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For six years, the Promise Keepers organization has been calling men back to a biblical understanding of their role, both as godly leaders and as committed husbands and fathers. What began with Bill McCartney and a close circle of his friends has now become a major revival reaching more than two million men. (See announcement below.)
Conveying the role and meaning of Scripture has always been an important part of Promise Keepers. In support of this year's theme, "The Making of a Godly Man," Zondervan Publishers is releasing the Promise Keepers Men's Study Bible in two versions, NIV and KJV. On the opening pages, an article "Man to Man About Being a Son of God" lays out the foundation for all men in studying the Scripture, whether they are exploring God's call on their lives for the first time or are already committed Christians.
Although this Bible obviously will be useful at a Promise Keepers rally, it also supports the Promise Keepers mandate to return men to local churches with a new understanding of what God intends for their lives and to act accordingly.
The seven promises men are asked to make and keep play an important role in the organization of this Bible. There are two reading tracks marked with icons throughout the Bible -- track one traces the Seven Promises; track two links the in-text notes together.
An example of track one is found at Genesis 27, we find a note related to Promise 4 and labeled "Family Matters." It comments on the episode when Isaac blessed Jacob rather than Esau by saying, "This chapter is filled with lying, cheating, deception, and death threats -- and these are patriarchs?" In other words, the note freely admits the tangled family situation that can be troubling, especially if you are an older brother, and goes on to say that the "frustration and turmoil in their home could have been avoided if Isaac had acted responsibly and had submitted his own desires to God's revealed will." And the note goes on to ask the reader questions about how his relationship to God encourages or discourages godliness in his home. "Watch yourself for a few weeks and ask what effect your actions have on your family's relationship with God." Nobody gets off light here!
These notes also have a reference at the end of each referring readers to the page where the next note on that Promise is found. If a man is struggling with a particular promise, he can "take the track" through the Bible and read all the texts related to it. Or a user may go to the "PromiseFinder Index" at the back for a complete record of each reference to the Seven Promises.
This Bible also has 45 character profiles by different Bible scholars to give men a perspective on living their lives as godly men, but these profiles do not make plaster saints of biblical characters. Dr. Sid Buzzell's profile on Joseph asks the question: Why Retaliate When You Can Reconcile? and Buzzell makes the point that "Forgiveness is what God is all about."
Promoted as the "power tool" men can't afford to be without, the Promise Keepers Men's Study Bible goes a long way toward "The Making of a Godly Man," this year's Promise Keeper theme.
On October 4th of this year, thousands of men will gather in Washington, D.C. with one objective -- to personally repent for the sins of our nation and ask God to heal our land. This historic assembly, called Stand in the Gap, has been in the planning for 4 years.
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