There are many places in the world today where it is dangerous to be a Christian. But how did Paul respond to danger? There were instances, like when Paul was in Ephesus, where he had to flee for his life. But in this story his response was different.
In Acts 18 we get introduced to a man named Apollos. He was a well educated man and he knew about Jesus, but his information was incomplete. Fortunately for him, there were people listening to his message and willing to share more about Jesus.
I was recently in Asia and there were several instances when I saw people bringing sacrifices and incense to lay before their idols. When I saw that I could not help but think of Paul in Athens as he looked on the idols of that city.
To say that the Bible is inerrant is to say that there are no errors or mistakes in the Bible. The doctrine of inerrancy is inseparable from the doctrine of inspiration. It’s quite simple actually. If God told Moses to write something down and God is the author, then there can be no mistake because God is perfect.
Here in chapter 4 we reach the heart of the story. The Jewish people stand on the brink of destruction and something must be done to save them. Mordecai immediately recognizes the importance of Esther's position. Mordecai knew that Esther could be used by God to save them but he also recognized that God would be the one who would do the saving.
In this passage we learn something interesting about the source of our strength and the strategy of our enemy. First we are told to put on the armor of God. For many of us who grew up in Sunday School the whole idea of the armor of God might sound too familiar or even childish. The reality is that we are in a real battle every day.
