NKJV Study Bible, Paperback

*I received a complimentary copy of this Bible from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

When I saw that I had the opportunity to review this Bible I jumped at the chance. Having a copy of the hardback, I wanted to see how the paperback fared.

First, the colors are magnificent. They are vibrant, detailed, and not grainy at all. I found myself starring at them a lot. However, they were not so distracting that I lost my place while reading.

Another positive is the location of the notes. They are at the bottom which allows the text to flow with minimal interruption. The same goes for the word study notes which are mostly at the bottom as well. Both the text and study notes were in a great font type. This allowed for reading without straining.

What did surprise me as another positive was the introduction to each book. It really helps setup a great read for the upcoming texts and places the proper mindset into the reader.

The only drawback that I can see is the weight. This is a heavy study Bible, especially for a paperback. This should not pose a problem for study on a table or a desk. It will probably pose a problem for handheld reading.

Thus, I give this Bible a 4.5 star rating and suggest that if you are looking for a new study Bible and favor the New King James Version consider this Bible as a great option.

Man, Myth, Messiah by Rice Broocks

For those familiar with God’s Not Dead, a new book by Rice Broocks titled Man, Myth, Messiah goes into the historical foundation for belief in Jesus. In this book, Broocks details how many non-Christians agree that Jesus existed and that he had a following. While not adhering to the teachings of the New Testament, these secular historians agree that to deny the existence of Jesus is academic fallacy.

Using this as his foundation, Broocks then goes into more of the historical Jesus by observing his teachings and miracles. Broocks proves that Jesus is who He says He is. He leaves the reader with the option: accept Him or reject Him.

I found this book to aid me in my personal understanding of Jesus. I enjoyed the section of dispelling the correlations between Jesus and other “gods” of other religions. I often heard that Jesus is just one story of many that use the same narrative to propagate their teachings. Broocks shows that this is false and that Jesus is the only one who is God. 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review. 

NKJV: Apply the Word Study Bible

The apply the Word Study Bible put out by Thomas Nelson is a new Bible with the understanding for readers to help develop an intimate understanding of God's Word, the Bible message, and that the application of what they read to their daily lives. I found this Bible to be very well laid out and the notes the maps and the helps are in ideal locations that did not distract the reader for the main text. One other thing that is very nice is that this particular Bible has a guarantee for life so that if there's any problem with the Bible whatsoever it can be returned.

As for some of the negatives of the Bible, it is a little heavy so it's not very conducive for an individual who wants to do a devotional reading or take it with them on a trip. Also one thing that I've noticed is that while there are a lot of good helps they are geared more towards  application and I have seem to see very little in terms of actual study. I prefer more study notes that dig into the meaning of words and some history that is behind what is happening. Having said that, when they set out to develop an application based Bible this Bible does the job.

This is definitely a good Bible for somebody who is new to Christianity who would like to understand the Bible better and how it is applicable to them but doesn't want some of the theological notes that a more robust study Bible would have in it. 

*I received a complimentary copy of this Bible from Thomas Nelson in exchange for this honest review.

Short Answers to Big Questions about God, the Bible & Christianity by Clinton E. Arnold & Jeff Arnold

Questions about the Bible, God, Christianity, and life have been asked for many years. Some answers are simple to answer while others are not so simple. In their book, Short Answers to Big Questions about God, the Bible & Christianity, Clinton and Jeff Arnold have written answers to many of the questions posed by people throughout time.

I was surprised at the type of questions answered as I was expecting something more practical and less theological. However, this book does well to educated the reader on each question so that the reader can better understand the nature of the question and the answer given.

Those that witness to others would do well to have this book as a resource to give answers to questions that may arise by those wanting answers or those trying to disprove the Bible.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Baker Books in exchange for my honest review.

The Westminster Confession of Faith

This little book has the complete Confession of Faith as penned by the assembly at Westminster Abbey in 1643. For those who want a solid, Biblical foundation for what the Bible teaches and what men have believed for several hundred years, this is the book for that. The richness and depth of the content is so potent that I am taken aback by the effect such a work has. I cannot encourage people enough to get a copy of this book.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Banner of Truth Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

The Message 100 by Eugene Peterson

The Message 100 is a unique Bible in that it takes the story of the Bible (redemption, grace, and salvation) and breaks the major themes into 100 daily readings.

By doing this the reader sees the story unfold in an easy to follow story-line. Instead of read accounts of various people, this Bible weaves the narrative to tell one story: the story of God and His love for his creation.

