A Melodious Sonnet - Page 25 of 58 - Notes from a word-chaser

Blessings This Week

April 26, 2019 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

26 Apr

I have so many thoughts that I could jot down and share with you. Today, I thought I’d give you a random collection, and perhaps something will inspire you where you are to keep going on for the Lord more!

1) We’ve just come through the Easter season, and oh, what a refreshing reset that has been for me personally! We’ve been attending an Easter conference the last five years as a family (hosted by a church group we’ve grown to love quite dearly), and this year we were blessed to go down there and worship with them again. It’s so good to remember what the Lord has done for us. To have rich fellowship. To laugh and sing and share together. What a blessing!

Top of Lewis Pass

2) I’ve been listening to a lot of songs from past years of A Cappella Gospel Sing lately, and it’s struck me over and over again how much we have to thank the Lord for! It’s amazing how songs can lift our spirits and refocus us on what matters most! If you need a bit of encouragement, I’d recommend reading chapters from the Psalms or picking up a hymnal and studying the words to the old hymns. There’s so much depth there.

3) This week has been a quieter week at home, so I’ve been able to do a bit of sewing and scrapbooking—two things I love doing, but rarely make time for. It’s so refreshing to be able to sit down and see something come together from a pile of mismatched pieces, or look through pictures and remember how the Lord has been faithful in the past. God is so good!

4) On our five-hour trip home from Easter conference, those of us in the van listened to probably 3-4 hours’ worth of a dramatized version of Christiana (Pilgrim’s Progress, part 2). I’m very familiar with the story, as I virtually lived on recorded stories when I was younger, but it’s probably been a good 4-6 years since I last listened to the story. It’s so good to be reminded of how the Lord uses different circumstances to bring us closer to Himself, that He is well able to take care of us, and He is the One we need to constantly focus on if we are to ever find victory!

5) I’ve just come through reading Ezekiel, and though I got a lot out of Isaiah and Jeremiah, this book has been a bit more dry reading for me. Probably because it’s a lot of prophecy I feel like I can’t understand so well, and I also haven’t remembered to pray for the illumination of the Holy Spirit as much as I need (ever met the trap called “I Can Do It Myself?”). HOWEVER, this morning I read the portion about the river running out of the sanctuary and into the Dead Sea and how everything that lives in the water was able to live in that river. This passage has always been precious to me, for two reasons: 1) To me, this river symbolizes God’s wisdom. There’s always more of it coming, and the further you wade into it, the more there is. You’ll never run out. 2) In Jesus’ love, there is life. And like the river, starting out as a trickle, and then becoming a full flood with all kinds of life in it, so His love brings all kinds of life to our souls.

Now, I may be terrible at allegory, but these are things my heart is mulling over right now.

What have you been blessed with in this past week?

Asking The Way to Zion

April 15, 2019 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

15 Apr

I just finished reading the book of Jeremiah today, and was very blessed by a couple verses from chapter 50. I pray you will be, too!

“They shall ask the way to Zion…saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.” (Jeremiah 50:5, emphasis mine)

Am I asking about the way to Zion today? And wow…we have been given that everlasting, perpetual covenant that will not be forgotten now! We now possess what the Jews back in Jeremiah’s day had to look forward to! Praise the Lord!

Sunset over the river.

“Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land…” (Jeremiah 50:34)

Our Redeemer IS strong. And I am so, so thankful!

Book Review of the ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible

April 10, 2019 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

10 Apr

Well, I’ve broken a reviewing record now. One thing I have never done before is request a review copy of a Bible. But, when the chance came up recently, I was intrigued by the idea: A study Bible with its sole focus on the gospel, and how all of scripture proclaims the gospel? Being the central focus of our faith, I was more than a little excited when I found out I had been accepted as a reviewer!

NOTE: Links in this post may be affiliate links. Your purchase through these links helps support the blog at no extra cost to you. Thank you! Also, I did receive a complimentary review copy of this book from Crossway Publishers. This is my honest opinion of it.

