Happy Tales

Dannah Gresh: Hey, True Girl. I'm so glad you are here with us today. Now, before we get started, we have something exciting to share with you! We have partnered with the Museum of the Bible to bring you the first ever national event for moms and tween daughters. We’re calling it the True Girl Pop Up Party, and it’s happening in Washington D.C. November 1 and 2. It’s a really unique getaway for moms and daughters who want to grow closer to each other while they both grow closer to Jesus!

It all begins Friday night with live True Girl-style worship at Grace Church. And guess who’s leading worship?

Staci Rudolph: Uhm, that’d be me! And guess who will be teaching truth from the Bible?

Dannah: That would be me!

Of course, we’ll be joined by our other worship leaders and lead teachers. And Saturday morning we’ll all meet up at the nearby Museum of the Bible. We'll take some time that morning opening our Bibles for a workshop about how and why it’s important to study God’s Word. 

What I'm so excited about is that, we're going to be together, getting to know each other . . . and . . . we're going to have fun!

Staci: Then, we’ll unleash you to explore the Museum of the Bible. There are seven stories of immersive Bible exhibits. And while you explore them, you get to take the True Girl Museum of the Bible scavenger hunt. 

Dannah: The day will end with good-bye hugs and photos with us.

Staci: I can’t wait! And if that sounds fun to you, go to MyTrueGirl.com to find out more.

Claire Black: Welcome to True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. Together, we’ll explore God’s truth for us one drive at a time. Buckle up! You’re about to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus!

Hey, True Girl! Imagine this: a beautiful Jewish girl is living in Persia with her cousin Mordecai. The king, Xerxes, is looking for a new queen, and out of all the girls in the kingdom, Esther is chosen! But she has to keep a secret! That story is in the book of Esther. We’ll learn more about it later.

Dannah Gresh is the author of a Bible study called Esther: Becoming a Girl of Purpose. She’ll talk about the archeological findings that support the historical accuracy of the book of Esther. Many archaeological discoveries confirm the Bible as an accurate and historical document of God’s people. When you learn about them, the Bible can come alive, and studying it is more interesting and meaningful! We want that to happen for you when you study or read the book of Esther. 

Dannah’s joined by her co-host, Staci Rudolph. They’re meeting up at Staci’s apartment so they can catch an international flight together. So, it’s time for Episode 1, called "Happy Tales."

Staci: [doorbell] Frankie! Frankie! Calm down! It’s just Dannah!

[dog barking, then a crash]

Staci: (muttering) Ah, girl! You did me wrong there.

Dannah: Hey, Staci!

Staci: Come on in, Dannah! 

Dannah: Hope you’re packed and ready to go.

Hey, Frankie! It’s nice to meet ’cha. I’ve been waiting for this moment.

Wow, Staci, she’s as big as you said. Great Dane’s are huge! And she’s so happy!

Staci: I’ll say . . . see that mess over there?

Dannah: Yep!

Staci: Happy tail strikes again!

Dannah: Happy tail?

Staci: Yeah, Great Danes are known to be so happy that they smack walls and knock things over with their tails all the time. 

Oh, well, hey! Will ya look at that!? There was money in that glass jar. I wondered where I put that $50 bill! 

Dannah: Spending money for the trip.

Staci: Here’s the thing: I’m not sure I’m going, Dannah Gresh.

Dannah: Why? 

Staci: Because I did my research on the ancient city of Susa. Dannah, that archeological dig is located in modern day Iran and come here. Look what this website says about traveling there.

“The Travel Advisory for Iran is Level 4, Do Not Travel! The Department of State recommends U.S. citizens do not travel to Iran due to the risk of . . .” Then it lists lots of bad stuff including: “the arbitrary arrest of U.S. citizens.”

I don’t want to get arrested! Dannah Gresh, what were you thinking booking us a flight to Iran?

Dannah: First of all, who said I booked us a flight to Iran? Our tickets are non-stop to Paris, France!

Staci: France? 

