PURIM - GOD’S SILENT DELIVERANCE

“Celebrate yearly the 14th and 15th days of the month of Adar, as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy.” (Esther 9:21) 

  

Purim celebrates God’s miraculous rescue of the Jewish people when an evil enemy attempted to annihilate them. Our heavenly Father and King was and is faithful, sovereign and victorious! 

Normally, the Purim message focuses on the parallels between the original story in the book of Esther and Israel’s current situation. 

Now we can see why the Lord has lead us here for a couple reasons. First, we need to pray for Israel and the horrific war with the Hamas. Secondly, for the deliverance of God’s people across the world.  Deep deep darkness has filled the hearts and minds of many of God’s people and they are in need of deliverance. The events of Purim was established by God to deliver & celebrate His Hand in deliverance.

Before we begin, I want to encourage you to read the Book of Esther. If you’re not familiar with the story, please look into it—because this message builds on it. 

Dear friends, this is exciting because God is supernaturally accomplishing a personal Purim for His children today. 

Jewish people celebrate Purim through masquerading and other festivities. They also read Megilat Esther (the Scroll of Esther), which reminds them of the deliverance of their ancestors from the hands of their enemies.

Specifically, the Jewish people remember how they were rescued from the plot of the tyrannical Persian, Haman. Every time Haman’s name is mentioned during the public reading of Esther, those in attendance boo and rattle noisemakers to demonstrate their displeasure with his memory (cf. Ex. 17:14). To top off their party, the Jewish people eat cookies called “Haman’s Ears” and sing Purim songs.

So you see, Purim is the biblical holiday celebrated worldwide in Jewish communities on the 14th or 15th of the Hebrew month of Adar or the 12th month of the Hebrew calendar, December. It’s a joyous holiday for the Jews celebrate the rescue of their people recorded in the book of Esther. Imagine a holiday where kids dress up, wander around the neighborhood in costumes, make joyous noise, and receive sweets from all over the place. No, this is not about Halloween. I’m talking about a biblical Jewish holiday that involves costumes, candy, and the reading of the Scriptures.

To better understand the reason for Purim, it’s necessary to know the history and setting of the book of Esther so let’s take a quick look.

Purim: Overcoming the Orphan Spirit 
As sons and daughters of Father God, created in His image, you and I have been commissioned to exercise, in humble love, “dominion” over the earth and to “subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). This Genesis mandate represents God’s original design for humankind. Esther (Hadassah in Hebrew) serves as a vivid prototype of the godly exercise of dominion and subduing of the enemy in our personal lives. 

Esther was an orphan, bereft of both mother and father at a very young age. But the queen did not harbor an “orphan spirit.” An orphan spirit can result from a real or perceived lack of godly and protective fathering or nurturative mothering. People with unhealed, parent-related wounds and orphan spirits continually strive to prove themselves—to God, to others or to themselves. They never quite feel they “belong.” They lack the security of deeply, experientially knowing that in Yeshua, they are accepted and beloved by the Father. Because their core identity is not yet fully in Him, they are not able to exercise the full authority He has given them to subdue the enemy’s work in their lives. This does not mean they don’t try; often they try very hard but struggle chronically with the same issues. There is hope for them at Purim!

Though Esther was orphaned circumstantially, she was not orphaned spiritually. Her Uncle Mordechai thoroughly embraced her into his household. He lovingly raised her as his own daughter and the apple of his eye, guarding, guiding and affirming her identity and her calling. He did not quit after she became queen. Continuing to watch over her by hanging around the royal castle, Mordecai never left or forsook Esther. Therefore, at the core of her being, she knew she was deeply loved. She knew how to submit to the authority of her adoptive father—and her heavenly Father. 

As a result, she also knew how to exercise rightful authority when the time came. When Esther was faced with the hardest decision of her l ife, she was ready. Called upon to put her life at risk (before King Ahaseurus) and directly confront the enemy (Haman), Esther put her trust in God and courageously rose to the occasion.

However, spiritual orphans are the result of several things, let’s get into it. The term “orphan spirit” has deep meaning for everyone. The Bible indicates that when father’s and children’s hearts are turned from each other, a curse can result. 

