The Crossway, E.S.V. Men’s Devotional Bible, Not Your Typical Devotional Bible.

November 19, 2015November 20, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

If you’re like me, you steer clear of devotional Bibles. I have found that most of them offer very little in the way of useful or relevant information. Most of the time it is just happy, slappy, Osteenesque, self-help mumbo jumbo. Rather than aiding, it usually distracts and is discouraging. I wonder to myself, “Who could be helped by this nonsense?” Seriously, who writes this twaddle? It is not just men’s devotionals that suffer this malaise either. Women have the same nonsense foisted upon them, perhaps even worse.

So imagine my curiosity when I heard that Crossway was going to make a devotional Bible. We’ve come to trust them and the E.S.V. over the years. One of the quickest ways you can incur my scrutiny is to exclaim, “Ahem, over here! We have a devotional Bible for your consideration Sir!” Oh, now that is cause for inspection isn’t it kids? When they offered one for review, I gladly accepted. I wanted to see for myself what works had been wrought under the cover of night…

I was delighted to see that it far excelled the usual fare. No cotton candy, no fluff-n-stuff, no silly self help guru quotes, no Sarah Young extra-Biblical revelation, just sound exposition, and application. The devotional articles explain the text. They properly connect the heart and the head, as they engage both in a real, and valuable way.

We are told in the Introduction that the goal was, “…for the heart to be strengthened by grace…” Hebrews 13:9. You might wonder what that means in the context of a Men’s devotional Bible. What it means is that the book introductions, devotional articles, and supplemental articles, are theologically accurate and connected to the text you are reading. All people have a theology.

They perhaps don’t know it, but they do. Theology is important. Without accurately understanding who God is and who we are in relationship to Him, how would we know if we were worshipping the one true God or an idol we had constructed? These articles accomplish the goal of strengthening the heart by grace, through facilitating our learning Biblical truths.

The Bible I was sent arrived undamaged.

It was a hardback volume that is case bound.

It included a dust jacket. For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, you know how I feel about dust jackets. (hint, I don’t like them. Completely a personal preference thing.) The spine is sewn to increase flexibility and durability. This, in my opinion is a necessity. Glued bindings on a book that is meant to be used extensively are a horrible idea. Publishers that do that are only interested in selling cheap product to be replaced over and over. If you had to transfer your notes, underlines, and highlights, every 6 months to a new Bible, you’d be perturbed. Thanks to Crossway’s experience as a Bible publisher, they know better. Usually when a publisher has work done in China the product quality begins to suffer. It seems Crossway has been able to keep the quality control standard high, while having this Bible printed and bound in China.

The hardback edition I was sent does not have any ribbon markers. The cover matches the dust jacket in a satin finish, black color. The only writing on the cover is on the spine where it says, “ESV Men’s Devotional Bible, Crossway” in gold print.

The spine has been rounded. There are understated black decorative head and tail bands. The page corners themselves have not been rounded and there is no page edge gilt.

The inside paper liner matches the cover in color. There is one presentation page followed by a couple title pages and publishers information/copyright page.

After that, there is the table of contents.

An interesting print feature in this Bible is the use of gold colored text for things like, titles, headings, chapter headings, and page numbers. It is and unassuming gold color, so it adds just the right amount of pop without glaringly drawing your attention away from the text.

Drop caps are utilized at the beginning of each supplemental article. I found that this sets the article apart from the pages of Biblical text so you can spot them easily. At the bottom of each devotion the page number of the next one is indicated. Since there are 365, a person could use them as a daily reading plan and read from one to the next daily.

The Biblical text is arranged in a double column, paragraph format, in black text. The text of the Bible is consistently inked and printed in an 8.5 pt. Lexicon font.

The devotionals are printed in a 7.5 pt. Gotham font. The text is dark black and contrasts nicely against the bright white, 36 g.s.m. paper, with an opacity rating of 83. Line matching was not employed however, the opacity of the paper is sufficient to limit the ghosting effect.

There are no cross references and very limited footnotes. This is not intended to be used as a reference Bible or study Bible. It adheres to the title of Devotional Bible very strictly. It far exceeds every devotional Bible I have ever read. The devotions are gospel focused and faithful to the truths of God.

I’ve included a list of the contributors. As you can see, with men of God like these, sharing their hard won knowledge and wisdom with us, we can be edified and encouraged.

