Latest / INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living / Pastor Chuck Swindoll | Insight for Living – God’s Invisible Providence, Part 3

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Pastor Chuck Swindoll | Insight for Living – God’s Invisible Providence, Part 3 · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

• 0:08
  Speaker 1: God is never mentioned in the book that bears Esther's name,
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: but woven into this fascinating biblical story are the obvious
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: signs of God's sovereign control. It's a reminder that although
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: we often find God's ways mysterious and even baffling, his
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  Speaker 1: wisdom transcends our comprehension. Today, on Insight for Living, Chucks
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Wendall provides a fast paced summary tracing the remarkable story
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: of God's chosen people and the extraordinary life of a
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  Speaker 1: young orphan named Esther. In the event that you missed
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: any portion of yesterday's program, will begin with helpful highlights.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Chuck titled his message God's Invisible Providence.
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: Mordechai was among the Jews who remained in Persia during
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: the reign of a hasuwaress. He is a godly man,
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  Speaker 2: but his most significant role has not been mentioned. It
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  Speaker 2: appears in verse seven. Look, he was bringing up Hadassah.
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  Speaker 2: You don't know much about her until you read on.
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  Speaker 3: That is.
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  Speaker 2: Esther.
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  Speaker 3: Her Persian name means star.
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  Speaker 2: Like star in the night. She's the star of the story.
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  Speaker 3: She's the heroine. She actually becomes the queen.
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  Speaker 2: He was bringing up Esther his uncle's daughter, for she
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  Speaker 2: had neither father nor mother. We're not told why, we're
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  Speaker 2: not told when she lost them.
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  Speaker 3: This young lady was beautiful of.
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  Speaker 2: Form and face, and I might add strong of character.
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  Speaker 2: And when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her
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  Speaker 2: as his own daughter. Who would have ever thought God
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  Speaker 2: would have his hand on some forgotten orphan, a little
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  Speaker 2: girl who had lost her mother and dad. Who would
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  Speaker 2: ever expect that a Mordecai, a Jew, a no name
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  Speaker 2: in the great land of Persia, Whereazuaris.
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  Speaker 3: And Hayman ruled in evil.
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  Speaker 2: Who would ever expect that Mordecai, as his hands and arms,
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  Speaker 2: would touch this lovely young woman and rear her to
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  Speaker 2: be a woman of God. Who would ever expect that
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  Speaker 2: she would be the link to the survival of the Jews.
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  Speaker 2: She is, of course, the fifth and main character of
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  Speaker 2: the book. Look at chapter two. In the end of
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  Speaker 2: the chapter in those Days, Verse twenty one, Chapter two,
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  Speaker 2: while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, big Fan
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  Speaker 2: and Terish. They sound like bad guys, don't they. They
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  Speaker 2: are wearing dark hats. Big Fan and Terrish, two of
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: the king's officials from those who guarded the door, became
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  Speaker 2: angry and sought to lay hands on King of Hasuaris.
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  Speaker 2: It's another way of seeing there was a conspiracy to
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  Speaker 2: assassinate him. But the plot.
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  Speaker 3: Became known to.
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  Speaker 2: There's our guy, Mordecai, and Mordecai told, of course his
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  Speaker 2: adoptive daughter Esther.
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  Speaker 3: And Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name.
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  Speaker 2: Now, when the plot was investigated and found to be so,
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  Speaker 2: they were both hanged on gallows. Who we big thang
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  Speaker 2: in Tarish And it was written in the book.
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  Speaker 3: Of the chronicles in the king's presence. Who cares?
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  Speaker 2: I mean, honest to Pete, who cares about Big Fan
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  Speaker 2: and Terarish? Nobody? Only a secretary riding down in the
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  Speaker 2: chronic goes Big Tan and terrysh got hanged today thanks
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  Speaker 2: to Mordecai.
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  Speaker 3: Period you put down the back burner.
