Podcasts about Haman

How God 'flipped the script' on Haman; learning that God will give victory no matter what it takes; a summary of Esther chapters 5-7. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1213/29

Send us a text In this sermon, Rod Hugan reflects on Esther 5–6, focusing on the contrast between Haman's pride and Mordecai's quiet humility. Through storytelling, personal reflection, and biblical insight, Rod explores how pride distorts our view of honor and how true humility allows us to return to the gates—to serve, to wait, and to trust God's quiet work in the shadows. A thoughtful invitation to examine whose approval we seek and what kind of character we're cultivating. Sermon NotesSupport the showThe Village Church's sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God's work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God's kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose. Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age. The Village Churchvillagersonline@gmail.comMore information at www.villagersonline.com

How God 'flipped the script' on Haman; learning that God will give victory no matter what it takes; a summary of Esther chapters 5-7. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1213/29

People choose personal relationships and personal fulfillment over duty. Most often, they place the latter ahead of the former, which is why you see all these ridiculous posts on social media about “toxic relationships.”It's a big joke.I live among people who do not inhabit the same reality as I do.It used to frustrate me, but now I smile and move on, knowing that most people are not willing to make hard choices. They—and those who enable them—form Caesar's political base.The blind leading the blind.Scripture has taught me, the hard way, that I have no right to judge.Neither do others, yet we all persist in doing so.All of you should watch the Star Wars series Andor in full—it's just two seasons—and then watch Rogue One, and you'll understand what the writers of the New Testament were doing in the shadows of “empire.”Unlike the arrogant cowards sitting on the Rebel Council at Yavin IV, the biblical writers weren't building anything new to replace Rome or Jerusalem. They had no secret plans for a “new” Republic. The gospel was not a hero's journey or a strategy for institution-building under the protection of a solipsistic Jedi order, nor was it fighting for “freedom.” It was, however, about hope, against all hope.Rehear Galatians.The New Testament ends where it begins—with the sword of instruction wandering the earth in God's broad encampment, moving from place to place with an urgent message of permanent, perpetual rebellion:“Caesar is not the king!”Long before Paul, Jeremiah, too, had joined the Rebellion. He understood the price. Jeremiah was not James Dean. You cannot be a rebel unless you have a cause. Unless, of course, you, like most Americans I know, want to remain a teenager for the rest of your life.Adults, however, have to make a choice:“Cursed be the day when I was born; Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me! Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father, saying, ‘A baby boy has been born to you,' and made him very happy.”(Jeremiah 20:14-15)This much I know:“Everything I do, I do for the Rebellion.”This week, I discuss Luke 8:28.Show Notesἀνακράζω (anakrazō) / ק-ר-א (qof–resh–aleph) / ق-ر-أ (qāf–rāʾ–hamza)Cry out. Read aloud.“When the three units blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and shouted, ‘A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!'” (Judges 7:20)Gideon's story is part of the cyclical narrative structure that characterizes the Book of Judges. In this recurring pattern, Israel turns away from God and does evil, prompting God to give them into the hands of their enemies. In their suffering, the people cry out to God, who then raises up a deliverer—a judge—to rescue them. This deliverance brings a period of temporary peace until the cycle begins again. In the case of Gideon, Israel is oppressed by the Midianites. God chooses Gideon to lead a small and unlikely force, emphasizing that the victory is not the result of human strength but a demonstration of the Lord's power and faithfulness.“Then he cried out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, ‘Come forward, you executioners of the city, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand!'” (Ezekiel 9:1 )In Ezekiel 8–11, the prophet is shown a vision of the abominations taking place in the Jerusalem temple, including idolatry, injustice, and ritual defilement. As a result of this widespread corruption, the glory of God departs from the temple. In chapter 9, the vision shifts from exposing sin to executing judgment. God summons six angelic executioners, each carrying a weapon and a seventh figure dressed in linen holding a writing kit. This scribe is instructed to mark the foreheads of those who mourn over the city's sins, while the others are commanded to kill the rest without mercy, beginning at the defiled sanctuary.“So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.'” (Zechariah 1:14 )προσπίπτω (prospiptō) / נ-פ-ל (nun-fe-lamed) / ن-ف-ل (nun-fa-lam)Fall upon, at, against; become known.“Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell (יִּפֹּ֥ל yiffōlʹ) on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.” (Genesis 33:4)“And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell (תִּפֹּ֖ל tiffōl) down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.” (Esther 8:3)Esau suffered the consequences of tribal betrayal and familial treachery; Esther and her people faced annihilation under a lawfully decreed genocide. These parallels—illuminated by Luke's deliberate lexical choices—frame the demon-possessed man as a victim of Greco-Roman imperial oppression.In each case, the act of falling appears directed toward a human being when, in fact, it is the acceptance of Providence.This is the core teaching of the Abrahamic scrolls.Esther does not confront the king as a preacher or moral authority; she pleads with him, fully aware that she holds no power. You might say Esther was, in this instance, a functional Muslim.To fall is ultimately submission to divine authority—Esther, by entrusting herself to God's hidden providence, accepts that there is no King but God.Her only weapon against oppression, along with Esau and the demonic, was to fall prostrate, hoping against all hope in God's promise (in his absence), that:“Caesar is not the king!”نَفَّلَ (naffala) “he fell to his share” or “assigned as a share.”الْأَنْفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ(al-anfālu lillāhi wa-l-rasūli)“The spoils are for God and the Apostle.”Surat al-Anfal 8:1(see also: κατεκλίθη)δέομαι (deomai) / ח-נ-ן (ḥet–nun–nun) / ح-ن-ن (ḥāʼ–nūn–nūn)Ask; pray; beg. Grace. Compassion, mercy, tenderness.“I also pleaded (אֶתְחַנַּ֖ן ʾěṯḥǎnnǎnʹ) with the Lord at that time, saying, ‘O Lord God, You have begun to show your servant your greatness and your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? (Deuteronomy 3:23–24)“If you would seek God and implore (תִּתְחַנָּֽן tiṯḥǎnnānʹ) the compassion of the Almighty, if you are pure and upright, surely now he would rouse himself for you and restore your righteous estate.” (Job 8:5–6)The triliteral root ح-ن-ن (

Upholding the "Christian" label in a world like ours is vulnerable—it's risky. If we live rightly in our wrong world, sooner or later we will find ourselves in conflict or threatened.When Esther's people, the Jews, were threatened, she had to choose whether or not she was going to stand up for them against the persecution of Haman. Would she keep her identity as a Jew a secret and save herself? Or would she stick her neck out and try to save the Jews?Jill encourages us to be like Esther, and to be unashamed of the Gospel message in our witness. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1141/29

Upholding the "Christian" label in a world like ours is vulnerable—it's risky. If we live rightly in our wrong world, sooner or later we will find ourselves in conflict or threatened.When Esther's people, the Jews, were threatened, she had to choose whether or not she was going to stand up for them against the persecution of Haman. Would she keep her identity as a Jew a secret and save herself? Or would she stick her neck out and try to save the Jews?Jill encourages us to be like Esther, and to be unashamed of the Gospel message in our witness. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1141/29