Devotion Contributors	Article Contributors	Article Title
Christopher Ash	Thabiti Anyabwile	A Man’s Inner Life
Alistair Begg	Bryan Chapell	The Message of the Bible
Jon Bloom	Greg Gilbert	Life in the Local Church
Mike Bullmore	Dave Harvey	Calling
Kevin Cawley	Kelly Kapic	Communion with God
Bryan Chapell	Dave Kraft	Leadership
Sam Crabtree	Tom Nelson	A Man’s Work
Andy Davis	Ray Ortlund	Fathering
Jason DeRouchie	Michael Patton	Doubt
Dan Doriani	David Powlison	A Man’s Identity
Zack Eswine	Tim Savage	Marriage
Greg Gilbert	Ed Welch	Pornography
Aaron Golstein	Jared Wilson	The Gospel and Daily Life
Graeme Goldsworthy
Jim Hamilton
John Hannah
Justin Holcomb
Paul House
Kent Hughes
Ryan Kelly
Julius Kim
Dave Kraft
Michael Lumpkin
Jason Meyer
Gary Millar
Paul Miller
Andy Naselli
Tom Nelson
Doug O’Donnell
Dane Ortlund
Rob Plummer
Mike Reeves
Phil Ryken
J.J. Seid
Jay Sklar
Colin Smith
Scotty Smith
Sam Storms
Brian Tabb
Eric Thoennes
Joe Thorn
Stephen Um
Miles Van Pelt
Jared Wilson
Todd Wilson
Fowler White
Bob Yarbrough

Don’t forget to check out the pictures on my flickr page.

Pick up your copy on Amazon or Christianbook

ISBN-13: 9781433548413

Dimensions: 8.38 X 5.38 (inches)

What is the difference between a sojourning alien with Israel and an invading army?

November 18, 2015November 18, 2015 Bob Snyder1 Comment

***WARNING, GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND PROFANITY***

What is the difference between a sojourning alien with Israel and an invading army? Sojourners were circumcised and obeyed the laws of Israel and became Israelites. In light of how the refugees are behaving in Europe we need to consider how to deal with them here. Are they truly refugees or an invading army? If we see what has been done by them in Europe, we can trust they will do the same here when their numbers are great enough. After all it is what the quran says to do.
Most Americans haven’t seen the videos of the atrocities being perpetrated against the Europeans. They have no clue of what they are in for. It is a fine thing to show Christian love and charity to honest refugees. Let’s do it in a manner in which we can control it. Let’s be wise in our efforts to help. We have a responsibility to our citizens and fellow countrymen as well. We must love them to. We cannot love our enemy at the expense of our countrymen. Unless the left’s idea of helping refugees is internment camps, we should reduce the numbers and take the time to identify them and clear them before we allow them open access to our country. I would go as far to say that we should only allow Christian refugees instead of Islamic refugees. The Islamic ones should stay and denounce the violence committed in the name of their god. Most people out here know what a jack-mormon is. It is a mormon who doesn’t practice everything their prophet tells them to, they don’t go to church very often, they don’t pay their dues, they don’t abstain from drinking, but they consider themselves mormon. Well the muslims who don’t kill, or wage jihad, or make Christians pay the jizyah, or support the jihad against us infidels, or who don’t read the quran or know what it says are the jack-muslims of the world. Real muslims hate them almost as much as they hate us. So those so called peaceful muslims are not real muslims and they don’t follow the quran the way the real muslims do. What the so called extremist are really is nothing more complex than real, genuine, true believers in the islam of the quran. So I’ve had enough liberal nonsense. People really need to read the quran and study history.

Bible Reviews

A Review of the HCSB Apologetics Study Bible for Students Indexed Hardcover Edition.

November 9, 2015November 9, 2015 Bob Snyder2 Comments

I found this Bible to be significantly thinned out compared to the regular Apologetics Study Bible. This is targeted at teens and younger students. You can read my review of the Apologetics Study Bible here. Keep in mind that this Bible is not the same as the Apologetics Study Bible, and it is intended for students. It would make a great Bible for young people with questions that you perhaps are not equipped to answer.

