Monday, May 28, 2007

Olive Tree's Software Review (Part 1): MacArthur New Testament Commentary

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John MacArthur has been one of my favorite Christian writers. The god-centered principles he’s written about have helped to inspire and hone my leadership skills and training. Moreover, his spiritual insight has provided me with meaningful, daily devotionals that I have read over the years, such as Drawing Near and Strength for Today have served to deepen my love for God and His Word.

Olive Tree’s MacArthur New Testament Commentary is a bundle of commentaries based on the biblical New Testament. You’ll find most of the books in the New Testament as part of this collection. There are only four books that are absent from making completing the New Testament commentary in its entirety: Matthew, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians and Hebrews. However, if you purchase this volume now, you don’t have to worry about purchasing these missing books as they will be added to your Personal Library on the www.OliveTree.com site free of charge as the collection gets updated.

The MacArthur New Testament Commentary provides a wealth of easily accessible information at your fingertips (or, at least the tip of your stylus!). Each book is chock full of detailed sections that challenge novices, veterans and scholars. I’ve been reading the Bible regularly for about 18 years and have served as a full-time minister and missionary in a third-world country for 15 years. I have attended Bible classes, workshops and seminars, written various articles and preached from audiences 10 to 10,000. Yet, the MacArthur New Testament Commentary feeds my heart, soul and mind.

As with most of MacArthur’s writings, they are written lucidly and easily for people of various reading levels. Comprehension of the topics at hand is easily attained. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to understand the content of the writings. It is written in a manner that is not intimidating but still challenges the seeker and the follower. The new Christian as well as the older, more mature disciple will find the writings rich with insight and direction. Honestly, this is one of the best biblical commentaries I have ever read.

Olive Tree’s Bible Reader software for the PDA has grown leaps and bounds over the years. This was one of the first software applications I purchased when I entered the PDA world. The software greatly accommodates the MacArthur commentary and opens up new doors of study and exploration for the reader. For example, students and readers of scripture can choose the multi-level screens on their PDA’s and access a Bible version of their choice on one screen, along with the MacArthur’s New Testament Commentary in another and dictionary on yet another screen. The software provides scrollbars of various sizes that allows readers to move up or down along the page by line, verse or screen.

The host of functionalities allows users to highlight verses, bookmark your favorite sections or add personal notes or devotional thoughts to any verse. The Bible Reader software has improved its speed in accessing material either on your PDA’s internal ram or from the external SD cards. I have only addressed the most basic of functionalities that the software offers users.

There really is no other site on the planet that offers the wide range of bible-centered software to help deepen, strengthen and enrich your personal Bible Study. OliveTree.com is THE source for Christian, faith-based, god-centered quality content for you PDA!

You find more software for your PDA for your various mobile devices here.

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