While this is not ideal for studying a particular book of the Bible, it is very effective in giving survey of the Bible for personal growth.

No study notes, no reference column, no concordance.

Just the Bible laid out as if someone was telling it to you.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review.

I also received this free from www.tyndalerewards.com. If you are not familiar with Tyndale Rewards I recommend taking a look.

The Foundation Study Bible (NKJV)

I enjoy using study Bibles. There is something about reading Scripture and having learned men explain difficult passages that really deepens my desire to read God's Word.

The NKJV Foundation Study Bible is a nice study Bible for personal study. It is not too heavy and the typeface makes for an easy read. Also the study helps are located nicely at the bottom for less distracting reading of the main text.

While this Bible is not a robust study Bible, it does a nice job of delivering a Bible for study that is easier to carry and still maintains a lot of the helps of heavier study Bibles.

*I received this Bible from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

Welcome to a Reformed Church by Rev. Daniel R. Hyde

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review from Reformation Trust Publishing.

What is a Reformed Church?

I grew up in church all my life. I am familiar with the beliefs of a few denominations. However, I was ignorant of what a Reformed Church is.

What do they believe? How do they conduct services?

Those questions and more drew me to this book and I was glad that I received a copy. It explained a lot of things that I questioned, laid a great foundation for what a Reformed Church teaches and gives some resources for those that want more information on Reformed Churches.

One thing that stood out was the attention paid to creeds and catechisms of the faith. I really enjoy the creeds of the faith such as the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed. Such documents lay out in simplicity the major tenants of the Bible and what was taught as the Christian faith grew from Israel to the world.

A Reformed Church then looks to these documents as historical and Biblical so that their teaching does not stray away from truth but is confirmed first in Scripture, and then in creeds that are in Christendom's history and heritage. This book is a very nice resource to understand some great points in Christian history and to appreciate what was accomplished as Christianity grew. 

Christ Set Forth by Thomas Goodwin

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Banner of Truth Trust Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

As I read this book I was taken aback by the sheer weight and depth that was presented. Time and time again, Goodwin would keep pointing to Christ. The message was complete dependence on Jesus as the reason for my justification.

Goodwin would point out that I could trust Jesus because He was human. He suffered as a human suffers. Then Goodwin would direct the reader that Jesus was God and thus is the only one to bring justification to me. 

This is such a marvelous work that all who read this blog should check out the website here. It will be well worth your time.

Dad's Devotional Bible (NIV)

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

I am usually on the lookout for a good devotional Bible, especially if that Bible is geared towards men/fathers. Being a father is an amazing role, one that I enjoy, even with its challenges.

That said, there are times when you seem like your back is against the wall and you need that encouraging thought to strengthen your resolve.

This devotional Bible is unique in that devotions are inserted in the text so that you can read the Bible or read the section associated with each devotional.

I really like this feature. The devotional Bibles I have had in the past would have a thought or challenge along with the Scriptural passage for that day's reading. This Bible does away with that in favor of using a devotion inside of the text rather than a devotion with the text.

I also enjoy the additional items for fathers like the articles for building your children. They use the Bible to not only challenge me as a father but also as a mentor and leader.

This is a nice Bible for the father in your life and would be a great gift for a new Christian dad. 

How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible by Keith Ferrin

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Reading my Bible. As the son of a pastor, been in church all my life, taught young-men's Sunday School, and presently teach the College & Career Sunday morning class, I know the value of reading my Bible.

I have read books on Bible reading, heard messages on it, and have purchased Bible study software to help me to better understand the Bible.

Yet, I still have the struggle of reading my Bible just like many other Christians I know.

Why?

I know the value of reading. I know that the Bible is my source of wisdom, love, and strength. I know that Jesus died for me and wrote a love letter to me explaining why. However, I keep coming back to this: I do not find reading the Bible enjoyable.

In his new book How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible, Keith Ferrin lays out how he came to enjoy, yes, enjoy reading his Bible. He details his own struggle on Bible reading and what he suggests to do in order to enjoy Bible reading as he does.

There is nothing profound in this book and yet I found it so refreshing to read. By keeping it simple and easy to do, Ferrin has primed the pump for anyone who struggles with Bible reading to begin a life of Bible-reading enjoyment.

GET THIS BOOK!!! Whether you are new to Bible reading or seasoned, go out and buy a copy. I will not give my reasons why; Ferrin has done that very nicely on his own. Read his book and you will see what I mean.