Bride Sanctified for the Marriage Feast (audio) David Eells, 5/14/25 Let me begin by saying that the Man-child and the Bride have been going through the sanctification process and overcoming in their personal trials to be ready in time for the anointing of the Man-child. They have passed the “love tests,” been cleansed and sanctified, becoming stronger in faith, in unity with one another, and proven to be faithful and obedient. I believe that the end of these tests and trials is coming and the Lord is coming with His reward and will reveal His chosen Bride to those who have eyes to see. But also the same trials that came to the Bride will then come to the Church in the tribulation and then these revelations below from 2011 will be very important.     Cleansing the Bride for the Feast (David's notes in red) A faithful pastor friend for many years called me and asked my advice. He said he was being slandered behind his back by some people in order to separate disciples. I shared with him that this was happening all over the world, according to many witnesses who have come to us. I told him that we had been told several years ago that an army of demons would come to try to destroy me and UBM. I shared what the Lord told us, that His purpose was to separate people from us because they were leavened and were polluting His Bride, who must now be pure to celebrate the wedding feast for the last seven years. I said Esther was separated from the virgins in the house of the women to go to the King's house before the seven-year reign of the beast, represented by Haman. We received revelations I want to share to help us understand this. (This was just after the first faction in 2011.)     Sons of Perdition Attack the Saints  Ellie McBride - 10/05/2011 (David's notes in red) In a dream, I was at home visiting with Cynthia Marks. (In the natural, Cynthia is one of my co-workers.) She ordered something and was having it delivered to our house for some reason. After she left, I discovered that she had left something behind, so I called her on the phone to let her know. (It seems that Cynthia represents the sons of perdition in whom the false Jesus, Apollo, lives. In ancient times, Cynthia was a cultic title of the Greek god Apollo. Cynthia means “from Mount Kynthos”, which is on Delos Island, on which Apollo was supposed to have been born. Webster's Dictionary says that “Apollyon” used to be a common variant of “Apollo” until recently. Many scholars identify “Apollyon” as the Greek god “Apollo”, the god of death. Apollyon's Mountain, Kynthos or Cynthia, represents his kingdom of those who are destroyed, which in Greek is Apoleia. This is what the word says also: Apollyon is the King of the Abyss and those in it. Rev.9:11 They have over them as king the angel of the abyss: his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek [tongue] he hath the name Apollyon [meaning Destroyer]. His kingdom is over those he destroys. 2Th.2:3 let no man beguile you in any wise: for [it will not be,] except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition [ which is in Greek: Apoleia; those who are spiritually destroyed]. Rev.17:8 The beast [which is in spirit a corporate entity of demons ruling over flesh] that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition [Apoleia]. The demons enter into the corporate body of the sons of perdition to destroy them and they are brought into the abyss. Jud.10 But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they destroyed. 2Pe.2:12 But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed. Railing in Greek is “blasphemeo”, which means “to speak evil of or slander”. Dear friends, let no man beguile you. Don't let the sons of perdition, these modern-day Judases, deliver anything to your house or leave anything behind as this dream warns us. In the natural and just like this dream, these people visited Ellie to leave some slander behind but she refused it because she had seen a vision of several of them spiritually dead. Others we are hoping will repent and come out from among them.) Cynthia's mother came to our house on a different day while they delivered the item Cynthia had ordered. (The Harlot is the mother of the corporate body of the son of perdition.) It turned out to be a very large blue stuffed animal. It looked like it might be a dog. (A stuffed dog is an unclean beast with no heart or mind of the Spirit. It is blue because they want to present this life of theirs to you as heavenly but it is born of destruction. What they want to give to the saints is a traitorous life of self-will, ego, rejection, faction, slander, unforgiveness, hatred, retaliation and lusts of all kinds. The Church is about to learn this of them.) It had a very long body with long floppy legs. (These people cannot stand or walk in the Kingdom.) I wondered why she ordered that and thought that maybe it was a present for her granddaughter named Promise. (The children of the Promise will not receive from the son of perdition.) Cynthia's mother said she would take it and deliver it to Cynthia. I told her it was okay and that Cynthia was to come over to pick it up and was also to pick up the other item she left behind. (In other words, “get that garbage out of my house”.) Since Cynthia and her mother don't get along that well, I was not comfortable with allowing her to take the items. (Just as Judas, the son of perdition, and the Sanhedrin, head of the Harlot, didn't get along but they did business in order to crucify the body of Christ.) After Cynthia's mother left, I learned of some sort of attack going on. (Any time the sons of perdition leave anything at your house it's an attack on you. They tried to do this with Ellie in the natural but she refused it.) I no longer remember how I learned of it. I might've looked outside and seen it after hearing some shots. Psa.11:2 For, lo, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string, That they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. I saw some people with weapons shooting round balls or pellets of various sizes, but never any bigger than a baseball. When these pellets hit their target they would burst and splash blood all over their target. Lev.17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood... Life here is the soul or nature. Shooting represents speaking slanderous accusations against someone, which puts their evil nature in those who receive their words. When we do not warn the wicked, rather than be partakers of their sin, their blood [or nature] is upon us. Tit.3:10 A factious man after a first and second admonition refuse; 11 knowing that such a one is perverted, and sinneth, being self-condemned. Eph.5:11 and have no fellowship [giving and receiving] with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them 12 for the things which are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of. We are warned not to eat the unclean beasts which was revealed to Peter in Acts 10 to be speaking of partaking of the nature of unclean people.) I became curious about this and desired to understand why it was happening and why the blood. (I believe the projectiles are people being sent out to target certain brethren and if they are able to “hit” them or have an effect on them, the victims become contaminated with their blood or nature [through their evil spirits as we have seen].) I watched for a while. In the meantime, Cynthia came to our house to pick up her things and then tried to leave, but when she stepped out the front door there was a bad storm raging. She went back into our house to wait out the storm. (The sons of perdition have no faith because of their sinful life but they also know that the house of the righteous is the only safe place from the storms, so they decide to stick around for fear but not for long.) I was still busy studying this private war. The people were not attacking everyone, only members of a certain group. (As Judas did to Jesus, they attack mostly the David heads of the Bride but to a lesser extent the Bride because they cannot be a member of that body, which is so contrary to their nature. Psa.15:1 Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? [The answer is Jerusalem, the Bride as in Revelation 21:9,10.] 3 He that slandereth not with his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his friend, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor) By watching, I learned that the attackers' projectile weapons had a limited reach. Once I figured that out, I stepped outside where it was happening and stood just out of the reach of the projectiles where I could face them and watch them safely without being hit. (I have been able to observe the war on the righteous from a safe distance without being affected.) (The Lord is saying, do not come in contact in any way with these people, lest they put something of their evil nature in your house.) I stood there and watched as they fired at different targets and watched as blood would cover the targets. (Defiling those who do not separate from them, meaning sanctifying themselves from them.) I saw a pellet that had not burst and picked it up to study it. I stood there for a long time observing when I heard my telephone ringing. I heard the phone number being called out and I recognized it as Annie's phone number. (In real life, I had attempted to contact her by phone on 10/04/11 but got the recorder and was only able to leave a message.) (“Annie” means “blessed with grace”.) In the dream, I believed she was returning my call. I apologized to her for taking so long to answer the phone. I informed her of the attack that I was observing take place. (Those who are blessed with grace will receive the warning to avoid the factious.) After talking to Annie, I received another call. This time from a man who was calling to check on me for some reason. (I believe this might have been David.) (I did this in real life and she informed me of an attack there.) I informed him of the attack I was observing as well and let him know that I had in my possession one of their pellets. I told him I intended to study it. I was very curious as to why they were attacking, and I was desirous to understand their weapons. (Ellie is being used to show what not to do here. Studying their weapons of slander is contrary to the commands and very dangerous. Curiosity has caused some to be infected with their slander and faction spirits. People find it hard to believe that “Christians” can lie like these do and are tempted to believe them. This curiosity could lead to something worse, as in the next scene.) The scene changed and I was in the shower with the water running. I did not notice right away, but I soon saw that it was not water coming out of the shower head, but blood. I quickly stepped back and thought it was gross that I had this blood on me. I called out to those in the house to caution them that somehow the attackers had managed to contaminate the water with their blood. I wondered to myself how they managed to do this. (Examining their words and thoughts is receiving a seed of demons and will bring a flood [shower] of temptation to overcome those who do not obey. Pro.8:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.) I let the water run until it was clear water again and no longer blood and I was then able to bathe. (I believe this is referring to them misusing the Word to persuade their targets into seeing things their way. Brethren should beware that if they are continuing to fellowship with some of these attackers that they are using the Word in such a way as to bring confusion and doubt.) The Lord spoke this verse to me concerning this dream: Isa.4:3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem; 4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning. See also Christian Snipers.   Separating Goats from Sheep   B.A. - 10/04/2011 (David's notes in red) At 4:30 a.m. this morning, I had a vision: It was dark, but in the darkness, I saw a house. The house was shining very brightly on the right side; it appeared to be glowing. I saw people gathered in a circle; they were very tall and they seemed at peace. They were praying and singing praises to the Lord. (This is the UBM house and on a larger type the house of God. They were on the right side because they were sheep which Jesus put on His right. That side was shining brightly because the glory of God was there. They were tall because they were big and mature in the ways of the Lord.) I saw how the left side of the house was very dark and smoke was coming out of the walls. The people looked like dwarves. They were angry and agitated, and they kept pacing back and forth. (Those on the left, of course, are the ones who act as goats, which Jesus put on His left. It was very dark because they were walking in darkness. Smoke is coming out of the walls because the judgment of God is upon it. They were dwarves because they had been stunted in their growth and were small and immature in the ways of the Lord. They are angry and agitated because they are full of faction, anger, slander, criticism, wrath, etc. They are pacing back and forth because they are nervous and stirred up by these demon spirits.) There was a door that separated the two sides of the house. There were no handles on either side of this door. (God has made a separation between the righteous and the wicked. They may not get at the truly righteous who obey His Word to separate from them and we may not minister to them, for God has given them over to this.) The people on the left were angry because they could not figure out how to get this door open to get into the other side. (The goats have been bitter and angrily trying to get at the righteous with their slander.) They wanted to stop those people from singing and praising the Lord. (The demons hate peace and praise among the righteous.) There was a crack about 3/4 of the way down through the center of the house. It looked like at any time the house would split apart. (This is the spiritual earthquake we have seen that is bringing separation of the wicked from the refuge and Bride. The separation will soon be physical, and they will leave our house as a purified house. The Lord said to me as I meditated on this that His foot was pushing down on the left side of the house. It looks like possibly there is a quarter of the way left to go but as the weight of their sin becomes greater they will break off. Father has been showing us for several years through dreams, visions and prophecy that an army of demons would make war with UBM and me in an attempt to destroy us but at the same time we were shown we would become greater in holiness, power, and ministry. (2025 update Note: This has been happening since 2011.) I noticed that the right side of the house was firmly on the foundation, whereas the left side of the house had no ground beneath it. I thought to myself, if that house splits all the way, the left side is going to fall and there's nothing to catch it! (We were told by the factious they would leave peaceably but they lied because they had their eye on carving up UBM from the cover of darkness. God also had His plan to separate those who could give in to these lusts and so He has. We pray constantly for our brethren that they would come to repentance and we know that a few ultimately will.)   The Lamp Of God B.A. - 10/07/2011 (David's notes in red) First Vision Mat.5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do [men] light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house. 16 Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Psa.119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path. I had a vision of a large, green wicker floor lamp. As I looked at this lamp, I was drawn to it, so I went over and touched it. When I touched the lamp, it suddenly sprang open and revealed a refrigerator on the inside. This lamp appeared to be breathing (the breath of the Holy Spirit [in the lamp of the saints]). I believe this refrigerator in a lamp represents the Word of God in the saints. The fact that it was made of wicker (wood) and green (the color of life) represents the true people of God. The lamp revealing its inner self as a refrigerator is showing us the hidden manna in God's people. Also, a refrigerator preserves food (the spiritual food of the Word of God stored within our hearts) for future preparation when needed. Only God's true people are this lamp and have this refrigerator. The Lord is showing me that He is using faction to strengthen His Body. The Lord is drawing His Body together to feast on His Word and to pray in unity to combat this evil attack. We are being prepared as spiritual warriors. The Lord is pleased to see His David being defended and lifted up by the true Body of Christ. These factious spirits will not be able to penetrate the hedge of protection that the Lord has placed around His David and the true Body at UBM. The Holy Spirit is telling me to tell the Body to wait on and trust in the Lord. Psa.37:7 Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him: Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, Because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.     Preparation for the Bride Second Vision I saw the Body of UBM dressed up like brides. Some of the brides were in the kitchen preparing a large meal (feasting on the Word of God) (the wedding feast of the last seven years), some setting tables (preparation for the feast), others sweeping the floor (purging out the leaven) and washing windows (clearing our perception and discernment). This vision is very encouraging. Everyone seemed to know their gifts and were going about their tasks with joy and love. The righteous are preparing spiritually for their role as the Bride.     Bride to Be Separated M.C. - 03/25/2012 (David's notes in red) In my dream, I was in a very large building along with many thousands of people who were slowly milling around. There was white lighting overhead that appeared to be fluorescent. Facing ahead of me, the building seemed to be open with no wall. Most of the people in the building were to my left and there was a wall to my right. Our position in the building was critical. I knew I needed to be praying, especially in tongues, for the people in this room, particularly the people whom I knew. It was urgent that I pray that they would be in the right position. (Note that in this dream, every time I was impressed by the importance of prayer, a priority was placed on praying in tongues.) (The Spirit knows who the Bride is and what those left behind need in order to go with the Bride who follows the Man-child as it was with Jesus.) We were running out of time. (At this time, people must choose to be obedient by being in the process of putting on the lampros garment of the Bride, which is their righteous acts, according to the scripture. Those who are content to walk in a leukos garment are not yet ready to escape greater tribulation, which is needed for sanctification. Rev.19:7 Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright [lampros] [and] pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints [or sanctified ones].) Suddenly, those on the right side of the building started moving out of the building straight ahead through the opening. We were accelerating very quickly. As I glanced to my left, I noticed that there was a distinct line forming between the people who were still standing motionless and the people who were being moved out. In fact, the people who were left were lined up perfectly at the very edge of the line. The group left behind were all facing us. We hadn't known where that line was before. (There will be a distinction between the Bride and the rest of the church at the beginning of the Marriage Feast of seven days/years of the tribulation. Is this separation geographical? No, it's spiritual: it is authority, dominion, holiness, anointing, etc.) I realized we were out of time to pray for people to be in the group that was leaving (because the Bride was chosen to follow the Man-child reformer body as it was with Jesus.). I was very anxious for the people who were being left behind. I desperately tried to scan the faces of people right at the demarcation of the line, since there was a space between us now, but we were moving out so fast that I couldn't seem to recognize anyone. It was terrible. Behind the people remaining to the left, the light seemed to be fading; it got darker and darker the further to the left one went. (They are going into the darkness of tribulation for sanctification.) There were many thousands of people left behind whom I could see and an almost infinite number of people behind them were off in the darkness. I didn't recognize anyone in the dream. The separation was terrible and very sudden with no announcement. Once we started being moved out of the building, I couldn't seem to do anything by praying as to who was on which side. (The Bride is chosen to be the Bride at the beginning of her own Marriage Feast with the Groom.) At first I was very upset about the people being left behind and then I thought to myself that I needed to stop worrying and start praising God and thanking Him for what He was doing, and to leave the people whom we left behind in His hands. (Some of these people will be lost, as 1/3 of the stars of Abraham's seed fall from their heavenly place in Christ to the earth to be trampled under the feet of the Beast. Some of these people will overcome to walk in purity and holiness through the crucifixion of the tribulation.) I somehow felt that I could still pray for them, but the priority for that prayer was now on the back burner. Now I needed to concentrate on what was ahead of us that we were all moving toward. (Those chosen will recognize the new leadership of the Man-child as they did in Jesus' time. Joh.3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom ... As in the book of Esther, she is taken into the King's house at the beginning of the people of God's tribulation but she is also to use her position to save them. The Philadelphia Church of brotherly love escaped the hour of trial because they had already been through many trials and became beautiful to their Lord.) As we were being moved out of the building, our speed got faster and faster as we flew into the darkness. There was a strong wind blowing in the same direction as we were flying. I felt that it was really important to pray, especially in tongues. Eventually, we started coming down to the ground here and there in the darkness. When I came down, I noticed there weren't very many others around and we were all separated. There seemed to be a high metal roof overhead, like you might see over a large train station with an occasional light here and there. We were still moving, but now we needed to adjust to our new situation. There were white envelopes (the shape looked like #10, but their size was slightly larger) with white paper inside with instructions and encouragement for us that came flying past us in the wind parallel to the direction we were going. They weren't fluttering around. (These letters sailing by were kind of a “cool” phenomenon. We, the wind and the letters were all going in the same direction.) I think we had to collect them. Some were in tongues. We needed to get together, adjust to our new environment as we kept moving, read what was in these envelopes to find out what to do next and start working as a group. (The Bride will learn to work as a true Body of Christ by the individual messages of the Holy Spirit.) We also had much praying to do, especially in tongues. My takeaway from this dream at the time of this writing is that I need to be praying for people to be in this group that leaves. Praying made a difference in this dream. I had regrets when the separation happened in the dream. I don't want to have any regrets when this really happens. The first time I opened my Bible the morning I dreamed this, it opened not to a Bible verse, but to the Bible Study Helps section entitled “This Bible in Your Hand”. I opened to chapter nine, “Sooner Than You Think”.     Cleansing for the Marriage Feast C.P. - 12/27/2011 (David's note in red) I received this dream from the Lord, which I believe is a warning about preparing for the marriage feast. I feel it's important to share this because it relates to keeping your house filled with Christ. Our physical bodies serve no purpose except to house Christ and if we're not serving Him then we are serving other gods (which 1 Corinthians 10:20 says are actually demons). I dreamed we were at our home and my husband was on his way out. I somehow knew I'd be joining him later. I left the door open and the next minute my mother was at the front gate and just walked in (uninvited guest). She went straight to the “guest room” and told me she'd be staying with us from now on (I think my mother represents unclean spirits of anger, rejection, unforgiveness, condemnation, as well as the apostate church). Also, if we do not guard our gates (being the mouth, ears, and minds), we can expect the spirits we cast out to try to come back and make a home out of us. We read this in Mat.12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation. I protested and told her that she could not do so. She said that I had prepared a room for her and that she was now staying with us. (Whatever place in our hearts the husband, Jesus, vacates, it is prepared for other spirits to return.) I was very uneasy about this because I knew my husband would not be happy about this (this is the fight between our flesh and our spirit. We know what the spirit requires of us; we need to keep our spiritual house clean and abiding in Christ). However, I acquiesced to her demand. Just then, my younger sister also walked into the house. (She represents the immature Christians who are easily swayed by the older, fallen-away church). They both sat at the dining room table and I thought of feeding them, but never put any food in front of them to eat. (These spirits and demons need to be fed, but it's our choice whether we'll add fuel to their demands to make us fall away from the promises of God.) They immediately started bad-mouthing my marriage to my husband (who represents Jesus). (The true Gospel and the true Bride are a threat and an insult to the apostate church because it preaches salvation instead of bondage.) They told me it was unnatural to be that close to him and that he had changed me; they did not even recognize me anymore (Jesus changes us to the extent that these spirits of apostasy are not at peace in us or in others concerning us.) (The true Bride will not be recognized in the tribulation because people will not want to accept the truth). My sister was particularly loose with her mouth and after a while, I calmly said to her that it was unfair to talk about my husband that way because he had helped her so many times and was very loyal to her. (The Lord has been loyal to the apostates but they do not return that love through obedience.) I told her that if she had nothing good to say, she should leave. She got up to leave, but just before doing so she and my mother asked me to “prove” my love for my husband (the saints will surely be tested). I said, surely I would do that. They told me to go out the back door (the past) of my house and take a shower in the street. (Nakedness represents sin and washing in front of others represents confessing our sins so that God will cleanse us. 1Jn.1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Jas.5:16 Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. Notice you are to confess most sins to a righteous person who has faith so they can pray for you. Others are not trustworthy but gossipers. Sins against an individual most of the time, should be confessed to them so that they will forgive you. However, if they do not know about it, it may cause them to stumble. Sometimes God would have you confess publicly so others will fear God and recognize evil.) The scene changed and I was in the middle of Oxford Street in London at night. (Europe's busiest and densest shopping street, which represents Babylonish buying and selling the church does in darkness.) I took a shower in a transparent cubicle on the left sidewalk of the street. (Literal and physical nakedness is not permitted scripturally. Only spiritual nakedness can be seen as good in that we should not have any hidden sins. Pro.28:13 He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy. Psa.32:3 When I kept silence, my bones wasted away Through my groaning all the day long. 4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: My moisture was changed [as] with the drought of summer. 5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, And mine iniquity did I not hide: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto Jehovah; And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. 6 For this let every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: Surely when the great waters overflow they shall not reach unto him. Also, we should reveal sin as sin so that the world will know that we agree with holiness.) But we will also be protected (as in the cubicle). The world will see us but will not be able to “touch” us. I noticed that there was a group of well-dressed, suited men walking out of a restaurant together with a pretty lady (those who want to look good to the world but not to God) who had dark hair (submission to darkness) and wearing a red dress (Sin is described as red in Isaiah 1:18. We see here the harlot spirit of apostate Christianity). I felt so vulnerable being naked in the shower, but I had never been more clean; my skin glistened. (Confessing our sin makes us vulnerable to others but we are cleansed.) The woman seemed to get very angry with me for showering in public and she came over to me and wanted to spray me with whipped cream (the perversion and sweetening of milk, symbolizing the sweetening of the truth to make it acceptable to more people). I kept ducking and diving out of her aim and she said, “Don't try to pretend to be different; you've done exactly the same as me”. To that I replied, “No, I have not. I have never defiled anyone”. She walked away and I managed to get back into my house. (We do not defile others when we are not hiding any sin and when we confess what we have done wrong as sin.) Then I was trying to get ready for a banquet (the Marriage Feast of 7 days -- the tribulation). My mother was still there, shouting insults at me and about my husband all the time. I asked her to help me get ready for the banquet, but she did not. (The nature and spirits of apostasy will not prepare one to be in the Bride or even to attend the feast.) (Sometimes we are so used to our demons and spirits that we think they are part of our nature and try to use our own characteristics to prepare for trials. We need to be mindful that everything that we exhibit that is not of God and does not liken us to Jesus needs to be cast down and told to depart from us; we cannot be slaves to two masters.) Instead, every time I put on a white garment, she either wet it or soiled it. (When apostasy is in our hearts, our life and actions manifest spots and blemishes on our spiritual garment.) I was getting a little frustrated with her and told her she must leave. I told her I needed my garment ready for when my husband came to take me to the banquet. Rev.19:7 Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they that are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are true words of God. She said she could not leave because I'd left the door open for her and had a room for her. I then told her that I no longer had a guest room and that the room she was trying to inhabit belonged to my eight-month-old baby (the fruit of Jesus, 888 is his gematria in Greek) (the salvation and manifestation of Christ in us takes time and it is through faith that it can grow). She got angry and tested this but could not go into the room (Once Jesus is large enough in us, there will be no space for the spirits and demons. Once the saints have grown in faith, there will be no place for the apostate church). Eventually, I managed to get my white garment on and she left, and I waited for my husband. (After rejecting apostasy, it had to leave and the garment was pure for the Groom.) Rev.15:4 Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all the nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy righteous acts have been made manifest.

