Celebrating Purim- The Story of Esther

Purim is a very interesting holiday celebrated by Jews, primarily in America. This year it begins on March 7th with a fast, followed by two days of celebration. It's really a celebration of the Old Testament Story of Esther.


In the third year of his reign, the King of Persia, Ahashverosh (also known as Ahasuerus and Ahashuerus) decided to have a feast. It was on the seventh day of these festivities that the King summoned his queen, Vashti, to appear before him and demonstrate her beauty for the King's officials. Vashti refused to appear. Incensed, the King asked his officers for a suitable punishment. One advisor, Memuchan, argued that Vashti should be killed for her disobedience. The King took his advice and Vashti was killed.

As time passed the King desired a new queen. To find a suitable wife, a contest was initiated among all the eligible maidens in the kingdom. One of those was Esther, a Jewish girl. Esther, who was an orphan, had been raised by Mordecai, her uncle, after her parents' death. Mordecai instructed Esther not to divulge her Jewishness when she went to meet the king. Each day, Mordecai walked by the court and asked after his niece. Esther impressed all who met her, including the King, and she was elevated to queen. Meanwhile Mordecai, while sitting near the palace gate overheard a plot to assassinate the king. He immediately told Esther who reported it to the King in the name of Mordecai.

Years later the King elevated Haman, a descendant of Amelak, the traditional enemy of the Jews, to the position of chief advisor. Haman was a wicked and vain man who expected everyone to bow down to him. Mordecai refused to bow because Jews are to bow only before GOD. Not content to just punish Mordecai, Haman wanted to destroy the entire Jewish people in Persia. He cast lots or PURIM to determine the day of annihilation.

Haman went to the King, slandered the Jews, and convinced the King to go along with his plans. Upon learning of the plot, Mordecai tore his clothes, wore sackcloth and ashes, and walked through the city crying loudly. When Esther heard of Mordecai's display, she dispatched a messenger to discover what was troubling her relative. Mordecai recounted the details of the evil decree and instructed Esther to intercede on the Jews behalf. Esther agreed to appear before the King unannounced even though anyone who came to the King uninvited risked losing their life. She, therefore, instructed Mordecai to organize a three-day fast for all the Jews on her behalf.

After completing the three-day fast, Esther entered the king's inner court dressed in her most royal garb. The King granted her an audience promising her that virtually anything she would ask would be granted. Esther replied that she wished to invite the King and Haman to a banquet on that day. After the feast Esther asked the King and Haman to return for another banquet the following night. Haman left the banquet consumed with self- importance and pride, but these feelings were turned to anger when he saw Mordecai sitting at the gate of the King's palace and paying Haman no mind. Haman went home fretting over the impudent Mordecai. His wife, Zeresh, advised him to construct a gallows and ask the King that Mordecai be hanged. Haman joyously acted upon the suggestion.

That night, the King discovered that Mordecai had never been rewarded for saving him from the assassination plot of two servants. When Haman appeared in the court, the King decided that his trusted servant should determine Mordecai's compensation. Haman, intending to obtain the King's permission to hang Mordecai, unwittingly answered the King's questions. The King asked Haman"What should be done for the man the King wishes to reward?" Haman, believing that Ahashverosh intended to reward him, replied that the honoree should be dressed in royal clothing, ride upon a royal horse. And be led through the city streets by an official proclaiming "This is what is done to the man the King wishes to honor".

Ahashverosh agreed and instructed Haman to do what he had declared for Mordecai. Crestfallen, Haman followed the King's orders and dressed Mordecai in royal clothing and Haman led Mordecai around the city on a fine horse.

At Esther's second banquet Haman's downfall continued. Esther revealed Haman's villainous plot and the fact that she was Jewish. She asked the King to "grant me my soul and my people." Ahashverosh consumed with anger ordered that Haman be hanged on the gallows intended for Mordecai. The King elevated Mordecai to a position of great influence and allowed him to issue edicts permitting the Jews to fight their enemies. On the thirteenth and fourteenth of Adar the Jews won tremendous victories and were saved from the threat of total annihilation.

