Hey, all, I finally have some good Bible study software. I downloaded a copy of the e-Sword Bible software over the weekend, after my good friend Pastor Henry plugged it on the Truth Ablaze Message Board. All I can say is that it rocks! And, the price is right (FREE!). I downloaded several different versions of the Bible besides the King James Version that comes with the initial download. I put on what is called the MKJV, NASB (a nominal fee for that version), ASV, and a couple more I can' think of. I loaded on several commentaries, as well as Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias. It even lets you download several classic works from people such as A.W. Tozer, John Wesley and Charles Spurgeon. As Pastor Henry told me, you can get a good library on your PC in no time.
We in western society are blessed to have such an abundance of Bible versions and Bible study materials at our fingertips, aren't we? I would venture to guess that most homes in America have at least one Bible somewhere hidden on a shelf, possibly dust covered. We have cable and satellite TV where we can tune in to Christian broadcasting. We have access to computers and the internet where we can find a mass of information about the Bible. We have churches on every corner. Yet, we are so Biblically illiterate it's saddening.
My wife and I receive a short magazine every month from an organization dedicated to helping the persecuted Christians in other countries, called The Voice of the Martyrs. You can visit them on the web here. Oftentimes, I read about these precious believers love for the Bible. Yet, many of these people can't get Bibles. They consider themselves blessed to have maybe a book or two between a whole congregation, members each having a page here or there. And they rejoice over it! These folks would love to have even a simple pocket New Testament. Yet, we are up to our eyeballs in Bibles, and we never read it!
I know I've written recently about our need to dive into the Bible, and draw close to the Lord through studying his Word, but with the addition of the e-Sword on my computer, it has made me think about just how precious God's Word really is. Friends, I implore you, don't neglect the Word of God. Read it. Soak in it. Eat it up. Prayerfully study it. Let God speak to you through it. James 4:8 tells us that when we draw near to God, he will draw near to us. One way we draw near to God is through his Word, the Bible. So, I encourage you today to pull that Bible off the bookcase, dust off the cover, and dig in! God bless!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I have come to really appreciate "The Message" translation. It is wonderful for just sitting and reading. It is like reading a novel. It puts the author's words in today's vernacular.
I have The Message NT. I also like how it reads, though I haven't read through too much. I need to dive into that version a little more.
Hey Bro- glad you downloaded E-sword. I use it in conjunction with PC Bible Study because PC Bible study has NIV/NKJV loaded on it as well (in addition to the KJV). You're absolutely right- we will stand before God without excuse when it comes to having access to His Word. I have a friend in Ghana who e-mails me from time to time and they are desparate for materials that we simply take for granted!
Post a Comment