welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread reading titled uncommon era was written by Tim Gustafson
 despite living much of his life as a pagan the Roman emperor Constantine implemented reforms that stopped the systematic persecution of Christians he also instituted the calendar we use dividing all of history into BC before Christ and AD anno domini or in the year of Our Lord a move to secularized this system has changed the label to Cee, naira and BCE before the Common Era some people point to this as yet another example of how the world keep the got out but God hasn't gone anywhere regardless of the name our calendar still centers itself around the reality of Jesus's life on Earth
 in the Bible the Book of Esther is unusual in that it contains no specific mention of God yet the story it tells is one of God's Deliverance banished from their Homeland the Jewish people lived in a country in different two in a powerful government official wanted to kill them all yet through Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai God delivered his people story still celebrated to this day in the Jewish holiday of Purim regardless of how the world chooses to respond to him now Jesus changed everything he introduced us to an uncommon era one full of genuine hope and promise all we need to do is look around us
 we'll see him
 today's our daily bread devotional scripture reading is from Esther chapter 9 verses 20 through 23 and 29 through 32
 Mordecai recorded these events and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes near and far to have them celebrate annually the 14th and 15th days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of Celebration he wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and give to the poor so the Jews agree to continue the celebration they had begun doing with Mordecai had written to them and now picking up at verse 29 so Queen Esther daughter of Abigail along with Mordecai the Jew wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim and Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes Kingdom
 words of Goodwill and Assurance to establish these days of Purim at their designated times as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had to Creed for them and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation master's degree confirmed these regulations about Purim and it was written down in the records
let's pray father thank you for the history changing reality of your son Jesus and how because of him we have the hope and promise of Eternity with you help us to share that great news and gospel to those around us and trust you to lead them thank you Lord It's in Jesus name we pray amen
 thanks for listening today I'm Steven and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries