I am spending Lent exploring how vast the story of the time and events leading us up to the story of the cross and the Resurrection of our Lord is more than a one day thing. Last week we included in “The Rest Of The Story’ a quick look at Resurrection Day, also known as Easter. We acknowledged some of the church rituals or holidays along the way. Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and here we are now in the season of Lent. Another event I would like to add to “The Rest Of The Story” is about that Donkey. One thing I have learned from the Bible is that God has a plan and He is always in charge. Some of the time, well actually all of the time… like His disciples we miss the significance of Jesus’ instructions or the parables he often used to teach the Fathers’ will. 

Like all good stories this one continues to grow. As the scripture  shares with us Bethany is mentioned frequently in the New Testament. It was the home of Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus. We know from previous scriptures that Jesus often visited there. It is from this place that Jesus sent his disciples to find a colt upon which he would ride into Jerusalem. The Synoptic Gospels mention it as being close to Bethany, it was here also that the miracle of Lazarus’s resurrection took place, right under his enemies noses. Something that is not mentioned to often is the fact that at this very time Jesus is a wanted man. (John 11:57) I will share this as written in a commentary by William Barclay…  and I quote him:

“It is a breathtaking thing to think of a man with a price upon his head, an outlaw, deliberately riding into a city in such a way that every eye was fixed upon him. It is impossible to exaggerate the sheer courage of Jesus.” 

What About That Donkey?

There is a lot of symbolism and allegory in the Bible, sometimes it can be confusing and sometimes there is a practical reason for it. The best example of this is the frequency and richness of such in  the Book Of Revelation but that is another direction to go and at another time. There is a time and a place for everything a great teacher once said. The Jews had been expecting a warhorse, ridden by a warrior ready to do war. It was a prevailing thought of that time, it was the mount of a King…and the Jews were expecting a Messiah, a king that would make things right again.  

To me this is just another example of a parable which has gone visual. Here is a visual of the description of a king who would be “righteous and having salvation, gentle.” Rather than riding to conquer, this king would enter in peace and in that day and time those who saw and heard this story unfold would understand what was being put before them. There is one other thing…The mention of a donkey in Zechariah 9:9-10  Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey — riding on a donkey’s colt. Bethphage and Bethany were located on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem.

God has a plan for his people…all people. Consider this…a Donkey, a two mile ride and a Cross…simple but it changed the world and is still reconciling God with his people to this day.

Life Is Good

jk

What a perfect evening to be on the back porch. There is a lot to Ponder about this time we are living in and that is just one of the reason to find a way to clear your mind. Have you ever tried to just sit and think about nothing…I mean absolute nothing. Try it…you can’t do it. On the Porch tonight I challenged my self to think about nothing. I cleared my mind of the news, any plans for the rest of the week and joyfully put aside my to do list. Like an inbox on a desk, there is nothing better than an empty one. But the human mind being what it is I soon found myself finding something to Ponder. Sound… I will repeat that and I pause a bit to allow you a moment to think about it. S..O..U..N..D . It is a typical early spring night, everything tuning up for natures burst of renewal. My opinion is that the air here on the plateau is some what thiner than in the valley. That is a perfect example of a real ponder… I have no scientific proof that this is a fact and in the world of pondering that is good enough. They say that sound travels farther in thin air. I could give you a sound reason for that but that would be another post but it does make for a good pun. Back to that sound thing. The birds are active this evening and if you listen carefully you can hear the movement of their wings as they search for a place to build a net or just seeking a place to rest for the night. Highway 231 is to the east of me and is one of the secondary roads that emergency vehicles travel to Vanderbilt Hospital here in Lebanon TN. It is interesting to me that I can tell by the siren sound the difference between a firetruck, ambulance or police car. At my previous home there were rail tracks just a short distance from my back porch there. At the crossing just below the house were lights, bells and cross bars to keep folks safe. On either side of that crossing left or right at least a mile apart from mine one had only a sign, the other a sign and lights. It took me a while to discover but there was a different series of horn blasts for each one. If I listen carefully I can tell the difference between an 18 wheeler, or just a plain ole dump truck. I know the sound of a motorcycle as opposed to the screaming of a dirt bike or crouch rocket… Trucks… Pick-Up trucks, I call them Red Neck Cadillacs. Here in Wilson County they all have duel exhausts that roar like a car at the Daytona 500. So what am I rambling about and why? To me it is a miracle what God has created and there is scripture that addresses what I am saying. I use the NLT bible and it speaks to the point I am making. You can’t always see everything or hear everything. In the quite of the early evening, about dusk, as you get older you don’t see as well. The scripture I am recalling is from 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. Consider this… these gifts of sight, hearing, smell, touch all work together to allow the body to serve the whole. When my sight is obstructed or naturally impaired those other parts become stronger to compensate for the weaker. When I can’t see my hearing is sharper, if when we don’t hear as well our eyesight becomes sharper.

