Bible Review: New King James Version Study Bible - Second Edition - Full Color

 I grew up with the King James Version (KJV) and therefore memorized most of my scriptures in KJV.  My first KJV Bible was used for many, many years to where I could visibly tell you where on the page most verses were located.

Over the years I changed over to the New King James Version.  I like its similarity to the KJV, yet it is clearer to read and understand, as KJV was written in 1611 in Elizabethan English so many of the words and their meanings in KJV are different now in 21st century. 

The KJV was translated to English from the Textus Receptus Greek for the New Testament and Masoretic Hebrew Old Testament. If that matters to you, then you should like the NKJV as it too was translated from the same above mentioned manuscripts. If that last sentence doesn't matter to you, don't worry about it.  Let's move on :-)

Now, about this specific version. 

First, a quick summary of some of the features of the updated version on the New King James Study Bible are:

NEW attractive full-color page design

NEW stunning Bible-land photos and graphics

NEW in-text maps and charts 

Full cross-references with textual notes

Book introductions, outlines, and timelines

Bible Times and Culture Notes

Word studies and indexes

Reader-friendly notes and articles ideal for extended study

Deluxe NKJV Concordance including proper names

Maps

Center-Column

The above mentioned features are "some" of the main features, but this Bible is full of other great features and information that would make this review much longer. Let's go over some of these features. As stated above, this full color edition is very colorful and has many stunning photos and graphics.  Also, this Bible is full of helpful maps and charts. As is standard in most Bibles, it has a center column of cross-references and some textual notes, but one thing unique about this is the center-column is shaded a light gray (I personally like that).  The book introductions, outlines, and timelines are excellent. As you read through you will see olive call blocks of information on "Bible Times & Culture Notes" you will find this quite helpful and informative. One of my favorite features is the gray block at the bottom of some pages with "Word Studies" that has great information and also references "Strongs" corresponding number for further study. And one final notes on the features - it has a larger and better concordance than I have seen in most Bible (starting at page 2145-2339). 

 Introduction, Outline and Timeline

Large Concordance

Closing thoughts: As colorful as this Bible is, it does NOT have the words of Christ in red.  While this doesn't matter to me, I thought it was worth mentioning.  

This bible has a total of 2400 pages (that's big), but with all the valuable information it needs to be that many pages. As to be expected, it is also quite a heavy Bible weighing in at 3.8 pounds (but I have heavier, so it's no big deal to me).

My final analysis is this Bible deserves more than four stars so I'm going to give it five stars.  If you're looking for a NKJV Bible you should consider this Bible!

TO order the ISBN: 0529114380 (Hardcover, also available in bonded leather and imitation leather).  NOTE: When you order make sure it is the new 2014 edition. Check Amazon.com or ChristianBook.com (as well as many other book retailers to order)

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and BookLook bloggers for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review; all opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.

My brief story to health and Book Review of "Go Fresh: A Heart-Healthy Cookbook"

Before I start this review, I want to share why even reviewing a cookbook can help you.  Our society pushes fast food and junk (wrongly named food) at us ALL the time.   

Back in August 2011 I watched a video on "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" that got me really thinking then I read some some good material on food health and then video, "Forks Over Knives"). I saw that I needed to make some major changes in what I ate. 

Then in the coming months I also watched some other food documentaries including,  Food, Inc, Food Matters, Hungry for Change as well as others).

In 3 years I haven't returned to my junk food (but a little once in awhile, but for the most part I don't want it.  Some people look at me like a health nut or like I'm deprived BUT I love being 30-35 lbs. lighter, I love being able to cycle an avg. of 26 miles on one bike ride (2-4 times a week), I love not having GERD, I love not having RLS. I love having more energy (less fatigue), I love not getting a cold or flu (and no flu shots), I love having less issues with my blood sugar, and the list goes on. And most importantly God tells us in I Cor. 10:31 states "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." and also in I Cor. 6:19-20 states "do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." Can it really be any more clear that we should take care of our bodies!  So this book isn't the finally answer in my opinion but a GREAT start....read on.