Ever since, Jews have observed Purim. The day before Purim is a day of fasting, in memory of Esther's fast. The fast is then followed by two days of dancing, merrymaking, feasting and gladness where Jews celebrate by telling this story, drinking, giving gifts to the poor, and food to each other.

Additionally, it is common for people to attend Purim services in costumes as part of the fun. And, kids write the name of Haman in chalk on the bottom of their shoes and carry noise makers. During the reading of Esther as part of the service, every time the name Haman is read aloud the children stamp their feet and make noise to blot out the name of Haman.

Like I said, this is a fun holiday and I hope my friends and family that celebrate Purim enjoy.
Khag Sameach!

Let Scripture Speak: 2 Corinthians 1

Sometimes, it's best to just let the Scriptures speak. I just recently read 2 Corinthians 1 using The Message translation. You know, I really enjoyed! So, here it is for all to enjoy. I especially liked vv 20-22...what a blessing!!!

2 Corinthians 1

1-2I, Paul, have been sent on a special mission by the Messiah, Jesus, planned by God himself. I write this to God's congregation in Corinth, and to believers all over Achaia province. May all the gifts and benefits that come from God our Father and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours! Timothy, someone you know and trust, joins me in this greeting.

The Rescue
3-5All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.
6-7When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you're just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you're going to make it, no doubt about it.

8-11We don't want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn't think we were going to make it. We felt like we'd been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he's the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he'll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing. You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation—I don't want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God's deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part.

12-14Now that the worst is over, we're pleased we can report that we've come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world—and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high. But it wasn't by any fancy footwork on our part. It was God who kept us focused on him, uncompromised. Don't try to read between the lines or look for hidden meanings in this letter. We're writing plain, unembellished truth, hoping that you'll now see the whole picture as well as you've seen some of the details. We want you to be as proud of us as we are of you when we stand together before our Master Jesus.

15-16Confident of your welcome, I had originally planned two great visits with you—coming by on my way to Macedonia province, and then again on my return trip. Then we could have had a bon-voyage party as you sent me off to Judea. That was the plan.

17-19Are you now going to accuse me of being flip with my promises because it didn't work out? Do you think I talk out of both sides of my mouth—a glib yes one moment, a glib no the next? Well, you're wrong. I try to be as true to my word as God is to his. Our word to you wasn't a careless yes canceled by an indifferent no. How could it be? When Silas and Timothy and I proclaimed the Son of God among you, did you pick up on any yes-and-no, on-again, off-again waffling? Wasn't it a clean, strong Yes?

20-22Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God's Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.

23Now, are you ready for the real reason I didn't visit you in Corinth? As God is my witness, the only reason I didn't come was to spare you pain. I was being considerate of you, not indifferent, not manipulative.

24We're not in charge of how you live out the faith, looking over your shoulders, suspiciously critical. We're partners, working alongside you, joyfully expectant. I know that you stand by your own faith, not by ours.

Sin...what is it?

Since the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, sin has profoundly altered every single aspect of human life. Do you really, truly understand what sin is? Here is a small excerpt from an essay I wrote on the topic of Sin. Email me if you’d like the full the essay:


Where to begin with the question of sin? The Bible declares that we are made in the image of God, yet it also declares that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God (Rom 3:23), and yet at the same time we are morally culpable for our actions. In this short essay we will look at answering the following; What is sin- original, social, and actual. My views and direction on sin, and what are the practical, ministerial implications of this understanding and position regarding sin. Let’s first begin with a definition of this term we are examining: sin.