Audio reading: Lev 19:14-37, 1 Sam 15:1-16:23, John 8:1-20, Psalm 110:1-7, Prov 15:8-10Check out: "Esau, Amalek, Haman and Hamas: Connecting the Dots"LISTEN: https://www.dailyaudiotorah.com/2023/11/06/esau-amalek-haman-hamas-connecting-the-dots/READ:https://bridgeconnectorministries.com/2023/11/06/esau-amalek-haman-and-hamas-connecting-the-dots/

We are witnessing a global surge of antisemitism—disguised as a fight for "human rights" and cloaked in the language of anti-Zionism. Millions now believe the lie that Jews are colonial occupiers in their own ancestral homeland, ignoring international law and the historical record—including Israel's defensive wars and 2005 withdrawal from Gaza.What most miss is that this hatred is not political—it is deeply spiritual. The same demonic hatred that fueled Pharaoh, Haman, and Hitler now fuels radical groups, international institutions, college campuses, and even churches. After October 7, 2023, anti-Jewish attacks exploded worldwide—while leaders, pastors, and denominations remained silent or, worse, sided with the enemies of Israel.This silence in the Church stems from Replacement Theology—a false teaching that God has abandoned Israel and has replaced Israel with the Church. But Scripture is clear: Israel remains God's chosen people, the land belongs to them, and one day "all Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:26) when they believe in Yeshua, the Messiah.This is a call for Christians to wake up. Anti-Zionism isn't just hatred—it's a denial of Israel's right to exist. And to deny that is to side with evil and against God.

We are witnessing a global surge of antisemitism—disguised as a fight for “human rights” and cloaked in the language of anti-Zionism. Millions now believe the lie that Jews are colonial occupiers in their own ancestral homeland, ignoring international law and the historical record—including Israel's defensive wars and 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. What most miss is that this hatred is not political—it is deeply spiritual. The same demonic hatred that fueled Pharaoh, Haman, and Hitler now fuels radical groups, international institutions, college campuses, and even churches. After October 7, 2023, anti-Jewish attacks exploded worldwide—while leaders, pastors, and denominations remained silent or, worse, sided with the enemies of Israel. This silence in the Church stems from Replacement Theology—a false teaching that God has abandoned Israel and has replaced Israel with the Church. But Scripture is clear: Israel remains God's chosen people, the land belongs to them, and one day “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26) when they believe in Yeshua, the Messiah. This is a call for Christians to wake up. Anti-Zionism isn't just hatred—it's a denial of Israel's right to exist. And to deny that is to side with evil and against God.

Send us a textIn this episode of the Village Church podcast, Pastor Mark carries us further into the Eastertide series, guiding us into the rising storm of Esther chapter 3. The story tightens. What once seemed like palace intrigue now begins to expose something far more urgent, far more familiar—the clash between pride and faithfulness, fear and courage, self-preservation and quiet trust.Here, Mark introduces us to two unforgettable figures: Mordecai, the man of conviction, whose refusal to bow sparks the fury of empire; and Haman, the embodiment of ego, whose power is as fragile as his pride is inflated. The story doesn't resolve quickly, nor does it offer easy answers. Instead, Pastor Mark invites us to remain with the tension—to recognize that this is the world we live in. A world where injustice often goes unchecked, where the faithful are misunderstood, and where God's hand is hidden—but never absent.Support the showThe Village Church's sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God's work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God's kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose. Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age. The Village Churchvillagersonline@gmail.comMore information at www.villagersonline.com

Hey y'all ! Welcome to another Friday with CWCOI ! In this week's episode, our host, Ally Yost talks about how she overcame her unhealthy relationship with the gym and working out through Jesus. Her years long negative association with it has been overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit. We also finish reading the book of Esther is a continuation to last week's episode! "Esther said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor with him, and if he thinks it is right, and if I am pleasing to him, let there be a decree that reverses the orders of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who ordered that Jews throughout all the king's provinces should be destroyed. For how can I endure to see my people and my family slaughtered and destroyed?" Esther 8:5-6  _____________________________________________  ☆ REP CWCOI MERCH ➤ https://allyyost.com ☆ MY BIBLE (code ‘ALLYYOST' at checkout) ➤ https://hosannarevival.com/collections/beautiful-bibles/products/nlt-notetaking-bible-versailles-theme  ☆ TUMBLER LINK ➤ https://allyyost.com/products/travel-tumbler ☆ JESUS FREAKS | OFFICIAL TRAILER ➤ https://youtu.be/DbbJHm0WfJg?si=ErjC8Z9_TmC5VLar ☆ EARLY ACCESS TO EPISODES AND BONUS PERKS ➤ https://patreon.com/CWCOI  ☆ GIVE TO CWCOI ➤ https://www.paypal.me/CWCOI _____________________________________________  Connect further with us ! TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@christwithcoffeeonice  Instagram ➤ https://instagram.com/christwithcoffeeonice _____________________________________________  Connect further with Ally !  TikTok (2M) ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@ally_yost  Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/ally_yost/  ShopMy ➤ https://shopmy.us/allyyost Pinterest ➤ https://www.pinterest.com/ally_yost1/_created/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's episode, Holly takes us through the names of Haman's 10 sons. Each son's name represents a part of our flesh that must be crucified in order to live a Spirit-filled life to the fullest!Bible Verses Referenced:Esther 9:5-10Galatians 5:24Galatians 2:20Colossians 2:20-23Matthew 15:1-3Ephesians 4:29James 1:26Proverbs 18:8Proverbs 12:22Colossians 3:9-10Ephesians 4:25Ephesians 2:8-9Psalm 127:1-2Ephesians 2:10Philippians 2:13Psalm 81:11-12Acts 7:51Zechariah 7:11Romans 12:2Proverbs 1:32-331 Corinthians 9:26Proverbs 29:18Proverbs 16:181 John 2:16Sisters with Swords is produced and edited by Holly Knight. Original music by the Minister of Funk and husband of the year, Bradley Knight, can be found here. You can find Holly's book Stubborn Obedience on Amazon! And don't forget to visit Janie's restaurant, The Biscuit Bar, if you're in the DFW Area. Please like, subscribe, and share this episode with your friends and follow us on Instagram! We are so grateful for you, sister, and are cheering you on as you wield your sword.@sisterswithswords@heyhollyknight@janiejoburkett

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 461. This is my appearance on Adam Haman's podcast and Youtube channel, Haman Nature (Haman Nature substack), episode HN 119, “Stephan Kinsella Expounds on Philosophy And The Life Well Lived” (recorded Feb. 6, 2025—just before the Tom Woods cruise). We discussed philosophy and rights; my legal and libertarian careers (see Adopting Liberty: The Stephan Kinsella Story), and so on. Shownotes, links, grok summary, and transcript below. https://youtu.be/Ekg5slP8xAg?si=6fNlmaeR6V7OMVEW Adam's Shownotes Brilliant patent attorney, philosopher, legal theorist and libertarian anarchist Stephan Kinsella comes back on the show to take Adam to task for not defending atheism with enough vigor! 00:00 — Intro. Adam and Stephan reminisce about the Tom Woods Cruise! Also: proof that Stephan has a wife. 02:30 — Stephan's intellectual history about the "God issue". 11:30 — What is "sound epistemology" on this subject? What are good arguments for or against the existence of God? How should we think about the arguments of Thomas Aquinas et al? 19:55 — What is a good definition of "atheist"? How about "agnostic"? Plus more epistemology applied to metaphysical claims such as the existence of God. Also, our nature as humans is that we must act in the world even though we lack certainty and our knowledge is contextual. 32:38 — Adam asks Stephan: how would you react if you met a god-like being? Or Jesus Himself? A discussion of intellectual humility ensues. How does knowledge relate to human action? How do we acquire knowledge in the first place? Does this relate to AI? 47:09 — Adam admits he really doesn't know how anything works. Vinyl records are magic! 53:15 — Outro. It is agreed that Adam and Stephan are "the good atheists". Links George Smith, Atheism: The Case Against God Barry Smith, In Defense of Extreme (Fallibilistic) Apriorism On Peter Janich, see Handwerk und Mundwerk: Über das Herstellen von Wissen, Protophysics of Time, What Is Information?, Euclid's Heritage: Is Space Three-Dimensional?; and references/discussion in Hoppe on Falsificationism, Empiricism, and Apriorism and Protophysics and Hoppe, My Discovery of Human Action and of Mises as a Philosopher Hoppe, Economic Science and the Austrian Method David Kelley, Foundations of Knowledge lectures ——, The Evidence of the Senses: A Realist Theory of Perception Ayn Rand, Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology Biographical: Alan D. Bergman, Adopting Liberty: The Stephan Kinsella Story (2025); various biographical pieces on my publications page From the messing-with-Adam section: Grok discussion of use of optical metrology to play an LP by taking a photograph with a smartphone (estimate: 2033) Grok answer to this prompt: Explain to Adam, who thinks this is all magic, how an LP records and plays sounds, what transducers are; and how modulation works, using some examples of carrier waves such as EM radio waves with both AM and FM, and laser light signals transmitted down fiber optic cables and using both analog modulation such as CATV signals and digital modulation such as for internet data; and how modems work. Grok answer to this prompt: Now explain to Adam what "holes" are, in electric current, compared to electrons, what the mass and nature of holes are, and why the convention is for electric current, and electrons, to have a negative symbol. Also explain why electrical engineers use i instead of j for the imaginary number sqrt(-2). Also take a stab at explaining what imaginary numbers really are and how they are useful for things like freguency, and how they are not really "imaginary," and what "complex" numbers are; and how if you imagine a 2D plane with real numbers on the horizontal axis and imaginary numbers on the vertical or Y axis, and how you can picture 1xi as a 90° move from 1 on the real or X axis up to i on the imaginary or Y axis,

Josh Peck shares the introduction to his new two-volume book set, The Final Cataclysm, including a hidden Nazi prophecy and proving God from His creation.To get the audio-only podcast version of full videos and Josh Peck's blog, which includes original articles, show notes, and more, subscribe to Josh's Substack at http://joshpeck.substack.comDonate: http://PayPal.me/JoshPeckDisclosureCashApp: $JoshScottPeck

Courage. We all have it but many of us don't tap into it. In today's pivotal episode I discuss being courageous like Esther. In the Bible she helped her PeopleNot get slaughtered by Haman. Starting a new career, changing relationships sometimes it takes courage to try new things. Listen and subscribe to this show. Email me tony@tonyresonno.com

Who Would Have Thought? Three people recentlyapproached me, each asking a similar question. "I know that Hashem onlydoes good. Yet, what could possibly be good about the pain and anguish I amgoing through now?" One of them had Shalom Bayit problems, one had Shiduchproblems and the other had health problems. It is easy to learn about Hashem'sgoodness and talk about it, giving Chizuk to others. However, when a personhimself is in a difficult situation, it is not so easy to feel that goodness. What is the answer totheir question? How could painful situations possibly be good? It is very hardfor us to understand, because we have such a narrow view of life. There is somuch more going on than meets the eye. When Rabbi Akiva was suffering at thehands of the Romans, the angels in Heaven asked Hashem how this could possiblybe good. Hashem responded, "In order for you to understand this, I wouldhave to unravel the entire world and explain everything from the beginning oftime." Everything is interconnected. There are past lives, Gilgulim andTikunim, which are beyond our comprehension. I am reminded of parabletold by the Chafetz Chaim about a man who had such a difficult life. All he didwas complain. Finally, it was revealed to him that in a previous life, he hadblemishes that did not allow him to enter the highest parts of Gan Eden. Thesoul wants nothing more than to be close to Hashem for all eternity. He beggedfor another chance to return to this world and live the life he was currentlyliving as a Kapara(atonement), in order to eternally enjoy the next world. Hesaw in advance how difficult his life would be, and he still wanted it. Itturns out that he was complaining about a life that he himself had begged for. One day everything willbe clear. When Hashem does reveal to us why He dealt with us the way He did, wewill be in a state of jubilation, thanking and praising Him for everything Hedid. For now, we must trust that what we are going through is also good. We also must know thatjust because today there is pain or difficulty, does not mean that it will bethat way tomorrow. Sometimes people are in tough situations that they feel willnever end. I know an older single that had a broken engagement. The person wasdevastated. The family was devastated. They felt like they had lost thegreatest opportunity, thinking they would never find anyone as good. After ayear, the person got married and said they could not imagine marrying anyoneelse. No matter how long aproblem continues, ישועת ה' כהרף עין -Hashem's salvation can come in the blink of an eye. The ChafetzChaim writes in his book, "Shem Olam," if someone would have seen thebitterness and toil of our ancestors in Egypt , they would never have believed that they could ever leave. No one had ever escaped Egypt . They hadtotal control over the Jews, forcing each person to produce 400 bricks a day.Who could ever have predicted that they would leave ביד רמה , obliterating theEgyptians and making a mockery of Pharaoh, who had to get up in the middle ofthe night to beg the Jews to leave? Who would have thought that 50 days laterthe Jewish people would be at Har Sinai, receiving the Torah and reachinglevels higher than any prophet we ever had? Who would have thought that YosefHaTzadik, who languished for 12 years in an ancient Egyptian jail, would, in aninstant, become the second most powerful man in the entire world? What aboutthe days of Haman? The king of the entire world signed and sealed the edictagainst the Jews. There was no place for them to flee. Who would have thoughtthat not even one Jew would die, and Haman and his family would perish. " מקימי מעפר דל מאשפות ירים אביון "-Hashemlifts us up from the dumps, " להושיביעם נדיבים "- and He elevates us to sit withthe nobles. אין כאלקינו -There is none like our G-d. יחלישראל אל ה ' -we must hope and pray to Him,because כי עם ה' החסד והרבה עמופדות -He has an abundance of salvation. While we are in theproblem, we must have emunah that even the suffering is good. At the same time,we must hope to Hashem that He brings us joy the way we want toexperience it.

