Remembering Sam Moore

Stu Epperson here welcome to another edition of truth talk weekend and you are in for a treat. You're about to hear a segment that I did a few months ago in Nashville with Peter Rosenberger and my dad big stew.

We were driving in a car. We had just left the home of Sam Moore. Sam and his wife were there.

We had agreed. Visit a great time of prayer.

Well this week. Sam went home to heaven. He went home to be with the Lord.

This man had had health problems. But he was the founder of Thomas Nelson, publishing, and he's responsible for circulating millions and millions of copies of the Bible throughout the whole world were grateful for him and all those who've gone before us like Hebrews chapter 11 the great Hall of faith. So stay tuned. Be encouraged to share this podcast with everyone and let's leave a legacy that last forever. That is introducing people to Jesus and the word of God. So join us years, we have a conversation in Nashville going back a couple months as we celebrate this week. The life and the legacy of Sam Moore Stu Epperson Junior in Nashville Tennessee. My voice is been struggling but I'm in the car with two heavyweights. Once a talkshow host is a written books and he's a caregiver great man of God and the others my dad big stew were leaving the house of a very special man guy when it got going to see this man, and pray with them and he is us. Sam Moore, Peter set the scene of Riley Sam Moore immigrated here from Lebanon many many many many years ago. His name was Sam Ciotti and Ciotti was the name given to they were called the family were called traders.

TRA DER is an that's what Moore means in Arabic. This, I say more. Ciotti's more in the reason they were called. That is because that family of businessmen who were traders in that culture for for years and years and decades were known as people who would give more than you asked for.

They were very generous with their customers and so they were called Ciotti because they gave more. I would Sam came here, he changed his name he took on the name or the English version of his name more and started selling Bibles door-to-door he was at Columbia Bible College with my father-in-law at the time was my father-in-law at the time, but was but who made would later become a father-in-law and I was so door-to-door Bibles and out with the Royal publishing company and then he had an opportunity to buy out Thomas Nelson publishers, which was really about ready go under. But Tubbs that's been around a long time was about ready go hundred Sam came in and completely took that to a whole another level became an amazing powerhouse publisher and Sam has printed more Bibles than any other single individual in history. More than 300 million Bibles. Tom still suppose under his watch. There is debt as you meet Sam Moore were in Tennessee driving through Nashville. We left the NRB if the Opryland Hotel to go see Sandra in the car come back trying to redeem every minute here so Wiersma asked her nose or or horn honked and so out there loves Jesus as our inaugural right Peter.

Dad tells about we just talked to Sam at prayer with his very alert 89 years old or so 88 what you think about Sam and tells how you guys been well. Sam is been a wonderful Christian leader all my life's 88 I years old now and here it is. This wonderful been married 65 years and so Sam I first became acquainted with him when he was publishing Bibles Jerry Falwell and Jerry follow Alyssa give anyway send the listeners that they call the giant print Bible.

It was a huge book when it was wonderful book it over easy to read the King James version. Then Sam publish the new King James which retains a lot of the great classic literature form literary form, but on the other hand also makes it easier to understand and easier to read. So they kept the grace of the nobility of the language the King James but also made it a little by adding a few words here and there and changing a few words. Not much, but made it more readable. Anyway, Sam is been a legend among Christian people.

Thomas Nelson publishers published some great books over the years, tremendous books and Sam Moore is always been supportive of for Christian causes.

Jerry Falwell, the National religious broadcasters and other organizations is been a leader in many many areas very strong support of the Judeo-Christian tradition.

I had the honor of presenting him with an award of Freedom award Council of national policy in Washington DC and is very modest man, very humble man. In fact they received his award and then he sat down and I said that Sammy got a come back up. We had a talk a little more. Usually everybody talks more than you expect them to want to when they receive an award, but Sam true to his nature, said just a few words, hard-working, hard work started out selling Bibles a real success story from a business standpoint and an arm from a Christian standpoint, just an outstanding testimony to the saving grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter even take care of your your awesome wife Gracie for many years the care giver and you've you do a show you written books on caregiving just awesome platform and the caregiver for Sam is a wonderful godly woman and Peggy talk about her quickly.

Peggy is a delightful woman. My wife's family had the privilege of knowing her for 60 years and she played the church at are applied to another church in Johnson City, Tennessee where my wife was born she just an amazing woman who has been right beside Sam. The hallway and extraordinary life. They parked out together and their anniversary. I think is on Sam's birthday. I was told Sam is that you got the best birthday present ever. When he married Peggy and she is tired because it's a difficult thing to care for somebody and you know what I've really enjoyed my time with just Peggy just mineral talk with her as a fellow caregiver and and she just a delightful there. There is an inspiring couple and they have had a global impact that we will really not fully appreciate. We all get to heaven and see that you see no impact on Christian radio. Your company Salem. So many people are teaching the word of God, probably likely from a Bible that they somehow got from Sam Moore and Thomas Nelson. Back in those days, over 300 million a guy who came Lebanese immigrant he came over here legally from Lebanon with $600 in his pocket in God raised him up to publish the Bible in the languages and all of the world what what about the legacy speak that real quick and the impact we all should be thinking on having for the kingdom.

I took over confident Thomas. Thomas Nelson members bankruptcy for all intensive purposes. Sam took it over and he had figured out selling Bibles door-to-door and doing other things and going through college, how to do things figured out, make things happen and he apprised this very natural skill.

He had business and made it work. Made it a huge success, and became a public company, and of course they became. I believe the number one publisher of Christian material in the United States or maybe the world. Under his leadership, and that's a great noble. How shall they hear without a preacher now faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God 300 million Bibles. That's a Saturday tremendous. I'm sure record-setting number of people by one.

One man, one organization at a lifetime achievement. Many just about everybody and anybody Christian publishing is been impacted by a godly man named Sam Moore.

We just left his house had a great visit.

When a great paradigm is very alert, but it's just good to see a man of God has been faithful. He's finishing well and is invalid so many in your bottom line Peter Rosenberger is is is a is a caretaker someone his wife that he takes care of him using this in this ministry and you go over and you take people to see Sam why what a people when it when a saint is ending his ears easier speeding up your great Billy Graham is is is gone to heaven. You know which Sony folks took care of him and is in no way coordinate his life.

What your challenge those two really appreciate love those who are up in age and to really learn from them and glean as much as we can for their awesome legacy.

I think you said it well when we were there within that we are all standing on the shoulders of giants. You know, and there are so many people who have worked so hard to bring about the things we take for granted today it's it's almost unfathomable to think about selling Bibles door-to-door in the state age when you can go online and see the entire Bible in front on your phone and you don't realize how important something like that is if you go back to when Gutenberg print about when Martin Luther translated into German and so forth. These are huge steps of pioneers of putting the word of God and the people's hands.

Somebody had to do a lot of work to make what we take for granted today so easy to us somebody to work and I think it's important for us to remember those folks that did the work and honor them and give them the respect they deserve. They worked very hard to break ground in an and we get to drive on paved roads. They were they were all throat of four-wheel-drive and it's it it's a difficult thing but but God bless him and what a faithful servant of the Lord. He's been and you know what an amazing impact that he's had on the world and his men Sam Moore's message to you is take the word of God to someone give a Bible to someone. Watch what God does the power of his word. Grateful for him and so many godly godly men and women who have faithfully proclaim God's work.

This is true, talk, I'm Stu Epperson they should be with us