Esther Chapter 2

These are the notes from the second study from the Book of Esther. Esther chapter 2

2:1 ; *It’s been three years since the war party. King Ahasuerus failed to conquer Greece, and returns to Shushan in humiliation. Adding to his shame, he remembers the stupid law. Vashti still belongs to the King but wherever she’s being kept, her quarters would be more of a prison than a home. She can’t be thrown out for she’s the former Queen, and she can’t be tossed into the harem for the same reason. Xerxes problem, he doesn’t have a Queen beside him while he attempts to reorganize his kingdom and its defeated army. His kingdom is a shambles.

The most amazing thing? God sees all and knows all. There is nothing in the hearts of all mankind that God doesn’t know about. God even sees what is coming. Almighty God is without equal!

The king has concubines galore, but the throne needs a woman of beauty with a sound reputation, whom the court approves joined to the king with a proper setting. An already owned sex-slave cannot fill that position. Just like in chapter 1—two wrongs don’t make a right.

In ch 1, it was the wise men who instructed the king to write the law dethroning Vashti. Ch 2:2, it’s not even the wise men but his servants suggest gathering virgins for the king to choose a queen from.

So the order goes out to herd young women to the palace, like cattle. Conscripted by order, yanked from their homes and parents arms, many never to be seen by family again. They were essentially kidnapped for the king’s pleasure.

Can you imagine the crying? The terror? The sorrow that they will never be loved wives, or mothers? No homes, nor husbands or children to take care of? Only one can be Queen, the rest will be sex-slaves for the rest of their lives.

2:2-4. It’s not his wise men but his servants that advise him now. And this thing pleased the king. The thing being kidnapping beautiful girls. What do you think? (In a moral society, this would, should be, be sickening.)

2:5,6,7. God inserts Himself in between Xerxes idea & his implementing it. By inserting Mordecai into the palace, God has changed the outcome already.

2:5-6. God shows up! God is so amazing. Although never mentioned, Holy God appears regularly in the movement of different events and different lives. Something horrible is about to happen but Almighty God inserts His presence into the story.

It’s like Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. God knew they would need powerful encouragement, as the persecution became very heavy in that city. God sent them a wonderful love letter through Paul’s hand. Thessalonians 2:7-12. You need God—God shows up!

Mordecai lives in the Capital city, and more importantly, he has retained his heritage. This is more proof of God appearance in this book---the choice of Mordecai as a devout Jew, strong in his faith and the pride of his heritage.

What can Christians express pride in? (Psalm 34:2, 44:8, 2 Corinthians 9:2, Galatians 6:14)

God told the Jews to always remember their families names and heritage. It seems Mordecai was born while his family was captives, as it was his great great grandfather who was carried away from Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar captured the city. (2 Kings 24:14) Kish must have been a mighty man in Jerusalem, because the best were taken during the first captivity. Kish was taken the same time as Daniel, but he wasn’t placed with Daniel with the eunuchs, as he certainly had children.(1st captivity Jeremiah 29:5-7) (Forbidden Marriage Due 7:1-3, Joshua 23:11-12, Ezra 9:1,2)

It seems Kish and his decedents kept their Jewish linage clean from inter marriage.

For some reason Mortdecai did not return to Jerusalem when Ezra and Nehemiah returned to rebuild. He and his family still reside in the capital Persian city of Shushan.

Esther has the same clean Jewish Lineage as Mordecai. And she is hauled off to the palace with the rest of the young girls. Her prospects of a Jewish family line ends. 

There is another young girl we know in the Bible whose family heritage was kept pure for an awesome reason. Who is that young girl? Mary. (Matthew 1:1-17)2

2:9 Esther’s character was different than any of the other girls in the harem. And her difference was noticed by the major guard of the woman, Hegai. He knew there was something different about her and he treated her with a greater respect than he did all the other women there.

2:8,9. Esther exposed the darkness of the king’s harem by her difference. Her personal holiness in a dark place made her godly character standout among the crowd, thus creating a different atmosphere around her. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

2:10, Esther is an ambassador of her people and of God. Daniel’s account was a historical fact in the Jew’s history of their captivity. There could not have been many that didn’t know how Daniel stood up for his Jewish heritage. But unlike Daniel, Esther kept her Hebrew blood a secret but she retained her learned character.