According to Hoekma, sin is a perverse way of using God given gifts and powers. (Hoekma, 113-132). This is a way of looking at sin as the taking of God’s good creation and disrupting that image. Much like what we see happen prior to and then after Genesis 3:15; pre curse and post curse creation. Nothing is the same after the fall of man. Plantinga also has an interesting definition of sin; sin is the willful breaking of shalom. (Plantinga, 10) Shalom in the Bible means “universal flourishing, wholeness and delight- a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts are fruitfully employed.” (Plantinga, 10) In other words, shalom is the way things are supposed to be. Sin is then the breaking of shalom in a willful manner, which is a result of the disruption of the image of God in men to begin with. Plantinga goes on to say that, “sin outstrips other human troubles by perverting special human excellences.” (Plantinga, 3) I think that last statement gets to the heart of the effect on our imago Deo; our excellences in God’s image are perverted. Still present, but perverted. This is much like a giant Maple tree that has grown crooked, still a Maple tree but not as useful for shade as it otherwise would have been. We still reflect our God image, but is has been stained.


But sin does not have to defeat us: we know what sin is! And our gracious and loving God sent His son to save us from ourselves. 1 John 4:10 states, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His son to be a propitiation for our sins.” God does not want us to be defeated, although we are stained from birth through original sin. God not only sent his son, but we are also able through scripture and study to assess sin and assign it characteristics that allow us to comprehend and avoid it. Hoekema lists the multiple facets of the nature of Sin in chapter 9. I feel that an understanding of sin’s nature is valuable in learning how to deal with it. First, sin does not have an independent existence. This stresses that sin in actuality is the perversion of something which was good, a defect. Augustine called it the deprivation of that which is good. The reason that sin cannot be independent is evident in that it can be conquered. If sin were actually a substance, an actual part of the essence of man, then how would we be able to conquer it? It is this understanding that allows man, through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ to break free from sin and to change course. Sin is not a physical aspect of man, it is a perversion of the direction of man.(Hoekma, 169)

Secondly, sin is an essence that is related to God and the will of God. If there is no God, there is no sin. As we see all through scripture, it is the law (the Law of God) that brings consciousness to sin. Rom 3:20 declares that “…through the law we become conscious of sin.” Rom 7:7 states it as follows, “Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what it was to covet if the law had not said ‘Do not covet’”. (Hoekma, 171) The law gives us understanding, knowledge that at the end of the day, all is sin acted out by us and is against God.


Third, sin has its source in the heart. (Hoekma, 171) I understand the implication here. Sin is essence, not physical. What is the heart? It is the emotion of man. The spring of both the good and evil that man is capable of. Mat 15:19 states. “For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murders, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony and slander.” This also leads to the 4th and most interrelated point on sin, sin includes actions and thoughts. The “lust of the flesh” that is spoken of in Galatians 5:16 encapsulates in the word ‘flesh” the entire human nature. (Hoekma, 172) It is our innermost being that is marred, that is perverted. Plantinga reinforces sinful thoughts as sin by delineating further that just assuming that you are offending God in some way is evidence of sin. (Plantinga, 22)

Lastly, at the root of all sin is pride. In some fashion we want to be like God. (Hoekma, 173) That was the overriding impulse in Gen 3:5 with the fall of man. Augustine sums it up in this manner:
And what is the origin of our evil will but pride? For “pride is the beginning of sin.”(Ecclus 10:13) And what is pride but the craving for undue exaltation? And this undue exaltation, when the soul abandons Him to whom it ought to cleave as its end, and becomes a kind of end to itself.” (Hoekma, 173)

Plantinga sums it up very nicely, going on to paraphrase Niebuhr and the idea of security. This also is a version of pride as we (man) are looking to gain what we want when we want it:

At bottom, says Reinhold Niebuhr, we human beings want security. We feel restless and anxious in the world because we are both finite and free, both limited and unlimited. We are persons of seemingly endless possibilities and of immense power, but we are also creatures utterly dependent on the good offices of our Creator. So we live on the edge of finitude and freedom, anxious lest we miss opportunities and anxious anew when we have exploited them…but our anxiety as Niebuhr observes, is only the context for sin, not its cause. Our base problem is unbelief. Failing to trust in the infinite God, we live anxiously, restlessly, always trying to secure and extend ourselves with finite goods that can’t take the weight we put on them…Unbelief says Niebuhr, yields anxiety, which yields alternating pride and sensuality. (Plantinga, 61)

This is the baseline and I agree with this assessment.