MY REVIEW of "GO FRESH"

I've reviewed a lot of books, but this was my first cookbook.  I have tried a few recipes (very good) and have gone through the entire book.  I consider myself a very healthy eater, so I thought this would be a good book for me to review.  This is put out by the "American Heart Association," and while I don't agree with all their advice or ingredients used in some of their recipes, but I can easily substitute those items, so even with that I am very glad this book is out.  This book will help the average American to eat much healthier than they do now.  I believe if all people ate based on this cookbook we would be a healthier America. 

The cookbook starts with its first section of:

"Fresh, Fast, and Healthy" with some really good tips.  On page 18 I especially like their "Good Nutrition in a Nutshell" that alone would change the majority of Americans' eating habits.

The second section is "Recipes" starting on page 22 to page 299 (250 in all).  

The recipes are broken down into sections as follows: Recipes, soups, salads and salad dressings, seafood, poultry, meats, vegetarian entrees, vegetables and side dishes, sauces and condiments, breads and breakfasts, and desserts.  Also, in the recipes it is easy to follow and clearly gives all ingredients needed, servings, prep time, and cooking time. It also breaks down calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, and protein per serving.  Then, they have a really neat feature for each recipe called the "dietary exchanges." This tells you by number how many starches, vegetables, fruits, fat-free milk, fats, lean meats, other carbohydrates are in each meal so you can keep track and make sure your meals are balanced.

Then, there is the Appendix, again, some really helpful information broken down into 3 sections. 

A. At-a-Glance Food Storage Guide 

B. At-a-Glance Vegetable Cooking Times

C. Ingredient Equivalents

In the book last few pages is a helpful Index.

I give this book a strong 4 stars. 

I like it and look forward to making some meals from this cookbook.

I received a free copy of this cookbook from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.  I was in no way required to write anything positive, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are completely my own.

From the heart: Election changes things...No, Jesus changes things!

I am happy if you voted yesterday, as I thank God we are in a country that gives us that freedom. While I am happy that the Republicans have seized the Senate and gained control of the Congress, I'm not happy because they are Republicans, but because they are the more conservative of the two parties and Obama needs to be stopped (if possible), and Democrats sure weren't going to do that!  That being said, I think both parties fall way short compared to what God expects of our nation.  ALSO, it is yet to be seen what the Republicans will do in the next 2 years, but regardless, it won't be a Christian country in two years.  We're still going in the wrong direction, AND even more so, the sleeping Church needs to repent.  We're in this mess because the church went worldly, the church stopped preaching the whole counsel of God.

Again, we're not in this mess because of the politicians, but again, it's because of a lukewarm, if not dead church (http://ref.ly/Re3.14-22).  So as to not sound totally hopeless, God always has a remnant of people that will serve him 100%.  The question is, is that you? Is that me?  I hope so.
All this election can do is possibly, just maybe (but doubtful), slow impending judgment until America repents of her sins.

So what are we going to do as the church? Are we going to leave spiritual matters to the politicians? We better not!  Are we going to claim victory because of an election, while the church has not changed one bit? I believe our only hope is a repentant church that returns to Jesus acknowledging we have left our first love  - JESUS!  (See http://ref.ly/Re2.4)

So as I close this brief article out, I challenge you who are born again, blood bought Christians who believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus our Savior, will you give your all for Jesus and pray that our nation be spared, or at least that we can make a difference for God's kingdom no matter what the final outcome of our nation will be.  (See (see http://ref.ly/Je18.8 & http://ref.ly/Jon3.10)

I still love America in spite of her falling from God, especially in recent years, but I love the church more. There is nothing on earth as awesome as the church functioning the way God intended it.

So my final words are that the "battle" wasn't won at the election.  

It is won on our knees as a repentant and praying people in love

with Jesus who are willing to obey the Lord without compromise.

I'm excited in Jesus, as ultimately He is in control.  Jesus is our victory!  Now and forever! AMEN!