Dannah: Oui! Oui! Mademoiselle!

Staci: To study Susa, which is in Iran? 

I’m confused. Can you explain?

Dannah: Sure. Way back in the 1800s, French archaeologists did some serious digging in Iran and uncovered the treasures of the ancient city of Susa—the very place where the Bible reports that Esther was crowned queen. Most of the artifacts they discovered—tens of thousands of them—ended up in the Louvre.

Staci: The world famous art museum in Paris?

Dannah: That’s the one!

Staci: Where the Mona Lisa lives?

Dannah: Well, that painting is displayed there. Yes.

The treasures of Susa, called the Persian collection, are at The Louvre. The curators of the museum consider these artifacts among its most prized possessions. We often her about the famous things like the Mona Lisa, but the Persian collection contains some of the very things Esther may have gazed upon. Even so, not that many people visit it. In fact, they can be hard to find, is what I'm told. But I can’t wait to see what treasures we’ll uncover there!

Staci: So, let me get this straight, we’re not heading to Susa . . . in Iran.

Dannah:  No. People get arrested there, Staci!

Staci: Ya think? 

I also did a little research about why they get arrested. You gotta hear this podcast I listened to, Dannah. It’s from Revive Our Hearts. This is a man named Pastor Albert Aslan who was almost arrested in Iran, and he wasn’t even an American. He was Iranian. Listen to what happened to him.

Albert Aslan: One afternoon, somebody knocked on the door, and I opened the door. Outside I saw about ten ladies in black chadors—or coverings. You can see their faces, but everywhere else is black, covered.

They said they were coming from the university; they are finishing their studies at the university, and they're working on their final thesis for getting their degrees. They told me the subject they were studying was the two different environments, cultures of Christianity and Islam.

They wanted to talk to me to get the another perspective of this conversation. I was so happy. I took that advantage, and I invited them into chapel. They sat down in chapel, but I was not aware of the fact that one of them was recording everything.

Staci: Dannah I gotta pause it there! Do you understand what that means? These women were actually spies. They wanted evidence that he was breaking religious laws. For example, it’s illegal to have a Bible in Iran.

Dannah: Oh, wow!

Staci: Listen to what happened next! The women started asking him about Iran’s official religion: Islam. Okay, so a few facts about Islam: Mohammed is their prophet. And instead of the Bible, they follow a book called the Quran.

Albert: So they started asking about Mohammed, about Quran, about the gospel, about Christianity. That was a perfect environment for me to preach and teach about Christ and glorify Christ. And I did.

I mentioned to them I could also offer them the Bible in Farsi if they were willing. 

Staci: That right there—offering a Bible in Farsi, the language people of Iran speak, was illegal!

Albert: At one point, they emphasized the point, "What's your perspective on prophets like Mohammed?" That's a crucial question. You can answer that in a very rude way, but I believe the Lord guided me to answer it from a positive perspective.

I said, "In the Bible, Jesus told us He's the Way, the Truth and the Life. We do believe in the Bible as the Word of God. There are two options: either He was a liar or He told the truth."

I told them, "I believe Muslim people don't believe Jesus was a liar."

And they said, "No-o-o, the Prophet Jesus was not a liar."

And I said, "In the Bible, He said, He's the Truth, the Life and the Way. There is no way to the Father except through Him, by Him. Either He was a liar or He told the truth. If He was a liar, forget about Christianity. Why would you study Christianity? If He was not a liar, and He told the truth, we are left with one option. We cannot accept anybody's claim for our salvation except Jesus."

So I wrapped it up with, "Jesus and only Jesus." I didn't mention Mohammed. I didn't mention the Quran.

Staci: God helped Pastor Aslan be very wise with his words when those spies were recording him. He didn’t say anything bad about the religion of Islam, but he tried to use things their prophet said about Jesus to help them believe Jesus is the Savior. Even so, Pastor Aslan’s problems weren’t over. Afterall, he’d offered them a Bible!

