You finally have a new Bible before you and are excited to dig right in. But wait! There's one thing you should do before you start using your Bible: Read the introduction, preface and any other explanatory materials about the translation or study system. It may seem like dry reading, but there are often nuggets of information that will enhance your experience and pay off in the end.

What can you learn? Well, for one thing, translators often explain their goals of translation or reasons for the specific translation. Some even go so far as to give a very basic primer on Bible translation. You might also learn who the translators were or how they handled the translation of certain words.

Study Bibles present a whole different facet to Bible reading. A study Bible often has a concordance, maps, and an index in addition to certain features that make it different from other Bibles. Most study systems are intuitive: the study note at the bottom of the page coincides with the verse number referenced. But others, such as chain references, may require instructions.

After reading the accompanying informational and/or instructional articles, familiarize yourself with the features of your Bible. Get a feel for the contents of each one and determine how you can use them. Pay special attention to the location of any one or two page indexes. These are so easily overlooked, but are very helpful when looking for a particular article, table or picture within the text portion of your Bible.

Finally, use your Bible, taking advantage of everything it has to offer as the need arises. Only through practice can you become better acquainted with a Bible's layout, and only through reading the Word can you experience its riches.

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome." When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near." (Acts 23:11-15, ESV)

Paul made his way to Rome, fully aware that he would undergo persecution, perhaps to the point of death. Indeed, more than forty men swore against eating or drinking till they had killed Paul. They made arrangements with the chief priests and elders and were lying in wait for him (v. 21), certain their plan could not fail.

But the Lord had other plans for Paul. He had put Paul's nephew in the right place at the right time to learn of the plot and he was able to warn the Roman tribune of the ambush. The tribune sent Paul to the governor that same night with 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen (v.23). So much for the well-laid plans of the men. When they ignored God's plans to glorify Himself, they foolishly bound themselves by an oath that would lead them to their deaths if they honored it!

Do you think God will take care of you when you submit to His leading?
In what ways have you witnessed God's protection in your life?
Have there been times in your life when God did not appear to protect you from harm, but afterwards you could see how He glorified Himself in the circumstance?
Do you believe God has more plans for you here on earth? Pray for wisdom and the humility to serve God in ways far beyond what you could ever plan for yourself.

I'm always looking for great values on Christian products, and with bundles like these, you usually can't go wrong. Hendrickson 12 Volumes includes some basic references like Nave's Topical Bible and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, as well as heartier, more interpretive resources like Grudem's Systematic Theology and Early Christian Doctrines, making this an ideal collection for Sunday School teachers and other serious lay students of the Bible. Keep them all for yourself or share them with Bible-loving friends!

Hendrickson 12 Volumes By Hendrickson Publishers Includes these titles: Halley's Bible Handbook Hard Sayings of the Bible The New Manners & Customs of Bible Times Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible--with CD-ROM Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words New Unger's Bible Dictionary Nave's Topical Bible Willmington's Guide to the Bible The Story of Christianity, One-Volume Edition Believer's Bible Commentary Early Christian Doctrines Systematic Theology

Halley's Bible Handbook By Dr. Henry Halley / Zondervan Corp. Halley's Bible Handbook, the classic layperson's companion text, includes a concise Bible commentary, important discoveries in archaeology, related historical data, church history, maps, and more. It was born out of the conviction of Henry H. Halley that everyone ought to read the Bible daily. From its first edition, a small give-away booklet of 16 pages, it has grown into an 864-page "almanac" of biblical information, used regularly by hundreds of thousands of laymen, teachers, and ministers. It has been a continuous best-seller through the years.

Hard Sayings of the Bible By Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. / Inter-varsity Press Confused by what you read in the Bible? Let seasoned scholars answer your questions! Compiled from five earlier Hard Sayings books, this handy reference offers short, easy-to-read historical, cultural, and linguistic explanations to help you interpret the meanings of 500 perplexing passages. 796 pages, hardcover from InterVarsity.

The New Manners & Customs of Bible Times By Ralph Gower / Moody Publishers To understand the Bible, you must understand the culture, customs and background of the Bible. This best-selling reference guide takes you on a journey back to biblical times. Each chapter is filled with colorful photography and artwork that brings the Bible to life explaining crafts, occupations, archaeological finds, sculpture, and daily life, food, housing, worship, farming, customs and more. Diagrams, maps,and charts offer more detailed analysis of Bible times. Also includes a useful scriptural and topical index and helpful tips on trips to the Holy Land. Features:"Look at Your Bible" sections give special scriptural insight More than 160 full color and black and white photographs 58 pieces of original artwork

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible--with CD-ROM By James Strong / Hendrickson Publishers The Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is an indispensable tool that all readers of the Bible will want to have as part of their basic library. It contains every word in the King James Version and allows the reader to easily find all biblical occurrences of a word. The Strong's numbering system is used and cross-referenced in most study tools today. This resource also includes complete Hebrew and Greek dictionaries, organized by the Strong's numbers, which give brief lexical definitions of each word of the original languages of the Bible. This is a complete concordance and dictionary in one sturdy and deluxe hardcover volume for use with the KJV. This also includes an expanded premium edition CD-ROM for PC or PDA, a $75.00 value, included with the hardcover at no additional cost. The CD-ROM is the first in Hendrickson Publishers ScriptureLink series, and includes interactive, interlinked versions of Strong's and many other valuable reference works easily accessible with either a PC or PDA. The Strong's Expanded Premium Edition CD-ROM provides ready access to all of the Strong's information, including enhanced Strong's Hebrew and Greek dictionaries.

Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words By W.E. Vine / Thomas Nelson / W This convenient one volume combines Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words and Unger and White's Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament. This book allows you to easily access the alphabetized English equivalents of the Greek or Hebrew words from which they are translated. Throughout the text the most significant biblical words are illustrated by Scripture passages, comments, cross-references, ancient and modern meanings, precise etymologies, historical notes, and clearly defined technical information. Each original language is indexed, and the addition of a topical index allows you to access all the dictionary entries pertinent to specific New Testament ideas and teachings.

New Unger's Bible Dictionary By Edited by R.K. Harrison, H.F. Vos & C.J. Barber / Moody Publishers From Aaron to the Zuzites this bible dictionary offers 6700 thoroughly researched entries including an outline of every book along with complete coverage of people and places of the Bible to help you understand the Bible. This revised edition boasts more than 200 new illustrations, 300 photographs with almost half in color, 50 maps, updated Greek and Hebrew transliterations, updated bibliographies and extensive cross-referencing for further study. This dictionary is compatible with the NAS, NIV, KJV, and NKJV Bible translations and also includes full color 16 page insert featuring the award-winning maps from The Moody Atlas of Bible Lands.

Nave's Topical Bible By Orville Nave / Hendrickson Publishers The best-known of all topical Bibles has been a bestseller for more than 75 years! It covers over 20,000 topics and 100,000 Scripture references, and includes the full biblical text with the most significant references so you don't have to look up each verse separately. This edition also features a useful Scripture index. 1615 pages, hardcover from Hendrickson.

Willmington's Guide to the Bible By Harold Willmington / Tyndale House A treasury of Bible knowledge written in a quick recovery format. Eight Bible reference volumes in one: Bible commentary, topical dictionary, archaeological handbook, Old Testament/New Testament cross-reference guide, theological manual, illustrated Bible encyclopedia, prayer fact-finder, and history of Israel textbook. 1009 pages, hardcover from Tyndale.

The Story of Christianity, One-Volume Edition By Justo L. Gonzalez / Prince Press Now available in one affordable hardcover, Gonzalez's 2- volume work continues to set the standard in seminary classrooms worldwide. This highly acclaimed text provides a vivid introduction to Christian history, from the apostolic church to the present day. Gonzalez skillfully weaves in relevant details from the lives of prominent figures, tracing out core theological developments as reflected in the lives of leading thinkers within various church traditions. Especially careful attention is given to Christian expansion into Central and South America during the early modern period. 880 pages, from Prince Press.

As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" When we heard this, we and the people there begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, "The will of the Lord be done." After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. (Acts 21:1-15, Common Edition, New Testament, 1865)

Generally, self-preservation is a natural trait. Most of us tend to avoid situations that could physically hurt us. Now here's Paul being told that going to Jerusalem would bring certain adversity. He had apparently been sensing this for a while because it was not long before that he had called the Ephesian elders to him at Miletus to bid them fairwell (Acts 20:17-38).

Upon hearing the prophet Agabus's words, Paul's friends were frightened for him and begged that he not go. Despite this heartfelt opposition, he was not to be dissuaded from his trip to Jerusalem; for his mind was not on himself, but on the glory of God. Paul's steadfastness in his decision and his testifying of his willingness to die for the name of the Lord Jesus allowed his friends to finally give in and desire that the will of the Lord be done.

Have you ever told your family or friends of a decision you felt the Lord leading you into that could bring you hardship? If so, what was their reaction? How did you handle any opposition? What was the end result?
Have you ever been the naysayer when a friend or family member told you his plans to pursue something? What were your reasons for objecting? If the individual went forward with the plan, what happened?
What are you willing to sacrifice for the glory of God? Would you sacrifice your reputation? your material possessions? your physical well-being? REALLY? Tell God and ask that His will be done.

You shall not make a graven image for yourself, or any likeness in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth; (Exodus 20:4, LITV)

GOD. What comes to mind? A concept? A divine being? A relationship?

Through the ages there have been many ideas about God. Who He is. How important He is. What He can or will do. Why He does what He does.

On the opening page of the Christian classic The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer writes, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." Think on that for a moment.

What you think about God will dictate how you relate to God and others and how you react to circumstances in your life. A biblical view of God will result in healthy relationships and reactions, thus glorifying Him. At the other extreme an image of God that you have formed for yourself will result in frustration and discontent.

No one can know all there is to know about God. All the learning on earth could not encompass all that is God, but He revealed some of Himself to us in the Bible. Without it we can never hope to have the right thoughts about God.

How have your thoughts of God changed over the years?
How does what you believe about God shape your relationships? your reactions to circumstances?
Are there areas of frustration and discontent in your life? Is it because you have created a god whose ways are not higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9)? Or is it because you have forgotten how perfect His way is (Psalm 18:30)?
What changes do you need to make to reflect accurately Who God is that He might be glorified in you?