Christian apologetics is the defense of the veracity of Christianity and its doctrines, by utilizing logic, reason, philosophy, and evidence. So when you think of a Bible including the word, “apologetics” in its title you would assume that it is going to be focused on apologetic arguments. This Bible does not do as comprehensive a job as the standard one, but for the intended audience, it is just what is needed, without getting bogged down. There are several articles, and testimonies.

One feature that is useful is the, “twisted scriptures” asides. There are 60 of them throughout the Bible. They take commonly misapplied scriptures, put them in the proper context, and explain the errors made with their application as well as the proper application. This should be very helpful for kids who have been exposed to cults by their friends. Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and all of the other repugnant cults, spread such lies about the Bible, that it is common to hear them repeated, even by kids raised in a Christian home.

Another nice feature is the, “bones & dirt” asides. There are 50 of them placed all over the Bible. They add archeological evidence as an apologetic aid. Students can see physical evidence, coincide with the testimony of scripture. This support can tip the scales towards belief and acceptance, when doubts are raised by their peers. It also adds to their individual education.

My review copy arrived damaged. It was packaged sufficiently. The damage looked like a problem from the factory. The end papers in the front as well as the presentation page, and the first pages of this Bible were deeply creased down the center. This is probably a fluke, but if you did get a damaged Bible, Holman will be quick to replace it.

Generally speaking, you should return it to the retailer. The hardcover is pretty standard fare.

The spine is sewn for durability, and flexibility. This ensures that it lays flat when opened. Overcasting was also employed, ensuring durability.

There is one very thin, and unintentional looking ribbon marker. It just seems out of place. Given their exceptional use of overcasting contrasted with this anemic ribbon, I’m at a loss. I’m kind of a stickler for ribbon markers. All Bibles should come with 3 ribbon markers that are wide enough to not bite into the page edges when opening the Bible with them. They should be thick enough to be durable. They should be thin enough to not leave grooves in the pages from when the Bible is closed on them. Finally they should not be folded haphazardly into the Bible from the factory.

The paper is opaque enough and the font is 8 pt. in size. I doubt young people will have trouble reading this black letter edition. I do however, have some difficulty with the choice of font on the feature headings. It looks very much like stylized scribbling. The font is arranged in a double column format with notes and references at the bottom. The book introductions and articles are well done. They should be helpful to the young reader.

I do not like the index tabs. In my opinion they are not as easy to use as the crescent cut ones. Your opinion may differ. All in all it is a descent Bible for young people. It is not sufficient to serve as a study Bible for a mature Christian.

Here is a list of features it has.

Two-color design-intensive layout on every page for the visual generation
Study notes providing evidence of the reliability and truthfulness of Scripture
120 articles by leading Christian thinkers dealing with life’s ultimate questions
50 “Notable Quotes” from influential people throughout history
25 “Tactics” against common anti-Christian arguments
Twenty “Personal Stories” of how God has worked in real lives
20 “Top Five” lists to help remember key apologetics topics
Bullet notes explaining Bible terms
Book introductions for each book of the Bible

Presentation page
Ribbon marker
Thumb-indexed page edges
8-point text size
9.25″ x 7.00″ x 1.25″

9.0 X 6.75 X 1.5 (inches)

ISBN-13: 9781433616976

Please don’t forget to look at the pictures I took of this Bible here on my flickr page.

God · Theology

Modern American culture places a dubiously high value on individual personal happiness.

November 8, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

Modern American culture places a dubiously high value on individual personal happiness. This is purposefully, and directly opposed to the will of God. It is an elevation of man’s position and authority over God’s. The sinner should first and foremost seek to do the will of God and find His happiness in the peace that comes through being in God’s will. We are commanded to do what is right. Right, is not some secular consensus. It is what God has deemed right and good in His sovereign will as Creator and Sustainer of all things. To do God’s will is where we will find peace, happiness, joy, contentment, and fulfillment. We won’t find those things in any lasting or meaningful way seeking our own understanding of what happiness is. So you go ahead and try to find your happiness in the world, among things, and fleshly pleasures, and when you are empty, broken, and full of misery, remember… you did what made you happy…

Book Reviews · God · Theology

“God Wins” from Author Mark Galli, is a Mature Response, to Bell’s, “Love Wins.”

