Comments on: WHY HAVE WE DISTORTED THE BOOK OF ESTHER? (Bible Study That Transforms)

By: Diane

Diane — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:16:32 +0000

This is beautiful, Kim. May we rejoice in his kisses to us.

Do you get Spurgeon emails every day? I would like to get them as well. Can you give me a website to go to so I can subscribe?

By: Kim

Kim — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 14:09:53 +0000

…let us seek the same desires after our Lord as those which glowed in the heart of the elect spouse. See how she leaps at once to Him; there are no prefatory words; she does not even mention His name; she is in the heart of her theme at once, for she speaks of Him who was the only Him in the world to her. How bold is her love! it was much condescension which permitted the weeping penitent to anoint His feet with spikenard-it was rich love which allowed the gentle Mary to sit at His feet and learn of Him-but here, love, strong, fervent love, aspires to higher tokens of regard, and closer signs of fellowship. Esther trembled in the presence of Ahasuerus, but the spouse in joyful liberty of perfect love knows no fear. If we have received the same free spirit, we also may ask the like. By kisses we suppose to be intended those varied manifestations of affection by which the believer is made to enjoy the love of Jesus. The kiss of reconciliation we enjoyed at our conversion, and it was sweet as honey dropping from the comb. The kiss of acceptance is still warm on our brow, as we know that He hath accepted our persons and our works through rich grace. The kiss of daily, present communion, is that which we pant after to be repeated day after day, till it is changed into the kiss of reception, which removes the soul from earth, and the kiss of consummation which fills it with the joy of heaven. Faith is our walk, but fellowship sensibly felt is our rest. Faith is the road, but communion with Jesus is the well from which the pilgrim drinks. O lover of our souls, be not strange to us; let the lips of Thy blessing meet the lips of our asking; let the lips of Thy fulness touch the lips of our need, and straightway the kiss will be effected. ~Spurgeon

Todays Spurgeon mentions Esther so I copied.

By: Joyce L. Peterson

Joyce L. Peterson — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 03:03:57 +0000

Chris and Elizabeth…you are beautiful!

By: Anne

Anne — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 21:04:25 +0000

Such things are so painful yet I believe they are the things that drive us into His arms. When it hurts I have to wonder where I would be if not for this.

Dee, I saw your class reunion comment on FB and I have to agree with you. You noticed that the popular boys turned nurdy and the nurds were successful as a rule. I found the same in my high school class. A good example of how worldly blessing can be a bad thing. I encourage my boys that life is nothing like high school and not to worry about popularity but rather about character. That helped my oldest a great deal and Joey has relaxed a lot too.

By: Anne

Anne — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 20:47:08 +0000

Joyce, you are a wonderful encourager! Thank you! I just can’t believe how blessed we are here. I never would have expected such sweet fellowship among people I have never met. It is one of God’s unexpected blessings.

Rebecca, after I shared this the Lord really spoke to me. It was like He took me on a tour of all my perceived failures as a parent. He showed me how I had done the important thing which was to bring them to Him. Also, I saw how He had padded my shortcomings. I mean that most of them lost their negative impact and that I can expect Him to continue with that work. Many of the things that I did well were not for outcome as I had thought but for relationship with them. The outcome is His.

By: Chris S.

Chris S. — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 15:17:56 +0000

Oh Elizabeth, I so understand your wounds.
My sister who was 3 years older than I was, had a great figure, as children I can remember wishing that I had a flat stomach and thighs that didn’t rub together like she did, She wore bikinis, I wore those suits chubby girl suits, with the dress like tops.
My best friend in jr. high and high school was beautiful, she was the Queen of Hearts at the dance, voted most photogenic. I felt I lived in her shadow.
One of Bills friends asked him why he was marrying me when we were dating, right in front of me!
I still feel such insecurites about these things, Bill is aging really well, me not so much.
It is not easy to stop hearing those voices, listening to lies that paralyze us from paying attention to things that really matter.

By: elizabeth

elizabeth — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:46:18 +0000

Anne, I have to tell you I read this last night and have been pondering it ever since–God is using it to encourage me–thank you for your transparent heart. I very much relate to all of what you said. I grew up always feeling like the least attractive–always surrounded by worldly beauty. My older sisters, as well as my best friend, were each named “most beautiful” in high school. I even remember over-hearing a girl say she didn’t know why my boyfriend (now husband) was dating me because I wasn’t that pretty. I used to spend nights just praying I would somehow become beautiful. I remember honestly wondering in middle school, if I’d need to marry someone with poor eyesight. Those feelings aren’t gone–I realized last night how much I have just stuffed them down. When I read what you wrote–it’s like I had to finally connect what I heard from the sermon, what I have heard my Prince say to me, what I write and say I know is true–I had to finally receive it, BELIEVE it. I am beautiful to the only One who really matters–the KING.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:24:25 +0000

Anne, Wish I was on last night to see this-but that was not God’s plan..I CAN SO RELATE TO YOU BEATING YOURSELF UP. I do it too. I can’t wait for you to read Dee’s study for this week! :) Especially the part where she says even when we give in to worldly pressure and fail HE IS WITH US!!! :):) He doesn’t withdraw! Instead of ignoring me like humans would or abandoning me, or getting tired of my whining he pursues me HARD-so difficult for me to fathom but real.

An older woman who discipled me used to tell me over and over-”you are His Princess-you are royalty! He died to cover you with His righteous robes.” Anne, you are too! You are a special, radiant woman he is making more and more beautiful here on Earth-His princess clothed with His beauty. I know some days this will be so hard to see as it is for me but even when it is and your faith is weak, he is with you. I am sure I will need this encouragement at some point in the next day or two as well. :)

By: Chris S.

Chris S. — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:59:14 +0000

Agreed, I love your response Joyce!
Anne, you have that gentle quiet spirit mentioned in 1 Peter 3, we love you here, you bring such richness to the discussions we have.
I agree wholeheartly with Joyce

Joyce my mom used to sing In the Garden, it touched my heart today to remember that, and think of her in heaven now.

By: Susan

Susan — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:11:24 +0000

7. What have you learned about reading the Bible accurately?

From last week – ask myself those questions – WHY am I reading the Scriptures, what is my motive? And this week, that the Bible tells the story of people like Esther, or David, or Moses, etc…but it’s not a book about people; they are not the heroes – the hero is God. It’s about what God has done in their lives, and so often it is to redeem their failings and mistakes and still make something beautiful of their lives. On every page, my focus needs to be to look for God.

8. What is your take-away and why?

I haven’t listened to the sermon yet, I’m sure that would have added much more to this week’s lesson. One take-away is, I found it very interesting an eye-opening to read through the first chapter of Esther the way it should be read; seeing the irony. It was like reading it from God’s perspective. I want to remember to look for the real Hero when I read the Bible, to remember the focus is on Him.

“He has a grand plan – He sees how we fail – yet He does not let our failures deter His plan” This is a good take-away. I think it even ties-in with the talk we listened to last week by Paige on repentance. If I don’t believe this, then I will have that worldly sorrow and live with regret and self-hatred. David had to believe this, or he wouldn’t have run to God with repentance. I can fail miserably and wretchedly, yet go to God based on His character and that He still can accomplish His plans. It is like a springboard to repentance.