We may never have an opportunity to speak of our Christian heritage, but our character needs to be the higher standard. It doesn’t matter where we are, who we’re with, we have the mind of Christ, we have the power of God, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit. There needs to be something extraordinary about our holy conduct that even the ungodly will have to take notice.

What is holiness? What are some holy actions? Things Christians do or don’t do publically that sets them apart from the world?

Esther was different from the other women, and her difference gave her an edge in becoming Queen. Hegai was on the look-out for Queen qualities, it was part of his job. And by her more beautiful, composed, lady-like behavior, she expose the hidden things of darkness. She shined brighter in a room full of lesser characters.

Esther was beautiful but she went through the beauty treatments to make her gorgeous. Her beauty treatments went on for a year.

God says women are to shine with an inner beauty, which will shine through any mars of our outward frailties. We’re familiar with the woman of 1 Peter 3, and the Proverbs 31, woman)

We’re the Bride of Christ. We need an extraordinary interest in making ourselves beautiful in Christ.

We have a simpler beauty treatment with less stress. We’re already the Bride of the King. You want to be made beautiful? To have the inner beauty of the heart?

The Bible is your beauty treatment. Get into God’s word to be cleansed from the world. John 17: 17, Ephesians 5:22-27, Titus 3:5, Proverbs 31:17,18 & 30,

We have the Shulamite as our example also, of the love of God shining our beauty that no one else can comprehend. Loving God will draw out the beauty that only He can see in a woman.

You want to have a successful beauty treatment? Get into the word of God. Pray, read, fellowship, worship. Determine to make the effort to love the Lord with all your heart, your strength, your mind. You will be beautiful and others will see it. They may not understand it, but they will certainly see it.

2:21-23. When the trouble came, Mordecai and Esther were able to do the right thing, the right way, to have the right decision made to stop the wrong. This was just a foretaste of their work to come. And now God has Mordecai moved into the palace business district. He’s one of the movers’ and shakers in the palace politics. He’s gaining a reputation as a man of integrity. His peers trust his wisdom. They may hate him but they know he’s an honest man.

Christians need knowledge of the world. God says be as wise as serpents and gentle as doves. God says the serpent is crafty. Know the ins and outs of ruthlessness business, yet conduct business with different deliverance & purpose.

Esther and Mordecai from different positions, exposed the hidden darkness.(Ephesians 5:8-13.)

Lesson Points:

1. God knows the innermost secret hearts of all people.

2. Boast of your salvation in Christ

3. As the Bride of Christ, take an extraordinary interest in making yourself beautiful for Christ Jesus.

4. The Bible is your beauty treatment. Let God’s word cleanse you from the world.

*Historical information from Bible Knowledge Commentary & Commentary, study notes of J. Vernon McGee

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Plagued Unto Death

"The Fool has said in his heart 'There is no God'."

Psalm 14:1.

Some will never accept God sovereignty, even after He proves Himself as the Almighty God.

Pharaoh was the fool, as he repeatedly rebelled against the truth of God's existence and power.

(God said) "but if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs" Exodus 8:2

And God brought the frogs, which although they upset Pharaoh, his heart was hard, and he didn't change. He asked that God remove the reptiles, and after the frogs were gone, he recanted his word to let the children of Israel go. he didn't believe God could be that powerful, nor that jealous.

What's a few frogs anyway? And if Moses' God was so great how did it happen Pharaoh's magicians brought forth frogs in a like manner?

But magic is an illusion, and deception. If the land was filled with frogs by God's hand, then showing the conjuring appearance of some frogs must have been a simple trick.

On the other hand, the next plague was lice from the dust. And that miracle Pharaoh's magicians couldn't duplicate. For the lice was on the people and the animals. If they themselves were covered with lice, then how can they conjure up the effect and deceive the audience? There comes a time when charlatans will be exposed.

Pharaoh had a front row seat, yet he still fought against Almighty God. For this proud man, he scorned the might of Israel's God. The plagues were upsetting and bothersome but they weren't threatening his throne. Pharaoh was still king of Egypt.

And so the plagues go on for months. For a time, God brings them on both Egypt and the children of Israel. Then, to show His people that He is fighting on their behalf, God makes a distinction between the two nations. Instead of fearing the plagues, a great hope begins growing the hearts of the children of Israel.

Then God says to Pharaoh, regarding the final plague, "But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel" Ex 11:7

Death is a serious action that God never intended for anyone. But 100% of 100% people die. It's a fact.