November 4, 2015November 4, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

Hello, Soapbox fans. Today we are going to look at the book, “God Wins” written by Mark Galli the Senior Managing Editor for Christianity Today. In his book, Mark answers many of the questions raised by Rob Bell’s book, “Love Wins.” First and foremost, I have to applaud Mark for his maturity, and propriety in handling the heresies of Rob Bell. I tried to read Bell’s book without getting angry and could not. It made me furious with him every time. The slick, used car salesman, shysterly, manipulative, methods he employed to convince people of heresy seemed to me, to slip supplely, from this silver tongued devil’s mouth. So, bravo Mark! You are a better man than I, and I mean that. Furthermore, I admire Mark’s maturity when dealing with this book. Mark even explains his reasons for doing so in Appendix 3.

I am Lutheresque in my polemics at times. I tend to attack, without considering the effect I’ll have on the followers of the false teacher. Instead of seeing the correction and accepting it, they see me slaughtering their golden calf. When I read a work like this, I can see how it is better for the sheep. In dealing with the sheep we must be gentle. If this book were for Rob Bell alone, I would expect a more belligerent approach.

Mark takes a very thoughtful and thorough approach addressing the major issues of heresy in Bell’s book. It is almost impossible to talk about Mark’s book without mentioning Bell’s book, since it is an antithetical response to Bell’s. As Galli draws out, isolates, and entertains, the questions Bell asks, he offers orthodox answers and corrections that are easily understood. He explains doctrines that the Church has affirmed for over two thousand years. Don’t think that Galli is using kid gloves. He deals with the false gospel, and universalism of Bell. He even explains and contrasts the differences.

I encourage all of you who have read Bell’s book, have family who are fans of Bell, or plan on reading Bell’s book, to read, “God Wins.” For those of you with Bell fans in the family, after you have finished reading, “God Wins” give it to them as a gift, and pray for them to accept godly correction with humble repentance, and godly sorrow.

ISBN-13: 9781414366661

Liberal Christian

Have you ever had a friend claim to be Christian, and also liberal? What’s that all about?

October 31, 2015October 31, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

I don’t know how people can give their liberal political ideologies more authority than their self-professed faith. It would seem that their political ideologies are more important to them than what God has said. Let me explain. There are many worldviews. If you don’t like the one your parents gave you, you can always develop you own, or adopt one. Colleges seem to be one of those places where young people adopt a different worldview.

I happen to have what I, and many others, would call a, “Christian worldview.” What that means, is that my beliefs about everything, yes everything, are determined by what God says in His word, the Bible. I order my beliefs from the ordinances of scripture. So, my political ideologies are determined by my Christian worldview.

So if someone asks, “Bob, why do you hate abortion? It is a woman’s choice.” I reply with, “Murder is wrong, and murdering a child in the womb because of your sexual immorality is reprehensible.” I can say this and assert it. Because, I can build that opinion on systematic and Biblical theology. When you read your Bible in context, and apply the proper hermeneutical method of exegesis to the text, you get doctrines. Those doctrines provide the basis for our morality. So, my morality is built on the doctrines of God, from His word. So, my stance on abortion is that it is the murder of an infant in the womb, due to the sinfulness of the murdering mother.

Then we throw other beliefs about other moral issues in there like, theft, welfare, work, love, sexuality, and so on. Guess what? The Bible determines what I believe about all of those things as well. Since that is the case, cumulatively they make up the ideologies of my Christian worldview, which is what I use in determining what is acceptable politically.

This seems foundationally simple to me. I don’t understand those who sit across the aisle and defend something like abortion, or gay marriage, while still claiming Christ as their Savior. “Doesn’t His word mean anything to them? Don’t they want to be obedient to Him, because of the great love, and work He did to save them on the cross? How can they afflict Him more while He hangs from the cross?” To advocate horribly sinful, and abominable things, while claiming Christ as your Savior, is tantamount to throwing refuse on Him, while He hangs suffering on the cross.

I’ve tried to ask people like this to justify their positions Biblically for me. I’ve never encountered one person who could do this. There have been a few who have tried, but their usually open theist heretics, or some other very liberal theological bent that doesn’t hold the Bible as authoritative. This gives them the wiggle room they need to pervert the word. This is another sickening thing. To see someone pervert and abuse the word of God.