Yahrtzeit Yomi #1439!!טז ניסןHaman HaRashaויתלו את המן על העץ אשר הכין למרדכי וחמת המלך שככה(אסתר ז:י)ובאבד רשעים רנה(משלי יא:י)----------------------------------------------------Special thanks to my 7-year-old nephew Momo who reminded us that Haman was hanged on the 2nd day of Pesach!!----------------------------------------------------A Gutten Moed Rabboisai!!Although the Yahrtzeit Yomi broadcast is generally dedicated to the commemoration of our great tzaddikim and leaders, in tonight's feature we mark the Yahrtzeit of one of history's worst (if not THE worst) Reshaiim:המן הרשע!! - whose yahrtzeit is marked (celebrated!) on the second day of pesach, טז ניסן.I used the occasion to discuss the fascinating sugya regarding our attitude towards the punishment of the wicked. It's really a “Pesach Sugya”, as it relates to our reaction to the neis of Kriyas Yam Suf as well.I strongly encourage everyone to listen to the audio posted above.Additionally, here are some vintage “Q&A” from Rav Avigdor Miller ZTL, who addresses the issue clearly and eloquently as only he could.It's so clear and illuminating!! Its my favorite Rav Miller Q&A that exists!!(Try to read it if you can, at least a little. If not, you could peruse it after Yom Tov as well.)חג כשר ושמח!!----------------------------------------------------Rav Avigdor On Half-Hallel on PesachBelow are the Q&A's about “Half-Hallel” as heard from Rav Miller ZTL, as well as the editor's note attached at the end.(Note that we have transcribed a few Q&A's on the same topic. Although it is quite lengthy, we felt it was appropriate because each one adds a little more insight.)Q: On the last days of Pesach we say only half-Hallel. Isn't that because of מעשה ידי טובעים בים ואתם אומרים שירה (Megillah 10b)? Aren't we sad that Egyptians were drowned and we therefore don't want to sing to Hashem? A: The answer is no, it's not because of this; it's not because of מעשה ידי טובעים בים. There is no gemara that says that this is the reason for not saying Hallel on Pesach. I know that it's frequently quoted and people think it's a gemara, but there is no gemara to that effect. And even if you show me a medrash that says it, you're misinterpreting the medrash.The reason why we say only half-Hallel is because there was a takanah that on the first day of Pesach – for us the first two days – that we have to say Hallel. There is no reason, no takanah, to say Hallel on the other days. The other days it was only a minhag to say Hallel. And therefore, because there was no takanah, they couldn't say the whole Hallel, so they said half-Hallel. Half-Hallel is only a minhag –  the takanah was only the first day.Now, on Sukkos the takanah was to say Hallel every day, because on Sukkos every day there was a different korban tzibur brought in the Beis Hamikdash. Because every day was something new and special, like its own Yom Tov, so each day was also made special with the whole Hallel. Pesach, however, has the same korban every day and that's the difference... [see WhatsApp for more]----------------------------------------------------Share the Yahrtzeit Yomi link with your contacts!!https://chat.whatsapp.com/JimbwNtBaX31vmRDdnO3yk---------------------------------------------------To dedicate or sponsor, please contact 917-841-5059, or email yahrtzeityomidaily@gmail.com. Sponsorships can be paid by Zelle to the same number. First come, first served.Monthly sponsorships are $540.Weekly sponsorships are $180.Daily sponsorships are as follows:Dedications (l'Zecher Nishmas, Zechus shidduch/refuah/yeshuah, etc.) are $50.Sponsorships (fliers, advertising, promotions, additional links, etc.) are $100.The cost to request and sponsor a specific Tzaddik (unlisted on the Yahrtzeit Yomi schedule) is $180.MAY THE ZECHUS OF ALL THE TZADDIKIM PROTECT US FROM ALL TZAROS, AND MAY HASHEM GRANT US, AND ALL OF KLAL YISROEL, YESHUOS, NECHAMOS AND BESUROS TOVOS!!!

**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** On the first day of Pesach, we recite before Musaf the special "Tikun Tal" service, marking the transition to the new season in which we recite "Morid Ha'tal" in place of "Mashiv Ha'ru'ach" in the Amida. We begin reciting "Morid Ha'tal" during Musaf on the first day of Pesach. Somebody who mistakenly recited "Mashiv Ha'ru'ach" instead of "Morid Ha'tal," and realized his mistake only after concluding the Beracha of "Mechayei Ha'meitim," must return to the beginning of the Amida. If somebody is uncertain whether he recited "Morid Ha'tal" or "Mashiv Ha'ru'ach," then during the first month after the first day of Pesach he must assume that he recited "Mashiv Ha'ru'ach," and must therefore repeat the Amida. One can avoid this situation by reciting on the first day of Pesach the passage "Mechayei Meitim Ata Rav Le'hoshi'a Morid Ha'tal" ninety times, thereby training his tongue to recite "Morid Ha'tal." One who trains his tongue in this fashion may then assume that he recited the proper text and will thus not be required to repeat the Amida if he cannot remember which text he recited. Preferably, one who wishes to employ this technique should repeat this passage a hundred and one times, rather than just ninety. The Gemara in Masechet Chagiga (9) comments that studying material one hundred and one times ensures that it will not be forgotten, and thus here, too, reciting the correct text of the Amida a hundred and one times helps guarantee that one will recite the Amida properly. Furthermore, since familiarity is obtained after a month of reciting the new text, it is preferable to recite it one hundred and one times to include not only the ninety daily Amida recitations, but also the recitations of Musaf on Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh. Throughout the festival of Pesach, including Hol Ha'mo'ed, one adds "Ya'aleh Ve'yavo" in Shacharit, Mincha and Arvit. One who forgot to add this paragraph and realizes his mistake only after concluding the Amida must repeat the entire Amida. Hallel is recited throughout the festival of Pesach. However, after the first two days of Pesach (or after the first day in Israel), Hallel is recited "Be'dilug" – meaning, omitting the sections that are omitted on Rosh Chodesh – and without a Beracha. Musaf is recited on each of day of Hol Ha'mo'ed; however, when reciting Musaf on Hol Ha'mo'ed – as opposed to Yom Tov – the words "Yom Tov" are omitted from the phrase, "Yom Tov Mikra Kodesh Ha'zeh." Nevertheless, one who mistakenly recited "Yom Tov Mikra Kodesh Ha'zeh" on Hol Ha'mo'ed is not required to repeat the Amida. The second day of Pesach, or the 16th of Nissan, is the day on which Haman was killed during the Purim story. It is therefore proper to make some commemoration of this event during one's meal on this day, a practice often referred to as "Se'udat Ester." At this meal one should speak words of Torah relevant to Ester and the Purim story, to commemorate the Jews' miraculous salvation that took place on the 16th of Nissan. (Based on Chacham Ovadia Yosef's rulings in Chazon Ovadia – Laws of Pesach, p. 247-249)

Today, on Karl and Crew, we were knee-deep in our analysis of the Book of Esther as we discussed how God took what was meant for evil and made it good because of Esther’s faith. Esther took a leap of faith when she went before the king to advocate for her people, risking a potential death sentence. Esther had to stand up for her people because Haman, the king’s advisor, convinced the king to persecute all the Jews because a God-serving Jewish man, Mordecai, wouldn’t bow down to him. Esther turned to the Lord and relied on Him when taking this risk, and the king showed her favor. Are you turning to the Lord when taking risks? We also had some heartfelt laughter with our weekly segment of Ally Thinks It’s Funny. You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, on Karl and Crew, we were knee-deep in our analysis of the Book of Esther as we discussed how God took what was meant for evil and made it good because of Esther’s faith. Esther took a leap of faith when she went before the king to advocate for her people, risking a potential death sentence. Esther had to stand up for her people because Haman, the king’s advisor, convinced the king to persecute all the Jews because a God-serving Jewish man, Mordecai, wouldn’t bow down to him. Esther turned to the Lord and relied on Him when taking this risk, and the king showed her favor. Are you turning to the Lord when taking risks? We also had some heartfelt laughter with our weekly segment of Ally Thinks It’s Funny. You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Esther 6:1-7:10; Ps. 37:1-6; Prov. 12:21-23; I Cor. 12:8-26

When God Seems Silent When God Seems Silent... But Is Secretly Setting Everything Up. Just when it looked like the end for Mordecai, God was already working behind the scenes to flip the entire story upside down. In this message from Lead Pastor Steve Garcia at Sunrise Church, we unpack Esther Chapter 6—a chapter that will make you rethink every moment God seems silent. From divine insomnia to shocking plot twists, this isn't just history… it's hope for your life right now.

[1 Peter 5:5] There are clear biblical examples of God opposing the proud actively and immediately (i.e. Haman, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, etc.), but some where they continue on in their wickedness seemingly without consequence in this life! God still opposes them, and their judgement is coming. Does this apply also to believers? Yes-the threat of pride is always present even for us, otherwise why would Peter write this to the church? God's opposition can look like health and wealth to the proud and His grace can look like suffering and afflictions to the humble. The lion's share of the New Testament blessings are not physical in this life, but primarily spiritual and eternal, unseen treasures in the heavenlies, holiness, sanctification, etc. A humble person is one who prays because he needs it, it is His lifeline!