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  Speaker 2: Okay, Because what you would call an insignificant day as
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  Speaker 2: a secretary, not for Big Tan and Terrish, but for
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  Speaker 2: a secretary what you would say is insignificant. Who really
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  Speaker 2: cares becomes vital.
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  Speaker 3: In the plan of God. I love this about God.
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  Speaker 2: Why because he is unfathomable and unsearchable, albeit invisible, he
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  Speaker 2: is nevertheless invincible then as well as now. Hamon hates
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  Speaker 2: Mordecai because Mordecai will not bow to him.
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  Speaker 3: So Hamon talks the king into a game plan.
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  Speaker 2: If you follow my rule, I will pour money into
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  Speaker 2: your treasury. All I ask is that you give me
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  Speaker 2: the right to rid the land of all these Jews.
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  Speaker 2: And so the king Hasuaris, believing in the Hayman and
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  Speaker 2: ignoring such simple things as anti Semitism from a gentile ruler,
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  Speaker 2: hasu aress passes it off with the passing of his hand.
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  Speaker 3: Go ahead, do whatever you need to do.
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  Speaker 2: Sure is the world. Mordecai gets the word and becomes worried.
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  Speaker 2: Pacing back and forth, he decides Esther has to know
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  Speaker 2: the plan. See, nobody knows Esther's a Jew, a Jewish.
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  Speaker 2: He told her not to tell anybody, and she didn't.
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  Speaker 2: Even though she becomes queen, no one knows she's Jewish.
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  Speaker 2: So Mordecai comes near the court of the king and says,
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  Speaker 2: I need to get a message to Esther.
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  Speaker 3: End of chapter four. Turned there.
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  Speaker 2: Now, remember when I told you to keep in your mind,
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  Speaker 2: just let it linger there. Minutes from the chronicles, look
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  Speaker 2: at chapter four, verse thirteen Mordecai told them to tell Esther,
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  Speaker 2: do not imagine that you, in the King's palace can
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  Speaker 2: escape any more than all the Jews. For if you
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  Speaker 2: remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise
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  Speaker 2: from the Jews from another place. You think he didn't
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  Speaker 2: believe in the preservation of the Jews.
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  Speaker 3: It may not be you.
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  Speaker 2: Esther will be killed, but someone else will deliver, and
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  Speaker 2: you and your father's house will perish.
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  Speaker 3: And I love this, And.
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  Speaker 2: Who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such
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  Speaker 2: a time as this, He said to her in verse sixteen.
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  Speaker 3: Go look at the action. Assemble all the.
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  Speaker 2: Jews who were found in Susa, and fast for me.
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  Speaker 2: This is what Esther told Mordecai. Fast for me, don't
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  Speaker 2: eat or drink for three days day or night, and
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  Speaker 2: my maidens will fast in the same way. And thus
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  Speaker 2: I will go into the king, which is not according
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  Speaker 2: to the law. And if I perish, I perish. Now
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  Speaker 2: in the meantime, nobody knows about this. It's whispered among
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  Speaker 2: the Jews. Esther plans a meeting with the king. Hayman
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  Speaker 2: thinks she wants to honor him because she asks him
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  Speaker 2: to come along. Esther gets the two of them together
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  Speaker 2: and says, I've got a plan. I want to have
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  Speaker 2: a banquet, and I want to announce my plan when
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  Speaker 2: we get together. She says in verse eight of chapter five,
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  Speaker 2: if I found favor in the sight of the King,
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  Speaker 2: and if it please the King to grant my petition
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  Speaker 2: to do whatever I request, may the King and Hayman
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  Speaker 2: come to the banquet, which I shall prepare for them tomorrow.
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  Speaker 2: I will do as the king says. Haymond was thrilled.
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  Speaker 2: He thought, I have been invited with King Ahazawaris Xerxes,
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  Speaker 2: and I are going.
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  Speaker 3: To have time with the queen. I mean, she really
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  Speaker 3: thinks I'm some thing.
