The NIV Life Application Study Bible - Crack It Open Today!

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If you go with what most people are saying about the NIV Life Application Study Bible you can't really go wrong if you ever decide buying it. It's without a doubt the most popular study Bible you can find on the market today. But one good translation you might consider that is also popular is the NLT (the New Living Translation). Those who have it, really love it. And it is not coming too far behind the NIV. You have also the KJ, the NKJ and the NASB. But the NIV and the NLT remain the most popular versions.

You can have the NIV Life Application Study Bible in different formats like hard copy and leather-bound, as well as in normal or larger print. The hard copy is published by Tyndale and the leather-bound mostly by Zondervan.

As for why this type of Bible is so popular I think that by taking a peek inside it is pretty obvious.

If you open the book on the Old Testament you will find - if you are familiar with the Bible - the first book called Genesis along with statistics about who wrote it, to whom it is addressed essentially, as well as where and in what time it was written. And you are also introduced to whom are the most important characters in that particular book and in what period of times they lived.

Introductions to each book is common to almost all study Bible. But what is unique to that Bible is the personality profiles it has on the major characters you will find with their strengths and their weaknesses. You have also a blueprint of the different stories with references to what chapters and verses you can find them in the book in question to make your research easier.

You have a map of the regions to where those events took place as well as notes along with it. Then you have the usual Bible text with cross references on the right margin and notes underneath.

That's only an example of what you can find in this particular study Bible.

If you go almost to the back-end of it you will find the index to the notes in alphabetic order, as well as maps and charts.

One thing that I like is the harmony of the Gospels incorporated in this Bible. It really puts the life and story of the main and most important personality of the Bible - Jesus Christ - into better perspective.

So there you have it. Of course this is only a pale view of what you can find inside, but you have a small idea. The NIV Life Application Study Bible is found either in local Christian bookstores or with well-known online retailers like Amazon.com at a fair price.

You can learn more about this NIV Life Application Bible or other translation at Life Application Study Bible.

Book Review of "A Question of Faith: A Simple Question Toward Ultimate" by Tor Constantino

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A Question of Faith: A Simple Question toward Ultimate Truth [Paperback]

by Tor Constantino

160 pages, $9.97

ISBN-13: 978-1452825625

Nonfiction

Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd

The anticipation of taking a standardized test typically fills most people with a certain level of dread. If one is seeking attendance at a particular school, or if he needs a certification to enhance his career, the preparation for and taking the test itself, causes quite a bit of nervous anxiety. However, once you have lived your life, the career you chose and the certifications you held probably mean very little in the big scheme of things.

What if something as important as the choice of your religious faith came down to answering a simple question? For instance, you find yourself taking a standardized test and run across the following question:

Q: Which of the major world religions listed below is the best for someone to believe?

A. Buddhism
B. Christianity
C. Hinduism
D. Islam
E. Judaism
F. Sikhism

How would you answer the question and, more importantly, is there a correct answer using the same logic employed in taking a standardized test?

Tor Constantino demonstrates in his A Question of Faith: A Simple Question Toward Ultimate Truth that the answer to both questions is a resounding: yes!

Each of the six religions posed in the question above are evaluated using the following grid:

BackgroundBeliefs in BriefBottom-line belief

At the end of each section, Constantino offers supplemental reading material for those who venture to his website and download the free articles.

After reading the book, I was quite satisfied that Constantino had done his homework and provided sufficient, unbiased information about each religion. In the end of the book, he does show which religion, in his estimation, provides the correct answer to the question posed. Perhaps more importantly, he explains why he feels it does. Those seeking religious answers will not be misguided by the thoughtfulness that accompanies this work. Having this type of resource is sure to help seekers find a balance in their quest for religious truth.

Answering this question might be the most important test you ever undertake. Remember the words of Sherlock Holmes, "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be truth?" Quite possibly, Mr. Holmes would have done very well on many different standardized tests...but how would he have fared on the one that matters most: a question of faith?

What Is Intuition?

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Intuition is defined as: the ability to understand something without conscious reasoning; a thing that one knows from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning.

Intuition is often confused with some similar concepts:

1. Intuition is often mistakenly called instinct. Instinct refers to an inborn behavior as opposed to a learned behavior. Instincts are biologically-based, with the intention of promoting survival long enough to reproduce.

All animals are driven by instinct and we have instincts too - fear of heights, the fight or flight response, etc. These are not intuition.

When you're in a dangerous situation, yes, instinct will kick in; if you're in a non-threatening situation and you feel uneasy, it's probably your intuition!

2. Intuition, or a gut feeling is a strong physiological response to information that has come into our consciousness in ways outside the physical senses - it's called a gut feeling because it's often felt in the stomach or in the heart area. It can be anxiety or nausea, or a good feeling of lightness... (or other feelings) depending on the information received.