Return of the Man-Child (5)  (audio)  David Eells – 4/2/25  We've been exploring what it means that everything that happened in the Gospels and in the Book of Acts is going to happen again, except it will be on a worldwide scale, and the cast of characters will be multiplied. So we've been looking at the characters to see what they will do in their corporate bodies in our day. We need prayer.   Father, in the name of Jesus, we ask You to be with us this day, to open our understanding, to lead us, to guide us, to give words of wisdom and knowledge that will reveal Your Will to us. Thank You so much, Father. You are our guide, our wisdom, and we thank You so much for leading us in this Bible study. Amen  Let's back up to where we left off. We saw that Herod, as a type of the Beast, was attempting to destroy the Man-child and actually did murder many “man-children” in Bethlehem (which means “the house of food”). We also saw that, as a type and shadow, the Lord told us, A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she would not be comforted because they are not (Mat.2:18). When we were looking at the text in Jeremiah 31:15-20, the words “they are not” did not mean physical death. It meant spiritual death because Rachel's children had been taken into Babylonish captivity. They were in bondage to the Beast, and they were not serving God but serving the Beast. The Beast was their head and ruler; it was ruling over them. (Rom.8:13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. So spiritual death is definitely what is being pointed out here in this text. There was no physical death involved in the original text of Jeremiah. It's very interesting that, in all of our lives, the Beast has to die. If it does not die, we are not free to follow the Lord.  The very next two verses give us more clues. (Mat.2:19) But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, (20) Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead that sought the young child's life. Notice again the word “they,” meaning more than one person. That may point to the fact that Herod represents in our day a corporate body, but we know from this that Jesus was ready to come out of His wilderness and start His ministry when Herod, the Beast who ruled, was dead. I believe that's a type and shadow for us in our day.   It goes on to say, And he arose and took the young child (Note that He is still being called a “young child,” the same as He was called when the wise men came.) and his mother, and came into the land of Israel (Mat.2:21). He had to come out of His wilderness to do that. He came from Egypt, a type of the world, through the Sinai Peninsula and the wilderness there, and into the land of Israel. And Jesus was coming out of His wilderness from Chapter 4:1 on down, where He came from His personal wilderness to His ministry. This may be the exact same type. We noticed that Moses, David, and Jesus all had a perfect parallel.   (Mat.2:22) But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither; and being warned [of God] in a dream, he withdrew into the parts of Galilee, (23) and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene. This is rather interesting. We've seen many revelations about a baby being born in a type of the Man-child, yet the baby was born very mature and alert and grew up very quickly. We've seen quite a few of those and I think we see in this text that this is true. It refers to a “young child” in verse 21, and it's still talking about that young child for the next two verses.  But immediately following this, it says, And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea (Mat.3:1). That's intriguing; what happened to all those years in between? John the Baptist was only six months older than Jesus, so in Matthew 3:1, Jesus had to be almost 30 years old. You could not start your public ministry to the congregation until you were 30. That was the law. The text jumps from Jesus as a young child all the way to “in those days” with John the Baptist starting his ministry at age 30, and it makes you think, “Well, that Man-child must have grown-up very quickly.” Do you suppose this was a type and shadow of what is going to happen in our day? That the Man-child will be birthed and then immediately be caught up to the throne? In Revelation 12:5, the baby was born and then he was caught up to the throne of God; then he was leading the woman through the wilderness, which appears pretty fast. Clearly, God is shortening the time span that it takes because we don't have a lot of time for Jesus in the Man-child to grow up.  At any rate, John the Baptist's ministry was very short, starting when he was 30 years old. Six months later, Jesus was anointed to preach the Isaiah 61 anointing message, and He was 30 years old, so Matthew 3 is actually between when John the Baptist began his ministry and when Jesus began His. (Mat.3:1) And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying, (2) Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. That was proven by the great signs and wonders that God did in the midst of them, to show them that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. In other words, the Kingdom where God rules and where He reigns over the curse, over the devil, and over the flesh was at hand. It's obvious where the Kingdom of God rules because He does signs and wonders.  John the Baptist had a relatively simple ministry, which was the preaching of repentance. It did not seem that he ever went into much deep doctrine. He preached, “turning from your sins,” yet he had a very anointed ministry and he was, according to Jesus, the greatest of the Old Testament teachers “born of women” (Matthew 11:7). Jesus also said he that is but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (Mat.11:11), meaning John the Baptist was the greatest of the old order ministers before the former rain came. Jesus came with the former rain, and that brought the Kingdom. So John was the greatest born of women up until that time.  I believe that we have just such a corporate body of preachers coming right now, who will probably be considered the greatest from among the former rain, before the latter rain comes, because now the former rain is the old order and we're coming to the latter rain. Some of you are seeing this program down the road, and all this is history, but at the point we are now, this revival is starting with the John the Baptist ministry and is yet to happen. We're on the very brink of it, and it is going to be a corporate body of people around the world who are coming to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. (Mat.3:3) For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight. Obviously, without repentance, you cannot do that. If you want the Lord to live in you, it will not happen without repentance. John the Baptist was preparing hearts to receive the Lord Jesus and to receive the Man-child in our day. History is repeating.  (Mat.3:4) Now John himself had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan. This sounds like a great revival, doesn't it? I did learn that “all” was not all because the Lord said that the Pharisees and the Sadducees rejected for themselves the counsel of John, being not baptized of him (Luk.7:30). So “all” here means all of the elect, not all of the people. The Jews understood that very well because they believed in election. They believed that they were the elect people, the “chosen” (which is the same word, eklektos), people of God, and that God did not choose anyone outside of them.  Well, it's still the same today. (Mat.22:14) For many are called, but few chosen. God does call “many” unto Him, but not all are called, and of those whom He calls, He still chooses only those who bear fruit. The first thing people need is repentance, and I believe that we will see this preaching of repentance through some very anointed men of God, men who have the former rain anointing. And it's going to start a great revival, as in this passage where you see people coming out of their “churches” and going into the wilderness to meet John. (Mat.3:6) And they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. That's a good sign of repentance, when people confess their sins. Every great revival starts out that way, and a great anointing falls on people to be grieved over their sinfulness and to repent and confess their sins.  (Mat.3:7) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? John was very hard on their preachers, wasn't he? That got him in a lot of trouble – and Jesus, as well. No doubt that the same exact thing is going to happen in our day because the leadership of the churches has been leading them astray for a long, long time. (Mat.3:8) Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: (9) and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Notice that it says we are to bring forth fruits. It hasn't been very long since I was confronted by a preacher who told me that he had repented of various abominable things that he was doing. He said that he had gone to God and asked God to forgive him, and he was forgiven. I said, “Well, that's fine, but that's not repentance because repentance is changing, and you're still in the middle of a crime spree.” So you have to change your mind because that's what “repentance” means; it means “to turn and go the other way.” That preacher didn't know what repentance was because he was not doing it. That's what John is saying here: “Bring forth fruit worthy of repentance.” There has to be fruit of repentance.  There has to be fruit showing in your actions that you are changing your mind, and John demanded that, even of these religious leaders. Obviously, some of them put on a show for the people. (Mat.3:10) And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees … Amen! That was true in John's ministry, and it will be true in ministries today, that the axe is at the root of the trees. By Matthew 13, Jesus was saying that those religious leaders were reprobated, saying, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but unto them it is not given (Mat.13:11); and that He had blinded their eyes (Matthew 13:13). (Mat.3:10) And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  (Mat.3:11) I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and [in] fire. And Jesus did just that; He brought the baptism of the Holy Spirit and was the first one of the former rain to receive, according to type, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In fact, He received it in the verses immediately following these that we're studying. (Mat.3:12) Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor (The fan was used to blow away the chaff, which was useless, and to leave the heavier grain, which is the fruit that God was after.); and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire. The chaff represents the old man, the carnal man, the fiery trials that we go through to burn up the old man and leave nothing but the spiritual man. Notice that John preached to “make His paths straight” and here Jesus is cleansing the people.  There is a text that speaks of this differently. (Mal.3:1) Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple (That represented Jesus, but it also represents the Manchild because this is a repetition of history. The word “temple” here means His body. (Heb.10:5) A body didst thou prepare for me.); and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts. (Mal.3:2) But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire (That is the fire to burn up the chaff.), and like fullers' soap: (3) and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi. Remember, the sons of Levi were the only ones who did not bow to the golden calf, the image of the Beast. They were the true ministers of the sanctuary.  He also said that He had called us to be a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6), so really all of God's true people are priests because we have an offering of fire to bring forth and we present our bodies as a living sacrifice on that altar of the fiery trial. That is the crucified life. That is what Jesus called taking up your cross and following Him, for you to be His disciple (Matthew 16:24). (Mal.3:3) And he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto the Lord offerings in righteousness. (4) Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years. For our day, He's talking about New Testament spiritual Judah and Israel and the New Jerusalem.   (Mal.3:5) And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner [from his right,] and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts. God is going to judge quickly those hanging around His people who are walking in their sinfulness. He will be very protective of His holy Church in these days with Ananias and Sapphira-like judgments on people trying to sneak in, acting as though they are Christians while they are not. So far, it's been difficult to keep that from happening, but the Lord says that He will put an end to it. Praise God! He is going to have a holy Church.  (Mat.3:13) Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. (14) But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? (15) But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer [it] now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him. Obviously, we need to be baptized, or put to death, by the washing of the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26), a crucifixion of the old man, which is what it's all about. It behooves us to do this. Jesus went through this before He came to His anointing, which is very important. (Mat.3:16) And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him; (17) and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Jesus was baptized in the Spirit here; He was anointed in order to start His ministry.   And we're also told this in (Luk.1:31) Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. (32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: (33) and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. So Jesus came to be anointed to take David's throne. That's what this anointing was about; it was the king's anointing. All the kings received this anointing when they took their position. Right after Jesus was filled with the Spirit and before going into His wilderness, it says, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor (Luk.4:18). Jesus was 30 years old when this happened. This anointing of the Spirit started His public ministry and goes right along with history.  Joseph was 30 years old, according to Genesis 41:46, when he stood before Pharaoh and received the kingdom, and David was 30 years old when he began his ministry, which is very interesting. All these types of the Man-child were 30 years old. (2Sa.5:3) So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel. (4) David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. Forty is the number of tribulation. (5) In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah. Jesus came to sit on David's throne. Jesus was anointed King of kings and He reigned over the true tribes of Israel. The apostate tribes did not recognize Him, but the true tribes did. Those who were born of God recognized Him immediately. He merely walked by His disciples and said, “Come, follow Me,” and they dropped their nets, left their business, left everything, and walked after Him. Now that's a strong calling! They just followed Him.  Well, what was the first thing that David did after he was anointed? (2Sa.5:6) And the king and his men went to Jerusalem … It wasn't called Jerusalem then. (1Ch.11:4) And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (the same is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there. It wasn't called Jerusalem until they conquered it. (2Sa.5:6) And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites (which means “to trample down” or “trodden under foot”), the inhabitants of the land, who spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither; thinking, David cannot come in hither. Jerusalem had to be conquered before it could be called Jerusalem, before it could be Zion. It was in the hands of the pagans, in the hands of the old man, the Jebusite. We know from Revelation that Jerusalem is the Bride, but she did not start out as the Bride; she started out as a pagan, as an unbeliever, and was converted and became the Bride. Jerusalem, before David conquered it, was Jebus.  David's job was to take Jerusalem, to show his men how to conquer and take Jerusalem. With the coming of the Man-child ministry, which is also a Davidic ministry, the first thing that's going to happen is that they'll be conquering Jebus. They're going to raise up Jerusalem again – not old Jerusalem; they're going to raise up New Jerusalem. Paul spoke about it in Hebrews 12, but then there was a great falling away, and this place represented holiness, the place of safety, the Bride. It represented the only place the Beast could not conquer, and it represented the Philadelphia church because it was the only one that escaped the hour of trial from the Beast kingdom. Here, we see that the Jebusites were telling David, “You'd better get rid of the blind and the lame, or you can't come here.” In other words, nobody who is blind and lame can take Zion. It represents the Bride, who is not blind and lame. She is spotless and blemishless because she has overcome some things, especially being lame, which represents being crippled or not being able to walk right with the Lord. And she has overcome being blind, which represents not being able to see, understand, or discern the truths of God.  So they said, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither; thinking, David cannot come in hither (2Sa.5:6). You know, some people do not think it's possible and, in fact, there are a lot of preachers right now who are saying that it's not possible for you to be an overcomer. They say that you just have to settle for being “a sinner saved by grace.” The old man does not think that it's possible for you to conquer him and have this place become Zion, the holy city. (2Sa.5:7) Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David. (8) And David said on that day, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and [smite] the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul … The lame and the blind represent the apostates. Of course, the Jebusite represents the old man, and David and his men represent the spiritual man who must conquer Zion. We've been called to do that, and David is telling them that the way to do it is to “get up to the watercourse and smite the lame and the blind.” Put to death the old apostasy in your life. Two rivers fed Jerusalem, and David's men used those rivers to get into Jerusalem.  The place of the watercourses was where the water drained out of Jerusalem, akin to the sewer system. Instead of scaling the walls, they could go up the sewer. They probably smelled pretty bad by the time they got in there to take their sword and go to work, but that's what he was saying. Though most of this was probably river water, they still had to go against the current that was coming out of Jebus, so they were “going against the flow,” so to speak. And that's the way it is with us. Everything we do is contrary to the world: what they think is the right way, we think is the wrong way; what they think is up, we think is down. If we humble ourselves, God will exalt us. At any rate, David was teaching them that the way to conquer the city and the lame and the blind was through the water. (2Sa.5:8) … Wherefore they say, There are the blind and the lame; he cannot come into the house.  (2Sa.5:9) And David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward. He is talking about the ramparts of Jerusalem, so David built Jerusalem. He was the one who started building the “New Jerusalem” at that point. Jesus was doing the same thing. What Paul described with, ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb.12:22) … and to the spirits of just men made perfect (23), was what Jesus was building. I've shared with you a revelation the Lord gave me many years ago, where He showed me the tower in the midst of what was depicted as the New Jerusalem and He was giving it to me, revealing to me that my ministry was to build this tower. I found that Micah 4:8 spoke of Jerusalem as “the tower of the flock,” and it was the kind of tower that they actually built in those days in the midst of those cities to preserve them from invading beast armies. Jerusalem was just that; it was a place of safety where, if beasts invaded, whether from Babylon or Assyria, the people could flee into the broad walls and be protected.  David was building the tower of the flock here. (2Sa.5:10) And David waxed greater and greater; for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him. I have found this language referring to only two people in the Scriptures, where it says, “waxed greater and greater.” It spoke of David, and it spoke of Mordecai, whose name means “little man” or “man-child.” Mordecai was the same type as David; both of them were the Man-child. Mordecai's job was to raise up the Bride, Esther, and save the people of God from the Beast, Haman. Basically, this is the same thing that David did. He raised up the Bride, Jerusalem, and defended the people from one of the Beasts, the Philistines. David's first job was to conquer the Jebusites and take their city away.  In thinking about this, I'd like to share with you a revelation we received concerning the same thing. This is Pamela Orr's revelation, and she received it in January 2010. My notes are in parentheses.  In a dream, I was in a house that is safe and secure. I have no desire or plans to leave this house. (Pamela is a part of our broader UBM Fellowship safe-house, but also, I believe that this is referring to Zion, and she had no plans to leave.) To my amazement, though, there are people leaving. … I'm given to know that there are many who do not return. (This is necessary because the sons of perdition and the Jezebels and the rest of the tares who have come in amongst God's people cannot be a part of this Zion, as I will show you shortly. The only people who entered Zion were the ones who conquered the lame and the blind, and it became Zion, the holy city, because they were the only people there. The Jebusites were driven out. The carnal Jebusites are leaving Jebus so that it may become Zion. They're being conquered. Zion is the Bride. Praise the Lord!   