And he will turn, The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:6 NKJ

I believe we all have an orphan spirit at some point in our journey regardless of who is raising us. I’ve shared the abandonment of my mother and this was the open door for the spirit in my life.  

God created us to belong.  He created us to be treasured.  He created us to need and long for human touch.  He created us to receive love and give love. 

And truth be told, we all have an orphan spirit before we’re adopted into the family of Christ through His blood, but even after we’ve been adopted, we might still struggle with an orphan spirit without even realizing it.

“The orphan spirit causes one to live life as if he does not have a safe and  secure place in the Father’s heart. He feels he has no place of affirmation, protection, comfort, belonging, or affection. Self-oriented, lonely, and inwardly isolated, he has no one from whom to draw Godly inheritance. Therefore, he has to strive, achieve,compete, and earn everything he gets in life. It easily leads to a life of anxiety, fears, and frustration.” –author Jack Frost

There are many reasons why we might be living with an orphan spirit.

1. Maybe we didn’t feel treasured by someone important to us.  
2. Maybe we didn’t receive proper physical touch.  
3. Maybe we were abused.  
4. Maybe we didn’t develop authentic, deep, meaningful relationships with our loved ones?  
5. Maybe we didn’t receive unconditional love.  
6. Maybe we actually got all of those things, but we’ve been living with an orphan spirit without even realizing it due to our human-ness and it’s become a way of life for us -A habit. 

Habits may cause us to search for acceptance, significance, and identity in all the wrong places. Our human nature seeks self and the approval and praise of man.We may feel a deep need to be recognized for our service and for the things we do. We may have critical spirits and place blame on others.  We may be jealous of others. These are indicators that we carry the orphan spirit. 

At times, even strong Believers with a heart to serve God carry the orphan spirit because their motives are of an orphan heart instead of a heart of sonship. This can be a huge revelation when we recognize our own deceptive heart. Fortunately, God’s power will erratic this orphan spirit within us with His Love.

I urge you to review the pdf chart [download worksheet] by Jack Frost Ministries and pray for God to reveal to you if you might have an orphan spirit without realizing it. 

Our earthly father has a huge impact on how we view our Heavenly Father.  When we are secure in our relationship with our earthly father, it’s much easier to have trust in the security of our Heavenly Father. It’s unconditional. We don’t feel like we have to act a certain way, be good enough, or do enough good things to earn the love of our Father because our earthly father didn’t make us feel that way.  We knew without a doubt that our earthly father loved us unconditionally and wholeheartedly, we belonged, we were treasured, and that nothing could ever change that, no matter what.

Unfortunately, because we are human, no one is going to have a perfect earthly father because Perfection can only  be found in our Heavenly Father. If we’re not secure in the love of our earthly father’s heart, how can we be secure in the heart of our Heavenly Father?

The good news comes when we recognize the orphan spirit and acknowledge our need for change, we allow the Holy Spirit to replace our orphan spirit with the Spirit of Sonship.

“The spirit of sonship” is all about having a heart attitude of submission – being subject to another’s mission. 

Jesus Himself said, “The Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) 

In Hebrews 12:9, “Be subject” is also the word “submission.” In the Greek, this word means “to get underneath and to push up.”  So to have the spirit of sonship is to put yourself underneath another’s mission and do all you can to make them successful, knowing that as a son/daughter, there is an inheritance that lies ahead. 

“Sonship is about security, significance, identity, patience, basic trust, faithfulness, loyalty, humility, and being others-oriented.” –Jack Frost

I don’t have all of the answers, this is just a starting point, but after reading a book written by Jack Frost I feel led to share. It’s a real heart opener! For more information you might want to order Jack Frost’s book Experiencing Father’s Embrace.  

“The orphan spirit is not something you can cast out because it is ungodly beliefs and/or attitudes of our flesh that has been developing over a lifetime. It has become part of our personality and character. It must be displaced (put to death) by a personal experience in the Father’s love and a revelation of the spirit of sonship. This will require a re-positioning of our life.”  -Jack Frost

However, our awesome God does know all the answers and the right answers for each one of us. Our first step is recognizing the orphan spirit in ourselves.  

