Bible Review: Thomas Nelson KJV Bible w/Apocrypha

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After signing up for alerts on the publication of this particular volume, I received an email from Christianbook.com that alerted me to the fact that I would be able to order before the March 14th date that other booksellers were putting on sale. Not sure if that was because I was a member or not. At any rate, I was excited to say the least. I quickly put my order in on the 2nd and received on the 7th, a full week before Amazon, for example, would put on sale. As of this writing, still on pre-order status on Amazon, at a considerable higher price.

The Bible came in a standard Thomas Nelson bi-fold box with no visible damage at all. Upon first inspection, I noticed two things. First the volume was quite light in weight. Second, the leather was quite flexible and soft but not quite as soft compared to the Sovereign wide margin, for example. This Bible weighs in at 37.5oz and the Sovereign wide margin comes in at 48.1oz, according to my digital kitchen scale. The dimensions are otherwise the same except for the width of the book block, this volume is about 1.25 inches, and the sovereign is 1.62.

This particular publication is not a premium Bible, and I did not expect one. There are 5 spine hubs outlined in gold, a nice touch. The text on the spine appears to be stamped rather than embossed, I expect it will rub off over time. There are no colors in the text block, except for the red letter in the New Testament. I have grown quite used to chapter and verse numbers in color to make it easier to find. The signatures are sewn, however there is no edge line construction. A curious choice given that this model is not meant to be written in the margins heavily. The liner appears to be paper, but it is coated and has a synthetic feel. I wonder how long before it begins to tear away from the book block. This is quite a bit of cockling in the signatures, and it becomes a little annoying when turning pages in the front and the back. To be fair, I find this with almost every volume printed in South Korea.This is a first edition, obviously, this version has indexed tabs and the paper is adequate, but certainly not premium. Considering the inclusion of the Apocrypha, I wonder how the weight is so much lower compared to other Bibles in my collection. It really does make a difference when reading for extended periods of time. My ESV Study Bible remains on my desk at all times as it weighs in at full 4.75 lbs. Apples and oranges, however.

The Deuterocanonical Books are separated from the new and testament, there are 15 included, however, Psalm 151 is not included. As an Anglican, I can appreciate the inclusion of the apocrypha when praying the daily office. Until comfort print, this endeavor was a challenge on my middle-aged eyes. It is surprising the lack of options when it comes to KJV Bibles that include the apocrypha, although modern digital printing has improved, quite often the Cambridge text can be a challenge to read for any length of time. Once I saw that Thomas Nelson offered the KJV with the apocrypha AND genuine leather. I was ready to purchase.

Very happy with my purchase. It has become one of three Bible that I use every day. The size and weight make it a true pleasure, however, some color in the text would have been nice. I expect that will change in the future. You can go wrong if you prefer a volume with the apocrypha as your choices are quite limited.

How to calculate the date of Easter in the Western Church

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Easter Sunday falls on a different Sunday every year. Using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church, Easter falls on the first Sunday, between March 21st and April 19th, after the Paschal full Moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. If the full moon lands on a Sunday, then Easter is the following Sunday

The date is fixed in accordance with an ancient ecclesiastical computation, and does not always correspond to the astronomical equinox. The Metonic cycle of 19 years is one in which the phases of the Moon repeat exactly. It is thus possible to have a 19-year cycle for the dates of full or new Moon. In the Julian calendar this 19-year cycle can be fairly easily translated into a date for Easter.

The date of the Paschal Full Moon, used to determine the date of Easter, is based on mathematical approximations following a 19-year cycle called the Metonic cycle.

March 21 is the Church’s date of the March equinox, regardless of the time zone, while the actual date of the equinox varies between March 19 and March 22, and the date depends on the time zone.

In today’s Gregorian calendar the calculation is complicated by the definition of which century years are leap years. These leap years mess up the simple Metonic cycle by altering the number of days in different periods of 19 years.

On page lii and liii of the 1928 BCP, you can find the calculation for determining when Easter Sunday is. It requires the following steps:

  1. Find the Golden number or “Prime”
  2. Find the Sunday (Dominical) Letter
  3. Determine Easter Sunday on Calendar with item # 1,2
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World Watch List – Christian Persecution

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More than 360m Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.