Pharaoh thought Almighty God was the same as his gods, but he was wrong. The gods of Egypt were of Egypt's making. The God of Israel is Eternal God. He is the I AM, forever and ever, without beginning and without end.

The last sign that God gave Pharaoh was the plague of the death of the firstborn of Egypt.

"And the LORD said to Moses, 'I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether" Ex 11:1.

"And it shall be, when your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this service?' that you shall say, 'It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.' So the people bowed and worshiped." Ex 12:26,27.

This is the night where the children of Israel are set free from slavery and the stubbornness of sin in Pharaoh destroys his nation.

The children of Israel bowed and worshiped GOD when He announced what was happening. That is so wonderful an example of our attitude of worship.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and instruction"

Proverbs 1:7.

"Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly. He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path" Proverbs 2:5-9.

Pharaoh was the fool who refused to learn to know the Almighty, Living GOD. later, after changing his mind again, Pharaoh pursues the children of Israel to the Red Sea, where he dies. he and his army drown in the Red Sea when God lets the water back to normal. So in his rebellion, even in the face of God's proof, Pharaoh was plagued to death by his own pride.

The children of Israel, on the other hand, came to the knowledge that their GOD is Almighty, Awesome God, and they fell down in worship.

Unlike Pharaoh, who scorned the truth with every proof he saw, there comes a day when Christians should see God as Almighty GOD. It give us freedom to worship in a higher level.

Worship is our best response once we come face to face

with the awesome knowledge of Holy God. 

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The Finger of God

In John 8, the Pharisees and scribes, the strict keepers of the law, drag before Jesus, a woman caught in adultery. It was an all-around set-up in yet another attempt to discredit Him.

Woman Taken in Adultery by Pieter Bruegel The Elder

In their minds, Jesus can only take one of two actions;

A: agree to stone her for her crime, which the law given to Moses commands.

or

B: let her go, which would go against the law, making Jesus a lawbreaker.

Either way He chose would make Jesus less than perfect and take away His public fan-club. Either action would discredit Him and the Pharisees and scribes would be less convicted by His relationship with God.

"This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and... wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking, He raised Himself up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first. And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground" John 8:6,7,8.

As usual, Jesus doesn't fall into their trap. Jesus does C. And whatever He wrote on the ground was so convicting, that the accusing men leave silently, again stumped by Jesus' perfect action.

"When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, he said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." 8:10,11.

And although Jesus gently chastised her with his words, looking into Jesus' face maybe hurt her more than anything He could have done. I wonder if His written words also convicted her of her sin, as well as His reprimand.

There's been much said about what Jesus wrote on the ground. Since the words were not given, we can make only guesses and still be wrong.

This is only my opinion. I will not attempt to write for God.

I like to think Jesus wrote the Ten Commandments in the sand.

Wouldn't that be awesome!? Watching God write the Law! Wouldn't that be Absolutely Convicting!!

"And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God" Exodus 31:18.

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Leaders In Faith, Leaders Of Faith

"Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" James 5:14,15.

It is the example of faith in the leaders of the church that helps in the healing faith of the sick. The oil may be medicine from the Doctor, or it may be the action of using the symbol of the Holy Spirit (the oil) that helps the sick recover.

But whatever way God choses to interact in response to the elder's prayer, it is the action of believing faith exhibited in our elders that comes to the forefront. It is all faith in the Lord that is the power.

The showing of faith is like the faith of the four men who brought the paralytic to Jesus by lowering him through the roof. It was their faith that brought God's blessed healing on the sick man. (Mark 2: 1-5)

In seeing the godly faith of others brings conviction of sins and repentance and finally forgiveness. The sick are healed physically and maybe healed spiritually also, if need be.

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Moses In The Cleft Of The Rock

We sing "Rock of Ages, Cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee" That song carries in it a tremendous amount of Spiritual truth and Scriptural truth.

In Exodus 33, Moses asks God for a marvelous gift when he asked to see God. Not Jesus incarnate, whom talked to Moses face to face at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, but God the Father.

"And he, (Moses). said, 'Please show me Your glory." Ex 33:18.

God seems quite pleased with Moses request, immediately answering: "Then He, (God) said, 'I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you." Ex 33:19a

But, God gives a concession in one thing: "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion'" Ex 33:19b.

No one has seen God the Father at any time (John 14:9), and He lives in unapproachable light, (1 Tim 6:16).

The Bible also declares that the pure holiness of God will destroy anything impure and unholy by nearness to Him. Because Adam's sin corrupted every thing God created, means every created thing will be destroyed by God's perfection, no matter what, (2 Thess 2:8, Heb 12: 18-21), (Ex 19), unless God consents to spare it. Which means He is being VERY gracious to the world.

So God has to give this extra declaration that He will choose not to destroy Moses. Yet He said He would show only His back; "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live" Ex 33:20.

But Moses still wants the joy of seeing God, and with absolute child-like trust in God's grace, Moses goes to the place on the mountain where God shows him to wait.

Moses did not go to a cleft to wait. There is no break in the mountain for him to squeeze into. God opened the side of the mountain, placing Moses into it, and closing up the mountain. Moreover, God gave the protection of His hand over the place where He enclosed Moses. Then God, the Father, allowed Moses to see His Almighty Light after passing. God's glory, (the Hebrew word Kabod), His Might.

"So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you into the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen" Ex 33:22,23.

Moses couldn't place himself in the rock to save himself from God's perfection, and he couldn't get out once God had placed him in the rock. It was all God's doing. And He did it just because Moses asked.

God has done a similar thing for those who believe in Him and have asked for forgiveness of sin. We can't stand in the perfect Light of Almighty God, (Rev 19:11-15), unless God has chosen to do something to save us.

Which He did, for the same reason He told Moses. "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion" Ex 33:19. Jesus took our sin and died for it, (2 Cor 5:21), so God the Father can give us Jesus' righteousness.

"For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved" Romans 10:13. (Joel 2:32)

We can't get ourselves into Christ without the Father's grace, (John 14:6, John 17), and after we're in, we can't get out because He holds us there by His grace,(John 10:28-30).

wow

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Complete Swap & Trade--It's A Great Deal!!!

I have a 1 billion dollar, fully furnished home, on 1000 acres of private landscaped land. I offer to completely swap it for your house. Plus it's tax free and I pay for all maintenance for the rest of your life. Also, before you leave your house, you may smash all the windows, break everything inside, destroy the grounds, tear huge holes in every wall, floor and ceiling. You have the privilege of running up a huge mortgage, and homeowner's debt.

And I swap my beautiful home... completely to you for yours, no strings attached...would you take it?

Jesus has such a deal with you.

God has given absolutely everything He had, even going to death on the cross.

He offers you eternal life with Him in Paradise and all you have to do is give Him your life now, with all it's broken pieces, dirty laundry, loaded baggage.

He'll make a complete swap with you, giving you His eternal life, His comfort, His peace, His new birth, His riches in heaven and a new body on the new earth He has prepared for the future.
You exchange all the temporary brokenness of this life for paradise without end in the next.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have become new" 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Everyone born from Adam is dead in their trespasses and sins. Only through Jesus can you be born again into the new life of righteousness and be prepared for God's kingdom.

You can choose to live in paradise with God or you can choose to die forever in hell. God only pleads with you to ask Him for forgiveness and salvation from eternal death. God won't force you to accept eternal life. It's your choice.

While I do not have a 1 billion dollar home to swap--if the offer came to you, would you turn down a 1 billion dollar home that comes without strings?

So- would you turn down God's offer of His free salvation?

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" John 3:36.

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A Personal Opinion of the Fall of Mankind in Genesis 3

A personal opinion of what happened in the Garden of Eden. This is not to be taken as fact but is just an idea of mine.

After he figured out that God loved these weak little creatures Jesus made, Satan wanted to be worshiped. However, because of his newly expressed pride, Satan was kicked out of heaven for trying to elevate his position to a god.

Therefore, angry at God for not accepting his self-appointed promotion, Satan decided to see wha...t damage he could do to God's perfect little creatures. He took a walk around the Garden of Eden watching and studying the man and his wife. Finally figuring out a way to hurt them, Satan approached Eve with his evil plans.


Satan succeeded in killing the relationship between God and man by getting Eve to question God's love for her simply by making her wonder why God would tell her not to do something.

Satan killed us all, bringing the wages of sin in the form of death to all people. Spiritual death and eternal separation in hellfire from our original relationship to God and physical death in our bodies that returns to the earth God formed us from.

Thank God for His gracious salvation Jesus provided through the cross!!

Completely rhetorical question---How long would you imagine it took Satan to figure out from which tree Adam and Eve weren’t to eat?

