The original Spirit-filled Life Bible was a triumph - filled with great information and practical articles that helped ground believers in their walk. I owned several and recommended them to my friends. I was looking forward to the next edition, hoping that the editors would find some innovative way to improve on a great beginning. They didn't.

While the new version sports a new look, new graphics, new contributors and new articles, the flaws outweigh the gains.

The good news is the commentary, word studies, and book notes duplicate the first edition. Some of the articles of the original make a second appearance - like the excellent article on understanding the end times. The center column cross-references and notes are very useful along with the maps at the end of the bible. These things continue to make the SFLB a useful and balanced teaching tool for believers.

The flaws are the graphics (they muddy up the "look" of the SFLB) and the new articles.

Graphics are always subjective, but the new ones are busy and cause the pages to look crowded with different colored half-tone boxes, tiny margins and too many type styles.

Where the revision really suffers is in the new articles. Pat Robertson's outstanding 15-page essay "Spirit Answers to Hard Questions" was dropped. In its place are offerings on world evangelism, healing nations, understanding Messanic Jewish Ministry, and How to lead a Person to the Savior. Of these, the last one is the only one with practical value - after all, few of us will be conducting world evangelism, nation healing, or outreaches to Messianic Jewry. These themes admittedly have real value to the Body of Christ - but is the limited space available in the Spirit-filled Life Bible the best place for them? Are believers really getting the best bang for their buck? Not in my opinion.

The articles feel more like Spirit-filled political correctness than discipleship and that takes its toll on the new edition. No longer is it the hard hitting, one-volume, discipleship manual for Charismatics that the first edition was. Sorry to say this, but I'm sending mine back.

I agree with the reviewer who said the old one is better. I considered buying the new one from a bookstore but the graphics turned me off: smaller type, jumbled, hard to follow. There were a couple of new things in this one that were attractive, but I also agree that the loss of the old articles more than outweighed the additions. Amazon still sells the older edition too---go for that one! But if you can't get the older one, then this is the next best thing.

I once was told that as you grow in the Lord, your equipment (Bible) should progress along with you. I have owned a Spirit Filled Life Bible since 1995. I have purchased other Bibles to compliment my learning experience with the Spirit Filled Life Bible. Over the years I have enjoyed this Bible so much ... I can't begin to tell you how it has helped me in my walk with the Lord. This Bible offers a vast array of biblical studies Proved through the Word. The Kingdom Dynamics are greatly enlightening. To understand that not just one person contributed to the putting together of these studies is nice to know that you won't just get one person's views, but the views of many. I have conducted many bible studies based upon the studies in this Bible alone and the feedback from the students has been nothing but rave reviews. I have just recently ordered another Spirit Filled Life Bible - newer version, more studies - "Who buys new cadillacs? People who own old cadillacs!"

i was given this book when my husband and i lost our daughter, Danielle, at 6 mo. of pregnancy. i wanted to read it because it looked helpful for someone who had a stillborn child, and it was not too long (when you are grieving it is hard to focus on lengthy books). it answered questions for me about seeing my child again in heaven and offered verses of comfort in the bible. unfortunately, it did not seem to really focus on "stillbirth" as much as i had hoped, also it seemed to refer back to abortion one way or another. it talked about not holding grudges against women who have abortions, but to try to help them afterwards, also how to start up a pregnancy crisis center through your church to offer pregnant women other options. all of these things are helpful, but not in the context it is presented. i help to facilitate a support group for parents who have lost children to miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death, and am always searching for the right materials, books, and information to pass on to the parents, to offer comfort and hope. this would not be one that i would recommend to our group unless i knew for sure one's situation would warrant this particular book. i also received this same feedback from two women in the group who previously had read it on their own . again, it is helpful in certain aspects, but, in my opinion, i was mostly disappointed.

After two years of infertility and two consecutive pregnancy losses at 8 weeks and 13 weeks, I have read many excellent books that helped me understand and deal with the emotional aspects of my miscarriages. However, none of them dealt as directly as I would have liked with what happens to the baby. I instinctively felt that the baby would be in heaven, but I was clueless as to what kind of form the baby would take, if I would know my baby when I got to heaven, etc.

This book addressed these questions very directly and with excellent scriptural back-up. I now have every confidence that I will spend eternity with both of my children, and that we will know and love each other when we are reunited.

This book is NOT a guide for dealing with the grief aspects of pregnancy loss, but it will answer many questions about the reality of your child as a living being. The answers to these questions were a big help to me in my quest for healing.

This book was helpful for me. It did help me realize that I will see my lost children again. It does have a bit of a judgemental tone toward abortion. It does not address that NOT all parents terminate as a form of birth control. Some abortions are heartbreaking to the parents, but they do it because of the misery their child is being saved. My first pregnancy with my daughter was given zero chance for survival by several specialists. We were told that the uterus would start to contract since there was no fluid left and the baby would be crushed to death. The alternative, iv sedation which would allow the baby to go to sleep peacefully. Even though it broke our hearts we knew it was the right thing for her. She had kidney disease, so the kidney had kept fluid from accumulating. It also kept the stomach, bladder and lungs from being formed. This book does not address termination except in the traditional abortion fashion. It does not address those that terminate due to poor fetal diagnosis. There are a lot more people in this category than one might think. Overall it is a good book for anyone who is spiritual and who has suffered a loss. I enjoyed it, but thought a few other issues could be addressed. Hope it helps you too. ALL THE BEST!

