A family that prays together is awesome.

I want to tell you all about something my family and I have been doing. Because Sundays are all about getting ready for church, then we come home to eat Lunch, cook dinner early to get ready for the week ahead; we don't get much rest on that day. We do get an over whelming sense of peace from God that I find comes from being gathered in his name. I don't think I can get through my week as well without it. We don't get much down time though. I mean family movies, outdoor fun, or simply a day you can actually take a nap. I was thinking about it for a long time and praying to God that I could use a day to take a break. I home school and so my schedule is pretty packed with housework, school work, and laundry. I started reading scriptures about the Sabbath. Many Christians know that the true Sabbath is on Saturday. Just do a search on Google and you'll see the facts on that subject. That's what I did. and I said you know If I followed this biblical Law with a gentile Christian twist I could be able to get the real rest I need and Honor God at the same time. So I talked to my husband and he agreed. I had to make some changes in my schedule and the first one was to change Saturday cleaning house blessing day to Fridays. Fridays was a light school day anyway because all unfinished work was done on that day. Sabbath starts on Friday at sundown  so I would have to have dinner done by 5 pm if I wanted to be able to do the beginning Sabbath worship. In the Jewish faith the wife begins the Sabbath with lighting the Sabbath candles and prayer. So I would light three candles representing the trinity just before dark about 6 pm. I would have worship songs and scriptures picked out and anointing oil to bless all my children and pray for my husband. Saturday Morning I sleep in and that is great!!! We do light cleaning on Saturday like bed making and breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes but most of the day is leisure time. Saturday just before Sundown marks the end of the Sabbath it is called "Havdalah" and my husband handles that worship time by entering with worship music and having a family Holy communion, passing around a bowl of spices to remind us that life is full of spice. In other words life is full of variety and to much of any one thing is boring and unhealthy. He also blesses the children and prays for me. Then he recites scriptures and Thanks Jesus for the light of the world. It took a couple of weeks to get it just right. Change is never easy, But God blessed our efforts. What we noticed was just a few weeks after we started to do this blessings started rolling in. We moved to a new home and many of our friends blessed us with gifts for our new home. Many unexpected things kept happening. Last night was the first time I got everything perfect. I got up at seven and the cleaning was all done by Lunch. The kids finished their unfinished school work by 1:30 pm and I started dinner and it was done by 4:30 pm. We all gave thanks and ate together as a family including my husband, who usually watches the news during dinner and I eat with the Kids. After dinner I lit the candles and turned down the lights put on the worship and began to pray. After the worship was over I put on a family inspirational movie which I try to do every Friday night. So far we have seen "The Blind side," Gifted hands,"  "Soul Surfer," "Field of dreams," "Hoosiers," and "The Impossible." These movies help us have open discussions about real family issues, faith,Justice, servitude, humanity, and a bunch of other subjects. I have fallen in love with this new tradition in our home and wanted to share it with you. If you would like to try this with your family here is a Good sight to learn more about Sabbath or Shabbat. http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Shabbat/shabbat.html

Esther

Esther

Means “Star” in Persian

Her real name was “Hadassah” which means Compassion

To be a prayer warrior you must have compassion

Providence: Defined as "The protective care of God"

Synonyms: Fate, Destiny,God's will, divine intervention, predestination.

The story of Esther is one of Providence.

We too are predestined, Romans 8:28-31

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.30 Moreover whom He PREDESTINED, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

God’s Everlasting Love

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

The King Ahasuerus was from a long line of kings many of which gave of their wealth for the  rebuilding of the temple of God. Ezra 6;8, 6:7 and Neh. 2:8. King Ahasuerus lavished in his wealth by throwing banquets for many days and Glorifying himself. He didn't give glory to God. Esther 1:3-4  In his Kingdom he had a very close adviser, Named Haman whom he trusted and listened to. Haman was a descendant of Agag The King of the Amalekites. Esther 3:1.  Now When Saul was King he was commanded by God to completely destroy the Amalekites because of their attack on Israel when he brought them out of Egypt. Exodus 17:8-16.  King Saul did not listen to God and let the King of the Amalekites live {Agag}and 1 Sam. 15:13,1;7-9. Disobedience and lies and pride were Saul's downfall.  Obedience, humility, and Character were Esther's rising up.

God Knew that the war between the Amalekites was a spiritual battle between devils and angels and being worked out in the natural. Don't be deceived the things of the spirit are more real then the things of this world.  God wanted to remove them from the earth because the devil was using them to stop the work of God in his people Israel. He wanted to stop attacks on his children. King Saul didn't obey and God's enemies the Amalekites rose up again against his Children in The story of Esther.  God also chose a person with a warriors spirit to do this. He first chose Saul but he failed. So he then Chose Esther. Both Saul and Esther were from the tribe of Benjamin. let's see what God says Of the tribe of Benjamin. Genesis 49:27

We all have a spirit within us that directly has to do with our call. Only God knows what that is but as long as we obey him and seek his will he will unfold our calling and purpose in our lives. Esther was very obedient.