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It Makes More Sense Than Evolved Intelligence

I believe in the Eternal Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Creator God because it makes more sense than man's evolved intelligence having imagined the creation of a Creator God.

Here's why I believe God made me and I did not make myself.

Some people are taught that human' evolved over billions years to the state we are in now. Somehow they have been convinced we are getting smarter, and more civilized as we are evolving higher and higher on the chain of life.

Huh?

Evolution teaches that the human is his or her own god because they have reached the top of the evolution of intelligence. That their deification comes from being able to think, make decisions and grasp for more in their lives to enhance own wellbeing.

Um....then after billions of years, somewhere about 7000 years ago, our beautifully, perfectly, intelligent, evolved minds decided we needed to worship a God who created us. About 7000 years ago we somehow made up a God who created heaven and earth. He created a man and woman and walked and talked with them in a Garden of Eden. (every culture discovered so far has some sort of written history similar to this and also a change in the earth resembling the flood of Noah's day)

Also our beautifully evolved intelligence decided to think up something called sin that separates us from the Creator God. Then humans decided that One God-Man would come to earth to die for all the sin of the world so we all, (perfectly evolved humans) could go be with Him forever and ever in a Paradise. We also decided that there has to be a counterpart to Paradise called Hell and the Lake of Fire for all those who somehow reject this Creator God's salvation.

Think about this--the evolved human mind had to come up with that if evolution is the truth.

If the human race has evolved to the epitome of the chain of existence, there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON for ANY human on the planet to imagine a deity higher than themselves.

That means all the religions of the world including Buddhism, Christian Science, Jehovah Witness, Mormons, Islam, every Native tribe of any land, Illuminati, Zodiac, Naturalism, & Humanism, Witchcraft, Satanism, Superior Aliens, etc.. Not only our Christianity as learned from the Holy Bible, but ALL of these would be foolishness in the imagined creation of the semblance of a god above an evolved human.

But the human mind in all parts of the world have some sort of out-of-this-world gods in their culture, some deity beyond their evolution. What for? How? Why?

So I believe Almighty God created me and has put in me the mind to seek Him and know Him. And, praise the Lord, to be saved by Him out of this sinful, crazy world and be with Him forever and ever in Paradise!! (Psalm 100)

Those who worship evolution have to figure out just which god they want to worship, since each time they add more years to their religion of evolution, they give more proof they cannot be evolved into perfection yet--and who wants an imperfect god?

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Leaven Once Allowed

"Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the first fruits to the LORD" Leviticus 23:17.

Leaven is forbidden in almost every Jewish feast and festival. It is a representation of corruption or sin. But in the Feast of the First Fruits leaven is one of the elements God commands eaten during this feast.

The Feast of the First Fruits comes 50 days after The Feast of Passover and today we know it as the Day of Pentecost. 

Remarkably, the Day of Pentecost is when the church was born and was the beginning of the Gospel being spread all over the world. 

What God began with making the Jewish nation from Abraham, where all peoples would be blessed through him, was started when the 'leaven' of Gentiles was brought into the Holy of Holies. When the veil was torn in two when Christ died, everyone could worship God directly through Jesus. Gentiles no longer have to be proselytes of Judaism to enter into the very presence of God.

That's Christianity. Christ-followers the world over, from every tribe, peoples and tongue because of the First Fruits of the Born Again Christians on the Day of Pentecost.

"For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation" Ephesians 2:14.

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Recognize Your Adversary For Life

"When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite” Luke 12: 58,59.

I had thought this verse was talking about the affairs of mankind toward one another. I see it now is about accepting or rejecting Jesus’ salvation. Wow! Scary!

Before salvation, our Adversary is the Lord. We’re the enemy of Jesus. "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind, by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled" Ephesians 2:1.

The ‘going’ spoken of in Luke 58 is the life we live from birth to death. All mankind is born to stand before God someday, so we are all going toward the Magistrate, God the Father.

We are told to make every effort to get near Jesus. Obviously, Jesus makes every effort to get near to us. Though God came to earth to reconcile every sinful man to Himself, there still is the need for every man to go to Jesus for salvation. If you have doubts of your salvation, there's a verse for you.

"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified" 2 Corinthians 13:5.

If you need to accept Jesus Christ, then ask Him to save you. Say something like this.

"Dear God, I am a sinner and the death in hell forever

is my fate without you.  I know You are Holy God.

You came to earth and died on the cross to save me

from the fate of my sins, Please, Holy God, forgive

me of my sins and save me for Yourself.

