Blogs
STRENGTH TURNED TO – WEAKNESS
Example 1 of 3: General Douglas MacArthur General Douglas MacArthur had a great strength—he was a decisive, strong, skilled general of World War II and post-war governor of Japan (and by, extension, Asia). The book American Caesar presents MacArthur as just...
STRENGTH TURNED TO – WEAKNESS
Example 2 of 3: Peter You’ve met people who were so fastidious they had become prisoners of their own self-discipline and urge to organize. Others so spontaneous they do not plan. Suppose a bridge needed to be built some distance away, and we considered two...
STRENGTH TURNED TO – WEAKNESS
Example 3 of 3: Rebekah Rebekah (Genesis 24) was to figure large in the family of Jacob; hence in the whole book of Genesis. She was up for adventure. Asked whether she would go and marry a distant relative (pictured at left as Rebekah...
Beauty and the Beast
Esther 7:1-10 Queen Esther was beautiful. Scripture says she was “lovely in form and features” (2:7). When Esther walked into a room, heads would have turned. If she had lived today she would have been on every major magazine cover without the need of air brushing...
The Empire Strikes Back
Esther 8:1-9:17 On September 11, 2001, many of us became aware of the term, jihad. Segments of Islam declared a jihad, or “holy war,” against America. Within Islam, there is a debate over the use of this term – whether the Koran means it to be symbolic or literal....
We Wish You a Merry Purim
Esther 9:18-10:3 We are quite familiar with the phrase “Merry Christmas,” but most Christians know little of the Jewish holiday Purim, which is celebrated in late February or early March in honor of Queen Esther. Purim, Judaism’s most dramatic, fun-filled holiday,...
Who’s in Control of Your Life
Esther 4:1-17 We often encounter circumstances beyond our control. It’s easy to despair, to give up and doubt God’s goodness and grace. It doesn’t feel like God is being good. We like to think we can successfully direct our lives with careful thought and planning....
Esther’s Date with Destiny
Esther 5:1-14 On May 10, 1939, the king of England summoned the newly-elected Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, to Buckingham Palace and asked him to mobilize Britain to fight Adolph Hitler’s Nazis. England was in peril as Europe was falling to the Nazi war...
Good Night and Good Providence
Esther 6 Providence is God’s sovereign arrangement and control of all things. As believers we must understand there is no such thing as luck. Proverbs 20:24 says, “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord . . . .” Behind the scenes of everyday living...
Esther: Woman of Faith … For Such a Time as This
The book of Esther tells an amazing story of a powerful, beautiful woman who rose to the position of Queen of Persia and helped avert the genocide of her people. Esther became queen to one of the strongest kings in Persian history without any of the advantages of...
