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JOANNA

  MEANING OF NAME: The Lord gives graciously. STORY IN BRIEF: A wealthy woman who worked in the courts of Herod Antipas. Her husband, Cuza, was also the estate manager of Herod Antipas. Joanna followed The Lord on missions, supported His Ministry with her gifts, and was privileged to have witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. These happened after The Lord delivered her from demonic obsessions. Obviously, Joanna would have attempted winning Herod Antipas over to Jesus. But her Spirit probably was dared when Herod beheaded John for Herodias and Salomey. SHORT BACKGROUND ON HEALING: Healing, from ancient Bible days, was seen more as spiritual than physical. Egyptian physicians would often drill holes in the heads of patients in order to create an exit for these "ailment-causing spirits". There were medical doctors, yet most patients were rather sent to the priest-physicians. REFERENCE SCRIPTURES: Luke 8:1 – 3; 24:10 (and Matthew 14:1 – 12) Luke 23:7 – 12

JOSHUA

  MEANING :  Jehovah is salvation or God's Help. ALTERNATIVES : Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Jeshua, Jesus SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES: Joshua was a 1. slave - Joshua 24:15; 2. soldier - Joshua 5:13-15; 3. servant - Numbers  11:28; Josh. 1:1; 4. spy - Numbers 13:1-16; 5. saviour; 6.  stateman, and 7. Saint for the following reasons: He was filled with the Spirit of God (Deut. 34:9). He enjoyed the presence of God (Josh. 1:5; 6:27). He was indwelt by the word of God (Josh. 1:8). He was ever obedient to the will of God (Num. 32:12; Josh. 5:14). STORY IN BRIEF: His first name was "OSHEA" or "HOSHEA" meaning " HELP" . Joshua was the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim. Born during the weary years of bondage his nation suffered in Egypt under Pharaoh, Joshua knew something of the lash of the whip, the almost impossible task in the brick-fields, and the deep sigh of liberty. Joshua had also witnessed the moral and social degradation of his countrymen brought about by the ter...

KEEP THE FIRE !

  ” The fire must never go out,…” Leviticus 6:12 God’s kingdom as recorded from Genesis to Revelation, is fire-dominated. Moses, first, encountered Him in a burning bush; Elijah got swallowed up by horse-like chariots; his servant, Elisha, wasn’t left out when he witnessed similar chariots of angels surrounding him later, and the list is endless. So Paul, The Apostle, simply concludes that God ( in whom we live ) is a consuming fire – Hebrews 12:29. The fire of God is that zeal, passion or heated and burning urge contained in our spirits for The Lord. It originates from God, yet He charges us to keep it from going off, as revealed from our theme scripture above. This piece will, therefore, not be complete without unveiling a few ways of sustaining God’s holy fire. THE WORD ” Is not my word like fire…?” Jeremiah 23:29. Then, the Prophet affirms, “… His word is in my heart like fire…” Jeremiah 20:9. So you can imagine what the Word offers our Spirit as we commune with it. They’re woo...

REMEMBER THE LORD !

  ” Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me…” Isaiah 46:9. Often times, we blame our stagnancy or retrogression in life on the devil, curses or some covens elsewhere rather than taking a self-check on our own attitudes to see where we miss it. It’s worth noting that forgetting God’s goodness and the kind gestures shown us by others is also a sin that can hold one back in life. Jesus, having this insight, would always give attributes to the Father in Him as the doer of His works. The following paragraphs reveal more on the need to remember the positives. “For God  is  not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, …” Hebrews 6:10. If forgetfulness is unrighteous, then remembrance is righteousness ! One personal attitude I’ve always thanked God for is that, I always dwell on the positives of people ignoring their errs no matter how hurting it could be. And this should be every believer’s ...

ESTHER

 



NAME MEANING:


Ishtar,” - the Babylonian Goddess of Love; Persian - “Star”;

Hebrew - “Hadassah,” Means “Myrtle” 


 CHARACTER: 


An orphan in a foreign land, she was willing to conceal her Jewish identity in a bid for a pagan king’s affection. 

Esther seemed willing to made moral compromises by sleeping with the king and then taking part in a wedding that would necessarily have required her to pay homage to foreign gods. Even so, she displayed great courage in the midst of a crisis. Prior to risking her life for her people, she humbled herself by fasting and then put her considerable beauty, social grace, and wisdom in the ser vice of God’s plan.



STORY IN BRIEF:


Vashti - Queen of Persia, disobeyed Xerses' order that she presented herself before the noble festive gathering in Persia. So the King banished her.


Now is the time for her replacement. Esther, a Jewish orphan and cousin to Modecai, was part of the King's harem. She successfully won the King's heart and became the next Queen of Persia. 


A few years later, Modecai refused to bow to Haman - Xerses'most powerful, as others did. Then, a decree was made for the annihilation of all Jews some time to come.


When Modecai informed Esther, they both agreed on a 3-days long fast. Esther went and invited the King for a feast following the fast.


While Haman constructed some gallows for Modecai to be hangged on, the next morning, King Xerse was reminded through the reading of Kingdom anals on how that Modecai saved his life in the past.


The King rather made Haman honour Modecai in the morning for his deeds before; Haman could not hang Modecai as he had planned.


Modecai also discovered from Esther at their second evening banquet that Haman had sold out the lives of the Jews for destruction. So Haman was hanged on the gallows he was going to hang Modecai as commanded by Xerse.


Esther was given Haman's properties. King Xerse also gave a counter enactment to his earlier judgement against the Jews - anyone who came to kill a Jew could as well be killed ! 


FURTHER READINGS:

Esther 1 – 10

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