In Esther 1 we see how God plans to bring Esther and Hamon face to face begins. Esther 1:10-12

so the King get's rid of Queen Vashti. 

Pride comes before the fall and Humility before exaltation. Vashti was full of pride but Esther was humble and lowly. God wants us to have this type of character. She was an orphan and a captive in the Persian Empire.  Esther was not a natural warrior. She didn't walk into that spirit of a warrior until she prayed.  prayer and fasting will initiate providence it will prepare the way. Just like Jesus did in the desert 40 days and nights. Esther knew that she had to seek God.  

Haman and Mordecai Esther's uncle. Mordecai knew who Haman was and although Haman was a high official of the king Haman refused to pay him honor or bow to him. You should know the Character of the people around you. Mordecai felt Haman was evil and did not deserve honor so in accordance with God's law Mordecai only payed respect to God and the anointed King. This angered Haman. He wanted to kill Mordecai. Then his anger turned to rage and he sought to rid the earth of all the Jews. The devils Plan. But God has a plan and it never fails.  Esther 3:1-2, 5-6, 3:8-11

Esther 4:1-17

See How prayer made her brave. Apart from God we can do nothing!!!!!

Esther learns that obedience is key to success in God. She also learns that God's will be done whether through her or someone else but God will have his way. Just as God rose her up because King Saul disobeyed. Esther 4:13-14 

Esther risks her life for her people 

after she prayed three days she got up and got dressed and went and stood before the king. Esther 5:1-2

Finding favor in the sight of the king. We have already found favor in Christ when we obey his commands. Even Christ says ask and you shall receive. Esther was  very obedient to her uncle and she sought counsel whenever she needed to. There is safety in a multitude of counselors. 

Here the King says to Esther Ask and you shall receive. Esther 5:3

Esther did not act right away she invited the King to a dinner with Haman as guest. Most people like to speculate on why she waited. I simply say it is because everything happens in Gods timing. God simply wasn't ready he wanted certain things to happen first. Everything had to be rightly aligned. 

God wanted Haman's plan for the Jews to be fully visioned by Hamon and begin to be put into action. Esther 5:13-14  Then God wanted the king to remember that Mordecai saved his life and honor him. But not just honor him, but use Haman to do it. So this could cause Haman humiliation. Esther 6:1-3, 4-12 

Now God was ready! Esther reveals herself and pleads for her life and the life of her people. Esther 7:3-4

Esther names Haman as her enemy Esther 7:6

God turns all things around for the Good of the Jews. Esther 7:10

The house of Haman given to Esther. Mordecai gets Haman's job. The Jews are allowed to protect themselves against their enemies. Then many become Jews because fear of the Jews fell upon them. Mordecai becomes very great in the Kingdom. Their mourning turned to Joy and they rejoiced. All Haman' sons hanged. A feast day instituted “Purim” Esther 8,9,10

Jesus came to turn our mourning to Joy.

Isaiah 61:1-3New King James Version (NKJV)

The Good News of Salvation

61 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

So God avenged his enemies through Esther and blessed his people whom Haman the Devils tool sought to destroy. 

Naomi a Mother's day message.

“My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?

Ruth 3

New King James Version (NKJV)

Ruth’s Redemption Assured

3 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.”

5 And she said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.”

6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. 7 And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

8 Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. 9 And he said, “Who are you?”

So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.”

10 Then he said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.12 Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. 13 Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning.”

14 So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 Also he said, “Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it.” And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.

16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “Is that you, my daughter?”

Then she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 And she said, “These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’”

18 Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”

Naomi took in her daughter in Law Ruth even while going through a time of much pain. She found comfort in this young woman's loyalty and the mother in her just rose up in her. She had to do what came naturally to her. To nurture, to secure, to protect, to advise, to take such care in her relationship with Ruth. She was older, wiser, and she knew the way to get Ruth exactly what she needed. She shared all she knew to do and Ruth obeyed. This was a selfless act on Naomi's part but because she chose to do it she furthered her bloodline and Naomi revived her own soul. Mother's give of themselves without measure. We tire, our bones ache, we get frustrated and even depressed but when things happen to the young ones around us we can't help it. Something just rises up in us and we must act. We must nurture. and care for others. In the end it is what revives us, it blesses us, and we are fully satisfied. Thank God for the heart and spirit of a Mother.

Ruth 4:14-17

14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! 15 And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. 17 Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Why Gentiles can be part of the promise and not be a Jew.

Follow my study on Galatians 3

To the end that through [their receiving] Christ Jesus, the blessing [promised] to Abraham might come upon the Gentiles.

