Amazing, Because It Is the Bible
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I wasn't quite aware that it was happening, but in the past year or so I've collected several little kid Bibles.  A few from book reviews, and one or two as gifts to my girls.  This one is by far my favorite.

The biggest difference between this one and the others is that the text is the New Living Translation of the Bible.  It is select passages, all stories that will appeal to kids, but it is actual Biblical text.  Other versions are good, but that are all re-written down to a preschoolers level.  After reading through this version, though, I think most preschoolers would understand the stories straight from this version of the Bible.  In the intro parents are instructed to help kids understand some of the bigger words, but it is easy enough to do that.

In every passage, there are several hands-on activities to do with your kids as you read them the story.  They are usually simple motions, such as covering your eyes with your hands to imagine what the earth was like before God formed it, or carrying a doll or stuffed animal as you read about how Moses' mother cared for him before placing him in the basket in the river.

At the end of each passage, there is a prayer that makes the point of the Scripture personal.  There are also two activities that are more than the simple ones in the story, and can help reinforce the message of the story.  And finally, each passage ends with a "Jesus Connection," that helps your child see that Jesus is the center of all Scripture, even in the passages that don't mention him.

This Bible is amazing, because it truly is the Bible.  I'm not usually creative enough to come up with ways to help apply it to the life of a preschooler, and now I have an excellent tool.

Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book as a part of their blogger book review program.
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This explains the entire Bible clearly and thoroughly, but not too deeply. An average person with no prior training can understand everything in this book. In the past, I have read through the entire Bible. But I have not understood even half of what I've read. With this commentary, I understand everything I read. I started with Job - absolutely fantastic. I just finished Deuteronomy. One of the most dry books of the Bible? NOT! I got sooooo much out of Deuteronomy - especially chapters 8, 9, and 28. I'm now starting into John. I'm only on Chapter 1 and I see the differences between John and the other 3 Gospels.

In the past, my concept of Bible commentaries in general was that they are long. I've bought a few individual commentaries on different books of the Bible, like Romans. They were always too long. If you had Bible commentaries on the entire Bible, they'd be 66 individual books that would take up an entire shelf of your bookshelf. With this, it's condensed. It's brief. It's the entire Bible in a single book. It's not the deep, technical, over my head commentaries that I used to struggle with (and never finish).

I read the Bible now several times a week. I spend about 15 - 20 minutes going between the actual Bible and this commentary. I can usually get through a chapter in that time. I get soooo much out of it now.

This is a life changer for me.
259273
This is such a great book! But unless people know what the Bible really says, they may not appreciate it as much. I can't rave enough about it.
1452721
Although I haven't read every single passage in this Bible, I have used it for about a year for Preaching and have read all the apocrypha through it.

NRSV is apparently a very exact and precise translation of the Bible. As the quotes on the back will tell you, this New version of the Revised Standard is innovative in its solutions to the language problems of the old ones, and uses a plethora of language to illustrate the various nuances of Bible passages.
This is a good thing if you are after precision and the meaning of passages, and I'd almost say it was between the poetry of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Authorized-King-James-Version/dp/0199535949/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Authorized King James Version</a>&nbsp;and the economy of language of an&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/NIV/dp/1606570048/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">NIV</a>.

However it is in this broad spectrum of words, and its over-precise translation, that this version becomes stodgy and loses the Bible's famed eloquence, in favour of being precise. It reminds me of Jeremy Clarkson's* criticism of a Car Manual that was 'literally translated from French' - phrases like 'S'il Vous Plait' is not literally 'Please', but it makes for better English that way.

This is not to say that this isn't a good and insightful translation, but it does display the above tendency to be over-precise.
By all means, buy this Bible for your translation collection. However remember that Bibles such as the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/NIV/dp/1606570048/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">NIV</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Message/dp/1576834344/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Message</a>&nbsp;often make for easier study and, especially, better preaching material...

* - British Motoring Journalist/ TV Host.
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My Book Report

By cousinpaco

The Holy Bible tells the story of, well, everything. It begins with the creation of All That Is, and ends with Judgment Day (though it's pretty different from the one they showed in "Terminator 2"). It's split into two parts, one old and one new. This makes it easier to get through, sort of like "Lord of the Rings" or "Harry Potter" books. There's all sorts of numbers to help you keep track of where you are, so you don't have to worry about a bookmark.

The main character in the story is God, who made Earth and stuff. He sets a bunch of rules that he wants people to follow. At first, all the Angels do what he tells `em, but one gets fed up and quits. He is punished to Hell (it's a real place, not a cuss word) and turns into Stan, which is a pretty cool part.

