Product Reviews
These articles tell you about the many fine products available from Olive Tree.
An Author Everyone Should Know
Oct 15th
Few Christian writers, from the present or the past, have affected my life and the lives of other Christians I know as much as Andrew Murray (1828-1917). His books are the kind you come back to again and again, savoring every line, reading slowly and prayerfully, drawing near to the Christ he knew and loved and expressed so well. It’s hard to read very far without stopping to pray, for the Spirit of prayer seems to be the very atmosphere of Andrew Murray’s books; moreover, the author speaks so directly to you, the reader, that it’s sometimes hard to believe you don’t know him; of course, in the Spirit, as a fellow member of Christ’s body, you do.
Andrew Murray grew up in South Africa nearly two centuries ago, both his father and grandfather being Scottish missionaries to that vast, untamed land. After attending school in Aberdeen, Scotland, and receiving theological training in the Netherlands, Andrew returned to South Africa as an ordained minister of the Dutch Reformed Church. This author almost never refers to himself in his books, so it’s surprising to read a biography of Murray and to find out about the trials he endured and the burdens he bore. Once, as a young pastor, serving remote farmers in the wide-open landscape, he was surrounded by wolves. After his horse threw him and ran away, Murray walked by faith the rest of the way to his parishioners’ farmhouse, many miles it was, wolves snapping at him all the while but never touching him. Though a man of much practical experience, it seems that Murray focuses every book on one thing only: the indwelling Christ.
Olive Tree Bible Software is privileged to be able to publish in electronic format several of this beloved writer’s books (which number some 240), a few of which I’ll describe briefly. In The New Life: Words of God for Young Disciples of Christ Murray addresses new believers concerning the wonderful life they have received, his clear intention being to establish firmly their faith in Christ and to encourage them on the path of life and fruitfulness in Him. In With Christ in the School of Prayer, the author presents thirty-one lessons on prayer, one for every day of the month, echoing the disciples’ plea, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Reading this book, one is infused with faith that God wants to answer our prayers even more than we want them answered; in fact, He put the desire within us to begin with. In The Deeper Christian Life, Murray relates that the first and chief need of our Christian life is fellowship with God. Indeed, this theme, and the blessedness of abiding moment by moment in Christ, in absolute surrender, trusting Him to accomplish all that He has promised to do in us and through us, is the essential message of Andrew Murray’s fervent ministry to the body of Christ.
“I have learnt,” he says, “to place myself before God every day, as a vessel to be filled with His Holy Sprit. He has filled me with the blessed assurance that He, as the everlasting God, has guaranteed His work in me. If there is one lesson that I am learning day by day, it is this; that it is God who worketh all in all. Oh, that I could help any brother or sister to realize this!”
New Resources for Palm OS, Pocket PC, Windows Mobile Smartphone, Symbian
May 23rd
It’s already a busy summer here at Olive Tree! This last week we posted more new products, and I thought you might be interested to know what a couple of them were. Also, in case you haven’t noticed, many of the new commentaries that we have been releasing are now supported on Windows Mobile Smartphone and Symbian devices – the study tools available on these platforms are increasing!
Here’s a couple of the new products we’ve recently posted:
C.A. Coates Commentary and Articles
Available for Palm OS, Pocket PC, Windows Mobile Smartphone, and Symbian phones!
This collection of C.A. Coates’ ministry contains 37 volumes of his commentary and articles. We made this excellent resource simple and easy to use by adding in the Table of Contents Chooser, which makes navigation to a particular location in these 37 volumes easy and quick.
NET Bible® First Edition, free version
Available with limited notes for Palm OS and Pocket PC.
Available with no notes for Windows Mobile Smartphone and Symbian phones.
The NET Bible® is a modern translation of the Bible based entirely on the original languages. The full version, available for Palm OS and Pocket PC, includes almost 60,000 translator notes from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts, as well as more than 700 references to scholarly works.
How Biblical Languages Work
Available for Palm OS and Pocket PC.
This eBook is an excellent resource for study of Greek and Hebrew. It serves as an engaging introduction to these languages, and makes learning Greek and Hebrew much easier.
I hope you check out these and our other new releases soon – enjoy!
~ K
User Feedback – New Palm toolbar and more
May 16th
With the release of a new beta version of our software, we at Olive Tree are always curious to see what kind of user feedback we will have. The latest beta version of the Palm BibleReader was no exception. And with this reader, we were even more expectant, because there are some really neat features that we added this time, as you probably read about in an earlier blog post. Sure enough, the user comments have been coming in, and we wanted to share a couple with you. Here’s what one avid Olive Tree user wrote in to tell us:
Thanks for not leaving out Palm users on all of the wonderful new features that you have just released. The new beta is incredible. The new search options are second-to-none and the secondary toolbar is just AMAZING! I have never seen a company so dedicated to constant improvement of their products. I am so glad that I am a customer of Olivetree. Thank you for being so attentive to the requests of your customers.