I am so grateful to have been created so wonderfully. I have trouble now days losing my mobility bit by bit, that is not unusual for my age. As my lower body loses it ability to stand up for long periods of time or needs help to stand, my upper body has grown stronger. I don’t know if any of this makes sense but here again a good Ponder doesn’t  have to.

Kurt

I thought it might be helpful to tell “the rest of the story.” I believe one of the motivating factors that contributed to the crucifixion of Jesus was the disturbance caused by the leaders of the Jews who despised and feared the message of this man called Jesus…the one who many were referring to as the Messiah, the King of The Jews. Their position of power was being threatened and for the Romans civil order and subjection to Caesar and Rome was expected from everyone. So in my view the main problem was that disturbance of the public civil order created by the Jewish power structure could no longer be ignored. The story has been told many times but it can never be told enough. Easter, also called Resurrection Day and is a Christian holiday celebrating Jesus Christ returning from the dead. Christians believe that it is the holiest day in the year. Some people who are not Christians celebrate it as a cultural holiday. A host of people we refer to as prophets, disciples, followers and saints have traveled the world sharing the good news for over 2000 or more years. I look at Easter as that day that became more than just one day, over time it has become not only an event of the highest significance, the reason for the “good news”… the promise of the forgiveness of sin, resurrection of the body and life everlasting, because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is more than Easter bonnets, hats, egg hunts or cute bunnies. In some ways it suffers the same treatment given Christmas, by the  secular world…secular things first. In the mist of all those things   we lose sight of the cross. I see it as an inclusion of convenience, less we offend anyone. Harsh but that is the way I see it.

The depth and meaning of Easter is of course found in the resurrection of Jesus. This is not one of those “reason for the season” things. With the cross came the long awaited fulfillment of God’s promise to the Jews and often overlooked the “way” to God’s reconciliation with mankind. A promise kept that would require something from us… that something would be repentance. Without the  resurrection the promise is only words. The significance of that day, the power of the cross as a reminder of it is made even stronger with the symbol of the empty grave. One Day is not enough to tell the story…it is true, it is…“The Greatest Story Ever Told.” What about the rest of the story? Well, I will start off by listing two days that occur before Lent, more about that later. The first day is Shrove Tuesday and occurs before Ash Wednesday. It was originally observed as a day of confession and penitence in preparation for Ash Wednesday and Lent. Consider this… the Bible does not even mention Ash Wednesday or the 40 days of Lent, Shrove Tuesday is not a biblical observance, either. Now another consideration to be made. There is certainly nothing wrong with Christians eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. I will go ahead and write that Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent are amazingly not observances God requires of Christians. Observance of these days is entirely a matter of personal conviction. So why have these three days become such a large part of the Church calendar? I will answer that in a moment. Now let’s move on to 

Ash Wednesday. 

Remember Ash Wednesday is not in the Bible but it does record accounts of people in the Old Testament using dust and ashes as symbols of repentance and mourning.  2 Samuel 13:19 (NLT)… ^“ But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying.” Two things about Ash Wednesday … It is a time of repentance which is a good thing for Christians and really we should be doing it every day, repenting from sinful activities. It is also a good thing to work at identifying every day as being a Christian. We should also remember that no ritual can make one’s heart right with God. Therefore in the Christian vocabulary repent is a verb spelled with a capital R.

We are not to Easter yet…first there is Lent.

“Lent is a period of fasting, moderation, and self-denial traditionally observed by Catholics and some Protestant denominations. It begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday.” The length of the Lenten fast was established in the 4th century as 46 days (40 days, not counting Sundays). (gotquestions.org)  While the Bible tells us God’s grace cannot be earned as it is a gift from God, doing so is and act of Atonement and yes there is a day for that.  There is so much more than just that one day…The Resurrection was such a huge event, it changed the world, the birth of Jesus changed the world, it cannot be contained in one day. There are still some days we need to go to for the rest of the story and next week we continue this journey. I struggled with how to close this week and have decided to use a prayer from the UMC Book of Common Prayer.