Albert: The government sent three people to that congregation during one of the worship services to create a chaos, to scare people. They go, and the pastor was talking about Jesus dying on the cross at Calvary.

When I put myself in his shoes as a pastor, you are watching, and three strangers are coming into your congregation. The red flag is up, because you know who they are, where they are coming from.

But the pastor was blessed enough. He didn't change his words; he didn't stop. He kept saying his sermon, which was, "Christ, and Him crucified." The time came, one of those three guys told the other two, "It's time. Let's start!"

One of them said, "No, let's leave."

The other guy kept insisting, "No, no, no. Now it's time. Everybody's here. Let's start the chaos! Tomorrow they're not going to come back here; they're going to be scared to death!"

And the other one said, "No, no, no, no. Do not do anything. Let's leave; let's leave." And they left.

The guy who prevented them from causing the chaos was a guy whom God saved that night, through that preaching, and he turned to be a believer!

Staci: Dannah, you get it? Isn’t that amazing. It’s like a story from the Bible! I mean, those guys were spies sent to disrupt a worship service and intimidate people. And one of them gets saved, Dannah!

Dannah: Hallelujah! That does sound like a story from the Bible.

Staci: I’ll say! Pastor Aslan bravely kept sharing the love of Jesus, but one day, he did end up being taken into the prison to be interviewed. That was very scary. They wanted him to confess to breaking the law of sharing the gospel of Jesus. They made him sit at a table with a pen and wanted him to confess his crime and promise to never to do it again.

Albert: I just prayed, because it was a dilemma: "Lord, I don't want to deny You. You have commanded us to teach and preach." I prayed and I prayed. And I took the pen, and this is what I told the Lord . . .

"Lord, I do not have the wisdom to give the right answer, but I do not want to deny You." Then I started writing.

Staci: He wrote his name, address, and his birthdate. But then what he wrote didn't make sense to him. 

Albert: I wrote, "I testify that the way I have not yet broken the law of the land, and future too. I will not break the law of the land," and I signed it.

Staci: Pastor Aslan was really surprised at what happened when he gave that paper to the man who was interviewing him and intimidating him. He thought the man would say, “This makes no sense!” Or “You’re going to jail!” But instead:

Albert: He said, "Wow! This is exactly what we wanted you to do! Thank you."

Staci: They let Pastor Aslan go! Free! But it was a real wake up call to him. He came to understand that the law of Sharia, not the government laws, are very important in the Islam religion. The laws tell the people how to live. When he learned that, he started to understand something: the words the Lord had directed him to write somehow satisfied his interrogator.

Albert: It took me a long, long time to realize the real meaning of the sentence I put on the paper. And I testify today, it wasn't me. Because I didn't know there was a difference between the law of the land and the law of Sharia. Only the law of Sharia says we cannot preach and evangelize, not the law of the land—at that time.

This is a real business! When I am involved in the preaching of the gospel in an Islamic environment, I should accept that they are not happy. The enemy is not happy because, all that light which is shining forth, the enemy is losing their soldiers. They are coming to the light.

Staci: The soldiers fighting against the growth of Christianity in Iran they are coming to the light. They are giving their hearts and lives to Jesus. Now that is a happy tale! Get it happy t-a-l-e! Like a happy story not a dog tail!

Dannah: I get it! Staci, I get it!

Staci: But Dannah, it’s a good thing we’re not flying to Iran today. If you’re a Christian in Iran, it’s very dangerous. Very dangerous!

Dannah: Precisely! 

In fact, Staci, before we even get on that plane to France, we’ve learned something important about the life of Esther.

Staci: What’s that?

Dannah: Well, as you know the Book of Esther begins with King Xerxes of Persia throwing an extravagant banquet for his friends. During the feast, he orders his queen, Vashti, to appear before the guests to show off her beauty, but she refuses. 

Staci: She gave him a hard pass?

Dannah: Completely!

Staci: Uh oh!