My pastor recommended this book and for the life of me I cannot figure out why. I've read other articles by Jack Hayford in the past and he's one of the few charismatics who's scholarship I had some respect for. No more. This book is based almost exclusively on human experience and contains very little exegetcial content. He interprets God's Word in the light of human experience instead of vice versa. He doesn't define his terms, he comes to his argument assuming the legitimacy of tongues speaking today and doesn't make a Biblical case for it as I was hoping. He claims that every instance of gibbersh tongues speaking is a known earthly language. According to Hayford, because there are more than 6,000 known languages on the planet and no one person could possibly identify all of them; therefore if we don't recognize the gibberish it must be a known language that we are just unfamiliar with. What kind of logic is that? He also conveniently forgets the requirement for a tongues speaker to either have an interpreter present or to be quiet. His assumption that even though we may not know the language we're supernaturally speaking, that we are somehow edified apart from understanding, without dealing with Paul's major thrust in I Cor. 12-14 on insisting that nothing be done apart from understanding because it would be of no value without it. A typical charistmatic approach...long on anecdotal evidence, very short on exegesis. I'm sure Rev. Hayford is very well meaning, but don't waste your money on this book.

Several years ago, I was given a copy of Dr. Jack W. Hayfords book "Rebuilding The Real You: Gods' Pathway To Personal Restoration". It turned my life around 180 degrees. As a wounded soldier of the cross at the time I needed it. "They Speak With Other Tongues" is an excellent resourse for furthering your knowledge of spiritual matters. Openness to the Holy Spirit is a must for any of it to benifit oneself, thus being more fitly empowered to do work for God. I am so glad to find the two books being sokd together with some savings to the readers. The Beauty Of Spiritual Language and They Speak With Other Tongues will always be a part of my library and I plan on buying more sets for gifts to others. To "Worship His Majesty" we must be open and willing vessels for Gods' use.

Prayerfully Submitted

Brian W. Keller

When I picked up this book as a sixteen year-old in March of 2000 I was not only uninformed, but also misinformed about spiritual languages or, tounges. But Hayford presents this controversial topic in a very straightforward manner basing his writing on personal experiance and BIBLICAL EVIDENCE. I read the book twice in 48 hours, soaking in all that I could. I have since recieved the baptsim and infilling of the Holy Spirit, having now experianced the true beauty of spiritual language. Granted at times his writing seems less than fluid, but that doesn't hinder me from awarding this book five-stars. It presents the material logically in a way that a reader of any age could grasp. If you, like I was, are amoung the many who have resisted tounges labeling them as fanatical, selfish, or charismatic I would encourage you to open this book with an open mind, read a couple chapters and give God the opportunity to speak to you through the words of one of his servants in ministry, Jack Hayford.

Dr. Hayford offers an understanding of the bible from a charasmatic perspective. It is definitely well worth the money. What I liked particularly was the Encyclopedic Dictionary. It gives a well rounded overview of different biblical and theological terms. My only critisism is that his coverage of the different books of the bible is too brief. This probably should have been a three volume handbook.

With an easy read Commentary, Bible charts and Encyclopedic Dictionary this is a good "all-in-one" study guide. Designed as a companion to the "Spirit-filled Study Bible" this book is great for someone wanting to start getting into study of the Bible without getting too overwhelmed.

I found the Hayford bible handbook to be a very helpful tool in studying the Scripture. The charts for me are particularily helpful for understanding concepts and timelines. This is a great all around reference tool to have in your library!

I think it is a BIG MISTAKE not having The Spirit Filled Life study bible not offered in the Old King James version. To my surprise I discovered that the Old King James version was discontinued. I was blessed enough to own the Old King James version of the Spirit Filled Life Bible. To me this the closest to the truth about God from the to the end. I say bring the OLD KING JAMES version of the Spirit Filled Life Bible!

Every time someone sees my Bible, they want one! Finally, my spiritual guide admired it and I gave up my tattered copy to him. Now I'm replacing it with the exact same one. This Bible has MANY useful study features. "Word Wealth" (for key words) discusses the root of the Hebrew or Greek word and the word's various uses throughout the Bible. There are extensive footnotes on nearly every page giving additional information and background on key verses; the section on God's covenant with Abraham, alone is worth the price of the book. In addition, there are maps, timelines, comparisons of the four Gospels---all in an easy to read format (New King James/NKJ version). Each NT book is preceded by a discussion of the authorship---my only complaint is that these discussions don't go deeply enough into this topic. Also, it's a good size: by no means small, but compact enough to haul with you to church. Several scholars teamed on this Bible, which is written to match Hayford's beliefs (I would say that it supports a conserative, not fundamentalist, viewpoint). To better benefit from all the information packed into this Bible, take the time to read the keys and symbols at the front of the book. This Bible is sturdy and well-bound: after several years of regular use, it had experienced no binding problems whatsoever. Overall, a fabulous Bible that you will use for years to come, with study aids that will enlighten and enrich.