3. Inspiration is the "process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something", usually referring to something creative. Some have called it a higher form of intuition. Intuition is a sense about something; inspiration is complete with images and even instructions.

4. Insight refers to looking within for answers. This, too, relies on the nonphysical senses and thinking in a more nonlinear, less constrained way. Intuition and insight are closely intertwined; both arise from our ability to perceive the energetic quality of things, people, thoughts, etc.

Reasoning And Logic

As a culture, we've been taught to rely on reasoning and logic. And so, when we get hunches and gut feelings, we often dismiss them. Intuition often comes in the form of weird cryptic messages in dreams or physical sensations that have nothing to do with what the senses perceive. But this non-logical way of thinking is just as valid!

We have all picked up on the vibe from certain people or places. There is a part of us, separate from our logical thinking, that picks up on the energy around us. We've all had moments when conscious reasoning said GO yet we have a strong feeling to STAY - or the reverse.

Have you noticed that when you take action on the inner voice, it often ends up being a really good idea?

Rationalization

You know that it's easy to rationalize and talk yourself into or out of something. This is often based on logic and often constrained by self-imposed limitations. Say you have a goal in mind, but because you lack the skills and resources to achieve it, you rationalize letting the goal go - "it wasn't meant to be".

BUT... if you were to listen to your intuition, you might realize that you actually feel really good when you think about your goal!

If you allow yourself to think in terms of possibility (you can acquire the skills/resources) instead of present reality (you don't have the skills/resources) then your decision to go for it will be easier.

Reason And Intuition

We need both reason and intuition to make the best decisions. Otherwise, why is our brain set up the way it is? Neuroscientists estimate that only 20% of the brain is devoted to logical, conscious thought. That means that 80% is dedicated to non-conscious thought. If you allow intuition, you'll use your whole brain for decision making, integrating the linear, logical way of thinking with the random, nonlinear way of thinking

Learn to listen to your body for clues if you're just getting used to listening to intuition. Ultimately, if a decision feels good and happy, it's right. If you feel tension, anxiety, etc., re-think your decision.

You can do this before you make a big decision, for example whether to leave a job. You hate the job. It wears you down and you'd rather do something you're good at and love... but it's a decent paycheck and the economy is terrible.

Now what?

Tough choice...

So engage your imagination. Pretend you've made the choice to leave, and monitor your physical and emotional reaction. Then, pretend you've chosen to stay in the job. Again monitor your physical and emotional reaction. There will be a remarkable difference.

You can apply this technique anytime you're faced with a difficult decision. Weigh the facts, and then listen to your intuitive guidance without judgment or ridicule. Sometimes, intuition and logic come to the same conclusion. Sometimes, they differ.

For best results (which you may not perceive at the moment), DO WHAT FEELS RIGHT.

We have this amazing ability to talk ourselves into doing what is not aligned with our soul's desires. When we listen to the inner voice, we end up following a much easier, happier path than if we relied on logic alone.

Julie Lewin is a world renowned authentic Medical Intuitive and Meditation Teacher and has created a unique healing system by using creative and spontaneous visualization. As well as teaching meditations, she also teaches how to live your authentic purpose, and how to live a profound life on her website - http://www.spirituallysensitivesouls.com/. To find out more about her medical intuitive work go to http://www.julielewin.com/.

Being Approved by God - A Passionate Relationship Through Love, Surrender, Obedience and Intimacy!

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We are told in 2 Timothy 2:15 to "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Other versions read study to show yourself approved unto God."

We all want approval from one another to reinforce our self-worth, it's part of being human. I know people who are paralyzed in their mind, unable to move forward in life and almost all of them Christians, seeking pathetically for all kinds of approval every moment of their lives to enable them to temporarily feel better. When we start looking for approval at every corner to quantify who we are and our self -worth, we leave behind the Christian life and walk in the flesh with an obsession that takes control over our lives and before we know it the Holy Spirit is nowhere to be found within, because we have allowed this beast to take over our lives. What's deplorable is that it doesn't have to be this way and when we study the word of God we find that He has not forgotten anything; everything we need for this life has been included in Scriptures for our benefits.

I suspect one of the reasons we fail as Christians to observe what we are told in 2 Timothy 2:15, is because we have been duped and bought into that diluted Christianity we have come to know in the twenty-first century, while we are advised in Colossians 2:8 not to get caught up and to beware not to be taken captive by anyone through their philosophy as well as empty deceit. Approved unto God, when we look into the meaning deeper we realize there's a component of the word approved that calls for us to be tried by God so we can become acceptable by His standards holy and righteous people finding favor in His sight. It is of the utmost importance that we understand, being approved unto God has nothing to do with how good or bad we are, or how awesome is our career or our status nor our material possession. What matters is how well we receive His words within as they become part of who we are through the transformation process as God weaves them inwardly into our daily lives. It's about living a sacrificial steadfast life of intimacy with Him through the joy, the learning process, the real experience of being filled with Him, the loneliness of the soul as you go through the narrow gate.