In the past year, the persecution of Christians has not only increased, but it has also spread to more corners of the globe – with incidents occurring on every continent, according to a new report.

The advocacy group Open Doors USA recently released the latest edition of its annual World Watch List, which ranks countries based on the treatment of their Christian populations. The group said the increase in incidents considered persecution was alarming and only getting worse.

“It is appalling that Open Doors has to report that persecution has increased again in 2016 and we are still at the worst levels of persecution in modern times,” David Curry, president and CEO of Open Doors USA, “The spread of persecution has gotten worse, now hitting nearly every continent in the world. There were 23 Christians killed in Mexico specifically because of their faith.”

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My One Year Reading Plan

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I developed my own One Year Bible Reading Plan because most of the plans on the internet were in order of the Holy Bible which finished the year reading Revelation during Advent and Christmas! I somehow thought that after a full year of intense Bible study I couldn’t see myself reading about the apocalypse and Armageddon while reading Matthew. I decided to divide up the themes of the Holy Bible across a 7 day period for 52 weeks. I found an excellent little church in New Zealand called “City” https://city.org.nz. The pastor there worked up a plan that was heavy on theme rather than chronological. Here is a link to that bible reading plan…. https://city.org.nz/pdf/bible-plan.pdf. I discovered the time periods each book was written with help from the ESV Study Bible ,(A Mighty Oak of a study bible!) I then came up with a excel spreadsheet, printable for one page with highlights to show the time periods and themes.

This first download is my plan without color…

Bible Reading Plan in a YearDownload

This download is my original plan that includes color and easier to see the bible themes.

Bible Reading Plan in a Year – ColorDownload

Here is a simple checklist to keep track of your verses when reading throughout the year.

Bible Reading Checkoff SheetDownload

Here is a version that also includes the apocrypha

Bible Reading Checkoff with ApocryphaDownload
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People Get Ready

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People get ready, there’s a train a-coming
You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels humming
Don’t need no ticket, you just thank the Lord

People get ready for the train to Jordan
Picking up passengers from coast to coast
Faith is the key, open the doors and board ’em
There’s room for all among the loved the most

There ain’t no room for the hopeless sinner
Who would hurt all mankind just to save his own
Have pity on those whose chances are thinner
‘Cause there’s no hiding place from the Kingdom’s throne

I’m getting ready
I’m getting ready
This time I’m ready
This time I’m ready

What does the Bible say about cremation?

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Having a proper burial for your recently departed was held with great importance during Biblical times. Most of us are aware of the great lengths ancient Egyptians went through to preserve the dead for their eternal journey, but the ancient Hebrews also took great care in preparing their dead for burial, as evident in John 19:39. In most cases, Jewish families buried their dead in caves and tombs when possible.


39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus[a] by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds[b] in weight.

John 19:39 – English Standard Version

The practice of cremation is found throughout the Bible. The first-time cremation is referenced as a burial practice is 1Samuel 31: 11-13:


11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.Saul and his sons were cremated because burial was not possible. While ancient Hebrews and Egyptians traditionally buried their dead in tombs of some form, cremation was also an option when necessary. 

1 Samuel 31:11-13 – English Standard Version
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5 Types of Foods That Cause Inflammation

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Inflammation is part of your body’s natural defense against things that adversely affect health, like bacteria, viruses and toxins.

But your immune system is complicated, and its components are sometimes triggered by unexpected things — including certain foods.

“Our diets play an enormous role in what’s happening inside our bodies, much more than most people probably realize,” says Dr. Karla Saint Andre, an endocrinologist at Houston Methodist.

We all know the obvious consequence of making consistently unhealthy food choices: weight gain. What you may not realize is that being overweight is linked to increased levels of inflammation in the body.

The story of how our eating habits can lead to inflammation doesn’t stop there.

“An unbalanced diet means eating a lot of processed foods, which contain ingredients that can activate inflammatory processes directly,” Dr. Saint Andre adds.

This is less noticeable than weight gain, of course, but Dr. Saint Andre emphasizes that it’s still harmful.

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