" The GOD of Mordecai, The GOD of Esther and the god of Haman " From the Book of Esther (Please read the book of Esther )

      Have you ever come across someone that just despises the very air you breath and the ground you walk on ?  Well we are going to look at 3 people, 2 are Godly and one, not so much ! We are going to be looking at some Scriptures in the book of Esther to see the shortened version of how these 3 people crossed paths and what were their individual outcomes.

          First we'll look at Mordecai who was a relative of Esther's who took her in when her parents both died Esther 2:7. She was no plain Jane as we would say, she was beautiful, inside and outside. Now there came a day when the current Queen Vashti upset the King by not coming to one of his feasts and made one for herself and other women Esther 1:9 -12. This was told to the King and he was also reminded that the refusal of the Queen to attend the Kings function would become known to all and he would be humiliated in the kingdom. Also other  noble women would decide not to listen to their husbands and this will incite discord in the realm. So a decree went out that Vashti would no longer be the Queen and they were to search for another to take her place Esther 1:17 - 22

          To fast forward beautiful Esther was brought to the King to see if she was the one and she pleased him and he made her his Queen.  Now Esther was a Jew and so was Mordecai, but her heritage was kept a secret and it was not told to the King. Esther 2:9 - 10  Now comes in Haman, not a very nice man at all but the King must have liked him because in Esther 3:1 the King promoted Haman and all the Kings servants bowed down and paid homage to Haman, all except Mordecai. This would go against GOD's law no bowing down or giving homage to anyone other than the ONE TRUE GOD. Days went by and they kept insisting that he bow before Haman, but Mordecai would not. Esther 3: 1 - 6.

          Now Haman was afraid to lay hands on Mordecai so he hatched an evil plot to destroy him, through the complete destruction of a people, the Jews. So he brought the decree to the King and the King signed the decree. Remember he did not know that his own new and beautiful Esther was one of the Jews and neither did Haman. Now when the decree went out into all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews with fasting and Mordecai, along with many of the Jew, tore their cloths and put on sackcloth and ashes. Esther 3:7 - 4:3.

          To fast forward, Haman had a huge gallows built to hang Mordecai on and it was visible from the palace and Haman's home.  He thought that he had finally got the upper hand over this Mordecai that would not pay him the respect that he thought he deserved.  Just think of it, a single persons hatred for another person,Haman was willing to have an entire nation destroyed because of his hatred for Mordecai.  Now there was a law that forbid the Queen to come into the King unless he calls for her.

Well Mordecai told Esther that she had to go in and plead for her people, and she said that the King had not called her and if she went in and he did not put out his scepter for her to enter, she would be killed.

Now I will tell you that I am leaving a lot out and it would be good if you would read the entire book to fill in some of the blanks.

          Esther Chapter 4 was the discussion of Mordecai with Esther and vss. 12 thru 17 are quite useful for us today in our attitude to our Christian walk. The verses are as follows:

     Then Mordecai told them to answer Esther. " Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the King's palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this ? " Then Esther told them to return this answer to Mordecai: Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the King, which is against the law, and if I perish, I perish !" Then Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.

          Now there was a little known thing that Mordecai had done that was only known by the King's historian. Mordecai had heard of a plot to kill the King at the beginning of the book of Esther. The plot was foiled but Mordecai had not taken any credit nor was he ever rewarded for this heroic act. Just keep that in the back of your mind, because wicked Haman was about to get his. As I said, you really need to read the entire story to fill in the rest of the important info that I am skipping over, and I don't like to do that, but I am trying to make a specific point. Many things transpired and Queen Esther was given the scepter to allow her entry into the King and she had 2 private parties with the King, wicked Haman and herself. During the 2nd feast with the King and Haman, Esther  broke down in Chapter 7:1 - 10 and told the King that her people and herself were being destroyed by the wicked plot of Haman and Haman was taken out and hanged on the gallows that was meant for Mordecai, and Mordecai was given Haman's house because of his relationship to the Queen. BUT there was still a problem, once the King put his signet on any decree it could not be undone, so they came up with another decree that basically said that " In every city where the Jews lived that they were allowed to band together and defend their lives against anyone who would try to kill them Esther 8:11 - 17 and because of this decree many gentiles were converted as proselytes to the Jews so that they would not kill them.