The Details:

The ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible is designed to help readers see Christ in all of Scripture, and grace for all of life.

It features book introductions, gospel-centered study notes, and a series of all-new articles―written by a team of over 50 pastors and scholars. This content explains passage-by-passage how God’s redemptive purposes culminate in the gospel and apply to the lives of believers today.

Readers will be challenged to see how the message of the gospel transforms sinners from the inside out.

Over 375,000 words of gospel-centered study notes
Introduction that outlines specific uses for the Bible
Updated design and typesetting based on the original ESV Gospel Transformation Bible released in 2013
Includes 5 new articles on topics such as the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, the gospel in the Old Testament, the covenants, and more
Book introductions
Concordance
80,000 cross-references
Ribbon marker
Smyth-sewn binding
Size: 6.125″ x 9.125″
9-point Bible text; 8-point study notes
2,096 pages
Single-column, paragraph format

More info: View more details on the Crossway website or see an excerpt from the Study Bible.

My Thoughts:

This was definitely one of the harder reviews I’ve ever written! How do you contain the power of the Bible in a few paragraphs?—impossible! And even something written about the Bible is difficult!

For years, as I’ve read through the Bible, I’ve tried to correlate the Old Testament with the New. Finding the foreshadowing and types and figures, and then seeing how the Lord Jesus fulfilled each one. And while I know Jesus is spoken of often in the Old Testament when it comes to prophecy, how can things like the Book of Esther show elements of the Gospel? And what about the New Testament? Obviously, without the gospel of the Lord Jesus itself, there would be no New Testament! But how can we apply some of the things spoken of in 1 Corinthians, for example, or James? How do they share the gospel, and how do the words there reflect and reinforce gospel principles?

This “Gospel Transformation Study Bible” is a great way to flesh out the stories from the Bible that we know so well. Having grown up in a Christian family, hearing Bible stories my whole life, I have to remember to focus more on the words, asking the Lord to teach me what He is saying, because otherwise I’ll only see what I’ve known for years in there. And reading the Bible with a pre-supposition for what it’s going to say isn’t necessarily all that inspiring! So seeing how gospel principles were played out in Esther’s case, for example, was a real blessing. I’ve known and enjoyed the story for years, but considering the great price it could have easily cost Esther and Mordecai, and how it cost Jesus so much was quite fascinating.

It’s hard to sum up such a big work in a few words. I definitely did not read all of the commentary before writing this review, as that would have been a massive undertaking! I did, however, read everything in several books—some of Job, Esther, and Romans—when I was going through them in my normal Bible time. I was impressed by the focus maintained on the gospel, and I feel like the perspectives offered here—while they could possibly become a crutch for some people—are an excellent way to gain a new understanding of how the Lord has worked in ages past. I say it could possibly become a crutch, but only to the extent that we may rely on other extra-Biblical resources (commentaries, devotionals, etc.) for interpreting Biblical text for us. I believe firmly in going to the Word of God and asking the Lord to illuminate it for us, and teach us what He would have us know and believe. And there is such richness in the Word of God already! I feel like this Study Bible has enhanced my understanding, though, and helped me see a bit more of God’s plan for His people throughout the ages—and that’s what I really was hoping for from this.

In summary, I feel like this study Bible would be helpful to a great range of people—from those newly coming to the Bible, wanting to see Jesus in the Old Testament as well as the new. It would be an excellent way to get to know the Word of God as a cohesive whole. I also feel like those who have loved and studied the Word for years would also find this useful, because no matter how many times we may go over the text, there’s always something new to gain. It also could be helpful in figuring out how to show others how the gospel is central to the entire Bible.

And just for all honesty’s sake, I don’t know if I would have just gone out and bought this book had I had the chance—partly because it’s not the translation I normally read from, and partly because I’m not sure I would have thought it was necessary to have a commentary like this on hand. However, at this point, I think it would actually be worth buying. Even with the limited time (twoish months) I’ve had to study it, I’ve gleaned a lot of good things from it! And I know I’ll definitely be picking it up to read frequently in the future, too!

