So here it is. My new Bible. I wasn’t going to post a blog today, but I couldn’t resist! I am falling in love with it - the first Bible I have really loved since my very first leather-bound NIV cross-reference which I received many years ago.

So what is it I like so much about this Bible? Well, first things first. It is, of course, an ESV – sorry to disappoint any of you who thought I had jumped ship! Then, there is also the simple, but elegant look – I LOVE that elastic band to keep your church notice sheet safe!


But there is more to it than the look on the outside. For I love this Bible already for what it represents. It allows a reversal of a decision I made not much less than two decades ago. Somehow I decided to stop writing in the Bible despite the fact that I had spent a few years writing notes in my Bible (actually mainly date references to the paper diary I was keeping at the time in the days pre-blog). So, after all these years I have decided that I will re-start writing in this new Bible, and indeed already have.

There is plenty of room in the ESV Journaling Bible for notes, and I wrote sermon notes intermingled with my own thoughts this morning at our regional celebration when about 10 newfrontiers churches all met together. Do get yourself one if you want to join me in annotating your Bible.

The preacher was John KpiKpi, and the talk was on Psalm 2, and as you can see, I wrote four main headings down. The one in brackets I added, as John didn’t preach the last few verses. So the headings were:

World's Rebellion

I loved his point that with an all-seeing God trying to plot behind His back is a bit pointless! He also spoke about how order and authority are part of God's design for the world. He majored on gender distinctions as one of the key ways that modern people try to throw off the “bonds” of God, and cross-referred to Romans 1. Key words here are rage, plot, gather, burst their bonds.

God's Response
Four key words here are laughs, wrath, my king on Zion, and of course the promise (which is surely linked to those found in Isaiah 2, Isaiah 54, Isaiah 60). John stated that this is about the church in whom God has placed His king, and who will experience the opposition of the world as they extend God's kingdom. John spoke about the spread of the gospel to the nations - something which was fresh in our minds from the conference where incidently 54 nations were represented!

We must prioritise the church, build it as a family who have gathered - not to oppose God, but to follow Him and PRAY for Him to act.

(Wise Response)
Key words here are be wise, serve, fear, kiss, and the final point which struck me as I read the psalm – the same God whose wrath can be quickly kindled is the One in whom we are to take refuge. There is a mystery – how can we hide from a wrathful God in that same wrathful God? Penal substitution by our Saviour Jesus is, of course, the only answer!