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  Speaker 2: On the way back home, he runs into Mordecai and
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  Speaker 2: he's infuriated. So when he gets home, he says to
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  Speaker 2: his wife, she's quite a lady's zeriesh, he says to her,
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  Speaker 2: and Mordecai drives me nuts. Verse fourteen, Zeresh and all
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  Speaker 2: of his friends said, build some gallows, build them seventy
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  Speaker 2: five feet high, called here fifty cubits, and asked the
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  Speaker 2: king to have Mordecai hanged on the gallows and go
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  Speaker 2: joyfully with the king to the banquet.
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  Speaker 3: The advice pleased Haymon, and he got all of his
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  Speaker 3: guys together.
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  Speaker 2: They brought all these two by fours and they started
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  Speaker 2: building seven and a half stories of gallows. Next verse, Look,
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  Speaker 2: it's great, unfathomable, unsearchable, immortal.
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  Speaker 3: Look, the king can't sleep.
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  Speaker 2: During the night while Hayman and all of his guys
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  Speaker 2: are building gallows. Azuaris has insomnia and nothing will make
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  Speaker 2: you go to sleep quicker than notes and minutes from
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  Speaker 2: the meeting, And so he says to somebody, bring the chronicles,
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  Speaker 2: bring the records.
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  Speaker 3: Listen that night?
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  Speaker 2: Is that like God? That night, while Hayman's building gallows
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  Speaker 2: to hang, Mordechai Azuaris is listening to the chronicles. It
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  Speaker 2: was found written that Mordecai had reported concerning big Fan
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  Speaker 2: and Terrish, two of the king's eunuchs who were doorkeepers,
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  Speaker 2: that they had sought to lay hands on the King
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  Speaker 2: of Hazuars hit forgotten all about that. The king said,
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  Speaker 2: what honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai?
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  Speaker 3: For this.
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  Speaker 2: Is that great?
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  Speaker 3: You don't look like you get it.
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  Speaker 2: Mordecai is about to be honored, and Hayman is about
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  Speaker 2: to kill him, and so the king in the middle
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  Speaker 2: of the night, says, we got a fi and a
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  Speaker 2: way to honor Mordecai. What honor has been done? They said,
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  Speaker 2: nothing was done. Somebody flipped him a diamond, said good job,
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  Speaker 2: or something like that, but it wasn't a big deal.
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  Speaker 2: The king said, who's in the court.
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  Speaker 3: Now?
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  Speaker 2: It's early morning, dawn's coming. Hayman's tired, been up all
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  Speaker 2: night building gallops. He shows up. He shows up ready
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  Speaker 2: for the big deal with Queen Esther and King Hajubris.
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  Speaker 2: He said, who's in the court. Hayman had just entered.
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  Speaker 3: Isn't that like God?
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  Speaker 2: He had entered in order to speak to the king
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  Speaker 2: about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared. The
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  Speaker 2: king's servants said, Hayman's out there hanging around the court.
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  Speaker 2: He's available. King said, let him come in. Haymon came
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  Speaker 2: in and said, what is to be done for the
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  Speaker 2: man whom the king desires to honor?
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  Speaker 3: Isn't that great?
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  Speaker 2: What do you think we ought to do for the
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  Speaker 2: man we really want to honor? Hamon said to himself,
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  Speaker 2: whom would the king desire to honor or? He thinks
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  Speaker 2: he's gonna get honored, so he lists all these great things.
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  Speaker 3: I love stories like this.
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  Speaker 2: Bring a royal robe verse eight, which the king has worned,
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  Speaker 2: and a horse on which the king has ridden, and
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  Speaker 2: on whose head a royal crown has been placed.
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  Speaker 3: That's not a drink, that's a crown.
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  Speaker 2: And let the robe and the horse be handed over
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  Speaker 2: to one of the king's most noble princes. And let
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  Speaker 2: them ray the man whom the king desires to honor,
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  Speaker 2: and lead him on horseback through the city square, and
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  Speaker 2: proclaim before him. Thus it shall be done to the
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  Speaker 2: man whom the king honors. King said, good idea. Look,
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  Speaker 2: take quickly the robes and the horse, and do it
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  Speaker 2: for morne Kai the Jew. Oh no, no, no. You see,
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  Speaker 2: when God calls the shots, nobody can stop it. The
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  Speaker 2: most powerful man in the land gets his hands tied.