Experiencing the New Birth By Martyn Lloyd-Jones

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crossway in exchange for my honest review.

What does it mean to become a Christian? What does it look like? Are the evidences that should be present to validate that one is a Christian?

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in this study on John 3, answers those questions with such depth, detail, and power that I found myself so very grateful he did so.

With candor and grace, Dr. Lloyd-Jones weaves a wonderful message about all that new birth has and all that should be experienced on this earth.

Sadly, many Christians have been brought under the "thou shall" and "thou shalt nots" that they have misdirected from the life that the new birth offers. Dr. Lloyd-Jones, in this book, helps to remove the misdirection and get the Christian focused on what truly matters. 

Praying Over God's Promises by Thomas R. Yeakley

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House in exchange for my honest review.

How should I pray? That is a question that many a Christian has asked and most likely will continue to be one.

In his book Praying Over God's Promises, Thomas R. Yeakley teaches that one way to pray is by praying the promises of God. By taking God at His Word, a Christian can have the wonderful experience of seeing God work.

One thing that I enjoyed about this book is that Yeakley discusses the misuse and abuse of promises for personal gain and for selfish reasons. I do not often find this taught and was grateful that it was discussed.

This little book is a nice addition to my library and should be considered for anyone wanting to study a life of prayer and how to pray.

The Three Heavens by John Hagee

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Worthy Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. " I Corinthians 12:2 (ESV)

That verse is where the title of this book originates. John Hagee expounds on what the three heavens are in his new book The Three Heavens: Angels, Demons and What Lies Ahead.

The first heaven is what we call the sky and space (think stars, sun, moon, etc). It was what we can see with our eyes and telescopes.

The second heaven, of which Hagee spends a majority discussing in this book, is the domain of angels, devils, and is the location of heavenly battles.

Hagee gives personal stories of his dealing with evil and how the power of God always prevails. He tells of how devils would possess people through various channels and he came to appreciate the teachings of Derek Prince. He then goes into what possession might look like and how those who are possessed can be delivered by the power of God.

The third heaven is the dwelling of God. Hagee does not discuss this much as Scripture does not reveal much on the third heaven. What little it does mention indicates a place of wonder, awe, beauty, and power. Hagee then invites the reader to know for sure that they will experience God is all His wonder upon death by accepting Christ as his/her Savior.

This is a great book for those who would like more foundational knowledge of the spiritual realm in which we live. Nothing too deep or heady is discussed and a decent amount of Biblical references are used. All-in-all a good book.

Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism by Joel Beeke

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reformation Trust in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoy theology. I know that theology is not one of the subjects that many flock to study. It can be deep, heady, and at times combative.

Having said that, I have run into Calvinism on more than one occasion while studying. I had to admit to myself that my understanding of John Calvin and his teachings was rather elementary.

Outside of T.U.L.I.P. and the disagreements between Calvinists and of his most popular opponent Jakob Hermanszoon (aka Jacobus Arminius) I knew very little of Calvinism.

Living for God's Glory by Joel R. Beeke has done a marvelous job of educating me on the teachigns of Calvinism. This book has not only cleared up some matters for me by way of explanation but also expounded on the teachings of John Calvin and how they played out in the life of Christian.

The book is divided into four sections: the mind, the heart, the family life, and the church. Understanding that Calvinism is about bring God glory and that doing so is not relegated to the church only was profound and challenging. I found myself appreciating the depth of respect Calvin had for God and His glory.

This is a book I hope to read again and perhaps use as a devotional to really inspire me to live for God's glory as Calvin hoped his teaching would bring to fruition.

The Book of Proverbs: KJV & The Message Transalations

I picked up this book from Tyndale Rewards.com because I wanted to take up the challenge of reading the book of Proverbs daily.

What I like about this book is that it is simple to read. No footnotes, columnar references, or study helps. It is just the book of Proverbs with side-by-side readings of two translations of Scripture.

It is a great devotional book and an excellent source of reading of the most popular books of the Bible.

The Scripture Cannot Be Broken, Edited by John MacArthur

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crossway in exchange for my honest review.

The doctrine of inerrancy is not something that you will find discussed often in a "coffee house" Christianity setting. Most likely conversations will revolve around love, living a life of purpose, and forgiveness.

However, inerrancy is so important when it comes to Scripture that it should be discussed and understood as much as possible.

From the very beginning, "Did God say...?" has been used for centuries to try and get Christians to neglect the Word of God or water it down for a more soul-calming teaching.

