New Spirit-Filled Life Bible (New King James Version), by Jack Hayford (review)

When the house-church to which I belong began an in-depth study of the Holy Spirit a couple months ago, I was giddy with excitement when I received the Booksneeze newsletter announcing the soon-to-be-available “NewSpirit Filled Life Bible” (New King James Version) for review.  I’ve been experimenting with different bibles, looking for one to replace my worn, soft-cover “So-and-so Study Bible”.  I love the NKJV, so this one was a no-brainer request.  I’ve been without success in my hunt so far, so when this one finally arrived, I couldn’t wait to dive into it.

Given that the house-church was still studying the Holy Spirit when the bible arrived, it made perfect sense that I would begin my reviewing adventures in Acts 1.  It wound up being the perfect place to start, which I will explain later in this review.  But first, I’d like to lay out some of the features of this particular bible – many of which I like, some I don’t. 

TITLE PAGE:

First, each book in this Bible begins with a short detail description of the Author, Date, Content, Purpose, Personal Application, Christ Revealed, and the Holy Spirit at Work (approximately 2-3 pages).  The title page of each book also contains a small box that hits the absolute basics in very brief order: Author, Date, Theme, and Key Words.  On the following page or two is a book outline.  I like these features.  They’re clear and concise, and provide a spring board for where to begin your studies if you wish to go deeper.

WORD WEALTH:

Next, each book contains several Word Wealth insets.  These are small boxes that pertain to particular words in the text that the editors believed would be helpful.  What is great is that these boxes are not filled with an author’s personal opinions, or how a particular denomination believes.  Instead, words are lightly dissected in their Hebrew or Greek usage.  This feature does some of the legwork for those times when you wish you had an exhaustive concordance handy.

KINGDOM DYNAMICS:

Third, another similar inset box contained within the text is this Kingdom Dynamics feature.  This box contains information for how the text applies to the Kingdom of God, what the first hearers/believers were experiencing, etc.  It provides a more detailed commentary about an important theme in the passage.  This commentary is slightly different from those “bottom-of-the-page” commentaries where a particular author tells you what s/he believes about, let’s say, the “rapture” for example.

COMMENTARY:

So naturally, this brings me to the next point: commentaries.  Have you ever read a study Bible by so-and-so and you wished s/he would leave personal or debatable opinions out of it?  That’s been done in this Bible.  Since there are so many contributors to this Bible, it is highly unlikely they all believed the same things on those debatable issues.  And those opinions have been omitted from the commentaries.  So if you’re looking for someone to tell you what to believe at all turns, this isn’t the Bible for you.

VERSE DIVISIONS:

Fifth, and finally I’m going to gripe about something.  I absolutely do not like the way verses have been divided in this Bible.  Whether the verse is complete or not, each verse number starts the next line in the column.  For example, if you’re reading Acts 1:10-11, it looks like this:

10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,

11 who also said…

I don’t like it because it’s choppy.  Do you remember your high school or college literature class where you were required to read a poem aloud?  I know you didn’t do this, but as you listened to your classmates read the poem line by line, you and everyone else could tell when one line concluded and the next began.  It sounded choppy rather than “flowy”.  That’s what this broken-verse format does in this Bible, so I’ll just come out and say it: I hate this feature.  Although I’m relatively certain the editors’ rationale was to make each verse easier to find in rapid searches, I’m positively against chopping up paragraphs like this.  ‘Nuff said.

TRUTH-IN-ACTION:

This section completes each book.  Numerical references throughout the Biblical text may point the reader to one or more of these points.  The Truth section briefly explains the history behind the passage’s theme.  The Action section describes what the Holy Spirit intends for us to do with the given theme or information in the text.  It’s brilliant!  For what good is reading the Bible if we don’t also make life application?

I mentioned in my second paragraph that Acts 1 was the perfect place to begin my study-review.  After reading, I was directed to one of the Truth-in-Action points for Acts 4:13.  It reads, “Expect your Spirit-filled relationship with Jesus to help you speak boldly, with courage and spiritual understanding.”  I went jogging in a park later that evening, and when I returned to my vehicle I saw a woman sitting alone in her vehicle.  She didn’t appear to be resting or happy.  As I stretched, I felt some kind of difficult-to-explain inner prompting to approach the woman and offer her a Pocket Testament I carry for times such as these.  As I debated with God the reasons why I shouldn’t approach her, I finally asked for His strength to speak boldly and clearly with her.  In other words, I expected the Holy Spirit to back me up on this one.  He did.  The woman began crying as we spoke (not because I was mean), and we finished in prayer.

