NKJV, DELUXE READER'S BIBLE

I did not know what to expect when I agreed to review Thomas Nelson’s NKJV DELUXE READER’S BIBLE. Upon arrival my first impression was how elegant the box is that the Bible is in. I equated the box that my cell phone came in except the Bible simply slid out, no need to open. I chose the cloth bound copy with a yellow spine and what they are calling gray but I say is golden/ grayish front and back cover. It also has two place mark ribbons, I have learned that one is not enough. Like many of Thomas Nelson’s Bibles the font is easy to read; so-far, so-good.

I have never read a “Readers Bible” before so it took a few minutes for me to adjust to the presentation of Scripture. I was not constantly reminded of what book I was reading, found in the header of the page on the left not on the opposite page. I had to look on the page to my left on the left column and the small red number to determine which chapter I was in and look in the folds for the numbers written in black to determine, generally speaking, which verse I was reading. The NKJV DELUXE READER’S BIBLE is as close as I have gotten to reading actual scrolls.

This is a Bible to be read as a letter should be read. It is presented as a book should be written.  The NKJV DELUXE READER’S BIBLE is meant to be read, I would not use it as a Bible study tool, nor would I take it to church with me. (By the time you find Jeremiah chapter 10 verse 5 service would be over.) This is the Bible to get if you want to read Scripture from Genesis to Revelations non-stop without having to read footnotes, commentary or look at pictures- there are none.

I wish I had had this Bible the first time I read Scripture from Genesis to Revelations. This will make a great gift if you do not keep it for yourself.                   Written by Marsha L F Randolph


I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

NIV- THE WOMAN'S' STUDY BIBLE

         RECEIVING GOD'S TRUTH FOR BALANCE, HOPE, AND TRANSFORMATION

How fascinating! As I opened the NIV, THE WOMAN’S STUDY BIBLE immidiately following the page used to place who “This Bible belongs to” on is “the Ketubah Marriage Contract”. As I went through the pages, looking for the introduction, I what was once part of many Bibles- “Family History” pages and something new “My Spiritual Mothers”. Wow! This makes this Bible worth buying as: a Bridal Shower gift, a Mother’s day gift, a sweet 16 gift, or a gift to yourself.

Today’s Bibles are more than just the presentation of Scripture and editiorials. They serve as introduction to biblical truths. The NIV, THE WOMAN’S STUDY BIBLE presents the Word from a feminine perspective, an important task considering societies push towards asexual identity ideologies.  This Bible celebrates being female.

Not all women in the Bible are as well known as Esther and Mary. There is the “Levite’s Defenseless Concubine” - Judges 19- her tragic story was discussed on page 380. A warning against paganism is found on page 1085, within as part of a discussion about Solomon: “In recent times, a renewed interest in paganism has arisen amoung many women”  and “Christian women must guard their hearts and minds against these influences.”  A commentary on Sapphira in the book of Acts, she was a deceptive woman who exprienced the consequences of her lie.

NIV, THE WOMAN’S STUDY BIBLE is filled with a wealth of information. The words included within the pages of God’s word are presented in such a way that the woman who reads it will grow. Without even getting into the actual word I learned something new, the Ketubah.

A Jewish marriage contract is called the Ketubah. The Ketubah is a binding document presented by the groom listing his responsiblities to his bride. “The rabbis extended the explicit Old Testament requirements of food, clothing,, and conjugal rights to include the demand that a husband respect his wife and not make her cry.” (See page follwing “the Keubah Marraige Contract”

It is a New International Verson Bible translation, those words are as they have benn.  Though I a NIV Bible, several in fact, I will not be able to give this one away! xxx written by Marsha L F Randolph

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

WHOLENESS by Toure Roberts

WHOLENESS Winning in Life from the Inside Out by Toure Roberts is a book worth reading. I was not going to read it because there was a forward by T. D. Jakes, I didn’t want more of the same. (Been there read that!) I chose to review it because I noticed no one else was- I often choose what no one else wants to read to review.

What makes WHOLENESS a good book is the concept is applicable in everyone’s life. We all reach a plateau in which we cannot seem to move forward but there does not seem to be a loically reason as to why. The issue, as the author explains, is not readily seen because it comes from within; it is not them it is you.

We all have life events that were unexplainable or unavoidable in which we can ignore. Often what we do is take the hurt or feelings of rejection and place it in a mental compartment deep within our souls. Like a missing piece of the puzzle that memory creates a void in our lives the author refers to it as brokenness.

WHOLENESS, is a easy to read book (I read it in a day) that systematically takes the reader from- how it happened to how to fix it. As easy as this book is to read for some people it might be hard to digest. This book, though autobiographical in nature, is about you the reader; don’t lie to yourself and think that it is not.

This is a healthy healing read.