I suppose a person could be very new in the faith, and not have the maturity to understand what they are doing. This is why I can’t make the blanket statement that they are all unsaved heretics. I can definitively say, that if a person persists in their sin, and loves the worldly life, and sinful cultures opinions, more than God’s, they are not saved. I can’t do that with people I only know in passing. It worries me drastically more when I’ve known someone for a very long time, and they are like that.

So you claim that you are pro-choice(abortion), for social programs, for big Federal government, for gay marriage, for no fault divorce, for euthanasia, for socialism, communism, pro-gun grabbers, pro-illegal immigration, and you think that God is O.K. with that? We don’t know the same God. The God I know is loving, but He is also just, holy, righteous, true, and He has communicated His will for us, to us, in His word.

Book Reviews

A Review of, “The Underestimated Gospel” a Compilation of Edited Sermons from the 2012, “Together for the Gospel” Conference.

October 29, 2015October 29, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

I know 2012 was a few years back, but that didn’t stop B&H Books from publishing this work in 2014. Jonathan Leeman is the General Editor for this compilation of sermons. He did a great job putting them together in book format. Here is list of the Pastors whose sermons are featured in this book, David Platt, John Piper, Kevin DeYoung, Matt Chandler, R. Albert Mohler Jr. Thabiti Anyabwile, Mark Dever, C.J. Mahaney, and J. Ligon Duncan III. With this list of names you would expect to see some good sermons. I did, and I wasn’t disappointed. As you can tell from the name of the book, and the conference, the messages focused on the gospel of Jesus, and its power to change everything.

I don’t want to do the typical critical review here. It isn’t really that kind of work. This was sermons, preached to Pastors, for their edification, by other Pastors, at a conference. It was not a work of fiction, a history book, a “Christian living” book, theology book, or a biography. Considering that, I would rather just encourage you to read this volume of sermons for your own edification. You don’t have to be a Pastor to get the message from this book. Any Christian could pick this up and read it for their benefit. These men laid out for us the importance of preaching the gospel, and how it applies to every aspect of Christian conversion, security, life, evangelism, and discipleship. You get a view through a portal into the head and heart of these Pastors as they preach about the gospel.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is tired of hearing fluff that doesn’t actually change anything, to Pastors who lack authority in their preaching, to Pastors who want to see their flock changed by the word of God. The worst that can happen is that you would spend a short time reading some very good sermons. If you are a false teacher, and false convert, the best thing that could happen, is that you could be genuinely saved, and motivated to give up that useless moralism, life enhancement, prosperity, best life now, drivel, you’ve been pushing, and actually preach the gospel of Jesus Christ crucified. Sorry if that seemed a bit harsh. I have sat in Churches that don’t preach the gospel. It gets me riled up now when I think about other poor souls sitting in a Church having nonsense preached at them. Seriously, if you are a Pastor, or know a Pastor, get them this book. It will aid them and encourage them.

You can pick up a copy here at Christianbook.com

You can also watch the entire conference for free on the site.

ISBN: 9781433683909

Book Reviews

A Review of the, “Westminster Confession of Faith” as Published by, “The Banner of Truth Trust.”

October 27, 2015October 27, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

Many of you know what a Confession of Faith is. Many of you are familiar with the Westminster Confession of Faith. If you are one of the many who is already familiar, bear with me for a moment. If you are reading this review, and are not familiar with the subject matter, then you are here providentially to learn. When people speak of a Confession of Faith, they are talking about a Church document that apprises, in detail, the Essential Articles, or Doctrines of the Faith. You see, before the invention of the internet, mass media, and distribution, people had to read books, and other documents to learn things.

I know it seems silly, and antiquated in this day of smartphones, tablets, apps, and e-readers, but nonetheless it is true. For some of us old fuddy-duddies, the appeal of the book has not been outshined by modern contenders. Especially when it comes to having a hard copy record that can’t be changed with an internet update. So we have books with all of their limitations, and assets.

People would study from a Confession to give themselves a better understanding of what the Church believed. They would study, so they could teach others. They would study, so they could defend their beliefs. We still study for those same reasons.

Many Churches say they don’t have a confession of faith, creeds, or doctrines. Of course their claim qualifies as all of the above. It would be humorous if it weren’t so sad. Perhaps, they have some phobia against a clear statement of faith? Perhaps, they are afraid that God isn’t powerful enough to call, and keep His own? Maybe they fear people might be offended by the doctrines of the Faith? We do know from scripture, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

If you go to a Church with a, “Statement of Faith” or a, “What We Believe” article on their website, a Confession of Faith is sort of like that, but only more complete. So if you are feeling brave, and intrepid, I suggest you get ahold of your Church’s, confession, manual, or other foundational documentation, and compare it to the Bible. If it doesn’t match up, you should leave.

