Esther

Rich blessings in the King of Kings!

“…for such a time as this.”

This phrase from the Biblical book of Esther will be read in Jewish communities throughout the world this month as the entire megillah or scroll of Esther is shared during the holiday known as Purim. The context of the phrase is found in Esther 4:14. Esther (Hadassah in Hebrew), a Jewish orphan whom God had raised up to become the Queen of Persia, had just been informed that her people were doomed to be exterminated unless she pleaded with the King on their behalf. Esther’s cousin Mordecai, who had raised her as his own daughter, encouraged her to risk her life for the sake of her Jewish people:

“Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this” ([biblegateway passage=”Esther 4:13-14″ display=”Esther 4:13-14″]).

Esther’s answer to Mordecai’s plea reveals an obedient heart, tremendous courage, willingness to sacrifice, great faith, love of her Jewish people, and total abandonment to the will of God: “Go,
gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish” ([biblegateway passage=”Esther 4:16″ display=”Esther 4:16″]).

Esther was willing to die to save others. She faced certain death at the hands of the wicked Haman or possible death at the hands of the king. Her valiant stance and disregard for her own life reminds us of the believers mentioned in Revelation chapter 12, “And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” (vs. 11). There is a phrase in Hebrew which describes what Queen Esther did: Kiddush HaShem (pronounced ki-DOOSH ha-SHEM). It literally means “to hallow the name” as in the Lord’s prayer ([biblegateway passage=”Luke 11:2″ display=”Luke 11:2″]) when Yeshua instructed His followers to say, “Father, hallowed be Your name…” To hallow God’s name in Hebrew thinking is not merely to revere His “name” as holy, but rather to live one’s life in a way that brings glory and honor to God’s name and His reputation. The opposite of Kiddush HaShem is Hillul HaShem, to profane God’s name (pronounced Hih-LOOL ha-SHEM).

Even though the name of God is never mentioned in the Book of Esther, the Jewish people aresingled out because they are different and their God is different. When Esther took an intercessory stand for her people and initiated a holy fast, it became clear that she was acting in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Surely as the word of what Esther did went around Shushan, her actions brought glory to the God of Israel in the eyes of the Persian people.

Do our actions bring God’s reputation glory, or bring it into contempt? When was the last time we (you) prayed and fasted for the salvation, both physical and spiritual, of the Jewish people? What
happens if we hold our peace? God will use someone else to bring deliverance to His people because He is a covenant-keeping God (reread vs. 14). Don’t miss out on the blessing of Genesis 12:3. Pray for Israel and the Jewish people worldwide and inherit a blessing.

Arise, Esther! God’s end-time Body of Believers is the Bride of the King of Kings. May her hidden Jewish roots be revealed, and may she make an obedient, humble, courageous, self sacrificing identification with the Jewish people in these last days before Messiah’s return!

Purim and Good Friday coincide…

“…for such a time as this…”

Purim and Good Friday both fall on the same day this year: March 25, 2005. Both holy days celebrate the defeat of the enemies of the people of God. Purim is obvious. Haman, whose name means tumult in Hebrew, created conflict between the Persian Empire and the Jews by accusing God’s people to the king ([biblegateway passage=”Esther 3:8″ display=”Esther 3:8″]). As such, Haman is a type of HaSatan, the “accuser,” the one who throughout history has sought to stir up trouble and even eliminate the Jewish people. Haman had the king’s servants cast lots (purim) to determine the date on which the Jews would be destroyed, but his wicked plan was foiled because of the mercy of God and obedience of Esther. The Lord’s ultimate triumph over all wickedness is beautifully expressed in Psalm 37:10, 12-13: “In a little while the wicked will be no more. You may look for them, but they will be gone… The wicked make evil plans against good people. They grind their teeth at them in anger. But the Lord laughs at the wicked, because he sees that their day is coming.”

