SCRIPTURE: Esther 5 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Then Haman added, “And that’s not all! Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow!” Then he added, “But this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai…
Author: Norm
for such a time as this
SCRIPTURE: Esther 4 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” [Esther 4:14] Though Mordecai does not mention God (in fact…
the risk of beliving
SCRIPTURE: Esther 3 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is…
that’s all there is?
“Some people think that a spiritual quest of any kind is a colossal waste of time. For them, the only things that are real are those that can be proven or measured. They might think, Life boils down to earning and buying and selling… eating and drinking and having fun… respiration, digestion, elimination, ovulation, ejaculation,…
dual citizenship
SCRIPTURE: Esther 2 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Esther continued to keep her family background and nationality a secret. She was still following Mordecai’s directions, just as she did when she lived in his home. [Esther 2:20] We recently celebrated Canada Day, I am a citizen of Canada, and I am loyal to the nation, the government and the people; but…
how headship should be
SCRIPTURE: Esther 1 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: He sent letters to all parts of the empire, to each province in its own script and language, proclaiming that every man should be the ruler of his own home and should say whatever he pleases. [Esther 1:22] The king hosts a lavish feast to reveal his generosity [Esther 1:7]. But apparently his generosity…
the christian atheist?
Yesterday I wrote about being a practical atheist, and then discovered there is a whole book about the subject – The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel. A look at the index shows what this involves: When You Believe in God but Don’t Really Know Him When You Believe in God but Are Ashamed of Your…
a broken spirit
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 51 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. [Psalms 51:17] Some people live with such a burden of guilt that they cannot accept that God could forgive them. They know their sin, their failure, and they live with a sense of shame…
actions over words?
It is not what we say, but what we do, that reveals what we really believe! I say that I love Jesus, but do my actions bear that out? I say that I follow Jesus, but do my actions reveal this? I say that Jesus is my Lord, but do I strive to do what…
not looking for blood
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 50 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats? Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. [Psalms 50:13-14] Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you. But giving…