Note: another reason I was reluctant to read this book is the authors’ face was on the cover, he looks to young to know about life. Change the cover and perhaps you would sell more books in a greater demographic- unless your target audience is Black males.    - -  written by Marsha L F Randolph

ADDENDUM: To my readers  my book MOVING FORWARD BY FAITH , published in 2011 and updated in 2016, addresses similar issues from a different perspective. Though the author says he is a church leader he does not use Scripture as the basis for his opinion I do.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

NKJV FAITHLIFE ILLUSTRATED STUDY BIBLE published by Zondervan

Bibles are back! In this world of: Aps, on-line viewing, big screen on church walls, and audio versions that allow you to access Scripture, it is great to get a nice big fat old fashioned Bible. Zondervan publishing has released NKJV FAITHLIFE ILLUSTRATED STUDY BIBLE for those who not only want to read the Bible but study the 66 books.

“The Faithlife Illustrated Study Bible” helps remove the obstacles to understanding the Bible, so that people with any level of knowledge and experience can pursue an enriching study of Scripture.” (Editors Preface paragraph 3)

That is what a ‘study Bible’ should do and that is what the NKJV FAITHLIFE ILLUSTRATED STUDY BIBLE does. What I like about this Bible is the presentation of timelines, somehow they make more sense to me than I have found in other Bibles. Also the family trees and graphics of various structures are easy to examine and understand. The space dedicated to the various illustrations in this illustrated study Bible is what makes it worth the investment.

Years ago, when I first started reading Scripture, I did not want a Bible with commentary; they were not called ‘study’ Bibles back then. Study Bibles have come a long way and the NKJV FAITHLIFE ILLUSTRATED STUDY BIBLE is something I would recommend to a person who has never read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation before.

I am not going to say this is my new favorite as I have said with some reviews but this one is definately a keeper and a go to reference tool as I study God’s word.

- -  written by Marsha L F Randolph

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

DEVELOPING THE LEADER WITHIN YOU 2.0 by John C Maxwell

If you have never read a John C Maxwell book and you are interested in having your own business and / or improving upon your leadership skills then I recommend you read DEVELOPING THE LEADER WITHIN YOU 2.0. If you own more than 2 John C Maxwell books I would suggest you skip this book.

Though may be a few “nuggets” found within the pages of this book however as a fan of John C. Maxwell it grieves me to say DEVELOPING THE LEADER WITHIN YOU 2.O is more of the same. It seems that Mr. Maxwell is re-releasing his books with a slite twist and it is now to redundant for me to give him a pass. Perhaps he has said all that he has to say.

In the not so fine print on the cover it reads: “Over 2 Million Copies Sold (Original Edition)”.

If you have never read a Maxwell good then grab a copy. There are great tips on leadership including developing an understanding when the problem is not the other person but you- see chapter 5: Problem Solving. If you are determined to read this book even though you have read the others you will find some diffences and two chapters that have been omitted.

Book stores require I indicate how I like this book by assigning between 1 to 5 stars. On average I have given 5 stars to a John C Maxwell book. I cannot do it this time because if I had not received a complimentary copy I would not have purchased this book.   - - - written by Marsha L F Randolph

GOVERNMENT VS GOD by Fenton Ward

What I expected and what I read were not the same, but I don’t always read the subtitles when choosing a book for review. GOVERNMENT VS GOD,  Twenty-First Century Insights into Revelation, A First Century Riddle  by Fenton Ward is actually a study of the book of Revelation.

Chapter by Chapter GOVERNMENT VS GOD shares insight as to how what is going on in the world today has been written about in Scripture. Though it is easy to read it may not be easy to digest, those who are comfortable with the book of Revelation and have some knowledge as to what is going on in the world will have no difficulty getting through the almost 300 page text.

This book is a study- manual and not really something you would get for casual reading. Though I recomend it for reading, for me it took a while to get through it. But, whenever I read non-fiction I like to evaluate the truthfullness of what is being written, this takes time. Not only does the author reference other books in the Bible, which is expected, he also references non-biblical ideologies / philosophies such as Marxism.

This book is more important today than ever before since many individuals are embracing a marred presentation of what it means to be a follower of Christ.  GOVERENMENT VS GOD presents a systematic study of the world today by applying the book of Revelation to the modern Believer.    — written by Marsha L F Randolph

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

MUSLIM by Hank Hanegraaff

I had two preconceived notions prior to reading MUSLIM by Hank Hanegraaff. I read some of the reviews, something I rarely do, they were mixed and this swayed me to my second prejudice. One of my neighbors is a Muslim and I get along with his entire family very well. Even though I was skeptical about this book I felt it would be something important I needed to read.

“Many Muslims are peaceful and tolerant; however, the history of Islam demonstrates conclusively that it is not a peaceful and tolerant religion.” This sentence found in the introduction(page xiv) help me to open my mind for what was to come.

There are 74 pages of notes, 188 pages of text. In addition there is a glossary of terms many have heard on the news as well as: a general index, Scripture index and a Qur’an index. The information presented is in a systematic way that will help the reader understand Islam, including who Muhammad is, and the significance of Sharia. If this is not enough there is also a suggested reading list of books for anyone who chooses to learn more.

This is an important read, particularly for Christians because as it states on the cover Islam is “The World’s Fastest-Growing Relgion.” I would suggest every Believer study their Bible of course but also “Know What You Need to Know About” what it means to be MUSLIM “The Worlds Fastest Growing Religion.”  — written by Marsha L F Randolph

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”