Sadly, this has caused many to accept teachings that not Biblical or godly. This book goes into the historical and present-day value of why inerrancy is so critical to one's theology.

If the very foundation of Christianity is chipped away at piece by piece eventually it was fail. By minimizing the value of inerrancy many churches have stripped away the power of the Word of God. By affirming over and over that the historical position of Christianity is that the Bible is God's words in written form, Christian can have confidence that they are obeying and living what God would have them do.

This book will be a great buttress for those who want solid help in knowing that Scripture is God-breathed and that ALL of Scripture is thus.

The Happy Christian by Dr. David Murray

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

Joy. Its a word I heard a lot growing up in church. "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where!? Down in my heart. Where!? Down in my heart." Those are the lyrics to a song I would sing a child in Sunday School.

As I get older I find that I have less joy and, where is it? Not down in my heart it woudl seem. Thus, when I saw this book I was curious.

First, I have heard of Dr. Murray and have a few books of his. Second, I had to ask myself: do I consider myself to be a happy Christian? Some days I can say yes, others would be a no. Why is that? It is because I do not have the complete mind of Christ.

Dr. Murray lays out ten ways to take on the mind of Christ to have joy in life. I will not go into all ten but highlight the one that stood out to me the most: giving.

Most think money when giving is mentioned in church and that does play a part. However, Dr. Murray mentioned an area of giving that I had not considered as giving: leadership.

There are qualified people who attend church who do not give of their leadership talents. Whether that is teaching, mentoring, prayer group, hospitality, singing, or leading in a non-church building related function (I would submit that this is sorely lacking), Dr. Murray pointed out that is a a way of giving.

Giving can lead to joy. It focuses on another and helping others may make one feel good. Leadership is giving to others with the intent of making them better. Who would not want a leader like that? It is a double-joy; joy for the receiver and joy for the giver.

That nugget of wisdom alone causes me to recommend this book. Christians need joy in this gloomy environment. This book can help them get there.

The Proclamation Bible (NIV)

*I received this Bible as a complimentary copy from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

When I saw that Timothy Keller recommended this Bible my ears perked up. I respect Mr. Keller and his opinion and thought I would give this Bible a chance.

At first I was a bit disappointed. For a "study" Bible there are no footnotes for interpretation, basic center-column references and brief book introductions. Had it been just that I would have discounted Mr. Keller recommendation.

The reason this Bible stands out are the theological helps at the beginning of this Bible. Scholars wrote some very helpful articles on Biblical interpretation, why we can trust the Bible, how to apply Scripture, and more.

In a sense it is a Bible that prepares you to study as opposed to doing it for you. In this respect I understand why it was recommended and I agree.

This Bible does what other study Bibles do not: let the reader do the digging to find the gems. Sadly, not many Bible readers do this which is why this Bible is a stand-out.

As to the Bible itself, a good typeface and good binding are present. Also there are two bookmarks which is nice for cross-referencing. It weights in at about three pounds which does not make it ideal for devotions/study on the go but good for desk study The lay-flat binding is a great add so one does not have to hold down pages while reading.

I give this Bible five stars for the theological articles and solid build. If you need to replace a study Bible give this one a hard look.

Stealing from God by Frank Turek

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review.


Does God exist? This question has been asked by millions of people and has also caused some heated debates. Many people have wrestled with this question and have let their opinions be made known.

Among these people are atheists who will answer the question with an emphatic NO! They then give their reasons/arguments for the non-existence of God and some even resort to belittling those who do not agree.

However, what if atheists, while trying to reason against God, are actually giving reason to believe in God? This is the question that Frank Turek addresses in his book Stealing from God.

While is it impossible to scientifically prove God (faith is required) there are items that point to God and must be overlooked to assume there is no God.

For example, someone will say that killing animals is wrong. From where does this person get their moral sense of right and wrong? If God does not exist then it comes from within. However, that would also mean that the hunter who kills believes that what he is doing is right. Both would say that it is right for them to believe as they do. Which one is right? With no source of ethics, both of them are and both are wrong.

Yet, if there is a source of ethics, a source that gives right and wrong, should not we follow it? That source is God and He has given us directions on how to live. Atheists cannot accepted God but use methods that come from Him to disprove Him. Thus, as Turek lays out, they steal from God.

A fascinating book and one that must be read by those who are in a non-Christian college. It will give great aid to answer questions that are not easy to explain and will serve well to those who find themselves desiring answers.