Today we also came across an article recently posted on PalmAddicts that gives a good discussion of Bible software for Palm devices, and talks in particular about OliveTree’s BibleReader software, our frequent updates, and some of the new features we’ve just recently added. Here’s a quick look at what this article discusses:
Recently (in about the last 2 years), Olive Tree improved their BibleReader by leaps and bounds! So much so that it is now the most used Bible reading program on my Palm device … I carry 12 different translations of the Bible with me, including a French Bible. It has commentaries, cross reference links, life application notes and a dictionary … Navigation through the Bible and searches are very easy to do. There are a variety of choices for programming your hard keys for certain tasks while using BibleReader. They put a high importance on you being able to customize the program to do whatever you want … The best part about Olive Tree is that their basic reader and a few of the most basic Bibles come absolutely free!
You can read this full article at:
http://palmaddict.typepad.com/palmaddicts/2007/05/bible_software_.html
So if you’re a Palm user, why don’t you download our new beta reader and checkout these new features for yourself! 
~ K
The Complete Word Study Bible Integrates Several Tools in One
Apr 16th
If you’re looking for a one volume Bible study tool that combines a solid translation (KJV) with Stong’s numbers, inline grammatical data on every word, extensive cross-references, book introductions, footnote commentaries on key passages, Hebrew and Greek dictionaries, word studies, and more, the Complete Word Study Bible, published by AMG and available for your PDA or Smartphone from Olive Tree, may be just what you need. This work is the fruit of 46 years of research by noted scholar Dr. Spiro Zodhiates. Available in bookstores as a four-inch thick hardback, this treasure can now be held in your palm or stored in your pocket.
Let’s take a look briefly at how we can use CWSB to investigate a word, phrase, passage, or book from the Bible. Turning to John 1:1, we read “In the beginning was the Word…” We see the title John, the subtitle The Word Became Flesh, and two links, one to an introduction explaining the authorship, uniqueness, style, and contents of the Gospel of John. The other link pulls up a commentary on the subtitled section, John 1:1-17. In this footnote/commentary, we learn about the eternal existence of Christ as the Logos or “Intelligence” Who originated everything that exits, and we read about His becoming the expression of that Intelligence as a man. We also learn that the first of two Greek verbs for to be used in the passage indicates His eternal pre-existence while the second indicates His entrance into a new state and His continuation in that state. Hyperlinked cross references give us the opportunity to search out these observations. By the time we have read the introduction to John’s gospel and the commentary on 1:1-17, we have an understanding of the context in which John writes “in the beginning.”
Now we can go deeper by looking at the word beginning by tapping on Menu, Display, and Toggle Strongs. Here we see inline grammatical codes and Strong’s numbers in parentheses following each and every word. Tapping on the grammatical data, we see that the word beginning is anarthrous (that is, without an article) and that it is a noun. Rather than being left to ponder on our own what these grammatical facts mean, we can follow hyperlinks to clear and complete explanations of the significance of each fact. Tapping on the Strong’s number, we now see an extensive definition of the Greek word for beginning, including nine points about its usage in various ways in the Bible (complete with hyperlinked references). We also find an explanation of the word’s derivation, a list of synonyms with hyperlinked Strong’s numbers, and a list of antonyms, also with links. There is too much lexical information in this entry to go into in this article. Suffice it to say that the reader is given a rich impression of the eternal pre-existence of the Logos and His overwhelming pre-eminence in this universe along with a thorough knowledge of the word beginning as it used throughout the New Testament.
I hope these comments on the CWSB give some impression of its value to serious Bible students. With a mimimal knowledge of biblical languages, or even no knowledge at all, we can use the CWSB to lead us into a deeper understanding of the wonderful truths about Christ and the Church in the Bible.
Words of Comfort, Strength, and Inspiration by Amy Carmichael
Mar 26th
For months I have enjoyed Amy Carmichael’s daily devotional Edges of His Ways on my PDA. The selections are penetrating and comforting expressions of the author’s genuine experiences of the Lord. Olive Tree has now added three more books by this endearing writer — If, Mimosa, and Gold Cord.