I remember her brother Mark Fritz, who is a part of our fellowship, asked the Lord when he first met us about the church he was currently attending. God answered that it was Pergamum, which was the third church of Revelation that was caught up in the Nicolaitan error. So Mark asked the Lord about UBM, and the Lord said, “The sixth church.” So he counted and found out that the sixth church was the Philadelphia church, which is the Bride, the one that escapes the hour of trial under the dominion of the Beast, and the name means “the love of the brethren.”)  There are locks on this house, a whole row of them, probably seven or more, but I didn't count them. (This is a very secure place, like Zion, which was called “the stronghold of Zion.” We're all supposed to be climbing Mount Zion to enter into the presence of the King. The throne is on Mount Zion; the Temple is on Mount Zion; His presence is there.) These locks are high up in the wall. We can't touch them or tamper with them; they are a fixture of the house. (The key to enter is high up with God. It is not with man.) Some, if not all, of these locks are specific to profiles. For example, there is the ‘age 18-and-over' lock. I'm given to know that when a certain lock turns over, then no one fitting this profile will ever again be allowed to enter the house. (I thought about that and felt that the Lord was saying that God gives more grace to the immature and innocent. He does not impute iniquity to them, but the further they go in their walk, the more they are held accountable. (Luk.12:48) to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required, so when people become accountable and they do not walk in their accountability, then they will be out of there. They will not have a position in that house.)  As I watch these locks turn, as if of their own accord, I realize that when the final lock has been turned, no one else will be allowed to enter. (That's the way it is with spiritual Zion, folks. Many years ago, I saw in a vision our ministry starting in Pensacola as a Zion, the Tower of the Flock, the Bride. I know that this is going on around the world with people who are desiring earnestly to be obedient to the Scriptures, live the crucified life before their Lord, and walk in the grace of God. (Mic.4:8) And thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, yea, the former dominion shall come … When David took Jebus and it became the stronghold of Zion, the City of David, that was their stronghold. That was where the dominion started, right there. It said the former dominion was going to return to Zion, the Tower of the Flock, the Kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. Note that the former dominion is not going to return to Jerusalem, but it's going to return to the daughter of Jerusalem or, in other words, to New Jerusalem. God is once again, in our day, going to raise up a David who will raise up Zion once more as the stronghold, the Bride.)  (In this New Jerusalem Zion, the wicked were not allowed, as Scripture says. (Isa.52:1) Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion (So it is coming to its former dominion.); put on thy beautiful garments (These garments are righteousness, purity and holiness.), O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. A New Jerusalem is started that does not allow any of the wicked. You can only do that with a spiritual city. In any physical city, you're going to have all kinds of people there, some of them good, some of them bad. But in this spiritual city, there will not be anybody unclean. That's what these locks are all about; they're to find out who is walking in purity and to keep out the rest. As I said, with knowledge comes responsibility, so the further you go, the more that's expected of you. When David first became king as a type of the Man-child, he taught his overcomers how to take the stronghold of Jebus from the Jebusites, representing the old man. Then Jebus became Zion, the City of David, a type of the Bride following the Man-child at the beginning of the Tribulation.)  (Father is cleaning house and will keep the evil ones out of His safe-house. Praise the Lord! As John said, He that hath the bride is the bridegroom (Joh.3:29). Soon, many, by their own evil nature, will not want to associate with the righteous for fear of alienating their Beast associations. God is separating here, and He is going to make His heavenly Zion a place where only the righteous will want to go. They will have had to conquer the lame and the blind to get there. They will have had to overcome. David's mighty men were sent by David to take Zion, and they took it. Jesus did the same thing with the disciples He raised up, who were His mighty men. Praise God!)  Speaking of entering this safe-house, people are entering. (The righteous are entering because they are the only ones who can come into this safe-house, the New Jerusalem.) Others are trying to enter, but the “bad guys” don't seem to make it past the door. (Praise the Lord! That is awesome. This is just like Ananias and Sapphira; they tried to enter, but God took them out.) And each bad guy gets done-in by the next bad guy. The bad guys get progressively worse, too. (2 Timothy 3 speaks about how bad the Church is going to get in our day. Verses 1 through 6 are pretty rough, and then it says, But evil men and impostors (KJV: “seducers”) shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (2Ti.3:13). This is true in the Church today because that's what he was referring to. He wasn't talking about the world.) The second-to-last bad guy is sort of a handicapped or perverted or dwarflike individual with short little legs like tree trunks. (Here is a perverted dwarf. I see one thing here, spiritually speaking: those who do not measure up to the stature of the fruit of Christ are not going to be permitted in Zion.)  This is where it gets awful. The final bad guy (the Beast) begins to compress, squeeze, or fold this dwarf-like individual until he murders him. (Spiritually speaking, those who have not yet experienced the crucified life will have help from the Beast to go to their cross and to manifest death-to-self. Those who do not measure up will need crucifixion in the world. How do we grow up into Christ? Jesus said, He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it (Mat.10:39). You do not gain your life unless you lose your life, so growing up is a matter of the crucified life. If we do not accept it, we cannot grow up. If we do not accept it, we cannot put away the blindness and the lameness and cannot expect to go into Zion. Remember, we are told, for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean (Isa.52:1).) The evil nature of this final bad guy was beyond description. (That is the Beast.) I can only say that I could almost feel this individual's sick joy and satisfaction in pressing the life out of the other poor sucker. (She is talking about the apostate Christians, I believe. Many of the apostate Christians are going to be saved because of the crucifixion that the Lord puts them in. His fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and … the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire (Mat.3:12), but He will have something in the midst of that which will be holy and precious.)   (Not everyone will be sanctified. Some people just get worse in tribulation. One thing that helps people to be able to come to Zion in the midst of tribulation is to know what God is doing. He is doing something for them. He is putting to death their old flesh, which cannot enter the Kingdom. By the Word of God, you learn how to cooperate with God, and then you see that this is a victory, not a failure. If the Church receives a lot of this prosperity doctrine and they do not believe that they are ever going to go through anything, any trouble, any tribulation, then these things come upon them as a shock, and they think that God has forsaken them. They are tempted to fall, and many do. So there has to be knowledge for the people to understand that God is doing a good thing with them and that they need to go through this, that they're privileged to go through this, and that they can have eternal life in the Kingdom. That's what the Man-child is coming to do; that's what Jesus came to do. Spiritually speaking, that's what David was doing. He was teaching men how to overcome the blind and the lame, teaching them how to take Jebus.) Even though I was horrified and sickened at the depravity, I was still safe in the (UBM) house. (Praise the Lord! Because God has a safe-house. He really does! I know that many people think that this is heresy, but that's not true. God has His safe-house.)  This same story is in 1 Chronicles. (1Ch.11:4) And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (the same is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there. (5) And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come in hither. Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David. (6) And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief. (7) And David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they called it the city of David. (8) And he built the city round about, from Millo even round about; and Joab repaired the rest of the city. (9) And David waxed greater and greater; for the Lord of hosts was with him.  Yes, and what was the next thing David did? He brought the Ark of the Covenant. (1Ch.13:3) And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we sought not unto it in the days of Saul. The Israelites had been following after the flesh of Saul. That's why they got destroyed, and that's why Saul died. But David said, “No, we have to follow the Ark of the Covenant.” (1Ch.15:1) And [David] made him houses in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent. The word for “tent” is the same word for “tabernacle.” (2) Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites … Absolutely! Who else can carry the presence of God but the priests of God who have offered their bodies as living sacrifices? They are the ones who are holy; they are the ones who are the temple of God.  If you read further, it says, And they brought in the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it (1Ch.16:1). We know that God said He was going to raise up again this tabernacle. (Act.15:14) Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. (15) And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, (16) After these things I will return, And I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen; And I will build again the ruins thereof, And I will set it up: (17) That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called. So now we're talking about raising up a tabernacle of David, which represents the portable temple, for the wilderness, but also the portable temple of the Church. Once again, we see that there is a David coming for the Church, and that's the Lord Jesus Himself, Who is the Son of David, Who was sitting upon His throne.  But the Bible also says, David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel (Jer.33:17). There is a body in whom the Lord Jesus comes. The Son of Man came in the son of David 2000 years ago, and the Son of Man is coming in a spiritual Son of David today, a corporate Body called the Man-child ministry. Jesus is going to minister to His people, to raise up, once again, the Bride, the New Jerusalem. “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom,” as John said when he pointed at Jesus. He will raise up the Bride, the New Jerusalem, which is protected from the Assyrian Beast. When the Beast tried to conquer Jerusalem, God killed 185,000 of them and they left it alone (2 Kings 19:35). Folks, I tell you, the same thing is going to happen again. God is going to protect His Bride.  For instance, in the Book of Esther, there was the Bride, and there were also the people who were threatened by the Beast. Haman, the Beast, had been given authority to destroy the people of God (Esther 2:10-11), but Mordecai and Esther had been given authority to save the people of God (Esther 8:8). There were two contrary commands given, but they have their purpose and that is to make us decide whom we are going to serve, the Lord or the Beast.  Rachel's children fell into captivity of the Beast, and they were counted as dead, like the parable in Matthew 2:18, of the children of Bethlehem. It physically happened, but it was also a parable of things to come. In our day, many people are going to follow the Beast. They will take the mark of the Beast, which is a sign of his ownership, and these people will die. They will not bear the fruit of the Man-child, as Jesus did. Once again, we see that God is just going to repeat history, and Matthew 2 is going to be fulfilled, as well as Matthew 3. All the types of the Man-child are running in perfect parallel. Joseph was 30 years old, Jesus was 30 years old and David was 30 years old when they started their ministries, and they basically had the same job to do. It was shown in a slightly different parable each time, but it was the same job to be done.  Now the Man-child ministry is spiritually going to be 30 and it's going to start by building the New Jerusalem. Praise be to God! First, however, the Jebusites have to lose their grip and be conquered. And we need to know how to conquer this old man so that we can scale the heights of the City of God, the mountain of His holiness, and enter into His Presence. That is what the Word will do, and that is what the new anointed leadership is going to do for us. They are to teach us how to cooperate with God's work in our lives and be happy about it. Let's face it: if you don't know what God is doing, you're not happy about it. As soon as you get revelation, you can enjoy going through tribulation because you know that the Lord is getting you ready for His Kingdom, the manifestation of eternal life. Praise God!  Father, we thank You, in Jesus' name. Please open our eyes and make us joyful in cooperating with You in this process of sanctification, in becoming that holy, spotless, and blemishless Bride that You always wanted. Thank You, Father, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Be Bold & Do It AnywayEsther 4:14  For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”  I think we can all agree that the world is a pretty crazy place right now. In America, there is so much disagreement and arguing going on right now. I am not sure there has been a time when the country was more divided. Although, as I say that, I am reminded of the Civil War, and I think that was probably a time when this country was more divided. In the world, there are wars going on in several countries. There is famine; there are still 1 in 4 people who do not have access to safe drinking water. How is that possible with all the technology we have today?Thinking about how crazy this world is can lead us into an emotional spiral, especially if we feel there is nothing we can do about it. I want to encourage you not to get stuck in negative thoughts and to watch less news if you find yourself starting to spiral or getting stuck in those negative thoughts. If you read the stories of the Saints, you will see that all of them mention how the times they are living are the worst that they have ever been. I think we all feel this way because we live in a broken world, and when we compare that to the world God wants us to be able to experience, we see such a stark contrast.However, what if God has been preparing us for such a time?  There is a story in the Bible about Esther.  She was a young Jewish woman who found favor with the king and became the queen.  Her uncle Mordecai adopted her as his own when she was young, as both parents died.  Mordecai had told Esther before meeting the king not to reveal that she was Jewish, and she listened.  This story tells about how a powerful vizier to the king, named Haman, wanted to kill all the Jews living in the Persian Empire in one day.  He was angry because Mordecai refused to bow down to him.  Mordecai explained he only bows down to God and this angered Haman—who told the king that there were people living throughout his kingdom that did not obey the same laws of the king and that he should not tolerate them.  He convinced the king to issue a decree that would destroy the Jews, and upon doing so, Haman agreed to put ten thousand silver talents into the royal treasury.  When the Jewish people heard, they went into mourning with prayer and fasting.  Mordecai got word to Esther and explained the situation.  He asked Esther to talk to her husband, the king, and beg for the lives of her people to be spared.  Esther explained that if anyone goes in front of the king while he is in the inner courtroom without being summoned, they will suffer immediate death unless he offers them the end of the scepter.   Mordecai wrote back the following in  Esther 4:14: “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”.  Esther risked her life to go in front of the king, and because of her bravery, she saved her people, God's people.  We do not usually know why we end up where we end up or why we go through the things that we go through.  God is a mystery, and only he knows what he is doing.  He can see the whole picture: past, present, and future.   We can only see the past and present.  I once heard a quote that I liked and found comforting when I was going through some hard times.  The quote said, “You were assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved.”  I found it comforting to think that by making it through the situation, I would show others that they could make it through, too.  I also used the quote in reverse and thought, “Ok, then I just need to look for someone who has made it through this type of situation to show me that I could make it through as well.”  There is a song by Christina Perri that's called "I Believe."  In that song, she says, “I believe that you fell so that you would land next to me.”  Have you ever been in a situation where you can tell God arranged it?  Sometimes, we can tell what God is doing.  Sometimes, we can feel it in our bones that we are exactly where we were meant to be at that precise moment.  God placed us here in this moment, and what if everything we have done up to this moment has been getting us ready for whatever is going on in our lives right now?  What if all the scripture readings we have done, bible studies and prayer groups we have attended, and all the praying we have done were specifically to help us get through these tough times?  What if all those days at the gym, long walks, or yoga classes were to prepare us for the mental and physical challenges of these past few months?  What if all the past experiences we have had with friends, families, and coworkers were to prepare us for this extraordinary time in history?  Take a few minutes and think of all the experiences you have had in your life that have taught you persistence and resilience.  Can you see how they may have prepared you for all of this?  Consider your qualities, strengths, and what you have to offer in this difficult time.  If God placed you here and made you exactly who you are for this time, why did he do this?  What is it that you, with your unique background and experiences, can offer to others at this time?  Maybe you are great at reaching out to people and making sure they are ok, or maybe you write great poetry that can help give people hope and make them smile right now.  Maybe you are really great at praying for others and can hold us all in prayer right now.  I don't know what your circumstance is, but I do know that if we lean into God during this difficulty, he will lead us through it.  Look at the circumstances the Israelites were facing when God led them out of Egypt.  There are so many examples in the Bible of really hard times, yet God saved them when his people called. So, let's call out for him, and while we are waiting, let us ask ourselves why God has put us here at such a time.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless everyone listening to this podcast. Lord, we thank you for making us who you made us to be. We thank you for all of the training you've given us up until this point in everything you help us to learn in the future.  Lord, we ask that you show us what we are good at and what we can contribute in this difficult time. We ask that you be with everyone who is struggling right now.  Lord, we ask that you give us the strength and perseverance to keep going. We ask that you show us those who have come before us they have overcome similar circumstances and give us the knowledge that we too can overcome them. Lord, you are amazing, and we're so very thankful for all you do for us.  We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen.Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. We are starting a new series in mentoring tonight, “For Such A Time As This.” Have you ever wondered why you had to go through the things you have had to go through? Why does God put you in certain places at certain times? Or in certain people's lives at a certain time? We are going to explore that this month and see why God made us “For Such A Time As This” and what we have to bring to the table. I pray you will join us and see if mentoring is a good fit for you. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in September 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My little one. My children come and stay for just a short time only. I give you much to do, but I support you every step of the way. You are my mighty ones. I rely on you every day.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 455. This is my appearance on Adam Haman's podcast and Youtube channel, Haman Nature (Haman Nature substack), episode HN 109, "Stephan Kinsella Expounds on Philosophy And The Life Well Lived" (recorded Feb. 6, 2025—just before the Tom Woods cruise). We discussed philosophy and rights; my legal and libertarian careers (see Adopting Liberty: The Stephan Kinsella Story), and so on. Adam's Shownotes: Adam interviews patent attorney, philosopher, legal theorist and libertarian anarchist Stephan Kinsella about his life, his works, and what's next for the great man! 00:00 – Intro. 01:21 -- Does Stephan believe there is a level of technology required for "Ancapistan" to "work". 07:42 -- Adam has issues with the "is/ought" gap and asks Stephan for help on the matter. 25:42 -- The life and times of Stephan Kinsella. Great stuff! 50:55 -- Have questions about legal careers? Reach out to Stephan with questions! 52:02 -- Outro. Thank you for watching Haman Nature! https://youtu.be/ls82IXaxIW8?si=0RXbDIdp5FsiR3IW