It's also about the destruction that is taking place inwardly as He rebuilds us anew. We experience the joy of the Holy Spirit in our heart, the agony of the dark night of the soul, the pain of being humiliated inwardly and outwardly by Him before the gift of humility is wrought in; the learning process taking place at His feet that makes you feel your mind is exploding as you focus and try very hard to spiritually keep up with the Holy Spirit; the soul that cannot be quenched, the passion that if God does not slow it down for you it will cause your heart to explode, the realness of the Spirit and soul within, and so forth. All of these things that are part of the process of being transformed as little Christ, at least those who truly pledge allegiance to the King, we go through them right here and now to prepare us for life in Heaven. The Christian life that is pleasing to Him is a life of intimacy based on living His word with complete obedience and total abandonment to Him.Then He speaks to our soul and gives us the seal of approval. This approval of His, you carry it with you and it permeates your soul, day in day out and nothing in this world can be compared to it, then you become conscious of how pathetic you were when you were seeking for puny beings approval for your self-worth when you have a God bigger than the universe can contain telling you well done my child I have found delight in you. Who cares about man's approval after such experience?

Aspiring writer who has learned true Christianity at the feet of God through brokenness and seven years of unending and excruciating wilderness process that left the soul undone!
Copyright 2012
Jesse Andre
brokenness70@gmail.com
http://www.apprehended.ca/

Ephesians 4:20-21 "But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus"

I LIVE TO KNOW YOU LORD!

Rediscover yourself with spiritual clothes

Spirituality focuses on the field of the personnel. It is a very private space which is a link to the manufacturer. For many, the essence of spirituality being deprived, this is a case of rarely discussed. Others wear their hearts on their sleeves and openly show their inclinations to the world. Spiritual clothing is great for these sections of people who show their love for the creator with momentum. Many among these believe by presenting their own beliefs moral and social casually, although with a spiritual bent to them.

The concept of these garments is working on a different plan, where these clothes become those metaphorical, meaning some traits of improved character you put on. Spiritual clothing has attained great popularity over the years and there is widespread varieties to choose from all corners of the globe. Religious symbols in the philosophical or moral statements to images of God and words celebrating the creator, there are countless options for your account. The popularity of these garments can be attributed not only to their new concept, but for them as a form of expression. Clothing we are one of the key devices that define his individuality as well as indicators of the taste sense and fashion. Clothing are two impregnated of spirituality that they highlight your own personal ideologies and create eye-catching style statements.

Many clothes have slogans written on them often advocating values such as love, peace and kindness. Another advantage may be attracted to the port that you can inspire or influence others through your personal alignment with the values of the universal world. Wearing spiritual clothing could do its bit for the company in this regard as well. With hostilities and violence increases around the world, establish harmony can be considered a primary objective for companies everywhere in the world and this is where the clothes play an essential role.

If you are a person with an eclectic bent of mind, there are options galore for your needs. There is a Sanskrit slogans, spiritual quotes, representations of the Buddha, Yin and Yang and the lines of the famous poets and philosophers like Rumi poetry.

However, this type of clothing can also be interpreted metaphorically as the clothes that are not available in stores or traps still symbols for the virtues. It is peace, forgiveness, strength, courage, dignity, the charity, simplicity, and purity among others. By putting, we remove the negative elements like anger, pride, jealousy, greed and malice of our souls.

Keeping a dog today values solid core eat dog scenario is difficult, and so, by channelizing body and mind, one can reach the State above by donning his spiritual clothes and throw all the defects and barriers through a thorough review of the car. Thus, as seen, spiritual clothing go further than simply help stand out you from the crowd. They symbolize the agreement with the manufacturer and the materialist philosophy, with being apt social platforms to highlight the spiritual beliefs of the wearer.

If you are difficult to find a clothing store perfect for clothing spiritual, you can approach God Bless Our Hands. They are spiritual and religious clothing. For more information, you can visit online them at: http://www.godblessourhands.com/.

Christianity - What's In It for Me?

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Jesus and the Apostles always had one purpose in mind - to advance the kingdom of God by establishing His rule in the lives of believers and drawing others into His family. None of the Apostles ever made reference to the "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" that is so common in the modern Christian vernacular. Individual faith was given birth and nurtured in the context of a caring community. It was a "one another" proposition for them, each one helping the other to grow in his or her faith. A common Christian culture was passed from one generation to the next as older, more mature Christians passed the Apostles' teaching along to younger believers.