It’s so easy to pinpoint in others, but we must ask God to search our hearts and show us if we are struggling with an orphan spirit. 

Here is what Jack Frost wrote once he discovered the revelation that he and his wife had been serving in their ministry for years with an orphan’s heart instead of a heart of sonship.

“The spirit of sonship was not a garment we put on, but it was a change of heart so deep that it brought change to our habits. No longer did we want to bless in order to get something in return. No longer did we grudgingly give off our finances.  No longer did we have to be seen or accepted. We knew our identity was in the Father’s love, and it became the desire of our hearts to do everything we could to see another’s vision and calling fulfilled.”  -Jack Frost  

I believe Father has a word for many of us through this book and the revelation of the orphan spirit in all of us.

Here are some characteristics of the orphan spirit:

• Unable to put down roots (change churches frequently)
• Always on the look out for something bigger and better
• Feeling based faith (feels good, feels right, I will follow it).
• Need recognition
• Easily offended
• Feelings abandonment 
• Attitude of “No one is going to tell me what to do”
• Attitude of “I know…” (unteachable)
• Attitude of being judged by others
• Survivalist Mentality always looking out for oneself
• Never truly comfortable in the presence of anointed spiritual father
• Reject others before they can be rejected
• Unable to ask for Help
• Driven to over work

So what do we do if we just now learned we carry the orphan spirit, we pray!  

Prayer is pretty much my answer to everything, well, it isn’t the answer so much as it puts God in control. He will come with answers when we allow God to direct our prayers.  

One of the great things about God is we can start over.  Hallelujah!

When we seek the Father in truth and work to establish an intimate relationship with Him, we are putting on God’s Garments of Grace by renouncing the lies. [you might want to read my Garment of Grace post too]

The Orphan Spirit is a LIAR and when we carry this Spirit, we  must confront the lies by reading scriptures that opposes false theologies and personal beliefs. 

We have an entire culture who does not have sound biblical theology. Just the other day I was shocked when I tested this out!  Many and I mean many of the well known pastors you are listening to on the internet are teaching false doctrines!  It’s imperative, we find a biblically sound mentor. I asked God for help and Holy Spirit came to teach and uproot the lies that were hindering my spiritual growth. Here is the list of some of the lies.

1. Unbelief that God forgave your former sins.
2. Feeling stuck, hopeless, defeated, and giving up quickly.
3. Constantly fearing that God will punish you.
4. Competing and comparing yourself to other Christians.
5. Fasting and praying from a place of guilt, fear, and striving.
6. Feeling unworthy of salvation.
7. Distrust that biblical promises are your portion.
8. The inability to walk in spiritual authority.
9. Fear of walking in your purpose and calling.
10. Believing lies about the character of God.
11. Relying on your own self-effort rather than God’s strength.
12. Forgetting to pray and ask for God’s help.
13. Fearing God will withhold good things from you.
14. Allowing offense and fear to separate you from a spiritual family.
15. Doubting the power of God to intervene in any situation.
16. Fear of intimacy with God and others.

Now, maybe you don’t believe these lies, but someone in your life does and they carry’s the orphan spirit. They believe the lies, so what should you do? You must pray for them. God will move on their behalf so they can embrace the Love of God and turn their hearts to end the curse. Malachi 4:6

And he will turn, The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:6 NKJ

Here is just one example to pray, but allow God to lead you!

I plead the Blood of Jesus upon (insert name) and I bind every spirit of an orphan from their lives.  I loose and release the Holy Spirit to hover over them to bring healing and deliverance.  Lord, you are their Father and I pray that they will receive the spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15) and that they will call You, “Abba”.  Lord I pray that healing will come to every area of their hearts.  Turning their heart from stone back to a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19). Lord, I ask that you bring committed spiritual fathers and mothers into their lives to cover them in prayer, to give them direction and to love them.  God, please help this spiritual father or mother to have the mind and heart of Christ.  In Jesus name, Amen.

When praying for spiritual orphans, it is very likely that you are the only person praying for them. In my experience, they have very little spiritual covering because they constantly reject it, reject love, reject kindness keeping them in a spiritual place of rejection. 

