Today I want to address one of the best ways I have found to “Prove it From the Bible”, and that is with computer software. I recently pointed a friend to some really good free Bible software, and I realized that I have been taking something for granted, not everyone knows about it. Bible software has been a part of my life for so many years, that it has just become second nature to me. It's my own fault really, the circles that I run in are mostly with people who are already “geeked” out with the latest Bible programs, containing enough resources that would rival most community libraries.
My life with Bible software started in the 80's. Back then Bible software consisted of what amounted to an electronic version of the King James Bible, with search capabilities. It came on 17 floppy disks ( for those who never worked with floppy disks, they were not unlike today's flash drives, except for being 30 times the size, 100 times slower, and holding only 1/6000th the data ) and to me, it was better than sliced cheese. As the years went on Bible software got better, faster, and more capable. New Bible versions were added, as well as many classic, and new religious texts. Bible software has now become such a part of the Christian society, that even before a publisher prints a new Bible, or reference, plans are made for the electronic distribution of the work.
The value of Bible software is unmeasurable. Imagine having a research library in your home or office. In it you have a dozen different bible versions, just as many commentaries, several dictionaries, a concordance, and scores of other reference works all laying open while you study a passage or topic. For most of us bookophiles it might be a dream come true, but it's not a very realistic, or productive scenario in most lives. Now imagine having everything I just mentioned (and more), in your laptop, and with a few clicks of a mouse, all your books are searched simultaneously, in a matter of a few moments. And every reference to the passage or topic you were studying is right there, indexed and ready for use. Along with this you can add your own personal notes, comments, and writings, ready to be searched with the rest of your library. That's what Bible software can do for you.
So whatever you want to do with the Bible, whether it's research, reading, taking notes, or daily devotionals, (the list could go on and on), Bible software is the way to go. Here is a short list of some of the Bible software programs that I use:
Free Bible Explorer (highly recommended free software)
WORDsearch Bible Software (This is my favorite, it's my “go to” program, designed for those who preach and teach the Bible)
Logos Bible Software (Best for research, great study tools, but can get quite expensive for some resources)
Friday, October 9, 2009
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