Dannah: Exactly! The king was so mad that he sent Vashti away and started looking for a new queen. Beautiful young women from across the empire were brought to the palace, including Esther, a Jewish girl raised by her cousin Mordecai. They were all given beauty treatments and prepared to meet the king.

Now, everyone liked Esther. Her name in Persian means star. And what a star she was! But, she had a secret. You have a Bible around here?

Staci: Of course! Right beside you there on the table.

Dannah: Great!

Let me read Esther chapter 2 verse 10. Let’s see: “Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had directed her not to do so.” 

Esther didn’t tell anyone she was Jewish, that she was part of God’s special family of people. Can you guess why that might be?

Staci: I’m pretty sure this has something to do with the story about Pastor Aslan.

Dannah: You’re getting hot, as they say!

Staci: So, is it possible that just like Pastor Aslan had to be careful about who he told that he was a Christian, that Esther had to be careful about who found out that she was a Jew?

Dannah: Exactly! The climate thenin ancient Persia, which is now Iran, wasn’t very different than it is today! Of course, there were different religions fighting against the one true God, but the same kind of persecution. Followers of the one true God weren’t safe.

Staci: Wow!

Dannah: But God protected Pastor Aslan and when you read the book of Esther, you see some amazing miracles unfold for Esther, too! 

Staci: It’s also a happy tale!

Dannah: It is!

So, Staci. I want you to come to France with me. I have a desire to really understand, truly find Esther! To get beyond the story and bolster our confidence in the trustworthiness of it as a historical document.

Staci: You seem to be thinking hard!

Dannah: I am, I read something recently that said Esther was a fictional story. I don’t believe that.

Staci: Me either! Give me that Bible!

I am gonna find 2 Timothy 3:16. Let me read it.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 

The words written in the book of Esther were inspired by God. That means they can be trusted and that they are true. They are useful to us. Every word in our Bibles is good to correct us and teach us.

Dannah: Including Esther! Let’s go find her!

Staci: Let’s do it! Ok, can you walk Frankie? I’m gonna grab my suitcase and fill it up and call the dog sitter. 

Dannah: Sure, come on Frankie!

Staci: There’s that happy tail again!

Claire: Well, True Girl, that was a neat story about Pastor Aslan! I want you to know that Pastor Aslan is a real pastor who risked his life to tell people about Jesus in modern-day Iran. That conversation was originally recorded for the Revive Our Hearts podcast.

Christianity is growing quickly in Iran right now. And we need to pray for the safety of our Christian brothers and sisters. New Christians there are enthusiastic about telling their friends and loved ones how their lives were changed, but because of how dangerous it is they have to be quiet and careful. They meet in small house churches. These house churches are usually made up of no more than ten to fifteen believers. On a certain day, they arrive, one by one, at a small apartment or some other unnoticeable location. After the last one enters, the door is closed and locked, and they all take a deep breath and relax, as they begin to worship and share about Jesus. 

Will you take a moment to pray for them after this podcast ends? That God would help them courageously live out their purpose to share the gospel in a country where it’s not welcomed?

In the Bible study Esther: Becoming a Girl of Purpose, Dannah will help you discover more about your purpose by examining how Esther lived out hers! You can get the book to study the life of Esther more deeply. Just visit mytruegirl.com and click on the Bible studies menu to find out more. In fact, Dannah is going to be leading girls through that study LIVE online starting in October. You can register to join her, also at mytruegirl.com.

Well, come back next week, as we continue "Finding Esther." Dannah and Staci are going to tackle a very difficult question. If there’s no archeological evidence that Persia had a queen named Esther, is it possible she never existed? What do you think? Come back to find out!

In the meantime, can I encourage you to read the whole book of Esther as we go through this season? Dannah and Staci aren’t going to tell the story in detail. This season they’re going to focus more on helping you gain confidence in the Scriptures. Reading Esther will help you understand the things Dannah and Staci reference. You could start today with Esther chapter 1. Until next time, True Girl!

The True Girl podcast is produced by Revive Our Hearts. Calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ!

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