A Quick Look - InTouch NASB Wide Margin & NASB Ref

After nearly 2 mths' wait, my 2 NASBs finally arrived this week. A check on the cartons showed Pos Malaysia seemed to be using some 3rd party contractor to handle part of the delivery. Most surprising of all, they actually used SHIP to ship the shipment from KL to Kch! Literally!


Both came with a nice velvet soft case inside the box. Nice to know they are "protected" enroute as much as possible but once the Bibles are out of the box, these velvet covers don't serve much purpose anymore.


Very nice longish and wide ribbons. InTouch comes with 2 & NASB Ref 1.


Surprised to see that the InTouch version is still printed in the good old U.S of A. While the other is printed in China.


One design I don't quite understand though - why THAT on the back of the beautiful calfskin???


And...despite the fact that the NASB Ref is marketed as ULTRATHIN... it is FAAAAR from being thinline... But I love the "thickness".

McCain WINS! ;)

Thanks to my buddy Colin - Yes, Obama lost cuz of ME! Whoahahaha...



If I were to be voting, I WILL vote for McCain. Not Obama.

Reformation Week!

I didn't know there is a "Reformation Week". A week to remember Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses on the church door at Wittenberg on Oct 31, 1517!

It was out of this Reformation that birthed the Protestantism. Unfortunately much of Protestants today have gone the way of the Middle Age Catholic Church - becoming unbelieving & mystical.

Anyway, I rejoice in these truths that were preached by the Reformation fathers by which many died also:

- Sola Scriptura
- Solus Christus
- Sola Gratia
- Soli Deo Gloria
- Sola Fide




To God be the Glory.

Chin's Dad's Big Day

Today Chin's dad celebrated his 79th birthday - Happy Blessed Birthday!!!


It was a buffet styled dinner with lots of friends & relatives coming to celebrate together.


Pastor Cheng helped to lead the worship.



I love to see the kids singing...especially singing worship songs exalting Jesus.


It's EASY to see who's enjoying the worship...


...and who's not? Kinda reminds me of this verse:

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor 2:14)

By the grace & mercy of God, lets pray next year we can see vibrant worship to our glorious Jesus from this corner too ;)


One particularly cool song was this piece written by an old Taiwanese movie star (孫越) who was converted a number of years back. It was a beautiful thanksgiving song...


A very touching moment...


A prayer of blessing over Chin's dad & his big family by Pastor Cheng before dinner proper.


...and giving of thanks for the food...


Fabulous buffet...

Praise the LORD for Chin's family.

As a "bonus", check out this classic by 孫越 - one of his best movie - does the storyline remind u of anything?

Big Day

Well, its my Big Day today. Too busy to reflect much on whats past, and too excited to ponder much on the future. Perhaps these words echo much of my sentiment at the moment:

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:13-14)

And I love these gifts from my niece & nephews! Thanks!

Allan ESV1 "Outing"

First out-of-church "field test" for my Tan ESV1 today.


It was for an expository teaching session on the book of Job by Rev Christopher Ash from The Proclamation Trust, London. Rev Ash is a gifted teacher.


The entire session was taught using NIV except for a small portion where Rev Ash wanted a more LITERAL reading on Job (Job 32:1-5). And he chose ESV!!!


So far the textural grain on my Tan ESV1 gives a better "feel" than the Black. Both are limp & supple (see the "wrap-around" effect on my thigh), but somehow the Tan has a more "spongy" feel.


Here is Allan NIV B1 my wife uses - super limp & supple too.

Seeker-sensitive & MegaChurch

I am not against MegaChurch. In fact, the early Church was a "MegaChurch" with 3000 coming to the Saving Faith when Peter preached his first sermon. But sadly, it is also true that many churches today are becoming like the Laodiceans' church - man-centered, Christ-less church.



Should our church be a "seeker-sensitive" church? I like the answer I hear once from somewhere, and it goes something like this: "Our churches should be Seeker-sensitive, not seeker-sensitive cuz there is ONLY one Seeker - Christ Jesus the LORD."

Here RC Sproul explains why seeker-sensitive doesn't work:

Bible Wallpaper

The idea suddenly strike me - why don't I use the bible photos I have taken as wallpaper? The result - rather cool! (Just fyi, my wife thinks otherwise.)

Old TBS KJV Pitt Minion

Over the week, one of my wife's closest relative passed away in KL. As a token of memorial, it is the Chinese tradition that one takes home a personal belonging of the deceased for remembrance sake. As my wife called me over the phone asking me what to take, I answered: "Bibles?"

And indeed this evening she came home with a VERY OLD looking bible.