So…if you’re looking for a new Bible, or would like some study notes that could help flesh out passages for you if they’re feeling rather dry or disconnected from the Gospel, I would recommend checking this one out! I feel like I could never have too much of a gospel-centered focus in my life, and this is one more way I can learn more about the depth of the Word of God. There are also practical applications that naturally come from the discussion, and I appreciated that, too!

(Also, a note on doctrines—I was impressed by several places where hot doctrinal issues could have been brought up. I felt like they were treated pretty fairly, and the gospel principles were still brought out well without one particular agenda being pushed.)

Let’s discuss: What kinds of study Bibles have you used in the past or are currently using? Dad really enjoys his life application Bible!

It’s All From Jesus: A Bible Verse Study

April 5, 2019 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

5 Apr

Last Sunday, I started reading through Ephesians, and one thing I noticed in the preface to the book in my study Bible was the mention of the words “in Him” or “in Christ” in the book. And, since I absolutely love discovering (or rediscovering!) patterns in the Bible, I though it would be fun to copy all the instances out. They were a great encouragement to me to meditate on this week, and perhaps they will be to you, too.

Due to the amount of verses (I just counted up, and there are 33 references!), I’ve limited the quotations to just the ones dealing specifically with our relationship with Christ.

There’s still a lot, though. 🙂

It's All From Jesus A Bible Verse Study 01

Farewell Spit, July 2015

“…blessed us with all spiritual blessings…in Christ…” (Eph. 1:3)

“… chosen us in him before the foundation of the world…” (Eph. 1:4)

“…he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Eph. 1:6)

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins…” (Eph. 1:7)

“In whom…we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated…” (Eph. 1:11)

“In whom…after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise…” (Eph. 1:13)

“…the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power…wrought in Christ…” (Eph. 1:19-20)

“…quickened [made us alive] together with Christ…” (Eph. 2:5)

“…raised us up…and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus…” (Eph. 2:6)

“…we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works…” (Eph. 2:10)

“…now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” (Eph. 2:13)

“…to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace…” (Eph. 2:15)

It's All From Jesus A Bible Verse Study 02

Farewell Spit, July 2015

“…through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” (Eph. 2:18)

“In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:22)

“…strengthened with might by his Spirit…rooted and grounded in love…” (Eph. 3:16-17)

“May be able to comprehend…the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge…filled with all the fulness of God.” (Eph. 3:18-19)

“…him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think…” (Eph. 3:20)

“…the truth is in Jesus…” (Eph. 4:21)

“…for ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light…” (Eph. 5:8)

I love all the promises here! We are blessed, chosen, accepted. We have redemption, forgiveness, and an inheritance we can’t even imagine. We have been sealed, made alive, raised up, brought near, built, strengthened, rooted and grounded in love…and the list goes on! I have to wonder what this list would look like if one were to go through the entire New Testament—and what about the promises in the Old Testament?

In Christ, we have been given everything. God is so good! I love how through all these verses the emphasis is always on the Lord doing this; it’s not us, or anything we have done. It’s HIM. All Jesus.

And I’ll close with one final one, which also happens to be the last one I copied out, too!

“…be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” (Eph. 6:10)

How has the Lord been speaking to you through His Word this week?

Chosen People: A Review of Robert Whitlow’s Latest Book

April 3, 2019 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

3 Apr

For years, I’ve enjoyed reading mystery stories of all kinds—starting out with Encyclopedia Brown (which, unfortunately, I was never able to solve without reading the answer at the back!), and slowly advancing up to more adult mysteries with Chautona Havig and Alana Terry’s books. Enter Chosen People by Robert Whitlow. I hadn’t heard of the author before, but this mystery was well worth a read!

Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book for free from BookLook Bloggers. Thank you, BookLook! All opinions expressed below are entirely my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. Also, some links on this page may be affiliate links. Your purchase through these links helps to keep this blog going; thank you!

About the Book:

Bestselling author Robert Whitlow returns with an international legal drama that speaks to critical issues of our day.

“Whitlow’s timely story shines a spotlight on prejudice, race, and the pursuit of justice in a world bent on blind revenge. Fans of Greg Iles’s Natchez Burning will find this just as compelling if not more so.” —Library Journal, starred review of A Time to Stand

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation . . .

During a terrorist attack near the Western Wall in Jerusalem, a courageous mother sacrifices her life to save her four-year-old daughter, leaving behind a grieving husband and a motherless child.

Hana Abboud, a Christian Arab Israeli lawyer trained at Hebrew University, typically uses her multi-language skills to represent international clients for an Atlanta law firm. When her boss is contacted by Jakob Brodsky, a young Jewish lawyer aggressively pursuing a lawsuit on behalf of the family under the US Anti-Terrorism laws, he calls on Hana’s expertise to take point on the case. After careful prayer, she joins forces with Jakob, and they quickly realize the need to bring in a third member for their team, an Arab investigator named Daud Hasan, based in Israel.

To unravel the case, this team of investigators goes from the streets of Atlanta to the alleys of Jerusalem, a world where hidden motives thrive, the risk of death is real, and the search for truth has many faces. What they will uncover will forever change their understanding of justice, heritage, and what it means to be chosen for a greater purpose.

My Thoughts:

Have you ever found that you have to see something about a book several times before you take a good look at it? Or maybe it’s just me. Chosen People came up in one or two of the book review sites I use, but I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it until I saw it on BookLook Bloggers, as well. When I took a closer look at it—after the clean, but nice cover caught my eye—I thought it might be an interesting read. Even though it didn’t match my normal reading genres, I was interested in finding out whether I liked legal fiction or not!

And what a story! If one would expect a thriller when picking this book up, they might be disappointed. In my opinion, it was more the level of a very well developed mystery.* I was kept guessing until the very end about one character in particular—cringing when the main character was with them, trusting them, and yet wildly hoping they would turn out good in the end!

There were quite a few different elements of this story that were among my favorites. One of them was the setting in Israel; I didn’t count, but probably at least half the story is based in Israel. As a Christian, I am deeply interested in where Israel is at this point, and although we often hear conflicting news from that direction, I still believe that country has a special place in the grand scheme of things somehow. “Seeing” the country, and especially the city of Jerusalem, with both the historical context and where they are today through the lens of a novel, was fascinating. I’d love to read more books with a similar setting.

I also greatly appreciated the faith element in this story. It was quite different from what I’d call modern “American” Christianity in some respects, and I had to wonder what other influences the author had here. The focus on trusting in and relying on Jesus was a blessing, and the emphasis on a personal prayer life was also encouraging.

I can’t say I came across a lot I didn’t appreciate in this story. Yes, there was the terrorism element, which is what the main mystery centered around. It’s not nice to read about people being evil, no matter what their reasons are. I also don’t really like the fact that it sometimes (or often?) took lying by the investigators to figure out what they needed to—and it especially bugs me when Christians do that. I understand why, I just don’t think it really lines up with what the Bible teaches.

In all, as a portrait of Christians in the modern legal system, as a mystery set in modern Israel, and a Christian fiction with a slight side of romance (which wasn’t as big as I feared, and ended up being a welcome change from my normal reading fare in itself!), Chosen People was a good read.

I’m giving it four out of five stars, because while I really enjoyed it, it didn’t quite hit the “aah! that was amazing!” level for me. 🙂

*I do want to insert the disclaimer that under normal reading circumstances for me, this book would have been more gripping—it just so happens that when I read it, I wasn’t in a very good reading “mood”. If I had read it at a different time, it probably would have felt more like the thriller it’s supposed to be.

What was the last mystery you read? What is your opinion of “legal thrillers”?