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a historic document of the Church. It came after the Protestant Reformation, during the Puritan era. The name comes from the Westminster Abbey, where the theologians of the time met, by request of the English Parliament, to provide advice on issues of worship, doctrine, government and discipline of the Church of England. The results were the Westminster Catechism, Longer and Shorter, as well as the Westminster Confession of Faith. This edition includes the American revisions, and is used widely by Presbyterian Churches here in America.

This edition of the Westminster Confession of Faith, is in the Gift Editions Collection, from Banner of Truth. They are small enough to go in your pocket. It measures 5.55 x 4 x 0.5 in. It is covered with a black, synthetic, leather-like, material with some ornamentation on the front cover. It has a sewn binding, as well as decorative head and tail bands.

The text is printed in a 10.5 pt font. It is large enough text to be very legible. The paper is pretty heavy as well. Each sections starts with a Bold title and drop cap.

These are durable little books, meant to be carried and shared. There is a very useful Table of Contents in the beginning, to help you quickly find the section you want to look up. It works great for quick reference when someone asks you a question. It includes proofs from scripture in each section. If you’ve ever wanted to understand Reformed theology better, this little book is a great aid. The Westminster Confession of Faith has become a familiar partner and aid to Christians through the many generations since its penning. I encourage you to get a copy of this for your edification, and the aid of others you come in contact with. The best way to effectively share your faith, is to know it first.

Make sure to check out all of the pictures on the flickr page.

ISBN: 9781848711099

Book Reviews · Journal Review

A Review of the JOT Bible Life-Notes Journal in Black Genuine Leather.

October 24, 2015October 24, 2015 Bob Snyder6 Comments

Do you study your Bible? I don’t mean devotional reading. I mean, do you sit down with your Bible, a journal, Greek/Hebrew resources and some commentaries, to unpack God’s word? If you are a serious student of God’s word, you’ll love this journal. Pastors study to prepare for sermons, Teachers study to instruct, Evangelists study to make the gospel known, Apologists study to make reasonable arguments, Christians study to be discipled. As Christians we all should be studying God’s word. Out of the available tools we have at our disposal, recording our thoughts on paper is one of the most effective ways of revisiting them. Considering the above callings, it is very beneficial.

As a student, I’m often frustrated with the journals available on the market today. They don’t open flat. You always are fighting the cover of the journal. They are small. You can’t fit all of your thoughts from the entire Bible in one journal. You end up with several unmatched journals floating around your house. It ruins the continuity. I also find that I lose them. If you are going to a few different places in your Bible during a lesson, you have to remember which journals you wrote in. You have to gather them and bring them with you. The covers are usually flimsy card paper or moleskin.

I realize some of you might be wondering what the fuss is about. “Isn’t that why the invented wide margin Bibles?” Well, yes and no. Anyone who has used a wide margin Bible has run into the problem of not having ruled lines. This might not seem like a big problem to those of you who have been blessed with the “spiritual gift” of beautiful handwriting. (just kidding. I know that is not one of the gifts.) No ruled lines, is a real problem for me. My notes meander all over the margin, not to mention that there is never enough room for some of the most elementary notables to be notated 🙂 While, wide margins have their place, they don’t fit the bill for some of us. Space is the next issue with wide margin Bibles. There is never enough blank space for notes. You can never seem to get all of what you are thinking down on the paper next to the verses you are meditating on.

I often wonder what will happen to all of my journals? They are all disorganized, and haphazard. Will my kids toss them out after I’m gone? Will they know what is in them? I want to have my all of my ruminations in one volume, organized, durable, functional, and easily referenced. On more than a few occasions, I’ve wondered if that was too much to ask. After talking to several other Christian friends over the years, I found that I wasn’t alone. We just consigned ourselves to the notion that our notes would forever be a collage of our faith journeys.

I’m glad to say that someone has finally remedied this malady. The JOT Bible Life-Notes is the perfect receptacle for your meditations, ruminations, and contemplations. It matches your Bible in looks and size. It is a fitting companion to bring to the pulpit with your trusty Bible. It looks like a Bible, but it isn’t.