God next creates the first people, Adam & Eve (who have a catalog named after them now. Have you seen it? It's awesome). They live in a garden and are all happy and such until Eve screws up and they get evicted. Same kinda thing happened to my brother and his girlfriend.

You also meet God's son Jesus, who comes from above and lives with human parents. He goes around helping people, which is cool. Come to think of it, whoever wrote the Bible should sue the guys who make that show "Smallville." It's a total rip. Whatever. Anyhow, Jesus tries to be a teacher and show the world how to be good, but then bad guys show up and pound on him. If you want, you can see that in Mel Gibson's last movie, but it's pretty brutal. I don't want to give away the ending, but in the book Jesus comes back to life to save the day. He rocks.

There's tons of other great characters, like: Job (I'd love to know what his first name is), Noah, Lot, Lot's Wife, Zeus, Hermaphrodite, and the Four Horsemen of Calypso.

Overall, I'd say the Holy Bible is defenitely worth reading. It's really long and has some slow parts, but I liked it alot better than "Ethan Frome."

Cool trivia: the Holy Bible is the basis of Christianity, one  of the world's most popular religions!
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This version of the Bible is absolutely the "best" you will ever own or give to a special person. Over the years I have given dozens of these to people...young and old alike. I have given them to young people in youth groups, drug addicts, teenagers and adult members of my family, and to men and women serving time in prison. I promise you it has changed many lives. It makes the scriptures EASY TO UNDERSTAND and reads somewhat like a novel. Please, if you are going to give anything of value to someone you care about, THIS IS IT.
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*DISCLAIMER*
I received a free copy of this Bible in exchange for an honest review.
All opinions are my own and I was not compensated monetarily in any way.

I love me some Bible journaling. I have always written in my Bible. Drawn in it. Underlined. Even glued notes I love into the margins. (I'll tell you how to do that in another post.) My Bible is my legacy to future generations, "hold on to the faith."

The HCSB Illustrator's Notetaking Bible is a beautiful edition. The cover is high quality. The pages have gilded edges. The paper...sumptuous. And it has MAPS people.

What I love about it is that the illustrations are a lighter gray so that one can outline and color without worrying about bold black lines. You can truly make these your own.

What I don't like? The small type. The whole purpose of owning a Bible is to read it. I can't see 7-point type. Sigh.

Yes, Bible journaling is amazing.

But it's more than coloring.

 It's drawing deeper in the Word. Getting to know the One who made us. And I just couldn't with this edition. Probably because the last time I went to the optometrist he told me I needed bi-focals.
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I really love reading it.  It's sort of like reading a novel, very understandable.  The King James version is still my favorite, I love the somewhat poetic style of the KJV.  An example would be:  Psalms 23 in the Message does not have the poetic flow that the KJV does.  I would recommend having both.  Plus, it's probably just a good idea to read the Bible as it was originally written or at least as close as possible and then reading the Message for comparison and possibly clearer understanding.
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If every person memorized bible verses, life wouldn't be so complicated. There would be mostly compassion among all of us.
This book explains so much about the bible, it's incredible.
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I am truly in-love with this bible.  It is much much more than I even expected.  I am still telling all my friends, neighbors and relatives about it.  It is so awesome until I just want to read on and on.  Thanks for a fantastic book of God's word.  Well done!
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The Bible is God's Holy Word. It is perfect for life no matter where you live or how old you are. It is the book of life.
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I loved this no just because it is the bible and how can you not like it.  It is easy to understand in lay mans terms.  I've never seen a version of this and well written.
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I love reading the Bible. Actually to me it is not reading but rather listening to God.

I am also reading an insightful book written by Larry Thompson, "Know Be Do". In it he writes, "The Bible is literally the Autobiography of God. It's not just history, it's His Story. It's a story that's rolled out precisely the way He knew that man needed to receive it. It gives us everything we need to know about Him and nothing we don't. Nothing we dont. That's no small point. Because trying to communicate an infinite God to a finite mind is already like trying to put War and Peace into a 140-character Tweet. He knows exactly how much we can absorb about Him. And that's exactly what He wrote."

This really resonated with me. I am going to embellish the authors thought about the tweet a bit. As deep and wonderful, and rich, and complex, and majesticGods Word is, I believe the entire Bible is a mere Tweet in comparison to how big God actually is. He had to human it down so we might know Him. And what is totally amazing is the fact that He SO desires for us to KNOW Him!