This particular Bible contains commentaries I would highly recommend. The reader is able to gain some degree of understanding in intent and dirrection of the text through the various commentators and their actual experiences. This is Bible worth adding to your bookshelf. It has changed my life.

As a young, college-educated Christian, I saw this book (and the movement of PK for that matter) as a last-ditch attempt to preserve patriarchal ideals popularized in the 40s/50s.

In one chapter, Dr. Tony Evans claims that the "sissification" of men in America is to blame for ALL of our problems. About these "feminized males," he writes, "Somehow, many men got the idea that the definition of manhood has to do with how many women they have conquered and the number of children they have sired." I think Dr. Evans needs to reevaluate his definition of feminine, because those attributes sound distinctly unfemale. Or does he really think that females are overtly licentious?

There are a number of purportedly "true" stories relayed in the book which in no way could possibly be true. These "promise" keepers can't even keep a promise about honesty and tell genuine stories with less zing.

All in all this book seems to be just another painful example of someone trying to make a buck off of Christianity. It happens every day, on TV, at the bookstore, and in church.

** I gave the book 2 stars because it is entertaining.

This is an awesome book. If the men in my country (the United States) would take to heart the principles in this book, a whole lot of unhappiness and misery would be eliminated.

I found this American book being used in an Australian church and brought it back to England. It works here too! Covering key issues that men need to get hold of it formed the basis for the start of men's ministry in our church. Some "Transatlantic adaptation" was necessary particularly in areas dealing with racial disharmony, but apart from this it "made the journey" very well.

Here is the "Michigan reader" AGAIN. He/She has left this same review for many of the top Christian writer's Study Guides of Proverbs...advertising Cody Jones book. I have my doubts as this is the 13th review...that the "Michigan reader" actually read and tested all these studies. He/She must be a friend of Cody Jones advertising the Jones book. Jack Hayford is a top Christian writer. This Proverbs study is excellent.

This booklet makes a good supplement to a more in-depth commentary on Proverbs. It is an introductory level fill-in the blank study guide to selected themes from Proverbs useful for small study groups. For a more in-depth study of Proverbs read THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE BOOK OF PROVERBS by Cody Jones. The comments are interesting and very readable and put things into a historical setting. It includes many historical photos to give the reader a sense of the culture of the time. There is topical guide and 6 translations in parallel to aid understanding. Jones points out various Biblical characters who illustrate the witty observations Solomon makes about human nature.

"God's Daughters and God's Women" is an extensive study of the main stories in the Bible that involve women. The heavy hitters such as Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Ruth, Esther and Mary are covered in their own chapters, some even filling two. The chapters are the perfect length for week to week study, with questions and reflections to fill in. Background scripture and related stories are used extensively, a real plus to the teacher or facilitator. Important words are translated from original Hebrew and Greek to show differences in written meaning as opposed to the meaning we understand today. Each chapter also has a topic (faith, hospitality, purpose, etc.) which can spur furthur group discussion. An excellent study for women, even those with a lot of Bible study background. Beginners may find it frustrating looking up all background scriptures.

Having read many of Jack Hayford's books I must say that this one is more direct than some of his earlier works. In it, he takes a no-nonsense approach to explaining Christian disciplines.

His purpose for writing the book is to give readers a biblically based approach to Christian living. Basically he tries to answer the question "Now that I am a Christian, what do I do?" Or "Being a Christian seems so difficult, how do I do it?". As expected, he gives a very detailed outline of how "Spirit filled" Christians approach and apply their faith in practical terms. He covers most topics of importance to one's walk with Jesus to include prayer (the second half of the book is all about prayer), worship, bible reading/studying, daily devotions, and many others. I really like the fact that he includes many scriptures to explain the Biblical foundation for it, and why each is important.

Dr. Hayford does come from a pentecostal denomination, so readers should expect to learn a lot about the Holy Spirit's role in Christian living. For those who are not Christian's don't worry. He does not view Christianity as a purely emotional or experience oriented religion. Instead, he gives a very balanced explanation of how Christians should try to live out their life for God.

I recommend this book for anyone looking to strenghten their faith in God. If you are a new believer, this book will help provide you a roadmap for life. If you are a more mature Christian, this book will help remind you of what God expects of us as Christians, and practical ways to deepen our faith in Him.

Every person... new believer or older, can truly benefit from working on their faith. There is always some place in each of us that needs "work" in this area. Jesus said if we just had the "faith of a mustard seed"... well think of the possibities! Crank up your faith with this great bible-teacher: Jack Hayford. Enjoy!!!