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  Speaker 3: And his mouth silenced.
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  Speaker 2: God and God alone can do such things. Haman throws
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  Speaker 2: a little fit before his wife verse thirteen. He's all depressed.
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  Speaker 2: I love his wife's counsel. Hamon verse thirteen recounted to
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  Speaker 2: Zeresh his wife all of his friends, everything had happened.
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  Speaker 2: Zeresh's wife said to him, if Mordecai, before whom you
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  Speaker 2: have begun to fall, is of Jewish origin. You will
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  Speaker 2: not overcome him, but will surely fall before him.
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  Speaker 3: Very supportive.
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  Speaker 2: Humh being quoted from the original Aramaic. Don't get your
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  Speaker 2: hopes up, baby, your days are numbered. That's exactly what happened, exactly,
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  Speaker 2: and he winds up verse ten, chapter seven.
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  Speaker 3: Look at this, I love it. They hanged Hayman on
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  Speaker 3: the very gallows which he prepared for.
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  Speaker 2: Mordecai, and the king's anger subsided. Of course, why because
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  Speaker 2: of God and God alone, the immortal, invisible, God only
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  Speaker 2: wise and light inaccessible, hid from our eyes, most blessed,
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  Speaker 2: most glorious, the Ancient of days, Almighty, Victorious, that great
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  Speaker 2: name we praise.
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  Speaker 3: Wonderful story.
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  Speaker 2: When I come to a book that never mentions God,
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  Speaker 2: I see God all the more profoundly and eloquently written
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  Speaker 2: through it.
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  Speaker 3: It's an invisible in.
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  Speaker 2: Just like life. I've never seen the skywriting that says
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  Speaker 2: I'm here, Chuck, you can count on me. I've never
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  Speaker 2: heard an audible voice in the middle of the night
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  Speaker 2: speaking to me, assuring me. But by faith I see
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  Speaker 2: Him on a regular basis, written in the events of life.
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  Speaker 2: In the crushing blows that drive me to my knees,
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  Speaker 2: in the marvelous experiences I hear from others as well
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  Speaker 2: as experience myself, and I realize it is the unsearchable mind,
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  Speaker 2: the unfathomable will. It is the sovereign control. It is
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  Speaker 2: the invisible providence.
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  Speaker 3: Of God.
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  Speaker 2: At work, because he, though invisible, is invincible. Now my
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: talk has little to do with history. It has everything
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  Speaker 2: to do with life. I cared nothing about your learning
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  Speaker 2: Persian history. I don't care if you forget the name
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  Speaker 2: of Hazuaris by nightfall. Who gives a rip. What I
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  Speaker 2: care about is that you realize that the gallows you
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  Speaker 2: think are prepared for you.
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  Speaker 3: Not at all. What are the gallows.
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  Speaker 2: Some horrible pain, some threat of surgery, some emotional stress
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  Speaker 2: that is leading further and further to what appears to
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  Speaker 2: be your emotional demise, Some fractured relationship that you cannot
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: bring closure on, some uncertainty concerning your career, some financial duress.
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  Speaker 2: How about, worst of all, spiritual vacuum that will mean
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  Speaker 2: your death if you can't get a handle on it.
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  Speaker 3: I have great news.
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  Speaker 2: Be still and discover that God is God. Stop reaching
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  Speaker 2: back into your treasury of security and pulling the strangerself.
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  Speaker 2: Stop manipulating people, stop ignoring and rationalizing your way around life.
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  Speaker 2: First piece of advice, be quiet. The immortal, invisible all wise,
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  Speaker 2: God hid from your eyes, is a work.
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  Speaker 3: Be still listen. Second, be convinced.