Keep praying for them even when you do not see results.  Most of these individuals do love Jesus but they have been deeply hurt and are functioning out of their wounding that has allowed the enemy a foothold.

However, if you have just discovered you have been functioning from an orphan spirit then you have an exciting journey in your future.  

When our motivation is anything outside of the love of God, the foundations on which we build our lives becomes cracked, and eventually tumble down, but once we realize this our belief system is on sand, we cannot stay here, we must move to let God make changes within us. Praise God! 

Then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 1 Corinthians 15:24

This is when our healing and deliverance requires our action. You must “walk it out”.  Which means we must work to change our actions and reactions. Sometimes, you will have to just “stick it out” even when things do not “feel” good or even when you are getting negative feedback. You must take responsibility for your past actions and attitudes that have led you to the point of becoming a spiritual orphan.   

I want to encourage you to find a church to attend that teaches about God being loving, full of mercy and grace toward His children (a healthy Biblical church). Consider joining a biblical bible study and make a commitment to do this without giving up. The goal is to learn foundational biblical truths while building healthy relationships.

You must commit yourself to communicating (listening to and sharing) with your spiritual leadership.  You must be prepared to receive correction and direction from your spiritual father God.  

Love is correction as much as it is affirmation. You can start with this prayer, but let the Holy Spirit guide you.

Jesus, please forgive me for embracing the attitudes, actions and heart of an orphan.  Your heart and desire is that I am a healthy part of your spiritual family.  I renounce all soul ties I have formed with an orphan spirit in Jesus name.  I bind my body, heart, soul and spirit to God’s will and purpose for my life in Jesus Name. I ask that you would heal my mind and my heart from the spirits of abandonment, rejection and fatherlessness.  God please help me to have the heart of a son/daughter and please help me to turn my heart toward you as my spiritual father.  Lord, please help me to pray for and support the spiritual fathers you have placed in my life.  Please help me to model the attitude and heart that Jesus had toward You as He walked this earth.  Lord, please reveal to me all areas in my life that have been wounded.  Please heal those areas and make me whole.  Lord I ask that you would help me to forgive everyone who I looked to as a spiritual father or leader who wounded me or failed me.  Lord, please help me to commit to a church and spiritual father.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Being a spiritual orphan is a choice. There are no lonerangers and there are no orphans in the Kingdom of God. We make the conscious choice to be free of it with our attitude and choices. This way you can live in the freedom that Jesus paid for you to have. 

In fact, in John 14:18 Jesus says, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."

For these reasons, the book of Esther is part of our heritage as Christians. It’s part of the big story of redemption that shows God’s love for humanity by bringing someone from the line of Abraham to save humankind.

The preserving power of God isn’t limited to one people group. For Christians, Purim reminds us of God’s providence and sovereignty over all human lives. Even when we don’t want to invite God into our story, we’re all the beneficiaries of God’s providence. As God guides all circumstances for his glory, we’re blessed to get a glimpse of what God does through people—including us.

We are all called to be spiritual sons and daughter in Christ so never, never, never give up on God.  Offering ourselves to God for change is the only requirement. I guarantee when God comes, He will do a mighty work within your heart, mind and soul! Everything is made new!  It’s a promise!  It happened to me and it can happen to you!  Give everything you got to God! God’s plans are not hindered by carnal plans or secular contexts. He is as much at work on the world stage as He is among Christian leaders in the church. To doubt that is to limit His sovereignty. God is present, and He is never surprised. He is moving, shaping kingdoms, and touching lives. This should give us great confidence, for no matter where we look, God has preceded us there, and He is working.

And let us remember Purim as God has called each of us to be delivered from our enemies. We shall celebrate in thanksgiving and Praise!

Esther 9:26-28 GW - 26 So the Jews called these days Purim, based on the word Pur. Therefore, because of everything that was said in this letter—both what they had seen and what had happened to them— 27 the Jews established a tradition for themselves and their descendants and for anyone who would join them. The tradition was that a person should never fail to observe these two days every year, as they were described and at their appointed time. 28 So these days must be remembered and observed in every age, family, province, and city. These days of Purim must not be ignored among the Jews, and the importance of these days must never be forgotten by the generations to come.