It matches the Bible book, chapter, and verse. For every verse of the Bible there are two ruled lines with the verse number next to them, printed on fine, acid free, highly opaque, 42 g.s.m. Bible paper! I mean what!? You’ve got to be kidding me! That is far superior to most paper used in Bible printing, and they have an entire journal made from it, sweeeeeeet! I don’t know if you can tell from the pictures, but I am a pencil masher. I tend to push pencils and pens through the page when I write. If I am writing on thin paper, fogehtaboutit… I hope you can tell from the pictures that this paper holds up to pencil quite well. I would recommend pencil, as you can go back and edit notes later on. We are always learning more, every time we read the Bible so sometimes you have to go back and add things to your notes or fix misunderstood verses. Pencil erases nicely from this paper without leaving the paper wounded.

I did write notes in John 1 in black ink. This section of scripture will always assure me of Christ’s power, and the truth of God’s Word. This is what it looks like when you use ink. Just be sure it is something you aren’t going to change. I will only use pencil for the rest of my notes.

The printing of the lines and features of this journal is done in a consistent fashion. I haven’t noticed any breaks in the lines. The page edges are gold gilt.

The JOT comes in a heavy duty two piece box that should be retained for storage. It is seriously built better than most Bible boxes.

The cover is supposed to be genuine leather. I can’t place it though. It seems too nice to be pigskin leather, but it is tougher than other cowhide leather covers. Regardless, it is flexible and durable. It is a work of form and function.

The binding is a smythe-sewn spine in a case bound cover. The spine of the JOT Bible Life-Notes is ornamented with five raised spine hubs. The perimeter is stitched. There is a presentation page in the front that includes a spot for you to write your contact information incase you lose your journal so that the person who finds it can get it back to you.

There are three ribbon markers in, black, red, and blue. This thing is pretty much built like a quality Bible, but beefed up for note taking. Again, to be clear, THIS IS NOT A BIBLE, IT IS A JOURNAL!!! Don’t buy this thinking it is a Bible. I know it looks like one, but it isn’t.

So just to recap the high points here; durable, useful, all your notes in one place, attractive, helpful, heirloom possibilities, preaching aid, study tool, memoirs from time with God’s word.

To be honest there is only one drawback that comes to mind. It is a hefty tome, but if you know anything about book design, you’d know there are finite attributes that are interrelated. When you change one thing it affects the others. Using thick paper, and giving us room to write, necessitates a larger volume. It can’t be helped. I’d much rather have ample room along with function and form than have all form. This thing is meant for work and does not need to be forgiven for that. So if you are in the market for a high quality depository for all of your meditations instead of just a smattering of them, this is the journal for you. Give it a try and recommend it to your friends, I know I am. Make sure to check out all of the close up pictures I took of this journal on my flickr page here. You can purchase yours on Amazon. You can also check out their site here.
ISBN: 9780692396193

Bible Reviews · Bibles

A Review of the Trinitarian Bible Society’s KJV Classic Reference Bible in Black Calfskin Leather.

October 18, 2015October 18, 2015 Bob Snyder1 Comment

As many of you know TBS is a Christian ministry that provides high quality, good value KJV Bibles to many Christians in need, worldwide. To support the ministry, we purchase Bibles from them and are also blessed. Not only do we get to be a part of providing God’s word to our brothers and sisters, we also get a durable, well built Bible for our own use. Knowing the proceeds go to furthering the Kingdom is a comforting thought as well. I hope you will consider purchasing your next Bible from TBS after reading my review of the Classic Reference Bible.

As always TBS exceeds my expectations in the packaging and shipping department. They go above and beyond to ensure that your Bible gets to you undamaged. They are the winner, hands down, when it comes to packaging. The Classic Reference Bible arrived undamaged in a heavy duty, white, cardboard box, cushioned inside with foam packing peanuts.

The Bible itself was inside a sturdy cardboard slipcase, that should be retained for storage.

After removing the plastic wrap from the slipcase, I could take the Bible out. It is not a large Bible and it is not as small as a typical compact Bible. It is a full KJV Bible and it does have the Cambridge Concord cross references. It is just a very handy size. It measures about 4 ¾” across, by 7 ¼” tall, by 1” thick.

