Matthew Henry on the Bookshelf

I do most of my Bible study and sermon prep online. I also have a large collection of actual books. I use and promote the Bible Gateway website but have also reviewed physical copies of books for Bible Gateway. Since I have several good resources on the shelf and access to many others online, it’s unlikely that I would have invested in a set of Matthew Henry’s commentary. But when a widow lady offered me this set that belonged to her husband, I said “absolutely.”

Jack Miller was the head of the deacon board when I was called by Unity Baptist in 2014. He was a Gideon, a Mason, and had served many years on the county board of education. His wife had retired from teaching school and volunteered at the reception desk at the hospital. I remember discussing something with Jack during my first year as pastor and then stated that was my idea and asked what he thought. He was taken aback for a second or two and said “You’re the boss.” No, I am not the boss but that must surely be the best group of deacons any pastor has ever served with.

All six volumes of this set have Jack W Miller’s name imprinted on the cover. And that is fine by me. If anyone asks who that is I can continue telling that “You’re the boss” story for years to come.

Deep Dive: God’s Judgement

First things first: The image above is a tweet. The current limit on characters is 280 and while that can be useful one cannot fully express the balance of a lifetime of study in a couple of sentences. Benjamin Cremer is a Wesleyan pastor with multiple degrees including a Master’s in Theological Studies. To learn more about Rev. Cremer and his views read more tweets; and he also writes books. I want to use the tweet as a launching point to make a deep dive into what we understand from scripture about God’s judgement. My post of 600 to 800 words will still fall short of everything the Bible has to say.

Continue reading

Time and Eternity

God created time. Whether you believe in a literal seven day creation week or take a more symbolic view of those “days” I would direct your attention to Genesis 1.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. -Gen. 1:1-5

Continue reading

Book Review: The Jesus Bible

Screenshot 2020-02-06 at 5.10.59 PMThe Bible tells one story. I’ve been harping on that message for years. From one end to the other the Bible tells the story of how a holy God relates to people that are sinful, fallen and broken. At the center of that story is Jesus. Zondervan now offers a study Bible centered around that theme, appropriately titled The Jesus Bible.  Continue reading

Bible Gateway in 2014

Screenshot 2014-12-22 at 6.36.50 PM

With books of the Bible on the y axis and the calendar year along the x axis, this graph plots which verses of the Bible were read on Bible Gateway throughout the year. A couple of things should jump out at you. There are times of the year that the Bible site gets more traffic, probably indicating more Bible reading in general, such as the month of Easter. You can also clearly see paths readers took through the Bible, such as the various reading programs noted on the cluster map.

Check out the Bible Gateway Year in Review 2014 for other charts and metrics. This was the year of a major overhaul of Bible Gateway’s design and the introduction of many new features, such as the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (of which The Master’s Table is a partner). You may have noticed the Verse of the Day in the left-hand sidebar; you can get Verse of the Day sent to your email daily. Visit Bible Gateway for this and many new features.

Book Review: Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me by Renee Fisher

Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is the power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.” -Corrie ten Boom

Renee Fisher began journaling in 1997 as part of her healing process. Prayers and scriptures filled her journal; God answered in a big was and the writing never stopped. Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me: Finding Freedom in the Journey from Pain to Purpose is her third book. Continue reading

New and Improved Bible Gateway

Screenshot 2014-06-27 at 8.45.06 AMThe preview of the new Bible Gateway has been available for several weeks in beta, but you may have noticed the new site design going live this week. Not everyone saw the change at the same time, but the roll out of the new format has been gradually taking place since Monday. Here are some of the key new features:

  • Bible annotation and personalization built around user accounts
  • Seamless cross-platform syncing of user-created content
  • Responsive design that adapts to any screen size or viewing device
  • Clean, clutter-free presentation of Bible, devotional, and reference content

Anything new takes a little getting used to. Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) about the new design and functionality. Below is a short video tutorial.

The Master’s Table is a proud partner of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid. 

Bible Gateway Blogger Grid, Take 2

Last week I announced The Master’s Table was joining the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid. Then on Twitter I called it the Bible Gateway Blogging Grid. Bible Gateway re-tweeted my post but I still felt like a chump.

Or Android or Kindle

Or Android or Kindle

I did mention the Bible Gateway site, offering dozens of English translations and a host of others. I failed to mention the Bible Gateway Mobile App. Check out the classic Bible Gateway site then take a look at the Beta version which is coming soon. Read up on the Bible Gateway Blog or test your knowledge with the Bible Quote Quiz. It’s fun and you might learn something. On social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, G+) posts tagged #bgbg2 are from Bible Gateway Blogger Grid members. You may have also noticed the Verse of the Day in the left-hand sidebar with a link to Bible Gateway; you can also subscribe to Verse of the Day via email.

We devoted a week of posts to Holy Week in April, then another week preparing for the National Day of Prayer. Next week will be sort of a return to business as usual; expect 2 or 3 posts a week that are God honoring and Christ centered, with all scripture references linked to Bible Gateway. My translation of choice is the English Standard Version (ESV) but your favorite versions plus some you may have never heard of are waiting for you at Bible Gateway.