Greetings, brothers and sisters in Christ and children of God.

I was wearing a shirt the other day with our church’s name on it, and on the back it said, “Tap my shoulder if you need prayer.” Although I did not get a tap on my shoulder, a woman did inquire about the church I go to. It made me think how privileged we are to live in a country where we can still openly express our faith and show others that we are Christians. 

The book of Esther was written during the Persian period, at the time of King Ahasuerus (Esther 1:1-2). The author of the book never mentions God; in fact, God’s name is not in the Book of Esther anywhere. That sounds strange, considering that it is in the Bible and it is the story about the establishment of the Feast of Purim that the Jews celebrate annually in the early part of March, which is at the end of the Jewish calendar and just before the celebration of Passover. Purim is celebrated to remember when the Jews were saved from a great annihilation by Haman, a high-ranking official in the king’s court and an enemy of the Israelites. This was at a time of the persecution of Jews, and it was common for the Jews to remain quiet about their identity and heritage. 

Centuries later, the early Christians suffered a similar fate as they also hid their faith in fear of being persecuted. Christians would draw an arch in the dirt for another Christian to come and connect the arch with another arch to make the fish symbol, that is known as “ichthys”, which is Greek for “fish”. This was like a code to let someone know you were a Christian. Many Christians would worship in hiding during the time of the early church. 

Even today, there are countries where Christians must hide their religious practice in fear of being persecuted. I once went to a baptism of a young boy who could not have video of his baptism because the family could have been in a life-threatening situation. In some countries, Bibles are smuggled into the country to give to Christians on the inside who are meeting in secret, and in some cases they travel around in a bus with curtains over the windows so no one can see them worshiping God.

I believe that this country is also facing a time, soon to come, when we may have to hide our faith in fear of persecution. It may not be in our time, but evil is looking to shut down and stop the faith of Christians. Until that time, I will proudly stand next to my brothers and sisters in Christ and declare Jesus as my Lord and will openly pray when asked. I encourage you to do the same. 

In Joshua, we read the verse that many have displayed in their homes. “As for me and my house (household), we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). It does not necessarily mean Joshua’s house in this text, but could mean his tribe or his people. Let us be the men and women who dare to make the statement that, for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Let the brothers and sisters in Christ stand boldly and prophecy of the Savior whom we believe in. 

Thank God we still live in a land that we can show our faith for others to see and that we can be witnesses to them who see us and come in contact with us. Maybe it’s a co-worker, or a family member, or a strange woman inquiring about my faith, who needs to hear a testimony of faith and hope.

Last week, the little lambs concluded their lesson on the Fruit of the Spirit. The real fruits that we eat to make and keep us healthy take time to grow. For a new birth of a fruit, it can take months and even years to have a strong fruit on the vine. The Fruit of the Spirit is no different. Whether as a child or an adult, the Fruit takes time to grow inside of us, and the more we study the Word and grow closer to God, the more our Fruit is watered and nourished and will grow strong inside of us. As the fruit grows, we can share it with others and touch lives as Jesus has touched ours.

I look forward to worshiping with you tomorrow and praising the one and only King and Savior as we sing songs of joy and dance before the Lord of all creation. If, for whatever reason, I do not see you tomorrow, may the Lord bless you with peace and guidance, and may he heal you, comfort you, and supply you with a full cup overflowing with happiness for you to share with others.

God bless you,

Your brother in Christ,

Michael (aka Mr. Michael)