Hundreds of years after the death by hanging of the wicked Haman and his tensons on a wooden scaffold, our sin was judged on a wooden cross, and satan, the “accuser of the brethren” suffered a deathblow when sin’s power was broken as Yeshua uttered the words, “It is finished” ([biblegateway passage=”John 19:30″ display=”John 19:30″]). Lots were also cast on Good Friday–this time for the garments of Yeshua, as had been amazingly prophesied in Psalm 22:18 ([biblegateway passage=”Matthew 27:35″ display=”Matthew 27:35″]).

Good Friday, the traditional date of the crucifixion of Yeshua, is “good” because a Good God gave His only Son so that mankind, dominated by the yetser harah (the bad inclination) might be set free to follow the yetser ha tov (the good inclination). Colossians 2:13-15 beautifully expresses how we were dead in our sin with a certificate of debt hanging over our heads. The Messiah took our list of sins and nailed it to the cross on “Good Friday.” He won the victory for us that day. “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” ([biblegateway passage=”Colossians 2:15″ display=”Colossians 2:15″]). The Messiah’s death, of course, was the ultimate example of Kiddush HaShem. As we seek to sanctify God’s name by dying to self this month, let us praise the Lord by faith for the defeat of all our enemies! Claim Psalm 60:12: “Through God we shall do valiantly: for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.”

Focus on the Holy Tongue…

“…for such a time as this…”

Our enemies are real, but our God is Greater! We fasted, we prayed, we even had a special intercessor come with us to Phoenix, Arizona last month where we videotaped Dr. Ben Gigi for the new TV series, but we still had battles to fight. Never, ever since we began our ministry in 1980 have we experienced such opposition from the enemy! We firmly believe that God plans to use the 22 Alef-bet programs to touch millions of souls. These programs are a completely new venture for us. Normally we produce a maximum of 9 new programs each year to be added to our already existing programs. 22 at once! This is $3,000 per program, a big step of faith, but these Hebrew programs are surely “for such a time as this.” Hebrew is the Lashon HaKodesh (la-SHON ha KO-desh), literally the holy tongue. It is the language of the Holy Scriptures, the language of Heaven, and the language of the Messiah Yeshua. Hebrew is unlike any other language…so full of jewels–all Jewish of course! Dr. Ben Gigi opened our eyes to fascinating insights on all 22 letters. Following are but a few:

The letter MEM has the sound of the English letter “m.” In ancient times, this letter as well as all the other Hebrew letters were pictographs. The way MEM was drawn agrees with the meaning of the name of the letter. MEM in ancient Hebrew means water. The pictograph was one of waves. The word for water in Hebrew is mayim, written with a MEM, followed by the letter YOOD and a FINAL MEM. The ancient pictograph for YOOD is a hand, so the word for water is waves separated by a hand from waves. Now consider Genesis 1:7: “Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.” No other language on earth has a direct connection to the Bible within its words. Hebrew both validates and clarifies the Holy Scriptures.

The MEM program will be very special as we lift up Yeshua as the source of living water, MAYIM CHAIM ([biblegateway passage=”John 4:10″ display=”John 4:10″]). Our Israel segment is a fantastic interview with a Russian Jewish immigrant who is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records for having created the world’s largest mezuzah. Jamie spoke with Avraham in his Jerusalem studio where he showed us the huge mezuzah as well as a Megillah of Esther that he illustrated.

We still need a sponsor ($3,000) for the MEM program (or 3 x $1,000). Please prayerfully consider sponsoring a program in honor of a special friend, rabbi, pastor or family member, in memory of a loved one, or as a way of advertising your business. We will gladly help you write the copy which will appear at the end of the program. Sponsorship of a program is an investment in souls, an eternal investment, and seed sown in fertile soil.

