Joe Kovacs - Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts Youve Never Been Told

SHOCKED
BY THE BIBLE

Copyright 2008 by Joe Kovacs

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, scanning, or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version (public domain).

Scripture quotations marked DARBY are taken from the Darby Translation (public domain).

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kovacs, Joe.
Shocked by the Bible : the most astonishing facts youve never been told / Joe Kovacs.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-8499-2011-0 (hardcover)
1. BibleMiscellanea. I. Title.
BS615.K68 2009
220.6dc22

2008023042

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 12 QW 5 4 3 2 1

To those seeking the Truth of God

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6)

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine... And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:34)

CONTENTS

Twenty-two: Everything You Always Wanted to
Know About the Devil but Were Afraid to Ask

I would like to thank my closest friends for their unwavering help and encouragement; the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for having the strength of character to see this project come to fruition; and the countless number of people who have simply been mistaken about what the Bible actually says. The common lack of knowledge helped inspire me to shine a light on the dark, vast ocean of misconceptions.

NO ONE TWISTED my arm; neither did I have a nine-hundred-foot Jesus standing at the foot of my bed, commanding me to write this book under threat of calling me home. Yet this book needed to be written. There are too many myths and misconceptions about what is in the Bible and what is not. Sadly, lifelong, churchgoing Christians are often as confused as anyone else.

Id like to make it clear at the outset that this book is not about religion or anyones personal faith. Its about the Bible. While I, myself, am a Christian, Im not a preacher, and I dont play one on TV.

I happen to write the way I speak, very informally with an occasional attempt at humor. I say attempt because Im also not a professional comedian. Im just a journalist fed up with the lack of accurate knowledge about whats in the Bible.

My focus is merely to educate about what the Bible says in its own words. There is stunning information included between Genesis and Revelation, but much of it has morphed into misinformation and confusion. Too many people today continue to ask, You mean, thats in the Bible? or Thats not in the Bible?

I need to provide fair warning, though. This is not one of those typical books that says the same old thing. You know, the same religious titles by the same guys with the same tired themes, like, It is so awesome to know the Lord ! (this last word spoken in two breathy syllables). Or, This book will grant you peace and understanding in your journey to a blessed life now and in the hereafter. Yada yada yada. Blah, blah, blah.

The Lord is awesomebut enough with the spiritual crystal crunching! If you really hunger and thirst for the truth, and are sick of being in the dark, being misinformed, or worse, being lied to, then keep reading.

Most people are already aware of some famous Bible names and stories, from the parting of the Red Sea to the major miracles of Jesus Christ. Most have heard about Noahs ark, David and Goliath, Peter and Paul, and Jesus changing water into wine. This book does not rehash what you already know. Its meant to startle you with truths you did not know were in Scripture, to get you to think with a new perspective. Im not talking about trivial names and places no one can pronounce. I am talking about major issues, including who God is, who you are, why you were born, and your ultimate destiny.

The pages are filled with quotations from the King James Version of the Holy Bible, along with a few more modern translations for clarity. I also provide some commentary to help you along. I dont mind if you disagree with my analysis or the humorous manner with which I present some material, but the words of Scripture speak for themselves. You can read along with your own Bible and highlight the verses, but you dont need to have one with you to read this book.

As you read through each chapter, youll see how different this book really is. It may make you laugh, cry, shout for joy, praise God, argue with Him, shake your head in amazement, condemn the publisher, or do laundry with a new attitude. It may even tick you off to the point where youll want to have it out with those who taught youor more accurately, did not teach youthe astounding information youll find here. You may want to ask them why you were kept in the dark. Do they, perhaps, have some sort of agenda in keeping the truth from you? Are they like Jack Nicholsons A Few Good Men character who proclaimed, You cant handle the truth!?

This book is both for those who have never read the Bible, and those who have been reading it for years and know it wellor at least think they know it well. Its for conservatives, liberals, libertarians, independents, and those who cannot stomach any kind of politics.

Dont worry. You will be able to understand whats written. Theres no need to break out a dictionary. The Bible quotes are easy to understand, and if I think theres a chance you might not get them, I provide a variety of translations to highlight the meaning. You dont have to do anything but read.

I recommend reading the chapters in their presented order, but you dont have to. Youre an individual, and you have different questions you want answered. Feel free to skip around, but make sure you do eventually read every chapter. You wont regret it.

Youll learn some funny, even silly ideas. But youll also discover astonishing facts about issues that have perplexed people for ages. Some of what you read may be completely new information; some may be a refresher course. But whatever the case, youll have no more excuses not to know what the Word of God says. Its time to be Shocked by the Bible!

THE REAL CHRISTMAS STORY

ITS OFFICIAL. America has gone cuckoo over Christmas! At least it seems that way, with a bizarre culture war raging over December 25. And though it may seem like a recent phenomenon, its a battle that dates back hundreds of years. The earliest Americans, who were Christians, actually banned the celebration of the day.

At the end of each calendar year, stores, schools, and even some towns struggle over whether or not to publicly display anything associated with the Christmas holiday. The greeting Merry Christmas is discouraged, and many places of business replace it with the more generic Happy Holidays so as not to offend those who do not take part in the Christmas celebration. Some places remove Christmas trees from public placesSea-Tac Airport in the state of Washington did so in December 2006.