          As I said, I hate to skip or run through GOD's WORD and not write it all down, but my point in this post is to show the difference between Haman's god and the GOD of Mordecai and Esther.  Haman's god was himself, he wanted all the praise and honor for himself and because of this he put an entire nation of the Jews in jeopardy and he lost his life and eternity for him was sealed in the flames of hell.

          But the GOD of Mordecai and Esther was watching out for the Jews and would not allow them to be annihilated. Esther, in her selflessness, came into the King when she had not been called for, at great risk to her life. And as she said, " If I perish, I perish !"  This is the same kind of selfless love our LORD and SAVIOR has for us. When GOD the FATHER sent GOD the SON, JESUS CHRIST down to earth, to eventually die on a Roman cross for the sin of all mankind, even for wicked Haman's and for your sin and mine, HIS love was complete. It covered all sin from the sin of Adam to the last person who will be born at the end of time, whomever that may be.  But as a sinner you need to take responsibility that you as a sinner have no way of saving yourself and need the SAVIOR's forgiveness.  As the Jews above, could do nothing to save themselves from wicked Haman's murderous plot against them, we have no way of saving ourselves from the debt that we owe for our sin. JESUS came and died on the cross, was buried and rose from the dead on the 3rd day, to pay our sin debt. If you believe that you are a sinner and need the SAVIOR's forgiveness, bow your head in prayer, and believe that JESUS came and died for your sin. Ask JESUS to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart and life and save you.  HE WILL, HE will never turn a seeking heart away !!!
Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

" What GOOD Could Happen in Just TWO Days ? "

     Genesis 1: 20 thru 31        

Then GOD said, "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens."

So GOD created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind and every winged bird according to its kind. And GOD saw it was good.

And GOD blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."

So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Then GOD said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind; cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind"; and it was so.

And GOD made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And GOD saw that it was good.

Then GOD said, " Let US make man in OUR image, according to OUR likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

So GOD created man in HIS own image, in the image of GOD, HE created him, male and female, HE created them. 

Then GOD blessed them, and GOD said to them, " Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

And GOD said, " See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be fore food.

Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food, " and it was so.

Then GOD saw everything that HE had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning of the sixth day.  

     Much good was created in just 2 days, actually it was very good according to GOD's WORD, and since HE is the Creator of all things, HE should know. 

     So the next time you go out for a drive, really look at the beauty of whatever season and area of the country you live in and give THANKS to our WONDERFUL CREATOR for giving us such a wide variety of color in flowers, plants, animals and yes, mankind too.   This is just a short study for my many animal lovers !!!
Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

 

" Is Your FAITH in the GOSPEL Vain ? "

          HI All !!!  I have been conversing about our LORD with many people in this country and around the world over the past few months and many of them are quite uplifting and allow me to hope that there are still a few Truly Born Again Christians out there.  But I have also heard from many who are extremely religious but still extremely lost, their sins unforgiven because of the false way they are either being taught by unscrupulous teachers or they are part of unscriptural but widely known denominations that corrupt the truth of GOD's WORD with their own agendas.

  Why are there so many "wrong" interpretations of the WORD of GOD ?  Because those who are either teachers, ministers, pastors, priests etc. are not saved themselves and since they are not saved they do not have the indwelling of the HOLY SPIRIT, WHO HIMSELF speaks to the believers spirit to give peace when the truth of GOD's WORD is spoken. See what the LORD HIMSELF says in John 10:26 thru 28  -  "But you do not believe because you are not of MY sheep, as I said to you. MY sheep hear MY voice, and I know them, and they follow ME, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of MY hand.  Also in 2nd Peter 1:20 thru 2:3 the WORD of GOD tells us about the one TRUTH of Scripture and warns us of those who use it in a false and corrupt way. - Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of GOD spoke as they were moved by the HOLY SPIRIT.  BUT there were also false prophets among the people even as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the LORD WHO bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction, and many will follow their destructive ways because of whom THE WAY of TRUTH will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.  Even in the book of Corinthians when it talks about the gifts that GOD gives, there is a warning NOT to pray or rejoice over the gift of teaching because this gift holds a higher standard and the teacher will be judged for not giving out the TRUTH of GOD's WORD.

