The Rose Book of Bible Charts Volume 3 is a 220-page reference book that is so packed with REPRODUCIBLE Bible charts, Bible timelines, and Bible overviews.

Its stunningly beautiful visuals certainly add depth to my study of the Old and New Testament.

Among the topics covered include the 100's of facts at a glance, the various aspects of spiritual disciplines, our identity in Christ, the attributes of God, insights into the book of Proverbs, the book of Acts, forgiveness, the book of Revelation.

Every page of this book is just so packed with information; so much so that I would say we could conduct home group bible studies based on materials from every page of this book. I especially love the colorful charts in the book.

In fact, the materials covered in the book are not only feeding my mind but ministering to my heart as well. For example, on page 17, in a text box on Does Forgiveness mean reconciliation?, I felt a sense of relief of the heavy burden I am carrying when I am reminded that forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation.

Forgiveness involves letting go of vengeance and hatred for being wronged. Reconciliation can be described as restoration to harmony in relationship. One person can forgive, but it takes two people to restore a broken relationship. Forgiveness alone neither guarantees nor demands reconciliation. Often much more is needed before reconciliation can (or should) take place, for example: repentance, restitution of the wrong, gaining back trust, or evidence of genuine change. If forgiveness is taken to mean going back to the offender as if nothing ever happened, then people will end up only with a cheap imitation of reconciliation, far unlike the genuine harmony in a restored relationship described in Scripture (1 Thess. 5:11; Rom. 12:10). (Ref: Does Forgiveness Mean Reconciliation in Rose Book of Bible Charts Volume 3, page 17).

Similarly, on page 19, the author of this chapter says that on this side of heaven, we may not be able to forgive to the extent that we want to because we are still imperfect people in an imperfect world. What we are called to do is to continue moving forward and not to give up.

The chapter of money (pages 20 - 28) also contains a number of financial health checklist to keep our attitude towards money checked. In that same chapter, great tables listing scriptural verses from the book of Proverbs on money as well as the dos and donts with money from the scriptures are also given.

The different suggestions on prayers such as the A-C-T-S method, the Lords prayer, as well as honest answers about prayers such as When God says No, When God seems silent and Waiting for God to Answer are comprehensively described.

A checklist on spiritual gift meant to help the readers to discern where they would fit in the churchs many ministries is given on pages 43-44. However, what I would like to see is the reference(s) where this checklist is taken from. As a matter of fact, many of the charts and tables given in the book do not have bibliographical references. I think this is a weakness of the book which should be rectified in future editions.

The chapter of spiritual disciplines contain some great lists and tables with scriptural references. For example, on page 45, a list of the metaphors of sins are given. Sin:

Captures (Prov. 5:22; Heb. 12:1)

Enslaves (Gen. 4:7; John 8:34; Rom. 7:14, 23; Gal. 3:22)

Is deadly (Rom. 6:23; 5:12; Eph. 2:1)

Is a sickness (Ps. 32:15; Isa. 53:5; Matt. 9:2, 5; 1 Peter 2:24)

Is impurity (Zech. 13:1; Ps. 51:2; Isa. 1:18)

Separates (Isa. 59:12; Eph. 2:1216; 4:18)

The latter two sections of this book are about the various selected personalities from the Old Testament and the New Testament and the last chapter is on issues related to Christian and the church today. These issues include baptism, the Lords supper and creeds (and heresies).

In short, to me, this is a marvelous reference to have. Tons of materials that would probably be sufficient to last for more than a year of small group bible studies. Beautiful and informative charts, graphics and tables. One thing is lacking though - the deficiency of bibliographical references accompanying the various charts, checklist and tables. Who wrote these checklists, and if these checklists purport to measure something, how accurate are they, etc.

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the digital version of this material from Rose Publishing as part of their products bloggers review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 : Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.)

Rose Book of Bible Charts

Volume 3

A Review

By

Robert Bock

I recently received an advanced copy of this book, in PDF format, from Rose Publishing in exchange for a fair review.

This book is a collection of pamphlets produced by Rose Publishing. As with most Rose products, full color is used on every page to produce an attractive and interesting book. The book is well organized with a good Table of Contents and an extensive index. I mention the index because personally it is a feature I use most. It is often difficult to remember where the information is located and the index solves this problem. The Table of Contents describes the layout of the book. The pamphlets are arranged by categories like Christian Living and Important Topics for Christians to mention a few. As expected within each heading is a collection of related materials.

The section on Christian Living contains articles concerning who we are in Christ and how to deal with money as well as other topics. It also has a really good plan to read the Bible in a year. I know these plans abound across the internet and are in many Bibles and Bible software however, it is nice to have another to spice things up a bit. The same plan can become very boring to the point it isn't used. The article What the Bible Says About Money is very good and useful. I have been asked on many occasions about this topic. The article sums up nearly everything I found in personal study and research. It is nice to be able to have a document to show or give people.

There is a section for Bible Favorites in the Old Testament and the New Testament. These are full of well thought out and presented accounts of some of the Bible's most prominent people or examinations of one of the books or themes in the Bible, such as the Revelation or Jonah. They contain highlights of the major themes or a practical biography.

The last section of the book is Important Topics for Christians. It contains five articles or pamphlets discussing contemporary issues like Heaven, the Lord's Supper, and Baptism. These are some of the issues that denominations disagree on. The authors have tried to present a balanced and biblical view. They have succeeded for the most part. What I found most interesting in this last section was the topic of Creeds and Heresies. Heresies have been around for a long time. They are not talked about much, but every now and then I hear one mentioned by name without telling what it is. This pamphlet explains the major heresies in an understandable way. Creeds where they exist were in part developed to combat heresies, by stating what is believed.

None of the pamphlets in this book are repeats from another Rose Book of Charts publication. I give great credit for this. I have been burned by other publisher filling books with previously compiled material and placing a few new pieces into the mix. Not so with this book. This is a great job Rose Publishing. I highly recommend this to everyone. Do not let the price deter you, it is money well spent.

I cannot tell what a wonderful resource this is for a bible study teacher. Prayer is one of the points I will highlight this week and there was a section in the Christian Living Section. A category for Bible Favorites: Old Testament includes Esther, Ruth as well as Psalms and Proverbs. New Testament Favorites include a comparison of the gospels side by side along with charts of Jesus parables, His miracles and His movements. These are exactly what I need now to teach adult women class every Sunday. Also on Thursday I will begin teaching about Paul's letter to the Colossae church. I found a map and an information sheet on Gnostics. Resources are so time consuming to search online and their credibility is important. This will be my "go to" book. Next year I will teach 18 weeks on the book of Revelation. A daunting task to be sure but now here it is in the Rose Book of Charts Volume 3. The pages on Heaven were an added bonus since that is a favorite topic of mine and have quite a collection of books. Thanks to Rose Publishing for providing this book free for my review.

like all of the Rose books bible charts,volume 1,2,3, were more than I expected,it qualifies for a 5 stars.

Very informative, great history, and lots of illustrations.