As I took hold of it and flip it open...I was awe struck! This is a KJV Pitt Minion from the Trinitarian Bible Society!!!


It was a present from my father-in-law to her only sister...purchased in Nov 1967.

Yes, 1967! This bible is OLDER than me (actually, not by much). And it cost RM25.00 (equivalent to USD7 with today's exchange rate).

I have no idea how much does it cost for a similar TBS pitt minion today...but for a Cambridge Pitt Minion Goatskin today, the price ranged from RM310.00 to RM455.00!


And the thought that came immediately to my mind - I gotta photograph THIS!

Comparing to the modern Pitt Minion, I see little if any difference in the text format. With the exception of the paper being a bit yellowish (not sure if this is due to age or thats how India Paper supposed to be in the 60s).

However, the printing is EXCEPTIONAL. It says printed in England on the front page.

And if u haven't noticed - the OLD bible has NEAR ZERO bleed-thru!!! (Believe me, the paper is THIN). So now I understand why the OUTCRY by many for this particular "back to past" technology!


While I am not sure if this - "Cambridge Bold-figure References" - is still in use by any current Cambridge's KJV bibles, I do find this system extremely user-friendly. (Allan Oxfords are using similar system - whereby the center column references are located right next to the referenced verses, or as close as possible).

Not only that, this is a Black-Letter edition WITHOUT the names of kings, prophets & apostles been split into multiple syllables with hyphens in between! (So I guess there was a significant population of Bible loving Christians who didn't fancy self-pronouncing feature in the 60s either).


It has 8 gorgeous maps but no concordance.


This OLD pitt minion "springs wide open" (to borrow a phrase from Mr Mark Bertrand) as well as today's Cambridge pitt minion. Very cool.

It has red under gold (I can still see some gold glitter despite the age). And it is symth sewn.


Unfortunately the zipper doesn't "work" anymore, or at least thats what my father-in-law advised.

I NEVER expected my wife to bring back such a GEM. Truth be told, I was thinking something more in line with - hardback, glue bonded & full of fungus stains. I repent by giving glory to my Abba Father who is full of mercy & grace, who blesses me with this bible.


* Photo by Ivy

We all miss you, auntie Siu. And with the state of the world today, I guess it is probably much sooner than most people expected in our LORD's return. We shall meet again!

ESV - Allan & Crossway

Using the flash to "bring out" the different grain of the covers. Personally, I really think Crossway's Cordovan Calfskin has the "coolest" look.


Almost identical typeface. Allan's papers do feel thicker under the fingers and visibly less bleed-thru too.


Another pix to show the different grains. Even Allan's Black is different from the Tan. All are unique, and all are gorgeous. Praise the LORD for all these skilled craftsmen.

Just A Few More Allan ESV1 Pix...

Very nice grain pattern. Since both bibles are still "fresh out of the boxes"...the covers aren't as supple as my "heavily attacked & greased" Long Primer...yet. Since I intend to finish the new ESV from cover to cover within 2 months (or 4 mths at the MOST), both should age extremely well if my 4 mths old Long Primer is of any guide.

Since I am still trying to get used to the TAN color ( a couple of hours now), I think I still "prefer" the Black version. Well, this preference could change of course.


Though I don't remember Allan's website mentioning about the colors of the leather lining... So here u have it.


One thing I REALLY appreciate nowadays is how "willingly" Allan Bibles tend to open up. Yes, right out of the box. Just last week, I was checking out a TNIV bonded version in my local bookstore...and as I took the bible out of the box...and as I opened it...Boy, I tell u, the "experience" was tormenting ;)

As for the typeface, since I don't own an older Allan ESV version, as I compared these new ones with my Crossway Cordovan thinline version, well I gotta say the Crossway definietly appears "bolder" by a hair.

Once more let us remember that it is whats INSIDE the covers that will help us to be transformed into the image of our great God & Saviour Jesus Christ!

R.L Allan ESV1 - Black & Tan

Finally, the long awaited Allan ESV1 have arrived. A quick inspection shows both Bibles are made in the finest Allan tradition - superb binding & luxurious Highland Goatskin.




Best yet, it comes with 3 (!!!) ribbons!!! And not just any ribbons - they are WIDE & LOOOOONG!

U can see the ultra longish ribbons clearly here as compared to my other Allan Bibles.



Both Black & Tan have a gilt line inside. And u can see the gold stamping - "Highland Goatskin" & "Allan Binding" inside the cover.



Supple & limp right out of the box. So far only Cambridge Bibles seem to exhibit these same characteristics.


I also have my Black ESV1 embossed with my name... :)