ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (ANS) -- Portable audio has come a long way since the cassette players of the 1980's.

With major advances in digital audio, such as MP3's, Apple's iPods and other devices, many people listen to their favorite podcast content on their cell phones.

According to a news release from Faith Comes by Hearing, free Audio Bible podcasts are now available through the iTunes Store and 10 other podcast directories.

Faith Comes by Hearing Audio Bible ministry has 449 free Audio Bible podcasts on the (http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/faith-comes-by-hearing/id349979282) iTunes Store. Since January, nearly 1.3 million Audio Scriptures have been subscribed to in more than 275 languages.

Faith Comes by Hearing said in the first 90 days of availability on this popular podcast directory, over 1 million chapters of Audio Bible podcasts from Faith Comes by Hearing were subscribed to. Then, within the next 40 days, roughly 400,000 more chapters were also listened to - without any advertisement or publicity.

Audio Bibles in English, Spanish, Hebrew, Korean and Russian are the most popular so far. This catalog is organized by region and country, allowing users to easily find their free New Testament in their language.

“People of different cultures and languages look to podcasts for content that is important to them,” said Troy Carl, the national director of Faith Comes By Hearing, speaking in a news release.

He added, “The rapid growth and integration of digital audio and mobile technology present new challenges to the mission community. Mission organizations must stay relevant and effective in a digital world. We see free Audio Bible podcasts as a major and effective outlet for helping people hear the Word of God in their language.”

The free, dramatized Audio Bibles have multiple character voices, sound effects and music, yet are word-for-word Scripture recordings.

According to Faith Comes by Hearing, national research polls indicate nearly 70 percent of American believers have not read the New Testament and many do not read their Bible on a regular basis.

Carl said Audio Bibles and mobile technology are changing the way people interact with God's Word.

For more than 35 years, Faith Comes By Hearing has providing the world’s poor and illiterate people with Scripture in their own language.

For more information to www.faithcomesbyhearing.com 

Jeremy Reynalds is a freelance writer and the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "Now You See Me." Additional details on some of Reynalds' previous books are available at http://www.HomelessBook.com. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@comcast.net. Tel: (505) 400-7145.