“O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

Life is Good

jk

I believe it is only natural to let your mind wander back a bit as you grow older, the comfort factor is always there because you know…good or bad how it turned out, so sometimes it can be a pleasant ponder. Caught a few moments of “pondering” on the back porch a bit earlier this evening. Spring is trying to work its way onto the plateau but that pesky Gulf Stream is holding it back. 

This afternoon I was busy gathering some notes for this weeks blog about “Easter” and I was overwhelmed about some of those details that certainly make a good ponder.  I have shared with you that we were a military family…my Dad was a veteran of the US Air Force. He retired with the rank of Senior Master Sargent E9. There were five kids, a dog and a parakeet toward the end of his time that traveled from base to base as my father added new duty stations to his time served. Last base we were at was in Amarillo Texas. Funny thing about that, when I was born he was in the old United States Army Air Forces and was stationed at West Point. My Mom was living with her parents in of all places, the Bronx, New York. So…I can say I started out in a hospital in the Bronx, and I waited until his last duty station to claim Texas as my home state…Love those Horns. Oh well back to my favorite ponder in my memory bag. Easter was always a hard time for our family as we grew in number and size. In that day it was a custom or really to be truthful a passion to dress up for Easter Sunday Service. Three boys, two girls…wait got to count my Mom in on the new dresses and such, we left the dog and bird at home when we went to church. My Dad was military to the bone and was comfortable and proud in his dress Blues. Anyhow, to get to the story. My Mom always figured out how to get my sisters looking good…new dresses, shoes and such. We boys were my Dads problem. Somehow he was always able to patch something together. His biggest accomplishment was we always had new shoes! How did he do it? Dad always said that the two people he got to know best at each duty station was the Mess Sarge and the Supply Sarge. Those old Air Force dress shoes would shine like a polished silver coin and in Texas even brighter…no shade in the Panhandle. This is not to make light of faith…my Mother was a praying woman and was proof that God answers prayers and takes care of his own.

Kurt

This week we take look at a very interesting topic, or maybe to be more to the point the Christian view of “The Bible, Jesus and Medicine.” The more we question God about the power of healing Grace…the more assured I am as a strong believer in such. I often turn to the Book of Job when challenged about many things our Lord and God has done for us. I love Job chapter 40…Now there are many trails to go down here and a number of rabbit holes we could jump into but they will lead us nowhere nor provide any answers. So…what does the word of God say… The word of God puts it this way: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV). Ok, a text book answer to a fair question. Here is another question for you…Who really knows the mind and will of God? Job thought he did until God challenged him…Job 40:1-2 1 Then the Lord said to Job 2 

“Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” Job is reminded in a strong way that God is the creator of all things. Faith leads us to a stronger and a longer relationship with God, strengthens our faith heals our bodies of all weaknesses  and give us a better life. Back to the issue of Jesus and Medicine. Jesus’ earthly ministry involved combatting that curse. He healed people everywhere He went …Matthew 15:31 –  The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.  

Hebrews 1:3…

The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.

Consider the depth of His Power:  Romans 8:18-22… 

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 

We can’t have a discussion about Jesus and medicine without adding that to seek healing is not wrong, it is also very much right. Luke and Acts, were written a physician. Luke traveled with Jesus during His ministry here on earth. While his, Luke’s, treatment was not exactly the manner of doctors today, Luke too was in the healing business. Staying off the rabbit trails there has always been and will be always be those who interject the subject of taking drugs and such for healing, expanding this subject into one of faith versus God’s healing power. Like all things that we don’t understand the result is usually confusion and that opens the door to debate, which in turn has no good outcome. One difference that has come up is the question of prescription drug use by Christians and that should be between that Christian and the Lord. Nice dodge you might say on my part. The Bible does not command the use of medicinal treatments, but it certainly does not forbid it, either.

1Corinthians 3:16…  The child of God should care for his or her body as being the temple of the Holy Spirit…

There is much involved here and is best said and I quote:  “This means taking preventative care, maintaining a healthy diet, and getting proper exercise. It also means taking advantage of the wisdom that God has given skilled researchers and physicians. We understand that God is the Healer, no matter by what means He heals, and we give the glory to Him.” (gotquestions.org)

I believe that this is as good a place as any to end this week’s blog. Yes it is an interesting subject but one word is really the Key here …FAITH… It is through faith that you will find the answers and through faith you will be set free…and find peace.