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:Triple Purim (Meshulash) in Jerusalem  Adar How can joy increase after Purim? Is there a connection between joy and Purim and the sign of Pisces/fish of the month of Adar?  inner dimensions and secrets? How does joy revealWhat does Purim teach us about today's wars with our enemies? Why did Mordechai not bow to Haman (follow-up)? Why do the sages interpret that Esther was married to Mordechai (follow-up)? Why do we commemorate the Fast of Esther the day before Purim when the actual 3-day fast was in Nissan eleven months earlier? Is humor and light-heartedness allowed at other times, or only on Purim? Why don't we find humor in the written Torah? (follow-up) Will Moshiach have a sense of humor, or will that time be strictly serious?  Are we allowed to make fun of the Purim villains? What is the difference between frivolous and “holy” humor? What is the central theme of this week's Torah chapter? What personal and global lessons does it offer us for our times? What do we learn from the Jews donating for the Mishkan more than was needed? Should we be working toward transforming our enemies and not just annihilating them? 

When God Seems Silent What happens when power-hungry leaders rise, deception takes root, and an entire people face annihilation? Esther 3 is more than an ancient story—it's a mirror into our own struggles with conflict, conviction, and confusion.

Gambling on A Day Like Purim THE GAMBLER The threat of adultery appears repeatedly in the story of redemption. Sarah and Rivkah were put at risk with Pharaoh and Avimelech. By legal custom, Tamar was to have married Judah's youngest son, but Judah had delayed the marriage, so it was thought that Tamar had committed adultery when she began to show her pregnancy. Rahab was thought to be a harlot. However, each of these women proved themselves righteous, courageous, and faithful in affirming the promise of a Land, a Covenant, and a People in Israel. Although subtler, the question of fidelity is also present in the Scroll of Esther. Esther has requested that the Jews fast and pray for three days. On the third day, associated with resurrection, she approaches the King. Perhaps she knew when she resigned herself, "If I perish, I perish," that although the risk required her voluntary surrender to that possible death, it could also become a resurrection day in a number of ways. On this third day, Queen Esther requests that the King and Haman attend a wine banquet. The wine banquets hold two mysteries. First, wine is associated with the Feast of Sukkot, which is a time to bring the first fruits from the wine vat. Esther is positioning herself to negotiate salvation not simply for the Jews, but prophetically for the first fruits from among the nations where the Jews have been scattered. In the winepress of the King's wrath, Esther becomes a waving lulav of hadassah branches at Sukkot, waving for the four corners of the Earth where Israel is scattered. The second mystery is found in the Hebrew grammar of Esther's invitation. In Esther 5:4, she requests, "If it please the King, let the King and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him." There is the problem. The subject is plural, "the King and Haman," yet the pronoun is singular, "him." She should have said, "a banquet I have prepared for them."  This plants a seed of doubt in the King's mind. Is she preparing the banquet for him or Haman?[1] The King and Haman attend the third-day wine banquet, but Esther still conceals her motive for inviting them...or is it him? Instead of giving a direct answer, Esther requests that they attend another wine banquet the following day, the fourth day. In Revelation, the message to the fourth assembly, Thyatira, marks the transition with the fourth day from "tribulation" to "great tribulation." The King knows Esther is troubled, nevertheless he is even more troubled by nightfall. He can't sleep! What is he thinking about? Perhaps the relationship between his Queen and his second-in-command, Haman. Why would a woman kept in seclusion with her maids and eunuchs request only Haman's presence along with the King's? How did she know Haman? The King had been the subject of assassination plots before, so what was Haman up to? Not coincidentally, this tribulation of mind keeps the King awake that fourth night, which had already begun at sundown that evening.[2] The text reads more literally than usually is translated in English. It would be better translated as, "The sleep of the King was shaken." He calls for the record books to be read. At this point, the King hears about Mordechai's intervention on his behalf when two of his high officers plotted to kill him. At last, a loyal subject, this Jew Mordechai. And wasn't Esther his Queen the one who'd actually informed him of the plot? No wonder the King was troubled. At this opportune moment, Haman enters to request permission to hang Mordechai in advance of the decreed destruction upon the Jews. Speak of the devil! The King tests Haman with a question, but Haman's pride prevents him from grasping the questions hidden within the question, which might be, "Haman, what are you up to? Are you trying to steal my kingdom and my queen? Second-in-command and my ring aren't enough for you?

The Prophetic Significance of Purim in 2025: A Call to Courage and Awakening • Friday Service Website: www.PastorTodd.org To give: www.ToddCoconato.com/give As we approach Purim in 2025, we must recognize that this is not just an ancient Jewish holiday—it is a prophetic message for this very hour. The story of Esther, Mordecai, and Haman is more than history; it is a blueprint for the spiritual battle we face today. The enemy has set traps, decrees, and wicked schemes against God's people, but Purim reminds us that divine reversals, supernatural intervention, and bold faith will lead us to victory. God is calling His remnant to rise up like Esther and Mordecai, to recognize the times, and to stand against the Haman spirit that seeks to destroy faith, truth, and righteousness in our day. Purim is a call to courage, fasting, discernment, and action. Let's dive into the Word and uncover why this moment in 2025 is critical for believers to understand and walk in the spirit of Purim. 1. Recognizing the Times: The Battle of Light and Darkness Esther 3:8-9 (NKJV) “Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, ‘There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people's, and they do not keep the king's laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed…'” 2. The Call to Boldness: You Were Born for Such a Time as This Esther 4:14 (NKJV) “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?” 3. Fasting and Prayer Release Breakthrough Esther 4:16 (NKJV) “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!” 4. Divine Reversals: What the Enemy Meant for Evil, God Turns for Good Esther 9:1 (NKJV) “On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.” 5. The Scepter of Favor: Authority in the Courts of Heaven Esther 5:2 (NKJV) “So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.” 6. The Haman Spirit Will Hang on Its Own Gallows Esther 7:10 (NKJV) “So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's wrath subsided.” 7. The Call to Celebrate and Remember Esther 9:28 (NKJV) “That these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants.” 8. No Weapon Formed Against Us Will Prosper Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV) “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord.” 9. Be Strong and Courageous Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 10. The Lord Will Fight for You Exodus 14:14 (NKJV) “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” This Is Our Purim Moment Purim in 2025 is a prophetic call to: • Wake up and recognize the times. • Fast, pray, and seek divine strategy. • Stand in courage and take action. • Believe in the power of divine reversals. • Walk in authority and favor.

From a simple reading of Megilat Esther , it appears that Mordechai refusing to bow to Haman is what provoked Haman to issue the decree to wipe out the Jews. There must have been many Jews at the time who were angry that Mordechai had to be different, rather than just conforming like everyone else. That's what it seemed like, but Chazal tell us what really happened. When nine years before that, the Jews benefited from the seudah of Achashverosh, then it was decreed in Shamayim that they would be wiped out. The Mefarshim tell us, because Mordechai did not benefit from that seuda and because he did not bow down to Haman, he was the one who was able to be the catalyst to bring about the eventual salvation of the Jews. No matter what it might look like, when we do the right thing we always win. And when we do the wrong thing, we always lose. Hashem will not always make it so obvious. In fact, many times it will appear just the opposite, that it is the good people who lose. But it is only a test. Good always wins. The sefer Vaveh Ha'amudim brings a story that a man told about himself: Fifty years ago I worked in a butcher shop in Haifa. It was basically the only source of kosher meat in the neighborhood. I was living in a very small apartment at the time and I had to drive 30 minutes every morning to take my children to another city to the yeshiva that I wanted them to be in. The clientele in the butcher shop ranged from people just starting to keep kosher to religious people who were very particular about which meat they consumed. The sign on the door said "All our meat is glatt kosher" but there were times when the owner of the shop was not able to procure glatt meat and, instead, he took what was called "kosher meat" which was on a lower standard. The issue was, he did not inform the customers of this and there were people who would be mortified to find out they were not getting glatt meat. I couldn't watch them buying meat that I knew they would not want to consume, so when that kind of customer ordered his meat, I would tell him in a low voice, "The meat we have today is not for you, come back another day." I was petrified of getting caught by the owner, but I couldn't let the customers be misinformed like that. Eventually the owner caught me and fired me on the spot. During those days it was very difficult to find work. My children were hungry and I wasn't providing enough for them. But I kept my emunah strong, knowing that I did the right thing and Hashem would take care of me. One day, I met a man who came over to me who saw me looking so depressed and asked me what was wrong. I told him, "You want to know? I live in a small apartment. I have children sleeping on the floor. I have to drive 30 minutes each way to take my children to school. I don't have a job and my children are hungry. That's what's wrong." The man said, "I am a contractor. I just built a brand new building in a religious neighborhood right near your children's school. The apartments in that building are very spacious. There will be plenty of room for you to fit your children there. I have a deal for you. I will accept your current apartment now as a down payment for an apartment there and the balance you can pay me whenever you get the money." I couldn't believe this offer. I asked the man why he was being so generous. He said, "One day, about two weeks ago, my wife came back from the butcher empty handed, and I asked her where's the meat? She told me a worker there hinted to her that the meat wasn't up to her standards. I admired whoever that person was and I was worried about him losing his job. I just found out that it was you. I want to have the zechut of helping you for your heroic acts." The man concluded by saying, I thought I was sacrificing for Hashem, but now I see Hashem gave me much more than I ever did. I live in a beautiful apartment in a neighborhood that I want to be in. And baruch Hashem, I even found a job here with much better pay. When we do what is right, we always win. It might not always seem that way but it is for sure the truth. Purim Same'ach and Shabbat Shalom .

Today, as Jews celebrate the holiday of Purim, they'll also study the book of Esther, named for the young queen whose Jewish identity was unknown to her husband—Persia's king—and his court. The book of Esther tells the story of how she and her cousin Mordechai outwitted the king's second-in-command, the vizier Haman, who sought to destroy the Persian Jews. Beloved among children and adults, the story has also been read by some as a manual for Jewish political survival in the Diaspora. Ronna Burger of Tulane University, a professor of philosophy, also sees in Esther a commentary on the sources of human success: do humans accomplish their aims through sheer luck, divine help, or careful decision-making? In conversation with Mosaic's editor Jonathan Silver, she walks through Esther, demonstrating how each of these elements—chance, providence, and prudence—emerge from the biblical text.

Why did Esther try to be nice to Haman?  Also, did Haman actually prohibit circumcision?

The Purim Perspective: Silence Before Salvation Purim is more than celebration—it's a revelation of G-d's hidden hand in history. Queen Esther's decision to wait before revealing Haman's plot teaches a powerful lesson: sometimes, the greatest victories come not through immediate action, but through patience, faith, and divine timing. Today, as we witness unfolding events in Israel and beyond, we are reminded that even in darkness, G-d is setting the stage for redemption. The very struggles that test our faith are often the catalysts for transformation.

The Rama writes in siman 695 that it is a good practice to learn Torah on Purim before the seuda, as it says in the pasuk, "ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה – First they had אורה, which is Torah, and then שמחה , which is rejoicing. Chazal tell us when our ancestors were saved from the decree of Haman, they reaccepted upon themselves the Torah and mitzvot. At Har Sinai they accepted it out of fear and then, on Purim, they accepted it out of love. The Shem M'Shmuel in parashat Tetzaveh writes that already from three days before Purim, a special Divine light of Torah emanates from Shamayim like during the three days of hagbala before Matan Torah on Har Sinai . The Chida writes one of the reasons we wear Shabbat clothing on Purim is because it is likened to the holiday of Simchat Torah. I saw brought down, just like when we received the Torah on Har Sinai, the people were healed from any physical or spiritual ailments. That power comes back during Purim, as well, which is like the day of Matan Torah . Besides for the kedusha that is imbued in us each time we learn Torah and besides for the eternal rewards we receive for learning it, learning Torah also has side physical benefits as well. Rabbi Menashe Reizman told that the Taz wrote a kameya (amulet) 400 years ago and, with it, dozens of people became healed from illnesses and dozens of couples who couldn't have children merited to have children. A hundred years ago in Yerushalayim , an adam chashuv had an inclination to open up that kameya to see what's written inside of it. He wanted to copy it and make many more of them so more people could be helped. He knew the rule that once a kameya is opened, it loses its power, but he was willing to take the risk to help others. So he opened it up and he saw written inside, "I, David ben Shmuel HaLevy, in the merit that I toiled to understand the depths of Tosafot in Masechet Chulin, daf 96a, please Hashem, help all those who are barren and help all those who are sick." That was the whole kameya. The merit of the Taz toiling on one Tosafot brought yeshuot to so many people. Our learning of Torah is so precious to Hashem. The pasuk says in Mishleh, "יקרה היא מפנינים – It is more valuable than precious stones." The Gemara in Masechet Horayot explains the pasuk to be saying that the Torah is more precious even than the Kohen Gadol going לפני ולפנים – entering the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. The sefer Ki Ata Imadi puts this into perspective for us. He wrote, imagine we were able to witness the Kohen Gadol entering the Kodesh Kodeshim on Yom Kippur. Chazal say when he entered, nobody else was allowed in, not even the holiest angels. It was an exclusive meeting between the Kohen Gadol and Hashem. He would dip in the mikveh right before and then put on his special white garments. An old sage with a white beard, wearing all white, he looked like a malach . In one hand he was carrying a spoonful of coals and in the other a spoonful of ketoret . As he is about to perform the holiest avodah , in the holiest place, on the holiest day, imagine a Kohen Gadol called to someone and said, "You told me your father is sick, please tell me his name so I could ask Hashem now to heal him." What a golden opportunity to have the Kohen Gadol himself pray for a refuah shelemah for someone at that time. What could possibly be a better opportunity than that? Chazal are teaching us in Masechet Horayot , based on the pasuk , it is an even greater opportunity to ask for a refuah shelemah after a person just finished learning a piece of Torah. The learning of Torah is more precious to Hashem even than the Kohen Gadol entering the Kodesh Kodeshim on Yom Kippur. How fortunate we are! We have the opportunity to learn Torah any time we want. Hashem shared this precious gift with us. Let us take advantage and learn it as much as we can.