We must know someone to truly love them, trust them, follow them I watch my grandchildren as they emulate their parents. Their actions, words, expressionsare just like their parents. Why, because they are with them, love them, trust them want to BE like them. They DO what they DO.

There is a cloud of uncertainty, despair, concern in our country and world. There is also a famine: The days are coming, declares the Sovereign Lord when I will send a famine through the landnot a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Amos 8:11

It seems very few people have time and/or the desire to spend time daily with God by reading/listening to His Word. Getting to KNOW Him; desiring to BE more like Him; DOing the things He does. We care more about ourselves and less about others. We want more and give less. We are less grateful, communicative, compassionatewe do not do what our Father does. What frustrates me is our country seems to run further from God as though His way is what is getting us in this mess rather than realizing turning from Him is fostering such turmoil.

I believe this; God will replace uncertainty with Truth, despair with hope, and concern with a promise- Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty, Malachi 3:7.

I do not place my hope or future in donkeys or elephants, whether England is in or out

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 What I do hope for is: if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

OK Gods people, do you want change? Do you feel our country/world is headed in the wrong direction? Are you called by His name Christian? God tells us exactly what to do! Get into His Word! Let Him speak to you and you to Him. Know Be Do!
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The CEB Storytellers Bible is just that-a Bible that tells stories of faith, of endurance, of love and of change during Biblical times that can be applied to today's troubled times.

This version of the Bible is an excellent edition to your library of Bibles, or if you have not had a Bible, or just want a new edition this is great.  I normally enjoy a King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, so this was a different treat with gender neutral language and a more modern language style.  Whatever version of the Bible you choose as a Christian (if you are one, or if you are just exploring a different faith for variety) I enjoyed this one.  This Bible has all the standard contents of the Bible (New and Old Testament) and is written in a more conversational, fictional novel type type which makes the verses of the Bible more readable in my opinion. (Please note the Psalms, the Chapter of Job, and Isaiah look as they do in other Bibles).  The language is very modern, and can be enjoyed by scholars of the Bible or by people who are not familiar with the message of this book at all. There are Midrashim sidebars, a preface to the CEB, a narrative introduction to Genesis, Charts, Maps, and a story and Map index.  What I liked best was the historical sections of this Bible, in dark blue in some chapters, that describe the time or the history of the  particular  passage being discussed.  These were the 'Midrashim' sidebars.  This version of the Bible runs 1761 pages, not including the Map section at the end.  This is an excellent hardcover book, although the pages are flimsy in every Bible I've ever had the type and the page are similar so there is nothing new here.  The only possible dislike to me is the cover of this book-exactly what are those ugly people doing?  Are these people supposed to be 'fishers of men'-if so, why don't they look a bit happier to be following Jesus and to be blessed to have eternal life? The Ugly Christian Fishing Twins (UCFT for short) are weird, are horrid illustrations for such an expensive book,  might make someone not by it because they make the book look cheap, and distract from the important message of this Bible.  Why couldn't these people at least smile, aren't they doing the Lord's work?  The cover is nothing I would get a tattoo over.

I must emphasis that I am not a Bible scholar, and have never read any Bible from cover to cover.  Rather I am a Christian enthusiast, while not following all of the scripture to it's entirety I am a fan of following the word and having faith.  Otherwise, despite the awful cover I highly recommend this book, and feel it would be ideal to be used for older Christians to try a different Bible for a while, or for new Christians who like modern language for their scripture.  Overall I enjoyed this interpretation which is why I gave this book five stars.
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This is one And unique Bible. I truly appreciatte the hard work And long hours they put into this. My kids love it. I have it in my car And We listen to it everytime We hit the road. It si eso easy to listen to three to five chapters at once. And the whole dramatic aspect of it gets you inmerse in it. I've found myself crying just at listening at it. Truly a masterpiece.
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Obviously I'm reviewing the format and presentation of the text, not its content.

This Bible is very well annotated, with lots of notes on interpretations, alternate translations, ambiguities, and even apparent contradictions in the text that are a bit more subtle than the standard ones most people have heard of. It also does a pretty fair job of not apologizing and simply presenting the text as it is actually written. The inclusion of the apocrypha is a great bonus that makes this an ideal Bible if you're only going to get one.
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Coming from a man, I can honestly say that this Bible is not just for ladies. I got one from the BH Blogger program but my wife has had one since they launched and has loved it. I even sit down with it from time to time.

The design is amazing and the study helps truly are helpful. They provide good clarity to passages and devotional points throughout that really add to the staying power of what you're reading. As is always the case, the text is the most important, but the additions and supplements are really what make this Bible different from all others. Not to mention that it is joyful to read/study.