read the Word of God for themselves for the first time. Never since the invention of the printing press has the dissemination of theological doctrine been so widespread and eagerly received.
Modern-day publishing is going through its own revolution – not as revolutionary nor epic as the introduction of the original printing press – but similar in scope and significance. For decades, iron cast type was placed into a printer that would then print each page of a book. But with the advances of digital technology, printing an entire book has become as simple as uploading a file.
Lulu.com is one site that allows members to upload print, publish it for a fee, and then use the built-in storefronts to sell the book. You can even set your own royalty fees through the site, just as you would do traditionally through a publishing house. Because of the ease of publication, groups and individuals are increasingly publishing their own material to add to the existing body of Christian literature.
Greg Gordon is the Editor of Sermonindex.net, a website that provides thousands of classical sermons for download. For years, he had a dream to publish revival texts, believing it something dearly needed in today’s spiritually hardened world. When digital publishing became available in the past few years, Greg was finally able to publish his dream, reprinting “The Revival we Need” by Oswald Smith.
Greg writes in the book preface, “There came into my life a spiritual experience that revolutionized His work, and resulted in a ministry characterized by some of the manifestations that usually accompany revivals. It is in this atmosphere that these messages were born.”
The Bible was a gift given to man by God, in spite of our sin, so that we may once again see the true nature of our Lord God. However, it still took over a millennium before the Bible was truly made accessible to most people. Today in comparison, there is an abundance of scripture, but there exists the same spiritual longing and thirst that our brethren had before they owned their own bibles.
Groups and individuals have embraced the new book digital publishers that have arisen, utilizing their newfound power to do God’s work. Traditional organizations have largely floundered, not making known the essential and important works of God. We are now seeing an outpouring of individual efforts, of people and organizations that are taking the initiative, creating Christian literature that will inspire and protect.
Through the medium of text, the ebbing of God’s words will cease, and will begin to flow abundantly once more. Driven by the passion of individuals and organizations, supported by Christians who have been so long disconnected from quality Christian literature, books will appear that truly carry the message of the Lord. We will see a new spiritual revival, and just as new technology propelled the first great reformation, technology again will allow God’s message to be revived.
