Thoughts on My Devotion (Part 4)

 Thoughts on My Devotions (Part 4)

The tools that I use:

For My Personal Devotions:

• NKJV Cambridge Wide Margin

• ESV Interleaved Journal Bible

• Pen-Gear Leatherette Journal

• The Valley of Vision

• The Trinity Hymnal (Baptist Edition)

• The Life Application Bible Commentary on the book I am working through (Use with Biblical Discernment)

For My Annual Reading

A Good Reading Bible (For your annual reading of the bible)

This is a bible with no references, section headings, notes, or anything that would distract you from reading. A good reading bible merely has chapter divisions. This type of bible allows you to read the bible as it flows with little or no distractions quite like if you were reading a novel. (They are not geared for devotions because they may or may not be set by paragraphs) (Yes, it is strongly recommended that you have a time to read 2-4 chapters a day and have a morning devotion where you are not simply reading but devouring a portion of scripture – paragraph at-a-time)

• The Thomas Nelson Deluxe Readers Bible

• The ESV Reader’s Edition

For My Bible Study

1. A Good Bible

As a matter of fact, after having looked for several years, and spent a small fortune on a number of bibles (I have approximately 40 or more bibles), I discovered that they have yet to print the perfect bible. So, I recommend at least 4 bibles for 4 specific purposes:

a. A Good Devotional Bible (For your personal devotions/quiet time)

1) A Cambridge Wide Margin Bible

2) A Single Column Journaling Bible

3) An Interleaved Journaling Bible

Men if you can watch a ball game or sports event, and ladies if you can watch a girly movie, you can make time to both read regularly and to meditate slowly most days. Even if you read each day and had a profitable devotion/quiet time 3 times a week you would be far better off than the majority of those who sit next to you in the pew.)

b. A Good Carry Bible (Light weight, easy to hold in the “pew,” easily transported)

By this I mean a reasonable size that is easily carried to the meeting place of your weekly gathering, or to bible studies, etc. I carry and recommend a large print ultra-thin line bible. I don’t recommend a compact or “personal” size bible due to the fact that the font is usually very small. Devotional bibles and study bibles are usually too large to carry practically. Reading bibles do not have verse notations, so if your pastor/speaker chases around the bible you wouldn’t find the verses easily.

c. A Good Study Bible (Always read a study bible from the top (text) down to the notes, don’t read from the bottom (notes) to the top (text)

1) The NKJV Cultural Study Bible

2) The Holman NKJV Study Bible

3) The ESV Study Bible

4) The Key Word Study Bible

2) A Good Bible Handbook

a) Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook is my favorite

b) Halley’s Bible Handbook

c) Gromacki’s New Testament Survey

3) A Good Bible Concordance

a) Strong’s Concordance

b) On-line bible sites with concordances

1) Blue Ribbon Bible

2) Bible Gateway

3) On-line bible program (free)

4) A Good Bible Dictionary

a) Holman’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary

b) The New Bible Dictionary

c) Davis Dictionary of the Bible

d) ISBE (for the hard-core crowd)

5) A Good One-volume Commentary (For sermon preparation I typically use 20-25 individual commentaries on the book I am preaching through)

I know that is almost an oxy-moron, but I have found use in the following one-volume commentaries if you dine on the meat, and eat around the bones.

a) The Moody Bible Commentary

b) The MacArthur Bible Commentary

c) The Wycliffe Bible Commentary

6) A Good One Volume Systematic Theology

7) A Good Journal or Notebook - A Pen Gear Leatherette Journal