Life is Good

jk

I am glad to get to the “The Back Porch” this week. This week I need to clear my mind of this opinion thing. Everyone has one…and it sometimes appears that this world favors Opinion.   Please remember my “ponder rules”. A good ponder does not require facts and in most cases it does not answer all your questions but thinking about something is a good thing. It started a few years back with what was referred to as Sciatic nerve pain.

A visit to a doctor, who by the way specializes in the spine, is what has led me to this “Ponder”. Does fact trump opinion? Here is fact from the fine folks at the Mayo Clinic.

“Sciatica refers to pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve travels from the buttocks and down each leg. Sciatica most often happens when a herniated disk or an overgrowth of bone puts pressure on the lumbar spine nerve roots. This happens “upstream” from the sciatic nerve. This causes inflammation, pain and often some numbness in the affected leg.” Amen!

Now the Opinion from the doctor I saw. There is no such thing, I have been practicing back and spinal medicine for 20 years now. I must be fair here… I did not add quotation marks because I am simply writing what I believe I heard him say. I can say that from my perspective he gave me a good five minute lecture in a very condescending manner. Ok, I admit my feelings were hurt but that doesn’t matter…however, my ego was severely damaged. I am 80 years old and have been dealing with this…sciatica pain for 30 years and I might add my medical insurance has been paying for treatments for a health problem that does not exist! 

Now the fun part… This Ponder has answered no questions and solved no problem and that is exactly what a good ‘ponder’ should do. I can go to Panera Bread now with a clear mind.

I have spoken before about this thing I call…surface reading… we all do it and I find the most prevalent time this happens to me is while studying or reading the Bible. I also believe that it happens to a lot of folks. Over the years all of us most likely have read the same stories and verses many times, some in fact are just a matter of rote. Because we know the story we get ahead of the words. So this week let’s take awhile to meet these people, some of Paul’s friends in the ministry. From 2Timothy 4:9-22…  “Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia”…Demas, in Greek is probably the short form of Demetrios, a man mentioned by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament of the Bible, and appears to have been involved for a time in his ministry. Keep in mind that Paul is writing this letter while in prison in Rome. He also writes of Crescens who has gone to Galatia. Crescens was an individual who appears in the New Testament. He is traditionally considered one of the 72 disciples sent out by Jesus in Luke 10. Mentioned with him is also Titus. He was a Gentile converted to Christianity by Paul. He was a literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts. 

Now onto verse 11…

“Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.” Ok, Luke is an easy one…Luke was a physician and possibly a Gentile. He was not one of the original 12 Apostles but may have been one of the 70 disciples appointed by Jesus (Luke 10). He also may have accompanied St. Paul on his missionary journeys. Mark is known as Peter’s interpreter, both in speech and in writing. As a fisherman from Galilee, Peter may not have spoken Greek fluently, so Mark interpreted for him. In his book, Mark wrote down the observations and memories of Peter, one of the original Apostles. We continue with verses 12-13. “12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers.”

Here is a fellow that doesn’t often get the recognition due him. He is only mentioned five times in the New Testament but his ministry is considered noteworthy. We first hear of him during Paul’s third missionary journey. He is mentioned as one of Paul’s companions on the way from Corinth to Jerusalem to deliver a gift to the church there. Tychicus was a native of Asia, or what we would call Asia Minor today. Paul called him a “dear brother” and a “faithful servant” of the Lord’s. One other thought from “Got Questions”, a great site for any questions you might have about the Bible…

“We may not know much about Tychicus, but what we do know is impressive and praiseworthy. Tychicus was a trusted messenger, faithful preacher, and loyal friend.” 

We also notice a name mentioned only once in the New Testament, Carpus. We know that he was in Troas and Paul left his cloak with him. Paul must have known him very well and been acquainted with the family of Carpus. Most likely one of his converts. He had to have considerable confidence in him, since he committed to his care not only the comparatively valueless “cloak,” but especially the priceless “books and parchments.”  

This next verse 14 introduces us to a coppersmith that Paul felt had done him great harm. His name is Alexander. In verse 15 Paul sends a warning…”15 Be careful of him, for he fought against everything we said.” Alexander the coppersmith, “a worker of metals.” The crux of the problem was that Paul’s preaching was hurting their business of idol making and they wanted Paul gone.