The letter BET has the sound of the English letter “b.” BET in ancient Hebrew meant a tent or a house. The shape that showed the pictorial meaning was lost during the Babylonian captivity so that it doesn’t look like a house today. However, the meaning is still very much a part of words that include the letter BET. For example, the Hebrew word ab which means “father” as in Ab-raham, begins with the letter ALEF which has the meaning of leader or strength. So the Hebrew word ab means the leader or strength of the house. If you ever wanted to know what a “father” is supposed to be, just check the Hebrew word! The Hebrew word for “son” (bar) means “the house man” or “the man from within the house.” The BET program includes a great segment in the tunnels under the Western Wall in Jerusalem where Jennifer, one of the Orthodox Jewish guides, explains the history of the Beit HaMikdash (literally “the House of Holiness”), the Holy Temple and the Temple Mount. The BET program, as well as the other 21 programs, includes a beautiful banner segment in which Jamie interviews Elaine Caruso of Sion’s Rose Ministries as she unfolds more jewels about each Hebrew letter. TheBET banner tells the story of two houses–the house of blessing and the house of cursing. BET would be a wonderful program to sponsor to honor someone of “Blessed Memory” or in thanks to God for whatever blessing (b’racha) He has bestowed upon you and your family. Or how about someone who builds or sells houses sponsoring the BET program? Please seek the Lord.

The letter LAMED has the sound of the English letter “l.” The ancient picture for was a shepherd’s staff. LAMED in front of a Hebrew word means “to” or “toward.” The shepherd’s staff was used to drive the sheep toward a desired destination. The Hebrew word for heart is lev . The word picture tells us that the heart is what controls the family or what controls the ‘inside.’ On the LEV program we will be dealing with peoples’ hearts, and appealing to them to give their heart to Yeshua. The Israel segment is a touching one–an interview with a man whose house was burned down by terrorists after they murdered his wife and three of his children who wereinside the house. Boaz is struggling to raise his other children, one of whom lost part of a leg in the attack. Jewish Jewels is helping to plant a garden in memory of his deceased wife Rachel as part of our Israel Mercy Missions.

Please seek the Lord about sponsoring the LAMED program. This investment in souls and the kingdom of God must come from your heart touching the heart of the Father!

Righteous Rhymes on CD

“…for such a time as this…”

We are delighted to announce that Volumes I and II of Jamie’s songs and teachings for children from birth–seven years of age have finally been converted to CD format to bless the next generation of children. Many of the little ones who prayed with Jamie to receive Yeshua are now having their own children, so we are making Righteous Rhymes Volumes I and II available in one package so that the anointing which never grows old can continue to touch hearts for the Messiah Yeshua.

An Esther Talit as Your Prayer Closet

“…for such a time as this…”

Ladies: Now is the time for you to have your very own talit to use as a prayer closet, a place of intimate communion with the King of Kings! The Lord has led us to a very unique “Queen Esther Talit” made in Israel with a royal purple atara (neckpiece) and Hebrew letters in gold that say: For Such a Time as This (you have come to the Kingdom). This talit is large (72″ x 45″), off-white with white fringes. The corners are embellished in royal purple, rose and lavendar with lovely designs of Esther’s royal crown, robe and scepter. One word describes this talit: elegant.

Going up (aliyah) to Zion

“…for such a time as this…”

The dates are set for the 2005 Mercy Mission to Eretz Yisrael: Oct. 16-27, 2005. We will be in Jerusalem for the feast of Sukkot, a Sukkot conference, and more mercy missions, similar but not necessarily the same as last year. If the Holy Spirit shows you that this is a moed (appointed time) for you, we would love to have you join our Mercy Mission Team. The team will be limited to the first 30 to register. This is the maximum number we feel we can have and still accomplish our mission of literally getting “inside the house”. It also helps us to become a family (mishpocha).

More special offers

“…for such a time as this…”

If you’re hungry for the teachings on Hebrew and Hebrew words you will love the book Listening to the Language of the Bible by Lois Iverberg and Bruce Okkama. No knowledge of Hebrew is necessary. You can read 2 pages on 1 Hebrew word as a great devotional or read a portion of the book at a time. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Love,

Neil and Jamie