Jesus Understands

When I saw this picture and verse it really jumped out at me. The picture is very cool but I LOVE this verse. In many ways this one verse sums up the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ. John starts the verse with an admonition to his readers not to sin. Ideally, we should repent from sinning and follow Jesus. But in reality this cannot completely happen. We are human. We are sin, and we are sinful through and through. The Lord knows this, and loving us as he does, He sent His Son Jesus to live among us: fully human AND fully divine. He was tempted in every way that we are and yet avoided sin. And when the time came for Jesus to lay down His life to atone for our sins, he did so willingly; and now with the full experience of having lived as a man, he can relate to our failings and our circumstance. His atoning death not only justified us in the Lord, but through grace and faith we receive eternal salvation through a Mediator that understands through experience our human condition! What a wonderful God we serve!

The History of St. Valentine

I love Valentine's Day! Mainly because I was born on Valentine's Day, and the fact that I have my birthday on a holiday has been a tremendous source of joy for me since I was a kid. Also, my Valentine's Day birthday is also the reason for my second middle name (yes I said second middle name), Valentino. That said, the history of St. Valentine is really interesting...and much more meaningful than cute little cupids, cards, and chocolates.

In 270 A.D., marriage had been outlawed by the emperor of Rome, Claudius II. Claudius issued this decree because he thought that married men made bad soldiers since they were reluctant to be torn away from their families in the case of war. Claudius had also outlawed Christianity in this time period because he wished to be praised as the one supreme god, the Emperor of Rome. Valentine was the bishop of Interamna during this period of oppression. Valentine thought that the decrees of Rome were wrong. He believed that people should be free to love God and to marry. Valentine invited the young couples of the area to come to him. When they came, Valentine secretly performed services of matrimony and united the couples.

Valentine was eventually caught and was brought before the emperor. The emperor saw that Valentine had conviction and drive that was unsurpassed among his men. Claudius tried and tried to persuade Valentine to leave Christianity, serve the Roman empire and the Roman gods. In exchange, Claudius would pardon him and make him one of his allies. St. Valentine held to his faith and did not renounce Jesus Christ. Because of this, the emperor sentenced him to a three-part execution. First, Valentine would be beaten, then stoned, and then finally, decapitated. Valentine died on February 14th, 270 A.D.

While in prison, waiting for his sentence to be carried out, Valentine fell in love with the jailer's daughter, the blind girl named Asterius. During the course of Valentine's prison stay, a miracle occurred and Asterius regained her sight. Valentine sent her a final farewell note. He signed his last note, "From Your Valentine." Even today, this message remains as the motto for our Valentine's Day celebrations.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!

Reading Scripture For All It's Worth

I love reading Scripture. We should daily and regularly read and meditate on the Word of God. Time spent in the Word is profitable to our well being (1 Tim 4:7-8), refreshing to our Spirit (Ezekiel 37: 1-10), and a safeguard against spiritual attack (John 16:33). Anyone can read scripture and glean from it the truth of what is written and also the deeper understanding of what the Spirit places on the heart of the reader. That said, the best way to truly understand the deeper meaning of the Word is to understand the historical context in which it was written. Now, you don’t have to be a theologian or a seminary student in order to arrive at the deeper meaning of Scripture. Reading the scripture simply for what it is does not take away from the simple truth of God. But, for those of you that wish to arrive at a deeper understanding of the Word without going to graduate school, here are a few simple steps that will help you set the historical context of Scripture.