Let’s move to the last few verses in 2 Timothy chapter 4. Verses 19-22 are Paul’s final greetings. We start off with verses 19-20… 

“19 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila and those living in the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed at Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.” There are five names here…

Priscilla and Aquila – Priscilla and Aquila were a first century Christian missionary married couple described in the New Testament. Aquila is traditionally listed among the Seventy Disciples. They lived, worked, and traveled with the Apostle Paul, who described them as his “fellow workers in Christ Jesus”. Wikipedia

Onesiphorus – Onesiphorus was a Christian referred to in the New Testament letter of Second Timothy. According to the letter sent by St. Paul, Onesiphorus sought out Paul who was imprisoned at the time in Rome. Wikipedia

Erastus –  A person named Erastus mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:20 and Acts 19:22 is often taken to be the same person. According to the tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Erastus is numbered among the Seventy Disciples. He served as a deacon and steward of the Church at Jerusalem and later of Paneas in Palestine. Wikipedia

Trophimus – Trophimus or Trophimus the Ephesian was a Christian who accompanied Paul during a part of his third missionary journey. He was with Paul in Jerusalem, and the Jews, supposing that the apostle had brought him into the temple, raised a tumult which resulted in Paul’s imprisonment. Wikipedia

The chapter ends with these verses…21-22…

“21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters. 22 May the Lord be with your spirit. And may his grace be with all of you.”

Eubulus – (Euboulos, literally, “of good counsel,” 2 Tim 4:21): One of the members of the church in Rome at the time of Paul’s second imprisonment in Rome.

Pudens, Linus, Claudia – Pudens was an early Christian saint and martyr. He is mentioned as a layman of the Roman Church in 2 Timothy 4:21. He is said to have been the son of Quintus Cornelius Pudens, a Roman senator, and his wife Priscilla. According to tradition, they were among the first converted by Peter in Rome. wikipedia.org

Claudia – The only mention of Claudia in the Bible occurs in 2 Timothy 4:21. In this verse, Paul mentions Claudia in his final greetings to Timothy while Paul is imprisoned in Rome.  Claudia has intrigued biblical scholars, and many have sought to understand her brief role in Paul’s letter to Timothy. She was a Christian woman, her heart was devoted to Paul, and she knew Timothy.

Linus – Linus is named in the valediction of the Second Epistle to Timothy. In that epistle, Linus is noted as being with Paul the Apostle in Rome near the end of Paul’s life. Irenaeus stated that this is the same Linus who became Bishop of Rome. Wikipedia

I hope you have enjoyed this new way of looking at scripture. I believe it helps us to see the story better when we understand who these people were and what part they have in the narrative.

Not everyone has the time to look this deep into the scripture. I am retired and this wonderful world of digital knowledge allows me to share with you some of the stuff beyond the word. I like to share the word and I like to think “The Pew” shares, and informs and we encourage others to desire to know more about our Christian faith. 

Life is Good

jk

Pondering can get out of hand… I find it a good way to get things off my mind but then sometimes it brings on just the opposite. I need to get this age thing off my mind but somehow it is now a national obsession…Thanks Joe. Three years ago we were introduced to Papa Joe, he was presented as a kind of “grandfather figure” kind, understanding, reasonable and sympathetic, highly qualified. History presents age as a thing of wisdom gained over time, to be respected, valued and very much part of our daily lives. What we don’t seem to consider is the fact that people age differently. I will be 81 in a few months and I will share this with you…Me and Joe, we are old, not getting old, we are old. I look at it like a huge storm coming through… some of us will do well, others will suffer some damage…none of us will ever be the same as we were before the storm. I am trying to paint a picture here. There are people who tell me “for 80 you sure look good.” I have a 15 year old car that still looks good but it does not run as well as it used to. Joe, you and me are old. I am not going to turn this into a political thing it’s about age. I am not as sharp as I used to be, I don’t walk…I shuffle and have fell a couple of times, which I like to attribute to tripping. I forget things and have at times even forgot which direction I was going. There are a few things us old folks need to consider giving up. One thing that comes to my mind is driving a car because if I mess up I could hurt some people. The other is leadership…I used to teach Sunday School Classes but I just am not clear minded enough or quick enough for a leadership position in that at this time. We are old Joe and the porch is a good place to sit and watch the young dogs run. 