So, could it be said that the Holy Spirit intended all of these things to come together at near intervals (Bible study, study Bible, and conversation)?  I think so.  I don’t believe it all happened accidentally, but was orchestrated by Divine appointment – for there are no accidents in God’s economy.

RATING & RECOMMENDATION:

Definitely 4 1/2 stars.  That half star is close to a full star due to the verse divisions.  But I’m going to err on the side of grace and choose to believe there was good intention and reason behind those divisions.  This Bible has officially replaced my old, worn-out “So-and-so’s Study Bible”.

Disclaimer: I received this Bible free of charge from Booksneeze (Thomas Nelson Publishers) in exchange for my unbiased review.  All opinions are mine.  I have not been coerced or threatened in any way to provide a positive review.

"Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales", by Randy Singer

I've read only three of Singer's works now, and this one, in my humble estimation, is the best of those three.  There are many more, but I haven't gotten to them...yet.  This one contains suspense, tension, conspiracy, romance, and murder all in one.  

PLOT & TWIST:

"DLTNT" is the story of a young felon-turned-lawyer ("Landon Reed") whose first case is a make-it-or-break-it murder and conspiracy trial for another high-power attorney.  Landon's wife, Kerri, is a news reporter/journalist who stumbles upon sensitive information from a corporation with government ties.

There are several twists and turns that were entirely unexpected.  For instance, just when I thought Landon was being set-up for disaster by a codger of an old lawyer in the firm, the lawyer is offed.  I thought to myself, "Well, my first theory just flew out the window."  This happened not once, but twice!

MIDDLE:

Have you ever read that book that contains a "saggy middle"?  You know, the one that bores you to death with lack of development, or a sub-plot that is nowhere near interesting.  Well, that's not this book.  Singer developed the stories well, providing enough detail for necessity, but not too much to lose my interest.  And in the end, the two plots intertwined perfectly.  I had a general sense where it was going, but there were many holes that were completed only with the ending.

 

ENDING:

WHAT IT WASN'T: "And the two lovers rode off into the sunset, happily ever after."

WHAT IT WAS: Brilliant!  I won't spoil the ending, but I don't think you'll be disappointed.  I wasn't.

SUBTLE GOSPEL MESSAGE:

This is one aspect that fans of Christian novel will either love or hate.  Singer made a presentation of the gospel message very subtle.  I think most of us who read Christian fiction have read that book where the main character endures some sort of dramatic life transformation and becomes an evangelist who saves the world (or something like that).  This book's characters are not that type.

 

Instead, the gospel is presented by way of the "character" of the characters.  Who they are impacts what they think and do.  I found this especially appealing because I ask myself the same question: "Does the Jesus I claim to serve have such a profound impact upon how I think and act that others around me are influenced by my character?"

MORAL:

I refuse to put this book in a "box" and say there is just one "moral to the story".  There are more, but one that hit me hardest came near the end of the book.  I won't mention which character produced it, but the main idea was "not living a life based upon a lie."  It presented a soft approach to being honest with people -- whether those people are family, friends, co-workers, or complete strangers.  The consequences behind the character's decision were considered, but this person chose to do the right thing, even though it was the harder thing to do.

RATING & RECOMMENDATION:

What else can I say?  If you enjoy contemporary authors, you won't be disappointed with Randy Singer's latest, "Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales."  I honestly think Singer gives Baldacci, Flynn, Grisham, and Connelly a run for their money.  And he does it with all the necessities and real-life innuendos, but void of the smut.

I didn't want the book to end.  No lie!  I enjoyed this one that much.  I devoured it.  I would like to see Singer continue with a series with these same characters so as to develop their stories further.  I give "DLTNT" 5 stars out of 5.  I'd give it 6 if I could.

AUTHOR Q&A: located here.

CHAPTER 1 EXCERPT: located here.

AUTHOR's website: located here.

Why Isn’t the Western Church Facing Persecution?

I receive a monthly newsletter from "Voice of the Martyrs", and this month’s magazine features the persecution of Christians in Uganda, Tanzania, and Zanzibar.  Historically, the author wrote, these countries in Eastern Africa have been regarded as safe havens for Christians, and have welcomed various Christianity-sponsored resources.

But that has begun to change, and the Muslim minority region has grown more hostile to our brothers and sisters in Christ.  They are daily enduring beatings, mutilations, murder, etc, and their private worship meetings are being stormed by Islamist militants on a regular basis. 

