The NKJV Study Bible ~ Full Color Edition and A Giveaway

I love getting a new Bible. There is something about opening it up for the first time and finding some extra little somethings in it. Each Bible I own is special and reflects where I was during different stages of my life. They are all special to me in unique ways.

One thing I love to do is study biblical history in context with world history. Personally I think world history should include biblical history! I also love to study the ancient cultures talked about in the Bible from the Israelites to the Hittites, the Babylonians to the Romans. Understanding the different cultures helps you understand why people did what they did and reacted the way they did. It gives you an understanding of the whole Word of God and is fascinating!

Thomas Nelson has put out a full color edition of the New King James Study Bible and I am enjoying it immensely! All the way through the whole Bible are things to help you understand the people and the history of the time period of each book. You can learn about the traditions and ceremonies they took part in. It has been engrossing to me. It's been hard to put down.

Each book has a wonderful opening to it like the one above. It explains where it takes place in history, things about the people and who wrote it, as well as an outline of the book. It has been amazing to read all the information included with each of the books of the Bible.

The table of contents is the following:
Forward
Editors and Contributors
Special Abbreviations
Preface to the New king James Version
How To Understand What the Bible Means by What It Says
Books of the Old and New Testament
List of Articles
List of Bible Times and Culture Notes
List of Charts and Diagrams
List on In-Text Maps
List of Word Studies
The Old Testament
The New Testament
Harmony of the Gospels
Table of Monies, Weights, and Measures
Teachings and Illustrations of Christ
Prophecies of Jesus Christ
The Miracles of Jesus Christ
Prayers of the Bible
Subject Index to Annotations and Features
Concordance
Map Index
Maps

WOW! That really covers a lot. There is so much information in this study Bible that it would keep any one of us busy for a long time. Studying God's Word is wonderful and when you can understand it even more with the information included here, it really helps it to sink in. It becomes much more than those people in a far off time. They become very real and very much like you.

I can say this is one of the nicest study Bibles I have seen. The concordance is quite large and the maps included are nicely detailed. All of the historical information included and the articles are wonderful bonuses and just enhance things the whole time you are studying.

I can highly recommend this to you and I know it would make a great gift for anyone in your family old enough to really get into the Word and study!

You can purchase your own NKJV Study Bible Full Color Edition HERE!

Family Christian Stores has been very generous and offered to give one of my readers their own copy of the NKJV Study Bible. Yay!! Just use the Rafflecopter below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to Continental US Residents only. Must be 18 or older to enter. Limit one entry per household/address. All entries will be verified. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to winning notification if if no response then another winner will be chosen. Contest ends at 12:01 AM 5/8/15. The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for the delivery of the prize. The company sponsoring this giveaway is solely responsible for the delivery of the prize to the winner(s). The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for lost or misdirected emails or physical mail. This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, Instagram, or any other social media. Void where prohibited by law.

We received samples of the products for the purpose of review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed here are those of the author.

Confessions Of A Prodigal Son and A Giveaway

We recently received a copy of the NEW DVD, Confessions of a Prodigal Son. My husband and I love watching family friendly movies and he offered to review this for you. Here's what he thought.

I expected more.

The premise of young Sean searching for meaning and direction in life, unable to see the hypocrisy of asserting his individuality while rapidly depleting the college fund provided by his parents, is rich with potential. The acting is good and the characters are [mostly] not stereotypical.

I think what's missing is drama. The situations presented are not stressful enough on the characters – the emotional reactions rarely seem strong enough. In this production, life is compared to a story. At one point, the main character says that good stories have shooting and explosions. I kept waiting for them, hoping for a relief from all the conversations, introspection and binge drinking. When we finally get **SPOILER ALERT** an automobile accident involving Sean, what could have been traumatic was bland. True, life's greatest moments and decisions are not usually characterized by spectacle, but this is dramatic fiction, not a biography.

A serious flaw in he telling of this tale is the “narrated” commentary by Sean about life as a story. It is not made clear whether we are hearing this in retrospect or if it represents his thoughts, possibly as written in a class assignment. They are presented as profound insight to be pondered by the viewer, but why should we take them seriously when they are voiced by someone who is living life so foolishly?

I was also offended by the “sermon scene” in which the pastor announces that he is abandoning his prepared message based on the Bible so that he can speak from his heart, then presents a talk based on how he feels, with no reference to Scripture, that presents an oversimplified concept of God which would raise all sorts of questions if compared to the Bible. For which he is complimented after the service.

The pastor is portrayed by Kevin Sorbo, best known for the television series Hercules [1995 - 1999]. In criticizing the poor sermon he delivered, I mean no disrespect to him; his acting is top-notch here. Actress Rachael Lee is also excellent in her portrayal of a woman whose search for meaning is often more interesting than Sean's.

Besides the lack of action and excitement, the real turn-off for me was that feeling that the main character didn't suffer enough. We're supposed to believe that he's way off course in life, and reaping dire consequences – but the tale would have been much more gripping if Sean had faced harsher circumstances, and seemed more miserable, like the young man in the parable which inspired the film's title. I felt like I was watching the Slacker Dude, not the Prodigal Son, which may be why I found myself hoping for an explosion or train wreck to stir things up.

Despite my husband not really liking the movie, I thought it was okay. It was a little slow, but it was family friendly and something that you could use to encourage your kids to do what is right.

You can purchase a copy of Confessions of a Prodigal Son HERE!