As a young woman called by the Lord, Amy Carmichael journeyed from Ireland to India around 1900. Born out of her many years of abiding in Christ in faithful service to the people of south India, a community of believers called Dohnavur Fellowship thrives to this day. Amy’s many books reflect her rich faith and love for the Lord and His Body, wrought through the fires of suffering.
If is a series of pithy conditional sentences that cut to the heart of what it means to be a Christian. This little book is all about the real essence of Calvary love, reminiscent of 1 Corinthians 13. As readers, we would do well to take each small portion and ponder it, confessing our lack of this genuine love and asking the Lord to be our All, as only He can be.
Mimosa is a the remarkable true story of a young Hindu girl who visited Dohnavur with her father and older sister, and, despite only a few minutes time in fellowship with Amy and others, received a personal revelation that God is love. For years little Mimosa had no further contact with Amy and Dohnavur, and she didn’t even know that the God she served and loved had a name, Jesus. Carried by God’s love through experiences of persecution, ostracism, toil, and personal loss, Mimosa grew closer and closer to her Lord; then, finally, as a grown woman, mature and wise, she returned to Dohnavur and told her story, to the astonishment of Amy and the rest. This book is so touching, and the story so beautifully told, that I have had trouble keeping a copy because I always want to give it away for someone else to enjoy.
Gold Cord is the story of Dohnavur Fellowship. A gold cord, in contrast to wood, hay, and stubble, is Amy’s symbol for the bond of love that unites this group of believers and, according to the author’s hope, extends to her readers.
I trust you will enjoy all of these wonderful writings by Amy Carmichael.
Bible Biographies by F. B. Meyer
Mar 21st
Did you ever wish someone could take you back to Bible times to view in detail the lives of outstanding figures in the Scriptures, like Moses, David, and Paul? F. B. Meyer has done that, and Olive Tree is happy to announce the publication for your PDA or smartphone of three new eBook Bible biographies by this outstanding writer and dear man of God. These include Moses, David, and Paul, and there are more on the way.
Having thoroughly enjoyed all of these books, I can’t say enough about how much I benefited from reading them. Every point the author makes is rooted in the Bible, and yet I found myself saying frequently, “I never thought of that before!” Surprisingly vivid descriptive details are interwoven with the narrative. Relevant historical elements are pointed out to enhance understanding.
Most importantly, though true biographies, these books are devotional in character. They draw a reader’s heart to Christ, and they help explain our experience of the Lord as it is portrayed in the lives of Moses, David, Paul and the other characters that surround them. It is not too much to say that these books are life-changing, for one comes away with a sweeter, deeper appreciation of the love and sovereignty of God viewed again and again in the lives of these saints.
Looking for a Bible Commentary?
Mar 16th
If you’re a familiar customer of Olive Tree’s, then you have probably found that we offer a wide range of Bible study tools that you can install to your Palm or Pocket PC device and take with you so you can study the Word anytime, anywhere. One of the newest additions to our commentary collection is the Bible Knowledge Commentary. A new favorite among Olive Tree users, we wanted to make special mention of this commentary for all those interested in staying abreast of the ever-growing collection of study tools available.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is a useful tool for a wide spectrum of Bible students, from the beginner, who will find it easy to understand and easy to use, to the advanced, who will find it consistently thorough and reliable. The readable style, combined with careful scholarship, make this a Bible study aid its users will add to their “most-used” shelf of books.
~ K
Over 80 Bibles for your PDA or Smartphone
Feb 5th
It has always been the mission of Olive Tree Bible Software to provide Bibles and quality Bible study tools for your handheld computing device. If you’ve visited Olivetree.com lately, you’ve probably seen our newly updated Bibles page with over 80 translations of the word of God available for your PDA or Smartphone.
When you download a Bible translation or other product, you get at no charge all the features of the company’s BibleReader™ software, enabling you to easily access any verse quickly, to search for a word or phrase, to highlight a passage, to create notes and note file categories, to view translations simultaneously in separate windows, to establish a daily reading schedule, to bookmark your Bible reading locations, and much more. Although some of these features vary with different platforms, the company is always striving to accommodate new devices, to put out new products, and to streamline our BibleReader software, making it even better.
On our Bibles page, you will see links to English Bibles, Non-English Bibles, Original Language Texts, NIV Bibles and Bundles (a whole new page of options), and Bible Study Collections (sixteen in all, tailored to your personal Bible study goals). You will also see a display of some of our most popular Bibles – NIV, NASB, NKJV, ESV, KJV, and many more – with direct links for downloading them to your device, whether Pocket PC, Palm OS, Smartphone, Symbian Cell Phone, or Blackberry.