Go It Alone Proposition

Today, Christianity is more of a "go it alone" proposition. Sermons focus on the relationship of individual believers to their Lord and rarely on their relationships with one another. They deal with attitudes more than actions. Messages on the wrath of God against sin have gone the way of preaching about hell. Christians are loath to pick up their cross when they sign up for service to Christ. Consequently, they have become more cavalier in their attitudes towards God's Word. They pick and choose what parts to obey. Love of God has cooled, prayer has become pass?, and expectation for the return of Christ has waned. Worship has morphed into performance as music and drama have become more professional in order to appeal to a clientele immersed in entertainment. Sinners are allowed to go free while their victims are urged to absolve them of their misdeeds. Pastors tell us how to get the most from our spiritual experience, but to what end? Just to serve ourselves?

How does our faith benefit anyone else or advance the kingdom of Christ today? Only one in twenty believers has ever led another person to Christ. Just six percent tithe. The modern church has become the Laodicean church - wealthy, self-satisfied, and complacent, but unable to recognize that it is blind, naked, poor and pitiful in God's eyes. Christians deny the church is in desperate need of repair.

Pious Pedagogy

Christian leaders have not helped matters. They have replaced holistic ministry with pure pedagogy that stresses learning but places little emphasis on practical faith. They have turned churches into lecture halls and classrooms. Rather than addressing real needs on the ground as they develop, they package ministry into formal programs that are targeted to niche audiences. Like the Pharisees of old, they consider themselves the final authority on the Bible. They give lip service to the concept of the priesthood of the believer but do not respect the spiritual authority of the saints, especially those with no formal religious training.

Academic degrees, professional publications and recognition for scholarly achievement have replaced tassels and phylacteries. Storing up and showcasing Bible knowledge have taken the place of a radical obedience to the will of God. Ministry has become almost entirely didactic - a matter of applying the spiritually correct solution to the dilemma du jour. If you doubt it, just go to any Christian forum and look at the responses to the fears and insecurities of troubled inquirers. Everyone has a good word. No one ever offers a helping hand.

Once hallmarks of the faith, willingness to suffer shame for the name of Christ, to take a public stand against His enemies, to address social evils and to sacrifice temporal wealth for eternal riches are all but absent from church leadership today. Instead they remain content to stay within the friendly confines of their churches where they can teach and preach without fear of reprisal. Larger buildings, bigger audiences, better preaching and more professional performances have become the metrics of achievement. Reliance upon the word of religious experts has replaced reliance on the Holy Spirit and the infallible Word of God. But commitment to a caring community, accountability, self-sacrificing service and the advance of Christ's kingdom in anticipation of His return are sorely wanting.

The Casual Christian pp. 213-214

Find more articles like this one in my book, The Casual Christian, on Amazon.com.

Book Review of "The Short List"-Where Only Four Choices Really Matter by Bill Butterworth

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The Short List: In a Life Full of Choices, There Are Only Four That Matter. [Soft cover]

by Bill Butterworth

240 pages, $14.99

ISBN-10: 1434700046

Nonfiction

Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd

Losing a parent is a tragic reality that many have to face. Certainly, such a loss can cause even the busiest souls to stop and re-evaluate their priorities. Quality and quantity of time spent with family suddenly takes on new meaning. Imagine being asked to officiate your parent's funeral. What emotions might that invoke?

Bill Butterworth, notable author and popular speaker, had this very experience. Bill's life had run amok-too much time on the road building his distinguished speaking career. One night, after returning from a long stretch of speaking engagements, his child spoke his first words: "Hey Mom," was aimed at his mother to their delight.

"Hey Bob," was aimed at Bill - not "Hey Dad." The pit that welled up in his stomach was soon minimized by a nagging thought: What type of heritage was Bill leaving for his kids? If his toddler knew him as Bob instead of dad, what type of legacy was he actually leaving for his progeny?

In preparation of the eulogy for his father's funeral, Bill developed The Short List. Reminiscing about the life he shared with his dad, Bill knew his father epitomized the values he wanted to live out before his own family. After quite a bit of soul searching, Bill narrowed his list down to four words: love, honesty, faith, and courage. Perhaps better than developing a "bucket list" of things to do before dying - this list accentuates things to be while living.

Through personal anecdotes interwoven with a seminarian's understanding of Scripture, Butterworth provides a masterpiece of encouragement. Since a multitude of choices bombard us every day-are some more important than others? Absolutely! Living a life of love, honesty, faith, and courage could change our families at every level.

This amazing book reminds the reader of what is important in this life. Stories are the fabric that truly knit us together and Butterworth is a master storyteller. As you share Bill's journey of discovery you will be faced with the same dilemma: Do your daily choices produce a legacy of which your family will be proud?

Easily read, this tome should be digested by all parents to underscore the importance of daily choices. Just ask Bill - there are only four that really matter.