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  Speaker 2: Say to the Lord God, I am convinced you are
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  Speaker 2: at work in the gallows of my life, and I
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  Speaker 2: can see them in the dawn of the morning sunrise.
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  Speaker 3: I know you're at work. I cannot change the events.
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  Speaker 3: Rescue me.
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  Speaker 2: I come through Christ, I come to you.
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  Speaker 3: I am quiet, I am convinced.
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  Speaker 2: James Hastings captures the essence of the Book of Esther.
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  Speaker 2: This Book of Esther does not say much about God,
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  Speaker 2: but his presence broods over it all and is the
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  Speaker 2: real spring that moves the movers that are seen. Centuries
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  Speaker 2: after Esther lived, and years before James Hastings, there lived
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  Speaker 2: a man named William Cooper spell Coer, often pronounced Cowper.
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  Speaker 2: At the young age of thirty two, he lost his mind, and,
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  Speaker 2: in his emotional state of affairs, without a friend in
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  Speaker 2: the world, William Cooper decided to take his life. He
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  Speaker 2: hired a carriage to take him to the Thames and
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  Speaker 2: the carriage driver, who never had known him before, grabbed
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  Speaker 2: him as he began to make plans to jump into
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  Speaker 2: the raging waters, and he held him back.
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  Speaker 3: He drove him back to his home.
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  Speaker 2: He took poison, someone found him, an antidote was provided
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  Speaker 2: and he lived through that. That night, he took a
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  Speaker 2: knife and fell on it, and the blade broke. Early
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  Speaker 2: the next morning, he hung himself, and a neighbor concerned about.
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  Speaker 3: Him found him and cut him down.
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  Speaker 2: He couldn't even take his life because of the unfathomable, unsearchable,
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  Speaker 2: inscrutable power of God.
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  Speaker 3: Invisible though it was.
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  Speaker 2: He struck up a friendship before too many months with
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: the great John Newton, and the two of them collaborated
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  Speaker 2: on a publication.
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  Speaker 3: Called Only Hymns l N.
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  Speaker 2: E Y, in which Newton released the great Amazing Grace,
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  Speaker 2: How sweet the sound has saved a wretch like me?
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  Speaker 2: But Cooper wrote sixty seven hymns, the most significant of
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  Speaker 2: which in the Only Hymn, was this one. God moves
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  Speaker 2: in mysterious ways his wonders to perform. He plants his
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  Speaker 2: footstep on the sea and rides upon the storm. D
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  Speaker 2: He've been onfathomable minds of never failing skill. He treasures
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  Speaker 2: up his bright design and works his sovereign will judge
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  Speaker 2: not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust him for
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  Speaker 2: his grace. Behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face.
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  Speaker 2: The providence looks as though it's frowning, but I'll.
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  Speaker 3: Tell you there is a smiling face.
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  Speaker 2: I want you to block out all visual stimuli. I
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  Speaker 2: want you to close your eyes. I want you to
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  Speaker 2: imagine the.
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  Speaker 3: Face of God.
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  Speaker 2: More than likely you have seen him all your life,
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  Speaker 2: as frowning, angry, full.
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  Speaker 3: Of rage.
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  Speaker 2: At you.
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  Speaker 3: You are wrong.
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  Speaker 2: Face was the face that faced the cross. All of
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  Speaker 2: God's wrath, all of his anger, was poured out on Christ.
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  Speaker 3: And will not be poured out on you. If you
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  Speaker 3: are in.
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  Speaker 2: Christ, nearer nearer nearer I cannot be. For in the
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  Speaker 2: person of his son, I am as near.
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  Speaker 3: As he.
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  Speaker 2: Whatever your pilgrimage, whatever your story, whatever your gallows, be
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  Speaker 2: assured that behind a frowning providence, there is hidden a
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  Speaker 2: smiling face. My invitation today is an ancient invitation to
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  Speaker 2: every one of us to release the controls of our.
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  Speaker 3: Lives and let God be God. What will it take.
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  Speaker 3: Our problem is that we are so.