If you’d like to try a Bible on your PDA or Smartphone free of charge, with all the benefits of BibleReader software, you’ll find the much respected American Standard Version (ASV) as well as a number of other free Bibles of very high quality, including Darby’s New Translation, Young’s Literal Translation (YLT), and the Weymouth New Testament. To view these free Bibles and more, go to our Free Items page and follow the link to All Free Resources. You’ll discover more than 75 free resources for your enjoyment. Take God’s word with you everywhere, along with the convenience of all the BibleReader features for reading, searching, and recording your insights.
A New Addition to Olive Tree’s “Explore the Bible” Article Series
Jan 31st
We want to call your attention to an ongoing series of articles from Olive Tree called Explore the Bible on your PDA or Smartphone. These articles have been coming out for a few months now; there are nine to date, and a tenth coming soon. You may read these articles at olivetree.com or download them at no charge to your handheld computing device. The purpose of the articles is to help our customers get the most out of their electronic Bibles and Bible study software by presenting examples of real Bible study using Olive Tree Bibles and tools. A second, but not secondary, purpose is to nurture in readers a love and respect for the Bible and its message. Articles address such topics as The Blessings of Daily Scripture Reading, Using Cross References to Let the Bible Speak for Itself, The Why and How of Bible Searches, and Meditating on God’s Word. Some of the articles include helpful screen shots to assist readers.
The newest article, released today for reading online, will be ready to download to your device in a few days. It is entitled Appreciating Greek with Wuest’s Translation. Kenneth S. Wuest’s New Testament: an Expanded Translation is unlike any other translation I know. Olive Tree is delighted to be able to provide this outstanding tool to our users. We like it so much that we have devoted an entire article to explaining how the translation works.
The Expanded Translation is a bold attempt by a noted Greek professor and scholar to render a more precise sense of the original by using as many English words as are necessary to convey the New Testament writers’ intended meaning; hence, it is an “expanded” translation, not, strictly speaking, a paraphrase. Greek students will immediately recognize echoes of the principles of Greek they learned in their study of the New Testament language. In fact, reading Wuest’s translation is like taking a refresher course on what makes Greek Greek and not English. Non-Greek-readers will be pleased to find a translation that lets them in on Greek patterns of thought and discourse without the need to actually learn Greek. This was exactly the translator’s desire: he wanted to share the richness of the Greek New Testament with those who might not have the opportunity to learn the language themselves. He intended that his translation would complement other fine translations and would be a window into Greek nuances that are difficult to render in English.
We hope you will enjoy this article, along with the other articles in our series; even the more, we recommend to you Wuest’s Expanded Translation itself for use on your PDA or smartphone. So that you will not be left without a taste of this unique translation, here are the familiar final verses of Romans 8 (verses 36-39) as Wuest translates them. Notice especially his treatment of the present tense, with its durative force, and the perfect tense to show completed action:
“Even as it stands written, For your sake we are being put to death all the day long. We were accounted as sheep destined for slaughter. But in these things, all of them, we are coming off constantly with more than the victory through the One who loved us. For I have come through a process of persuasion to the settled conclusion that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things about to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What’s in a Name?
Jan 29th
Recently, Olive Tree staffers have been wondering if the title Christian eBooks should be changed to Christian Writings on our navigation bar and on the product pages for these items. Our concern is that the term eBook, though widely used, may have connotations that diminish the gravity of the wonderfully rich writings that we are privileged to make available for reading on the PDA or smartphone.
Consider some of these titles, representative of about one hundred you can choose from: Andrew Murray’s books Absolute Surrender and Humility, both of which call us as believers to turn ourselves over to Christ that we may experience Him as our life; Alfred Edersheim’s Bible History of the Old Testament, an invaluable exploration of life in Bible times; Hannah Whitall Smith’s God of All Comfort, developing the author’s bold assertion that God is enough for every human need; Madame Guyon’s Autobiography, a testimony that has drawn many to desire a deeper experience of Christ and the cross; John Nelson Darby’s Pilgrim Portions, a devotional writing with epigrammatic statements full of piercing light; John Piper’s A Hunger for God, one of several books by this ebullient writer, who aims to foster desire for God in his readers; and Bob Munger’s My Heart Christ’s Home, a jewel among the many outstanding tracts available from Olive Tree.
When you go to Olivetree.com, you will see a tab that says Christian Writings. We hope you will realize that many of these works are not mere electronic books, but priceless gifts to the Body of Christ penned by men and women whom God has used to impart life to His people. This puts them in a category of their own, for which it’s hard to find a suitable name.