Galatians 3

Amplified Bible (AMP)

3 O you poor and silly and thoughtless and  non-reflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you, unto whom—right before your very eyes—Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified?
2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the [Holy] Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works, or was it by hearing [the message of the Gospel] and believing [it]? [Was it from observing a law of rituals or from a message of faith?]
3 Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh?
4 Have you suffered so many things and experienced so much all for nothing (to no purpose)—if it really is to no purpose and in vain?
5 Then does He Who supplies you with His marvelous [Holy] Spirit and works powerfully and miraculously among you do so on [the grounds of your doing] what the Law demands, or because of your believing in and adhering to and trusting in and relying on the message that you heard?
6 Thus Abraham believed in and adhered to and trusted in and relied on God, and it was reckoned and placed to his account and credited as righteousness (as conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action).
7 Know and understand that it is [really] the people [who live] by faith who are [the true] sons of Abraham.
8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify (declare righteous, put in right standing with Himself) the Gentiles in consequence of faith, proclaimed the Gospel [foretelling the glad tidings of a Savior long beforehand] to Abraham in the promise, saying, In you shall all the nations [of the earth] be blessed.
9 So then, those who are people of faith are blessed and made happy and favored by God [as partners in fellowship] with the believing and trusting Abraham.
10 And all who depend on the Law [who are seeking to be justified by obedience to the Law of rituals] are under a curse and doomed to disappointment and destruction, for it is written in the Scriptures, Cursed (accursed, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment) be everyone who does not continue to abide (live and remain) by all the precepts and commands written in the Book of the Law and to practice them.
11 Now it is evident that no person is justified (declared righteous and brought into right standing with God) through the Law, for the Scripture says, The man in right standing with God [the just, the righteous] shall live by and out of faith and he who through and by faith is declared righteous and in right standing with God shall live.
12 But the Law does not rest on faith [does not require faith, has nothing to do with faith], for it itself says, He who does them [the things prescribed by the Law] shall live by them [not by faith].
13 Christ purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by [Himself] becoming a curse for us, for it is written [in the Scriptures], Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified);
14 To the end that through [their receiving] Christ Jesus, the blessing [promised] to Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, so that we through faith might [all] receive [the realization of] the promise of the [Holy] Spirit.
15 To speak in terms of human relations, brethren, [if] even a man makes a last will and testament (a merely human covenant), no one sets it aside or makes it void or adds to it when once it has been drawn up and signed (ratified, confirmed).
16 Now the promises (covenants, agreements) were decreed and made to Abraham and his Seed (his Offspring, his Heir). He [God] does not say, And to seeds (descendants, heirs), as if referring to many persons, but, And to your Seed (your Descendant, your Heir), obviously referring to one individual, Who is [none other than] Christ (the Messiah).
17 This is my argument: The Law, which began 430 years after the covenant [concerning the coming Messiah], does not and cannot annul the covenant previously established (ratified) by God, so as to abolish the promise and make it void.
18 For if the inheritance [of the promise depends on observing] the Law [as these false teachers would like you to believe], it no longer [depends] on the promise; however, God gave it to Abraham [as a free gift solely] by virtue of His promise.
19 What then was the purpose of the Law? It was added [later on, after the promise, to disclose and expose to men their guilt] because of transgressions and [to make men more conscious of the sinfulness] of sin; and it was intended to be in effect until the Seed (the Descendant, the Heir) should come, to and concerning Whom the promise had been made. And it [the Law] was arranged and ordained and appointed through the instrumentality of angels [and was given] by the hand (in the person) of a go-between [Moses, an intermediary person between God and man].
20 Now a go-between (intermediary) has to do with and implies more than one party [there can be no mediator with just one person]. Yet God is [only] one Person [and He was the sole party in giving that promise to Abraham. But the Law was a contract between two, God and Israel; its validity was dependent on both].
21 Is the Law then contrary and opposed to the promises of God? Of course not! For if a Law had been given which could confer [spiritual] life, then righteousness and right standing with God would certainly have come by Law.
22 But the Scriptures [picture all mankind as sinners] shut up and imprisoned by sin, so that [the inheritance, blessing] which was promised through faith in Jesus Christ (the Messiah) might be given (released, delivered, and committed) to [all] those who believe [who adhere to and trust in and rely on Him].
23 Now before the faith came, we were perpetually guarded under the Law, kept in custody in preparation for the faith that was destined to be revealed (unveiled, disclosed),
24 So that the Law served [to us Jews] as our trainer [our guardian, our guide to Christ, to lead us] until Christ [came], that we might be justified (declared righteous, put in right standing with God) by and through faith.
25 But now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a trainer (the guardian of our childhood).
26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.
27 For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ.
28 There is [now no distinction] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham’s Seed], then you are Abraham’s offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise.
http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Gal/Understanding-Presence-Spirithttp://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Gal/Identifying-Children-Abraham