Here it is to the right of the TBS Windsor Text Bible. You can see that it is smaller than the text version while retaining the cross references.

Most typical reference Bibles are around 6” across, by 9” tall, 1 ½” thick. So you can see there is a substantial difference in size. Of course a compact is smaller yet. If this Bible were the size of a typical compact the font would be too small for normal use. Fortunately, the font in this Bible is a legible 8 pt. in size. Since it is the traditional typesetting instead of a modern digital setting, the font would contrast a bit less against the page if not for its boldness.

Here it is laid over a page from the Windsor.

The cover is listed as, “Calfskin” on the website. Keep in mind there is no industry standard. Technically the French Morocco Leather cover is made of calfskin, so it is true, but if you are expecting supple calfskin like some premium Bibles use, you will be disappointed. I don’t know why anyone would think that though considering the value pricing of this edition. I seriously don’t understand how a person could complain about this cover. Especially in light of the low cost and how much they are getting. For under fifty dollars they are getting a full KJV reference Bible, smyth-sewn binding, and genuine leather. Even if it is French Morocco, it is far superior to the covers of other Bibles in the same price range. Other Bibles in this price range use synthetic covers or bonded leather. The front cover is blank. The only gold lettering on the outside of this Bible is on the spine. It has the words, “Holy Bible” at the head, “Classic Reference Bible” directly under that, and the TBS logo at the tail. The cover is uniform in thickness and has a nice pattern pressed into it. It is on the smooth side and feels very durable. My first impression was, “This is a tough little Bible.”

This Bible is case bound, and as such utilizes black vinyl covered paper as an interior liner and to join the cover to the text block.

The front, inside, bottom edge has, “French Morocco Leather” in gold lettering stamped in it. Red and gold colored head and tail bands decorate this edition. It also includes two, black ribbon markers. The page edges are gold gilt. The corners and the spine are rounded. From the outside this Bible looks like what you’d expect a Bible to look like. It is a venerable style, and is very familiar.

The front inside of this Bible has a nice presentation page on card paper with a couple of blank card paper pages following it. Then you have the title page and copyright/publisher’s information page.

There is a list of the contents after that. It is followed by a guide to the pronunciation marks for self pronouncing text and an explanation of the bold-figure Concord cross reference system. Finally, there is the Epistle Dedicatory, the Translators to the Reader, and the list of the Books of the Bible.

The text of this edition should be familiar to KJV readers. It won’t take anytime at all to get right into and read. It is laid out in a double column, verse format, with center column references. The font is 8 pt. in size making it easy on the eyes. The center column references are pretty small and a bit tough to see, but they are discernable. The paper is thin Bible paper. It is opaque enough that the ghosting is mitigated. It does use the self-pronouncing text. Speaking of text, this is a black letter edition. The entire word of God is all the same color.

There are two black ribbon markers to help you keep your place. This is very helpful for people who read out of the Old Testament and New Testament on a daily basis.

One of the more significant, yet underappreciated features of this Bible is the smyth-sewn binding. Many publishers go for a cheaper glued binding. While TBS opts for a superior sewn binding in this edition. It is a bit tight at first, but as you use this Bible, the binding loosens up. Sewn bindings are much more durable and flexible. They add to the usefulness and longevity in a way that no other features do. I would say that it should be a prerequisite.

Contrary to popular belief, this edition of the Classic Reference Bible is not printed by Cambridge. Cambridge oversees the printing. It is also a typesetting of the Cambridge Concord that has been shrunk, and maintains the pagination. It is printed and bound by Printcorp in Minsk, Belarus for TBS. These distinctions can change depending on the production run at the time. It is acceptable to ask. TBS is always willing to answer specific questions. They are just an e-mail away.

Finally, in the rear of this Bible we have, Bible word list, Daily Bible reading plan, and 8 Color maps with Gazetteer.

The long list of features are understated by the very familiar appearance of this Bible. It is a conveniently sized workhorse that should provide many years of service. I recommend this Bible to anyone in the market for a reference Bible that is a tad smaller than the usual fare, but not limited in helps like a compact.

You can get one from TBS at the site, except on Sunday it is closed.

You can also purchase one from evangelicalbible.com

4U/BK (Black)
ISBN: 9781862281950

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)