A. The Historical Context

Historical Context is a process by which we form a tentative and informed reconstruction of the situation the author is addressing. What is the author's relationship with the churches addressed? What is its past history? What are the kinds of questions addressed? What is the culture or the city addressed like? What was Greco-Roman culture as a whole like? Here are some steps to take (this is not an exhaustive list as I am primarily referring to the Epistles (Letters of Paul, John, Peter, Jude, James, Hebrews, etc.):

1. First, for background information, consult Bible Dictionary articles, introductions to commentaries, or special articles and monographs on the letter you are interpreting

2. Read the entire letter through in one sitting at least once. This is getting an idea of the letter at the “big picture” level.

3. As you read the entire letter, take notes on:

a. information revealed about the recipients: Jew and/or Gentile, free or slave, rich or poor, faithful or unfaithful to the gospel.

b. author’s attitude toward the audience. Is he affirming, rebuking, or both?

c. information bearing on the situation of the letter. What is the problem(s) or joys prompting Paul to write? Is there a specific issue or is the letter general?

d. the logical divisions and argumentation of the letter

4. The, repeat the above steps in more detail in relation to the specific verse or passage you are working on.

These simple steps, combined with faith, belief and prayer will help you to set the historical context of Scripture and hopefully draw you towards a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Reflections on Ephesians 5:15-17

Here is an excerpt from a sermon I delivered on Ephesians 5:15-17. This is quite possibly my favorite passage of scripture! Enjoy...

If we just read Eph 5:15-17 again it states:
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
I. Our time is limited.Interestingly enough, Paul did not use chronos in the greek which means continuous clock time: hours, minutes & seconds, but he used kairos which means "a measured , allocated, fixed season or epoch" of time. He is saying that God has set certain boundaries to our lives. God has predetermined the days of our lives, and that is it.

1 Peter 1:17 "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning [here] in fear:"

James 4:13-15 "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye [ought] to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that."

II. Our time needs to be effectively used.“Making the most of every opportunity” can also be translated “redeem the time” in the greek. “Redeem" means to "buy back" or to "buy up all that is anywhere to be bought" God through Paul says we are to "buy up the time" we have here on the earth. He means not to allow any suitable moment to go by and not live for God. How do we do this?A. By walking/living carefully (v. 15)The greek word for careful (akribos) = be accurate and exact with, to examine with great care, to pay close attention to something, thus to be careful how you live. Also, by not living like a fool (v. 15)- So, how can we avoid being fools? A person is a fool when he doesn’t believe there is a God.The Bible says in Ps. 14:1 "The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God." One is a "fool" if they deny the existence of God. One is also a "fool" if they live like there is no God.

Also, believer is a fool when he does not believe God completely.Luke 24:25 "Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:"

A believer is a fool when he adds to the gospel message.Gal. 3:1-3 "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"The Galatians knew that salvation was by faith alone, but they fell prey to the heresy that a Gentile must become a ceremonial Jew before he could become a Christian." This was wrong, unscriptural and foolish.

A believer is a fool when he desires the wrong things.For example, 1 Tim. 6:9-10 "But they that will be rich fall into temptationand a snare, and [into] many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." Brothers and sisters, we must effectively use all of our allotted time to serve God. We must repeatedly shun sin, draw near to God and follow all that which is godly.

III. It is not going to be easy to use our time wisely. (the days are evil) This world is the enemy of God and opposes the things of God. Satan often brings about persecution on the church. We have to contend with the flesh. There are temptations to be greedy, dishonest, immoral, etc….

IV. It is essential to use our time wisely. (the days are evil). This world is lost. Many will not be saved. Mt 7:13 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in "there at:It is because this world is evil, and in desperate need of salvation that we need to redeem the time.

Conclusion: Since we have converted to our modern calendar, there are 8,760 hours in a year (24 x 365 = 8760). If the Lord tarries, and gives us health to make it through another 12 months; how are we as disciples, as Christ followers, going to spend those 8,760 hours?
We are to make Him our life song. He wants to be are all in all. He wants us to follow Him and represent Him 24/7.