The article detailed events of three pastors and their churches.  Zanzibarian Pastor Kaganga's  church and automobile were set ablaze; he was spared, but only because raiders could not find him hiding.  Tanzanian Pastor Mathayo was hacked to death by a machete-wielding mob.  In that attack, one of the assailants attempted to behead the pastor, but missed his neck and hacked into his chest instead.  Ugandan Pastor Umar was surrounded by a mob who poured acid and gasoline on his head and back and set on fire.  He was badly burned, but survived the attack.  A note was sent to him as he endured his 5^th surgery, threatening, “We will finish the job.”

Harrowing stories like these cause me to wonder, “Why are our brothers and sisters in Christ being persecuted like this around the globe?”  Or maybe another way of asking should be, “Why aren’t we in the ‘West’ being persecuted like this?”  Aren’t we professing to live in the same kingdom of the same Savior?  Haven’t we been indwelled by the same Spirit?

Please don’t mistake my intent; I cherish my great freedoms in America.  I enjoy meeting with fellow Christians any day I choose without any real fear of losing my life simply due to the purpose of that meeting; my home has never been ransacked because of my faith in Christ; no church I have attended throughout my life has ever been destroyed by arsonists because of the gospel message.  I live in relative peace, and I embrace it.

I must ask myself, “Do I live a life that is truly transformed by Jesus Christ and markedly different from the world around me?”  Would others have reason to persecute me because of Christ?  Or would they even know I belong to Christ in the first place? 

What particularly special transformation is occurring in the lives of our persecuted brothers and sisters around the globe?  How has faith in their Savior impacted their witness so passionately that the same is not occurring here?  What have our persecuted brothers and sisters discovered that makes their faith so vibrant, so real in the face of horrible persecution?  Worse yet, what are we missing? 

Is persecution a key component in answering these questions?

A LETTER OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO MY BABY SELF:

Here there, budd!  Welcome to this big, chili world.  Hoss-man (that's what your daddy's friend will call you), you're fat, but boy are you cute.  You look like the Michelin man, and your mom's lady-friends are going to pinch your cheeks a lot.  Say, while I'm adorning you with all these nice words, I actually want to take just a moment to offer you some honest-to-goodness encouragement. 

 

I want to tell you about two very real disappointments you're going to face all-too-soon, Michael.  The first will come at you quickly, when you are just 18 years old.  The other will come another 18 years later.  So, I guess the positive side of this is that you've got 18 years to prepare for your first disappointment.  But make sure you make good mental notes so you know how to properly deal with the second.

 

First, you're going to audition for a drum and bugle corps in 1993.  You'll be good enough to audition, but that's about it.  You're going to practice a lot, and you're going to be excited about the opportunity to drum in the big leagues.  But, you're going to get cut the first day.  The cut will be deep; it will sting.  You'll cry in the car on the way home.  You'll be a glutton for punishment, because you'll go on to audition for another corps that's not quite as good as the one from which you already got cut...and you'll get cut again.  "You're no good", you'll tell yourself.

 

But, here's the good news.  You're not going to let it defeat you.  It may knock you down, but you're going to get back up.  You'll have a good support crew in your friends and family, and they will encourage you to try again the following year.  You're going to drum and drum and drum until you can't feel your blisters any more.  But it will pay off.  You'll march during the summer of  '94 with the Toledo Glassmen when you're 19.  Please believe me when I say, "Don't let those first two defeats get you down."  If you pick yourself up by the nape of the neck, you will succeed.  It will just require some time and effort.

 

You may think this first upset is no big deal.  You may be tempted to think, "What impact will getting knocked down and getting back up have to do with REAL LIFE?  It's just drum corps, right?"  That's true, indeed, but just as sports teach kids about teamwork and commitment, falling down and scraping your "knees and elbows" will do similar character-building for your psyche.

 

In 2010, you're going to reach a high followed by an immediate low.  But this time, the low will be in your career and will come from the hands of those who will call you "friend".  While I'd like to tell you who those two people will be, I don't want to negatively influence your opportunity to reach out to them as friends.  After all, maybe you'll experience a better outcome than I did.  But be ready, these friends will say one thing to your face, but another behind your back.  Did I mention, "Welcome to this big, cold world yet?"  Once again, you're going to tell yourself, "You're no good."  The problem is this time you'll believe it.  And that failure will affect everything you hope to achieve the rest of your career.

 

The defeat will be a punch in the gut.  More like repeated kicks to the groin.  It will knock you down.  Hard!  You're going to pray for God's help to forgive.  You're going to try to forgive, but it will be one of the most difficult things you will ever have to face.  In fact, even two years later you will toss and turn in your bed as you replay the events in your mind for the ten-thousandth time.  Please don't that.  Instead, do your best to forgive, leave the wrong at the foot of the Cross, and move on.  Hating the culprits will not solve the problem, and will not take the pain and hurt away.  In fact, it will only make it worse -- and THEY will have won!

 

So, I guess here's my final word of encouragement for now: Pray about it.  Start praying now so you are prepared to handle the heartbreak when it comes knocking on your door.  Pray about what your response will be in the midst of the let-down.  And finally, keep praying.  Because you're going to need it.

 

I love you,

Your adult self

"The Point: The Redemption of Oban Ironbout ", by William Jefferson

Words matter. 

They have meaning.

"Thoughts linger in the mind, intermixing, twirling 'round, overlapping, changing, and rearranging.  There they stay until clothed by words.  Words enable thoughts to get dressed, come out, and speak their mind.  As a word, a thought is no longer indisposed, undisclosed.  It has entered the world.  It is a word" (p.239).

The two main characters, Goodwin and Hollie MacBreeze, attend a retreat on the Isle of Estillyen.  There, monks conduct interactive readings from the Bible with the small "community".  Nearly every chapter invites us to attend these sessions of thoughtful reflection on the very words of God.  I took away many weighty thoughts as I "eavesdropped" on the community's conversations, which were all based on a theme about the value of words in various contexts.  Jefferson stapled each of these lessons to a close with the phrase, "Words matter..." followed by one reason or another.

REDEMPTION: One stodgy ol' character, Oban Ironbout, lives on the island at The Point.  He's unfriendly and unapproachable.  But he's lonely, hurting, and broken.  Armed with an old sketch of the house on the Point, one character dared to approach Mr. Ironbout against all warnings otherwise.  I wondered why Jefferson wrote artistic ability, especially a certain sketch, into the fabric of this particular character.  But it dawned on me once I sat to type my review.  The sketch was, for Mr. Ironbout, the medium to the message of redemption. 

Words matter, but so does the medium.

If you don't think words matter all that much, consider this.  Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, once commented about the impact of the spoken word.  "Imagine your reaction if your dog asked you, 'So, how was church today?'"  You would be profoundly impacted by such a question largely due to the medium from which the questions was asked.

"Words are the substance on which faith is perched.  Words are pegs on which faith hangs its hat" (p.205).

Jesus Christ is the message, and he is also the medium.  He is not just the message, nor is he just the medium.  He is both. 

ALLEGORY: The publisher's description compares this book to the likes of John Bunyan's allegorical tale, "The Pilgrim's Progress."  I didn't see it that way.  Jefferson didn't name the bulk of his characters "John", or "Lisa", or "Mark", or "Sally", but used esoteric names like "Mr. Story", or "Drama", etc.  The names didn't do much for me, and I don't think they added to the overall story.  But neither did they detract from the story. 

It was also compared to C.S. Lewis's "Screwtape Letters", which featured Satan and demons in conversation behind the scenes as they plot against God and man.  Jefferson used that technique, and he pulled it off well.  For instance, one lesson studied the transfiguration of Jesus.  Satan and his minions were peeking over the edge of the hill, trying to figure out a game-plan in the shadows.  I found this technique to be thought-provoking, because I often tend to ignore the presence of Satan's influence in varied sections of scripture.

Ultimately, all of these varied word-pictures worked together to lead to not only Oban Ironbout's redemption, but to the many character's redemption.  Each character was impacted one way or another by the readings, and it proved that old saying, "no man is an island".

RECOMMENDATION:  I enjoyed "The Point", mostly for its thought provocation. The book is saturated with "lectio divina" and "centering", so anyone interested in the monastic approach to their faith would likely find interest in this book.

RATING: I give "The Point" 4 stars out of 5.  I consumed it quickly, but I didn't have that "hang on every detail and every word" feeling.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Handlebar Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review of it.  All opinions are mine.  I was not threatened or coerced in any way to provide a positive review.

SUDDENLY A STANDARD?

"CLEVELAND -- The man accused of holding three women captive in his house for more than a decade could face the death penalty if it's determined he is responsible for the deaths of the victims' unborn children, prosecutors said Thursday."  (Source: USA Today)

Please help me get this straight. 

In America --

....where slaughter of the unborn on demand "women's rights" is available for just a couple hundred dollars....

....where we provide public funding (your tax dollars) to the world's largest abortion provider every year....

....where teenage girls can get abortions or abortion pills without written consent of their parents, while same-said teens cannot receive aspirin in school....

....where its citizens cry for the harshest punishment for the kidnapping, monstrous pedophile in this case....

....where we NOW SUDDENLY HAVE MORAL STANDARDS AGAINST THIS PERVERT FOR ABORTING SEVERAL PREGNANCIES OF HIS KIDNAPPED VICTIMS???

Please help me make sense of this.

At most, I see an violent assault causing serious injury to the women themselves -- not the unborn.  That's according to our nation's public policies, anyway.  After all, the babies were HIS, too.  Doesn't Castro have the right to abort his own children?  We cry about a woman's rights; but what about a man's???  Would it have been more acceptable if he had driven the kidnapped-and-raped victims to an abortion clinic and paid to have the abortions performed by a "doctor"???

I do not argue against the most severe punishments for this man.  I agree with the death penalty...but not due to the abortions he caused. 

A hypocritical, inconsistent nation we are, America. 
We must make up our minds. 
We cannot have it both ways! 

"COULD YOU SPARE SOME TIME?"

"Hey, old friend, how have you been?  I haven't heard from you much lately.  I'm just wondering if you're doing OK."

"Oh, hey, thanks for checking on me.  I really appreciate it.  Yeah, I've be super busy lately.  You know -- work, family.  The usual.  Other than that, I'm doing pretty good."

"That's good.  I've heard about some of your new job position you were hoping for.  Can you tell me about it?"

"Thanks!  I absolutely love the new assignment examining firearms, bullets, cartridge casings, etc.  I'm still in the early stages, but there's so much I've been reading, studying, and writing lately.  It keeps me on my toes and it challenges me.  But it's been so much fun!"

"What about your physical fitness?"

"I've been training hard.  Running a lot.  Hittin' the gym.  I've been training for a half marathon, as well as the Tough Mudder.  I've been pretty happy with my progress, but I'm starting to really feel the effects of my age in my lower back.  It keeps me up at night."

"No kidding?  I haven't heard about that.  Why didn't you say something?"

"Nah, you're too busy.  You've got better things to worry about.  You feed the poor, work in homeless shelters, help the needy.  You don't have time for my little problems."

"I have plenty of time for you, my friend.  Well, did you at least get the letters I sent you?  I worked hard on them, and I meant every word.  I was hoping you'd answer."

"Yes, thank you!  I received them.  But they were just so long...most of them, anyway.  So I kind of skim through them here and there when I have a chance.  You know, a sentence or two.  But I've been piecing it all together rather well, I think."

"Oh.  I was hoping you'd put a little more effort into it than that.  I did."

"I know.  I'm sorry.  Tell ya' what.  I'll start doing that first thing tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?  What's holding you back today?"

"I'm sorry, I've just been so busy.  Not only do I have to wake up early to get to work, I also wake up an hour earlier -- 4:25 am -- to make it to the gym for a workout before my 12-hour work day including drive time.  Then when I get home, I spend time with the family, wrestle with the boys, and talk to my wife about our day.  By the time we put the kids to bed, my brain is mush and I just want to vejj out and watch some Tiger baseball or Duck Dynasty or something.  Then it's off to bed to do it all over again the next day.  You know what I mean?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do.  I'm just hearing excuses, though.  But I know busy.  I have a world to run, Michael.  I've been visiting people in Boston who've had their limbs blown off by a couple bombs.  Remember that?  And you should see what their families are enduring right now.  Some of them don't have enough sick time built up at work to take the day off so they can attend to the needs of their fallen comrades and family members.  I know about busy.

"And have you heard about what's happening in Sudan?  That carnage has been going on for a long time, now.  I've been crying with the broken-hearted, encouraging survivors, raising up strong leaders.  I know about busy.

"I've been raising up willing servants to travel to some far-off lands that have never seen the wonder of electricity or running water, who bathe in the same water in which they relieve themselves.  How would you like to like to live in those conditions?

"How would you like your own children to ignore you on a consistent basis after all you've done for them?  How would you like your wife to ignore your love letters and only 'piece them together' here and there when she has a spare moment?

"I've created all of this beauty you see around you: Warm sunshine.  Billowy clouds.  Refreshing rain.  Sunsets.  Mountains.  Oceans.  Snow.  Crisply cool starry nights.  Friendships.  Love.  But when I look upon all that I've made, I'm most pleased with people -- because I made you in my image.  But when I look upon all those people, you're busy scurrying around -- too busy to take in all the beauty.  Instead, you're shopping at the mall for the latest gadget.  Hurrying through the grocery store checkout lane without taking the time to notice the cashier is crying because her son died in Iraq.  You're pumping gas without noticing the guy rifling through the garbage cans trying to find returnables to scrape up some spare change for a meal tonight.  You're sitting in traffic jams cursing at other drivers when the person on the side of the road is going to get fired for being late to work.  You're preparing for seemingly important business meetings while ignoring the fact that your boss has cancer.  You're training your physical bodies while ignoring the health of your souls.

"Believe me.  I know busy.  But I also know you.  And I want to be known by you.  Could you spare some time, friend?"