Mother Miriam Live - March 13th, 2025 What is Purim? - The History and Tradition of the Feast

Anti-Semitism is not merely another form of bigotry or racial hatred—it is unique in its universality, its persistence throughout history, and its deep, irrational roots. From Pharaoh to Hitler, from ancient Persia to modern-day university campuses, the Jew has been targeted with a singular, unparalleled intensity. Why? What makes this hatred different from all other hatreds?This class delves into the core of Jew-hatred, exploring its historical patterns and its spiritual roots. The Talmudic parable of the "mound and the ditch" reveals that anti-Semitism is not simply about economics, politics, or cultural tensions—it is about something much deeper. The world has an innate reaction to the presence of the Jew, a reaction that stems from the unique role that the Jewish people play in history as the bearers of Divine morality.Through the lens of Torah, the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and a contemporary analysis of world events—including the resurgence of anti-Semitism post-October 7, 2023—this class seeks to answer the unanswerable: Why does the world hate the Jew? And, more importantly, how should we respond?Key Takeaways:A Hatred Like No Other – Anti-Semitism has persisted for thousands of years across all cultures and ideologies, defying conventional explanations.The "Mound and the Ditch" Paradigm – The Talmud describes two types of anti-Semites: those who see Jews as an unwanted obstacle and those who feel an existential void because of Jewish morality.The Sinai Connection – The world's rejection of Jewish existence is linked to our mission as bearers of Divine ethics, which some embrace and others resent.Appeasement Does Not Work – History has proven that trying to minimize or hide Jewish identity never quells anti-Semitism; it often exacerbates it.The Jewish Response – Strengthening our connection to G-d, embracing Torah and mitzvot, and standing firm in Jewish pride is the only true antidote to anti-Semitism.#Antisemitism #Judaism #Purim #JewishHistory #Haman #Rebbe #habad #chabad #Jewishsurvival #Talmud #Jewish #MoralCourage #MoralResponsibility #JewishIdentity Eye-Opening Moments PodcastEye-Opening Moments are stories of adversity, encounters, and perspectives. They are...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showGot your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.comSingle? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.Donate and support Rabbi Bernath's work http://www.jewishndg.com/donateFollow Rabbi Bernath's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernathAccess Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

The Setting: After the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the Jewish people are subjects under King Ahasuerus of Persia. The story begins with the king throwing a grand party, during which Queen Vashti is banished for her refusal to display her beauty to the guests.Esther's Rise to Queen: Seeking a new queen, Ahasuerus holds a beauty contest. Esther, a Jewish girl raised by her cousin Mordechai, is chosen despite her reluctance and without revealing her Jewish identity.Mordechai's Discovery: Mordechai uncovers a plot to assassinate the king and reports it, saving Ahasuerus's life.Haman's Plot: Haman, the prime minister and a Jew-hater, becomes infuriated with Mordechai's refusal to bow to him. He convinces the king to issue a decree to annihilate all Jews on the 13th of Adar.Esther's Courage: Upon learning of Haman's decree, Mordechai convinces Esther to intervene. Esther bravely approaches the king, revealing her Jewish identity and exposing Haman's plot.The Turn of Events: The king orders Haman's execution on the gallows originally intended for Mordechai. Esther and Mordechai then write a new decree allowing Jews to defend themselves.Victory and Celebration: The Jews defeat their enemies across the empire, and the day of their victory, the 14th of Adar, is established as the joyous holiday of Purim, celebrating the miraculous turn of events that saved them.Eye-Opening Moments PodcastEye-Opening Moments are stories of adversity, encounters, and perspectives. They are...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showGot your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.comSingle? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.Donate and support Rabbi Bernath's work http://www.jewishndg.com/donateFollow Rabbi Bernath's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernathAccess Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

The Kav HaYashar in siman 97 writes that the day of Ta'anit Esther is very auspicious for having our tefilot answered and therefore, he says, anyone who needs rachamei Shamayim should take time out on that day and say Mizmor 22 in Tehillim and afterward he should pour out his heart to Hashem and ask Him for whatever he needs and then he should add-in the zechut of Mordechai and Esther, Hashem should open up the gates of Shamayim and accept his tefilot with favor. The sefer Bishvili HaMinhag explains why tefila is so powerful on this day. It is clear from the words of our Chazal that the entire salvation of the Jewish People at the time of Purim was all because of tefila . The Rambam writes, one of the reasons we are commanded to read the Megillah is to make known to the generations the promise given to us in the Torah " kaHashem Elokenu bichol korenu elav" – that Hashem answers us whenever we call out to Him. Which means, we were saved at that time in the merit of our tefila . And that is what we are reminding everybody when we read the Megillah . As a side note, the pasuk stresses that Hashem answers us when we call out elav – to Him. Which means, when He is the only One we are focusing on, when we truly understand that there is no other means of salvation other than Him. Ta'anit Esther specifically was established to commemorate the fact that our people fasted and prayed in anticipation of Hashem helping them at that time. And so, this day went down in history as a day of tefila . And as we know, the same spiritual energy that was in the world at that time comes back each and every year and we can take advantage of it now as well. Regarding tefila in general, the Midrash Tanchuma in parashat Vayera says, Hashem tells us to be very careful and utilize tefila because there is nothing better than it. It's even more powerful than all of the korbanot . And Hashem said further, "Even if a person is not worthy to be saved, just because he prays and is sincere with his pleas, I will do chesed with him ." Here, HaKadosh Baruch Hu bichvodo ubi'atzmo is teaching us the greatest segula of all to be helped – heartfelt sincere tefila . Hashem loves when we ask Him for help with our spiritual needs. A Rabbi who was zoche to learn with the Chazon Ish said, when they used to get to very hard sugyot which they couldn't fully grasp, the Chazon Ish would get up and go to the corner of the beit midrash and say Tehillim . Then, he would ask Hashem to open his mind to comprehend the depth of the sugya and that is how he merited to comprise the wondrous sefer called Chazon Ish. Tefila works. A man told me he was having difficulty understanding the Gemara which he learns once a week. He attends a class which is given on a high level while he is just a beginner. I told him to use the power of tefila to help himself. The following week he told me, before the class he spoke to Hashem at length, asking him in his own words with sincerity to give him the merit to understand the class. That day, he practically took over the class. All of the other students were in awe at the clarity he had. Tefila is wondrous and on Ta'anit Esther it's even more powerful. Let us utilize this gift that Hashem has given us, let us pray for the Mashiach and for the Geula Shelemah and, b'ezrat Hashem, the same way that tefila brought salvation to the Jewish People in the days of Haman, so too it should bring salvation to us today.

How come Haman did not make a move against the Jews for FIVE years?

The Feast of Purim (PT1): Esther Chapters 1-4 - Haman Plots Against the Jews (rebroadcast 2023) by Shawn Ozbun

Silence has never stopped evil - it only fuels it. We've seen it before. Nazi Germany. 9/11. Tehran, 1979.  And now, once again, the world is looking away. As thousands are slaughtered in Syria, as anti-Semitism spreads like wildfire, and as Israel faces existential threats, the silence is deafening. In this episode, we unpack the ancient and modern battle against the Jewish people - and why the story of Esther, Mordecai, and Purim is more relevant than ever.  The enemy's tactics haven't changed. Neither has the need for bold voices to rise up. Esther had a choice: speak up or stay silent. You have the same choice today. Key Takeaways Silence feeds evil. History shows that when the world stays quiet, the worst atrocities unfold. Israel is under attack - again. The enemies of the Jewish people are always calling for annihilation, and today is no different. The Book of Esther is about courage. God's name is hidden, but His hand is clear - just like today. Evil always overplays its hand. Haman thought he had won - until the tables turned. This is your Esther moment. Will you speak out, or will you look away? Chapter Markers [00:05] - Welcome to The Jewish Road Podcast [01:15] - Syria in Flames - And No One Is Talking About It [06:42] - The Media's Silence and the Rise of Anti-Semitism [11:30] - History Repeats: The Enemies of Israel Have the Same Goal [14:20] - The Story of Purim - A Battle Against Annihilation [19:15] - Esther, Mordecai, and the Power of Speaking Up [25:48] - The Chilling Words of Martin Niemöller - Why Silence Is Never Neutral [30:55] - The Biblical Chiasm in Esther - God's Hidden Hand [37:10] - Yarden Bebas' Bold Stand in Gaza - “I Was Born a Jew, I Will Die a Jew” [41:25] - The Call to Action - Will You Be Silent, or Will You Speak? Stand With Israel. Speak the Truth. This is no time for silence. The battle against the Jewish people is ancient, but the call remains the same: who will stand? Learn more and stay engaged. Visit TheJewishRoad.com for resources, events, and ways to get involved. Speak out. Share this episode. Tell the truth. Push back against the lies. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Evil thrives when good people do nothing. This is your time. Because if we don't speak now, who will?  

The secret to the Jewish people is that Hashem NEEDS us—and we NEED each other.

The Gemara states that the list Haman's ten sons should be read in one breath. The common practice is to also read the word "Aseret" (ten), which sums up the list, in the same breath as the names. The reason for this custom is to emphasize that all ten sons died simultaneously, even though they were hung one after the other. The custom is to also read the words that proceed their names, "V'et Hamesh M'ot Ish"-(and five hundred men) in the same breath, as well. The reason is that these men comprised Haman's sons' army; each son was captain over fifty men. The Shulhan Aruch (siman 690) records this Halacha with the words, "V'sarich Lomar…"- (And it MUST be read…). The Poskim debate whether Maran's language indicates that this Halacha is critical to fulfilling the obligation. That is, if one did not read the names in this manner, B'diavad-after the fact, does he have to go back and read again? In any event, Maran, in his Bet Yosef, cites the opinion of Tosafot that this Halacha is L'Hathila, but if one did not do so, he has fulfilled the Misva after the fact. From this, it can be derived that Maran's intention in the Shulhan Aruch is also only L'Hathila. This is clearly the Rema's opinion, as well. ------ Maran, in Siman 690, records another Halacha that if the reader made mistakes in pronunciation, it is not necessary to be meticulous to correct him. The Megillah does not have the status of a "Sefer"-a holy book, but of an "Iggeret"-a letter. Maran does not distinguish between levels of severity of mistakes. Thus, it seems that even if the mistake changes the meaning of the word, it Is not necessary to correct the reader. However, Maran continues and presents a "Yesh Omrim"-an additional opinion, that this leniency only applies to mistakes that do not change the meaning of the word. This is based on the incident, recorded in the Talmud Yerushalmi, in which the sages did not correct the reader who made a minor mistake in pronouncing the word "Yehudim" (Jews). This implies that the leniency only applies to mistakes that do not change the meaning. Interestingly, Hacham Ovadia rules in accordance with the "Yesh," additional opinion, that any mistake that changes the meaning of the word is critical, and the reader must go back. -------- The Bet Yosef (Siman 690) cites the incredible opinion of Rabbenu Avraham ibn Ezra (1089-1167, Spain). He holds that the Megillah was originally written without "Sof Pasuk"-periods, i.e. end of sentence punctuation. Since it was given as an "Iggeret"- a letter, it was not formally broken up into verses. Only later, Ezra HaSofer added sentence punctuation to the Megillah. Therefore, the Ibn Ezra holds that the Megillah should be read in one long flow, without stopping at the end of the Pesukim-verses. Many authorities question this opinion. Rav Shlomo Alkabes (1500-1576, Tsfat), in his Manot Levi commentary on the Megillah, argues that if the punctuation added by Ezra was not to be applied when reading the Megillah, for what purpose did he add it? On the contrary, the fact that Ezra added periods indicates that they are important and must be followed. This is how Hacham Ovadia rules. The accepted practice is to allow the reader to take a breath in between each Pasuk. SUMMARY If the reader did not read the list of Haman's sons in one breath, he does not have to go back and read it again. Reading mistakes that do not change the meaning of the word are not critical, but mistakes that do change the meaning are critical, and the reader must go back and read correctly. The reader should conform to the end of verse punctuation, and he can take a breath in between each verse.

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:What lessons can we learn from Tes Adar – 85 years later? Why was coming to America a new era in history? What does Purim teach us about today's wars with our enemies? Can we compare Hamas to Haman? Is there a connection between the redemption of Purim and the final redemption? Why will Purim be the only holiday that we will celebrate in the future? Why was it so important that Mordechai not bow to Haman? After all, Jacob bowed to Esau. If Esther could violate one of the three cardinal sins to save the Jewish people, why couldn't Mordechai bow to Haman for the same reason? Is there a way today to replicate the Rebbe's hurrah hurrah hurrah that eliminated Stalin? How do we justify the killing of 75,000 enemies? Why do we praise the Jews for not taking spoils when they killed so many people? Why the need for a second decree? Why does fasting annul decrees? Why then don't we fast or wear sackcloth today in honor of the hostages? What is the significance of Purim falling out on a Friday? How can we explain the obligation of drinking on Purim until we can't distinguish between blessed is Mordechai and cursed is Haman?! How could Rabba “kill” Reb Zeira on Purim?  What do we learn from this incident? Does this story indicate that we ought to be careful how much Chassidus to learn? How could Esther have relations with Achashverosh, especially according to the opinion that she was married? Why do we wear Purim costumes? What is the origin of the “Purim Torah”? Why is Purim a holiday in which things are turned inside out and upside down?

Please support the TORCH Podcasts by donating to our annual fundraiser at giveTORCH.orgThis is our only annual fundraiser.Every donation is DOUBLED!Support the TORCH Podcasts by visiting giveTORCH.org right now and making a generous donation!This is the LINK for the Fundraiser.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –This special Purim Podcast is dedicated by my dear friend Adam Chuckrow in loving memory and leilui nishmas his grandmother Hadassah bat Yosef who passed away last Purim, so her firs Yartzeit is this Purim. May her Soul be elevated in Heaven.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –The Purim story is revisited and relived each year, when we read the Book of Esther, offer gifts to the poor, deliver food to our neighbors, enjoy a festive banquet, and drink a bit more than we typically do. The story goes back 2,500 years to a time when our nation was an exile in Persia and a genocidal maniac named Haman tried to exterminate Jewish people. In this special Purim podcast, we try to go a bit behind the scenes, and to see a bit of the story behind the story the of what happened in Persia and what the primary takeaway of the festival is supposed to be.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★