          Now the Gospel is not rocket science but it is a free gift that GOD HIMSELF gave to all mankind. Like the person who has a birthday party and people bring gifts, IF he does not open the gifts and accept them from the giver, the gifts will do him no good just sitting on the table.  So to is the Gospel of Salvation through our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.  Simply put, YOU ARE A SINNER SEPARATED FROM A HOLY GOD BY YOUR SIN so am I but the difference between us is that I know that I am a sinner and I have accepted the fact that as a sinner I have no chance and no right to fellowship with an ALL HOLY GOD nor have any right to go to heaven and live eternally with HIM.  Also I have accepted GOD's gift of Salvation through HIS SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST. This gift of the Gospel is concisely given in the book of 1st. Corinthians 15:1 thru 11  -  Moreover brethren I declare to you the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that WORD which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received that CHRIST died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that HE was buried, and that HE rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures, and that HE was seen by Cephas(Peter), then by the twelve. After that HE was seen by over 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep (died) . After that HE was seen by James, then by all the Apostles. Then last of all HE was seen by me (Paul) also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the Apostles, who am not worthy to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the church of GOD (the Christians). But by the grace of GOD I am what I am and HIS grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of GOD which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

          Now the Apostle Paul said twice in the above section of Scripture about " vain, or vain faith ". He was quite concerned that after his departure there would be those who would come in among the brethren, wolves in sheep clothing, false teachers with a false gospel, deceitful workers that will come in with a corrupted gospel because Satan himself can transform himself into an angel of light in 2nd Corinthians 11:1 thru 15.  Paul knew that the WORD of GOD had to and must be taught correctly through the SPIRIT of GOD.  False teachers, false ministers, false preachers, false priests  CANNOT accurately, without error give out the TRUTH in and of GOD's WORD. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE !!!!  My husband and I have been so very careful in picking out and committing ourselves, our time, our offerings and our GOD given gifts to a new church where we moved to in Florida. Picking a Godly, WORD believing, WORD preaching, WORD teaching correctly / rightly dividing the WORD of TRUTH fellowship of Believers is more important than a new Dr., Bank, Dentist, Job or anything else that I could come up with to list.

          Now " faith " is talked about in many different places in Scripture but one of the most important is in the book of Romans 10:17  -  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the WORD of GOD. So Godly faith comes only through the WORD of GOD and if the WORD of GOD is being corrupted by bad Bible translations ( of which there are many ), by ungodly (not SPIRIT filled) preachers, teachers, ministers or priests then there will be many who are being deceived by this false parade of error.  Now the second most important verse on " faith " is in Hebrew 11:6  -  But without faith it is impossible to please HIM, for he who comes to GOD must believe that HE is, and that HE is a rewarder of those who diligently seek HIM.   How and what are some of the signs of false denominations, false teachers, false Bible translations, false Gospels :

          1.)  Anyone who claims that JESUS CHRIST is not GOD.

          2.)  Anyone who prays through anyone other than the ONE MEDIATOR between GOD and man, 

                the MAN CHRIST JESUS.

          3.)  Anyone that says that when a person dies they just go into the grave, because GOD said

                that absent from the body is present with the LORD.

          4.)  Anyone who claims there are secret codes or secrets in Scripture that only certain believers

                are privy to. These will just turn out to be secret heresies.

          5.)  Anyone who brings to you a false Gospel, of which there are many false gospels.

          6.)  Anyone who tells you that there is no hell or that there is a purgatory where you can go 

                and pay for some of your sins, then go to heaven. NOT TRUE, nor Scriptural.

          7.)  Anyone who tells you that you must be Baptized to be Born Again / Saved or to go to heaven.

          8.)  Anyone who adds anything to the LORD JESUS CHRIST's death on the cross as payment

                for your sin. Any acts of works added to the Gospel for Salvation.

          9.)  Any church or assembly of persons claiming to be Christians that do not believe that the 

                blood of CHRIST is necessary for Salvation ( check their Hymnals to see if songs about 

                the blood have been taken out ).

        10.)  Anything that feels like idolatry, voodoo, incantations, spiritists, astrology, stay away !!!

The above list is just 10 of the most noticeable of the false doctrines and teachings that can be found in many of our noted denominations in this country and around the world. I do this post as a warning to those who may have stumbled headlong into Satan's den of lies which are false churches / assemblies and may not yet know that they are in GREAT DANGER.  1st.Peter 5:8 & 9a  -  Be sober, be vigilante; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith !!!
Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie