It has been a joy to focus on becoming women of the Word with you this month, ladies! On Monday, we’ll be focusing on another commitment from the True Woman Manifesto. But, that doesn’t mean we’re going to leave our Bibles behind! I want to leave you with a list of some of Nancy’s favorite Bible study tools and devotional books (published in A Place of Quiet Rest, in 2000).
Use these tools only after you have searched the Scripture carefully for yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the Truth in His Word, and work hard! Then—and only then—crack open these books, and learn from what God has spoken to others.
If you are unfamiliar with how to use these tools, ask a pastor or another experienced student of the Word for help!
Word studies:
- Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
(if you use the King James Version)
- Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words
(if you use the King James Version)
- The NIV Exhaustive Concordance
(if you use the New International Version)
- The New American Standard Exhaustive Concordance
(if you use the New American Standard Bible)
Commentaries and study Bibles:
- The NIV Study Bible
- The MacArthur Study Bible
- The Bible Knowledge Commentary
- The Wycliffe Bible Commentary
Devotional books:
- Prayers of the Martyrs
- The Valley of Vision
- Heavenly Springs
- Streams in the Desert
- Keep a Quiet Heart
- The Seeking Heart
- The Christian in Complete Armor
- Gleanings from William Gurnall
- Rekindling the Inner Fire series (A series of devotional books, each based on a well-known figure or group.)
- God Is Enough
- The Christian Book of Mystical Verse
- Gleanings from Thomas Watson
Any questions? Any tools Nancy and the rest of us can’t live without? If so, do tell!
Comments
*The following comments do not necessarily reflect the views of Revive Our Hearts. We reserve the right to remove comments which might be unhelpful, unsuitable, or inappropriate.
Do pray...
Love in Christ,
on Friday, January 30, 2009 at 9:58 am
Thank you for these blogs, Paula, Nancy, Kimberly, Mary... they have been a blessing. Thank you for the stress on the importance of the Word of God and sound doctrine. Yes and Amen!
I appreciate the list of study tools above. A few I have also found helpful:
-- Matthew Henry's Commentary
-- Charles Spurgeon's "Faith's Checkbook" (available free online, I'll try to post the link later, also with some of his other devotionals)
-- Amazing Grace, 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions, by Kenneth W. Osbeck
-- LOGOS Bible Software (We have Scholar's library, it is great, but expensive. Many study tools at your fingertips through this, and I believe other LOGOS Bible software.)
-- Biographies -- I know Nancy has mentioned some great ones, e.g. George Mueller, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael ... I've read many really good ones ... they have been very helpful to my faith and relationship with the Lord. Ask a mature Christian to help you know which are the good ones!
-- The classic book, Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan -- still one of my favorite Christian books, full of doctrinal truth in story/allegory form (also available in various forms for children)
-- Unger's Bible Dictionary
Okay, those are just a few that have been a great blessing to me. Just thought some of these ideas mught help someone.
With love through our Lord Jesus and thanking Him for His Word!!
on Friday, January 30, 2009 at 10:13 am
on Friday, January 30, 2009 at 10:19 am
http://bible.christiansunite.com/devotionals.shtml
I just want to mention two more great resources:
-- New Geneva Study Bible (NKJV, Nelson)
--With the Word, A Devotional Commentary, by Warren Wiersbe (a succinct devotional commentary on the whole Bible)
Blessings!
on Friday, January 30, 2009 at 10:43 am
on Friday, January 30, 2009 at 10:50 am
Thank you so much for the advice to read and study first the Word of God, for ourselves. Truly therein is life! Amen! God's Word is powerful.
Thank you, Joni and Leslie, for the info about the ESV Study Bible. I noticed Tim Challies has a review about it at Amazon. I hope to get one soon!
Love to you all through our Lord Jesus,
on Saturday, January 31, 2009 at 8:06 am
on Sunday, February 1, 2009 at 8:14 pm
on Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at 10:24 am
I am wondering...can you please explain to me how you deal with all the violence in the Bible? I don't want to teach my kids about any violence, and the Bible is full of it--lots and lots of it. A Mother-God does not condone violence, warring, smiting, killing children, or anyone for that matter.
Thank you,
on Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I just want you to know that you came to my mind this morning (before I noticed your post), and I prayed for you. I was blessed to read your conversation with Kimberly on an earlier blog. I've thought about writing something to you along the lines of the "blessed hope" we Christians have when we die (I noticed your book was entitled, "Midwifing Death"). We know that when we die in Christ, we are truly "going home to be with the Lord", and going home to the arms of our Heavenly Father -- to eternal peace and happiness with Him. I have been at the deathbeds of several relatives, whom I believe went home to be with the Lord. It was a glorious hope to see them departing to be with Him; there was true peace. I hope you won't mind me sharing this; I've had it on my mind to share with you but was waiting for the right time, if there was to be one!