jk

The book of Esther is one of the five books which the Jews call Megilloth (Rolls). They appear in the Hebrew Bible in the following order:

1. Canticles, that is, Solomon’s Song, read in connection with Passover;

2. Ruth, read on the feast of weeks (Pentecost);

3. Lamentations, used on the ninth day of the month Ab, commemorating the destruction of the temple, which happened twice on the same day, first by Nebuchadnezzar and then afterwards by the Romans;

4. Ecclesiastes, which is read during the celebration of the feast of tabernacles;

5. The book of Esther, read on the feast of Purim.

The Book of Esther does not specifically name its author. The most popular traditions are Mordecai (a major character in the Book of Esther), Ezra, and Nehemiah (who would have been familiar with Persian customs). The book of Esther is held in high regard by the Jews and holds a special place among the other Megillah but not without some objection from both the Jews and Christians as to its rightful place in the canon of the Old Testament. Two leading objections, the first objection is that the name of God does not appear in this book. Add to that, because Esther was to be used in connection with the feast of Purim (a feast of merrymaking) the name of the Lord was omitted on purpose to avoid its irreverent use amid the scenes of feasting and drinking. The second objection is that because it is not quoted in the New Testament but it has been found that several other OT books are not quoted in the NT. One of the better known to object was Martin Luther.

The Book of Esther shows us the protective nature of God toward His people, the people of Israel through the words we read in Esther.The deliverance of of the Jewish Nation by God through Esther. It is a simple book of a specific people each having a pivotal role in the outcome of the story. Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, Mordecai is one of the main personalities in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. He is described as being the son of Jair, of the tribe of Benjamin. Mordecai was also the cousin and guardian of Esther. There are three main sections in the book of Esther…by chapters, Chapters 1:1-2:18 – Esther replaces Vashti… 2:19-7:10 – Mordecai overcomes Haman and 8:1-10:3 – Israel survives Haman’s attempt to destroy them. The noble Esther risked her own death as she realized what was at stake. In Esther we see the ongoing struggle of Satan against God and the promise of a coming Messiah. The story of Esther shows us the power of a person’s love for others and a God that shows the strength of his love and providential care for His people as a nation and individually. 

There may be a time in your life, it may have already occurred, when God will use you stand in the gap…Will you be ready? In simple terms that is what Esther did and her actions saved a people and nation. I have treated Esther like a book review, Done so on purpose… because it is just that a book. 

Life is Good

jk

Been nice here for a few days, which means the weather has been as expected.I find as I get older that change is really not hard unless you resist it. This is a bit of advice that I find hard to accept. Us old dogs don’t accept change all that well. One constant that has been around a long time is best verbalized as such… “this younger generation is taking us to hell in a handbag.” Now we find ourselves looking out of that handbag accusing this younger generation of doing just that… It is the old folks version of “groundhog day.” The truth is somebody got us here and that reminds me those famous words of POGO . “We have found the enemy, it is us.” Ever since that apple and the garden man & woman have always been at odds with the world  and as always it was someone else’s fault. Eve blamed the devil, Adam blamed Eve…and Adam, not to sure but I know he did disavow his headship which God had given him and in the process disobeyed God. Change is around us every day in most areas of our life…time doesn’t stand still. One recent change I read about involves the up-dating of a major denomination’s Hymnal. This is a subject worthy of at least a moment of pondering. A few years ago I lived out in the country… I define that these days as meaning we had a septic tank. Right behind my home was a place that for years had hosted a Gospel Sing every year. I would sit on my back porch and listen to the hymns being sung in the cool of a early summer evening. I loved the sound of those early hymns as they traveled over the empty ground from that stage to my home, a deep rich sound that carried God’s word over His creation to the ears of one in need of some good news. In most cases you are hearing The Word put to music. God’s people have sung hymns since the time of Moses in honor of the Almighty. That is what a Hymn is…a song of praise which in Greek understanding would be referred to as a hymnos, a musical praise to the gods or heroes of the day. We Christians of course sing hymns to the one true God. There is much to ponder about this thing…hymns and I have said that this time on the porch is meant to clear my mind but one thing I’ve learned from this time is that certain things need to be retained…it should also be a time of reflection. Some times in these times of quiet pondering we find a peace that gives us hope. 

Ephesians 5:19-20 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

The wonder and worth of a good ponder… It’s better than pointless chatter to clear a worried mind.

jk