Family Christian Stores has generously offered to give one of my readers a $10 Gift Card to their stores. Just use the Rafflecopter below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to Continental US Residents only. Must be 18 or older to enter. Limit one entry per household/address. All entries will be verified. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to winning notification if if no response then another winner will be chosen. Contest ends at 12:01 AM 4/24/15. The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for the delivery of the prize. The company sponsoring this giveaway is solely responsible for the delivery of the prize to the winner(s). The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for lost or misdirected emails or physical mail. This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, Instagram, or any other social media. Void where prohibited by law.

We received samples of the products for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed here are those of the author.

One Of My Husband's Favorite Christian Heroes and A Giveaway

My husband has a few Christian leaders from the past that he really enjoys. When I was given the chance to review the book Luther on the Christian Life by Carl R. Trueman, he took it from me and decided he needed to review it. Luther is probably the leading Christian leader from the past he enjoys reading the writings of and about.

So here is Rick's review of the book Luther on the Christian Life by Carl R. Trueman.

Martin Luther is one of my favorite figures in church history. While I disagree with some of his doctrinal positions, not surprising given my Baptist background, I enjoy his bold and down-to-earth way of expressing well-thought-out theological convictions – many of which I do agree with. So I was eager to read this volume by Carl R. Trueman, a Presbyterian pastor and church history professor who shares a similar perspective: a non-Lutheran with undisguised respect for Luther.

I gained a much greater understanding of Luther's views because Trueman does not immediately begin a survey of the reformer's teachings on various aspects of the Christian life. Only after an easily readable account of Luther's life, the affect of his Christology on his overall view of theology, and the primacy in his thinking of the objective Word as the only reliable communication from God to mankind – which takes up over half the book – do we find the statement, “We now arrive at a point where we can ask: What is the 'normal' day-to-day Christian life like?”

It's worth the wait to begin getting Luther's perspective on the topic. The reader is then treated to Luther's teachings on such subjects as prayer, government, church, family, personal sanctification, and spiritual struggle. One will learn not only what the reformer thought, but why he thought it. Also examined is Luther's teaching on baptism and “the mass,” and while still in disagreement with Luther's beliefs here, I have a much better understanding of his position.

One of my favorite passages in this book concerns preaching:

 Luther's sermons first of all remind us of a very important truth: we are not the center of the universe; God is. And we are not so unique that we need tailor-made answers to our greatest problem. The answer is always the same: God's promise in Christ. 

The last two chapters of the book seemed rushed, but that could be because I didn't want the study to end so soon. This book is well worth reading. Martin Luther's teaching on the Christian life is still valuable; Pastor Trueman's presentation of those teachings make them easily accessible to the 21st century reader.

You can purchase a copy of Luther on the Christian Life by Carl R. Trueman HERE at Family Christian Stores!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to Continental US Residents only. Must be 18 or older to enter. Limit one entry per household/address. All entries will be verified. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to winning notification if if no response then another winner will be chosen. Contest ends at 12:01 AM 2/31/15. The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for the delivery of the prize. The company sponsoring this giveaway is solely responsible for the delivery of the prize to the winner(s). The Minister's Wife Stamps and Saves is not responsible for lost or misdirected emails or physical mail. This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, Instagram, or any other social media. Void where prohibited by law.

We received samples of the products for the purpose of review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed here are those of the author.

Donate A Bible To A Woman Who Needs Peace ~ #FamilyChristian

Each day in America, 3,300 women wake up and believe abortion is the only solution to an unplanned pregnancy.

For only $5, you can inspire courage and healing for these women in need, to help them choose life for themselves and their unborn child. The InspireLife™ Bible Campaign is a unique, hands-on way to share compassion and faith with women in crisis by offering them the hope of the Word of God.

Purchase this Bible for yourself, or donate it to your local pregnancy resource center. When you donate the Beautiful Everyday Holy Bible, you'll receive a free bookmark to take home as a keepsake.

Thank you for joining Family Christian and Care Net in sharing God's Word with women in need.

Just click the image above to donate today! 

"Glory All Around", by Selah Member Amy Perry, Contains No Surprises ~ #FamilyChristian

We love music at our house and were thrilled to be able to review the newest CD from Amy Perry! My husband, Rick, was kind enough to write the review of this wonderful CD.

. That's a good thing. Selah, before and during Perry's participation, has received seven Dove awards and demonstrated a consistent dedication to songs which honor God and encourage an attitude of praise and adoration. This solo project, with music set firmly within the Christian contemporary mold, continues that effort. It is, in fact, the theme of the song "Letting Go", and the underlying subtext of every track. By the way, "Letting Go" may be the only song I've heard which contains the word "subtext" in the lyrics. 



Many Christian artists produce projects which avoid overtly Christians terms, never mentioning God in more than vague terms. An entire "Christian" album with no direct reference to Jesus, Lord, Savior, etc is tantamount to "having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof". This album stands squarely against that trend; the songs "Fervor of the King" and "When I Speak Your Name" boldly proclaim God's unique love and majesty, and show the link between the adoration of God and the hopeful Christian life.

"Glory All Around" is is an excellent choice as an introduction to Amy Perry or for anyone who enjoys the music of Selah.

[PS While both Amy Perry and fellow band member Alan Hall released solo albums in 2014, both continue to be members of Selah and will be on tour this spring.]

This is one CD our whole family enjoys! You can purchase your own HERE at Family Christian Stores!

I received a sample of the CD to review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are those of the author.