I'm not going to address the area of violence in the Bible -- I think someone else might do a better job-- but I will say that is a question I have had too, and as I have grown as a Christian, and come to understand God's heart and ways more (through reading the Bible and walking with Him, as a Christian), I know there is no evil or injustice in Him -- none at all -- He is Love, as He reveals Himself to be, and all that He does is good, though we might not understand it all.
Hoping you find all the answers you need,
on Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at 3:59 pm
on Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at 9:05 pm
So good to hear from you again! I always enjoy dialoguing with you and appreciate your questions. You've asked a question that raises several difficult issues, and cannot be easily or briefly answered, but I will attempt to throw out a few thoughts.
Do you believe in evil? Have you ever observed evil, wickedness, cruelty in any form? It's not pleasant to think about, but sadly - evil is a reality in our fallen world. Actually, there was a time before this world struggled under the tragedy of death, we read of it in Genesis chapter two.
“The Lord God formed man . . . and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life . . . The Lord God commanded the man saying, 'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in that day you eat from it you will surely die.'” God mercifully gave man warning and told him the consequences of his disobedience, but man still disobeyed God.
Romans 5:12 describes what happened when men chose to disobey God's instruction, “Therefore, just as through one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
Death entered the world, not through God's hand, but by man's willful rebellion of his benevolent creator's one restriction. Judgment is the justice of a Holy God. The penalty of man's sin had to be met, so God mercifully provided that redemption through the blood of His own Son:
“So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One (Jesus Christ) the many will be made righteous . . . as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 5:18-19,21).”
Jesus warns us that “The thief (referring to Satan)comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came (referring to Jesus) that they might have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
The God of Christianity is the life-giver. He gives not only physical life, but eternal spiritual life. As Holy God – perfectly just and merciful – it is impossible for Him to ignore the evil injustices of wickedness. His Holy justice demands that judgment be made. Throughout history, God has shown mercy to wicked men – calling them to repentance, commanding them to live in righteousness before Him, and to treat others justly. But in His mercy and wisdom, at times, He has brought judgment against the wickedness of mankind.
He first did this during the time of Noah, by bringing a world-wide flood. Before the flood occurred He offered man redemption and safety through the ark. God's redemption and mercy are evident throughout history as we see Him repeatedly supplying warning to wicked men before bringing His just judgment. He gives ample time for men to repent before dealing with man's wickedness.
What would happen if wickedness were allowed to have free reign? Experience and history have shown us the horrific depths of man's depravity (the Holocaust, ethnic "cleansing," millions of aborted babies). Fallen man is in need of redemption. Unrestrained evil is unjust and truly unmerciful.
God's character is one of Holy justice and compassionate mercy, perfect love that is willing to selflessly lay down His own life – while unwilling to nullify truth. The beauty of His character and the purity of His holiness is truly incomprehensible.
on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 8:58 am
I'm reminded by comments here that if we create a god according to what we think is right, instead of what is revealed in God's Word, the Bible, we might be on the wrong track. But keep studying God's complete Word--He is Amazing. How blessed we are that He has made provision for us in Christ.
on Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 11:39 am
Praise the Lord that my post was helpful to you. Thank you for sharing about the searchable Oswald Chambers on that site (I noticed other free study tools, too). It's just a site I found one time when looking for Spurgeon's devotionals (and they will send them to your inbox daily).
So I will venture here to mention one more resource that has been a tremendous blessing to me, though readers of this blog may already be well familiar. It is John Piper's site, desiringgod.org. I discovered the archived audio biographies from his pastor's conferences there and have listened to quite a few -- they are excellent (Augustine, Athanasius, John Paton, Mueller, and many more...). Recently, he did George Whitefield, and the video is available at his website (free download). Also, you can get a book of Whitefield's sermons (e-book) for free, through desiringgod.org, from Logos Bible Software (I already dowloaded it for myself and my husband -- I think it was on last week's blog from the homepage there). A few more free resources, ladies!
In His love,
on Friday, February 6, 2009 at 8:57 am
http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/
Here are the blog dates and titles for them:
Piper's Message on Whitefield
February 3, 2009
Download a Free Whitefield Book
January 28, 2009
I think the other biographies I mentioned are listed on the homepage under "Biographies".
Blessings!
on Friday, February 6, 2009 at 9:08 am