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  Speaker 2: Self sufficient, so smart, so healthy, so capable. The last
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  Speaker 2: thing that seems logical is to let go of the controls.
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  Speaker 3: Let him have his.
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  Speaker 2: Way, let his amazing grace take over. Come to the
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  Speaker 2: cross today and give him.
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  Speaker 3: That place of significance.
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  Speaker 2: He will take you as a sinner, and he will
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  Speaker 2: turn you inside out and make you into a child
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  Speaker 2: of the king, because Christ is the one that took.
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  Speaker 3: Your place on the gallows and died in your stead.
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  Speaker 4: You've listened to this message about God's providence, and you've
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  Speaker 4: heard an invitation to let God have his way in
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  Speaker 4: your life. I can't let this moment pass without taking
• 23:26
  Speaker 4: a few moments to pray for you, especially you who
• 23:30
  Speaker 4: are hearing God's call to surrender your life to him.
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  Speaker 4: So let me pray for you. Dear Father, Thank you
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  Speaker 4: for the amazing grace that you have showered on us
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  Speaker 4: through Jesus Christ, who died in our place on the cross.
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  Speaker 4: I pray for the person who this very moment is
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  Speaker 4: coming to you with empty hands, ready to receive your grace.
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  Speaker 4: It's only by grace that we're saved through faith, and
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  Speaker 4: that not of ourselves. It is a gift from you.
• 24:10
  Speaker 4: Draw this woman or man close to your side and
• 24:15
  Speaker 4: pour out your gracious gift as he or she invites
• 24:20
  Speaker 4: your son to be Lord and Savior. Fill this dear
• 24:24
  Speaker 4: soul with the assurance of your salvation and your everlasting love.
• 24:31
  Speaker 4: Bring glory to yourself today as we pray with gratitude
• 24:37
  Speaker 4: in the name of our Savior and our Lord, Jesus Christ.
• 24:42
  Speaker 3: Amen.
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: Behind every frowning providence is a smiling face. That's the quiet,
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: unshakable confidence The Book of Esther offers every one of
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: us who's ever won wondered whether God is truly there.
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: If Chucks Weyndall's prayer touched something deep inside you today,
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: we hope you'll stay close to this series on Insight
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: for Living. We've only begun to trace God's invisible fingerprints
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: through this remarkable story. Plus Insight for Living offers a
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: variety of Bible study tools that will help you trace
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: every single fingerprint first our searching. The Scripture's Bible Study
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: Workbook for Ester makes that kind of study genuinely accessible.
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: It includes thoughtful questions, rich content, and a spiral binding
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: that lays completely flat next to your open Bible. There's
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: space throughout to capture your own insights. Your own prayers
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: and your own discoveries. It's a Bible study that fits
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: the way you actually live. To purchase the Bible Study
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: Workbook for esther, call eight hundred seven seven to two
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: eighty eight eighty eight. You may not think of yourself
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: as a leader, but if you've ever guided a child,
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: managed a team, or simply tried to influence someone for good,
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: you are one. And Neemiah's story was written for you.
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  Speaker 1: God gave him an impossible assignment rebuild Jerusalem's walls from
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: rubble against fierce opposition with limited resources, and what Nehemiah
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  Speaker 1: did has been studied by leaders ever since. Chuck Wendahl
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: brings that story to life in his remarkable book Hand
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: Me Another Brick, and we want to send it to you.
• 26:22
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• 26:28
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• 26:31
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• 26:34
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• 26:36
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• 26:41
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• 26:43
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• 26:47
  Speaker 1: post Office Box five thousand, Frisco, Texas seven five three four,
• 26:53
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• 26:57
  Speaker 1: slash donate. I'm Bill Meyer. Join us when Chucks Wendall
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: continues this fascinating study on the life of Esther Thursday
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: on Insight for Living. The preceding message, God's Invisible Providence
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: was copyrighted in nineteen eighty nine, nineteen ninety, nineteen ninety seven,
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• 27:28
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• 27:31
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• 27:36
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