my Christmas present for Jesus
December 22nd, 2007
This week the Lord has been using people to talk to me. It’s similar to how you sense the Lord is speaking to you as you read the Bible, a book, or see a film or hear a sermon. What is said sort of gets your attention or strikes you. Or it may quietly, gently fall on
the soil of your desire. Or it may simply generate insight or expectancy. Or it may unobtrusively return again and again like a shadow waiting to be noticed.
I was having lunch with my bible college friends when Benedict mentioned that he loved the New King James Version of the Bible. I have been using the New International Version most of the time for the last 12 years or so and last year dallied with English Standard Version and found it to be accurate and good for study but without ‘chemistry’. I loved the old King James Version for its cadence, and masterful and captivating use of language but disliked it for its opaque, archaic expressions. So when Benedict said he used the New KJV, the idea of trying out the version allured me. Its as 
though he planted a desire in my soul that I could not delete and this week I bought a new Bible, a giant print NKJV. I’ll be using it henceforth. Cross frontiers.
I just read my sister Beryl’s letter last night. It was a “red letter” edition. A paragraph spoke to me and affirmed what I have felt this week. It hit me all the more because you expect a “sister” to be more liturgical, eucharistic and monastic. You do not expect to read this:
“Well, dear Brother please continue to move with the Holy Spirit! listen to Him! You want ‘explosions’ in the hearts of your church- its only through the Holy Spirit. We have been encouraged to pray in tongues while working. Sometime words aren’t enough, expressions limited. I know you did that in your sleep. I heard you once at ‘old’ house. I told some of my sisters.”
Interesting, isn’t it, the evangelical pentecostals like me are attracted to the traditions; while the traditionals are more pentecostal than we have thought. The lines have been blurred. The Holy Spirit is telling me that he wants the old and new treasure to be rightly appreciated and appropriated, neither to be lowered in our estimation of their contributions. Thanks for that great reminder sis!
I’ll bring these two words on the Word and the Spirit into 2008 and my consecration to do them will be my Christmas present for Jesus at tomorrow’s service.
Entry Filed under: Prayer
I have been using the NIV for the longest time until Alan told me about the NKJV. So, I took his word and bought meself a NKJV a few years ago for devotional. It has been very useful for me since
Daniel bought the NKJV two weeks ago at Tecman. Tecman was having Christmas sale… he bought his large print NKJV study bible at S$70+ which was selling at S$150++ before sale. Am so amazed at the discount! Great price for a even GREATER value!
You prayed in tongues in your sleep and did not wake up? Wow.
I’m using the ESV now. Reformation study bible. Not too bad. But last week, when I was doing street evangelism, there were some bats in the tree above me (lots of bats in Brisbane). They aimed and my bible got hit. Was green and smelly poo. The pages got stained. Looking to get a new bible now.
I heard that John MacArthur is coming up with an ESV bible with his study notes. Have looked at a number of study bibles in detail and still find that his has the best commentary. I get to check out a number of books as I help out at the book resource ministry in my Aussie church. (Compared Life Application Bible (NIV), New Defenders Study Bible (ESV), Reformation Study Bible (ESV), Literary Bible (ESV), Spirit-filled Bible (NKJV), Spirit of the Reformation Bible (NIV), and John MacArthur’s study Bible (NKJV) He has the NKJV version now, but I’m waiting for the ESV version to come out.
Can’t get rid of the smell on my old bible as well as the green patches, so I will have to get a new one.
Interestingly, I usually keep at hand the Reformation Bible Study (ESV) edited by RC Sproul. However I find the NKJV is working the old magic and charm of the KJV into my heart.