Thank You God for forgiving me, and

saving me. Amen."

(reference verses for this salvation prayer)

(Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, John 3:16, John 14:6, Romans 10:9-11, Revelation 3:20, 1 John 5:13)

"But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers" 1 Peter 4:7. A simple prayer to God asking for forgiveness will erase the separation between you and Him because Jesus death on the cross took all the wrath of the fate of sin.  "and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven; having made peace through the blood of His cross" Colossians 1:20. So settle the differences with Jesus in this life.

God the Father is the Judge. Anyone not covered with the blood of Jesus is standing in front of the Judge in Revelation 21:11. "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away. And there was no place found for them."

Anyone covered by the blood of Jesus has this promise from God, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the Spirit"Romans 8: 1.

The unsaved and condemned have to face the officer and then into prison. "Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" Revelation 21:14.

And they will be there until they have paid the very last mite! That is eternal death! ETERNITY!

How’s your witness to the lost around you? Do they know you’re a Christian? Do you look at them and see they need to make peace with their adversary now?

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Did They Really Believe Him To Be More Than A Man?

Have you ever wondered what the disciples were doing when Jesus came into Jerusalem on the donkey? What they were thinking? Do you think they really understood?

Just a few days before Jesus entered the city, Peter had answered Jesus' question “Who do you say I am?" with “You are the Christ, the Son Of God” but none of them were thinking of the prophecies of Isaiah, even after Jesus explains it to them.

On the way to Jerusalem, James and John asked for the two seats on either side of his throne, but they are thinking of an earthly throne. We can assume that Judas might be thinking of the monies he would have to hand; about having permanent place in the court next to the king. However, what were the others thinking; Andrew, Simon the Zealot, Bartholomew; what of the women?

It appears from the texts, they believe they’re on the way to Jerusalem to see the Deliverer of the Hebrews take over the kingdom of Rome. They know he has the power. For three years he’s shown them incredible things. But do they really believe him more than a man?

I doubt anyone was surprised by this entrance. Jesus has a big crowd of followers and the news of his coming has probably been circulating for days. What everyone is waiting for is a powerful leader charging in to defeat Rome.

They're most likely thinking Isaiah's prophecy is being fulfilled right in front of them. "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given. And the government shall be upon His shoulders and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. but they stopped at the Government shall be upon His shoulders."

Jesus enters the city with great fanfare. No Jewish person has ever been welcomed into Jerusalem with such spontaneous celebration. During this cheering and praise there were Romans on the streets, watching and probably at arms ready, Red Alert. But the first thing Jesus does is go into the temple and chase out the religious cheats. Jesus stays at the temple the rest of the week. He doesn’t go anywhere near the Romans or the seat of power of Rome in Jerusalem. The soldiers probably relax.

But the Disciples are still waiting, all week, for him to attack Rome. Judas is getting disgusted but are the rest getting perplexed? Wondering?

What the people got was a quiet man with one thing on his mind, of which they failed to understand.

They just didn't get it.

The night of his betrayal, his disciples are so unaware, they go to sleep. They’ve completely forgotten that Jesus came there to die. He’d told them. But nothing has happened and they’re not paying attention. To them, at what we call the last supper, the cup and bread didn’t mean what it does to us. Christians know what it means.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him, will not die but have eternal life." John 3:16.

His broken body and spilled blood is our salvation. That whole week of Jesus in Jerusalem was the examination of the Lamb for Passover. The Priests examined Him and in the end could find no fault. They had to accept a lie to kill him.

We have to accept his death to be saved. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23.

We look on the beautiful, perfect Lamb of God at the end of that week, broken and bloody for our salvation. Jesus rode into quietly Jerusalem on a donkey and at the end of the week died horribly on a cross to give us the kingdom.

What the Disciples thought was going to happen that particular Passover week, ultimately happens, at the end of times. And this ride into Jerusalem means just as much to us today in bringing in the kingdom.

Later, they fully understood Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, but just then, they were blind.

Jesus is fully God and fully Man.
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Motivation in Discouragement

Our faith in God doesn't change with our circumstances. My husband and I love Jesus and trust Him for all things. He is our Comfort and Guide, our Helper and the One who sustains us through all things.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen" Hebrews 11:1.

We are without a personal vehicle.
We are in some financial difficulties. (My husband's age and health have changed our financial situation)
We are awaiting an official decision about a situation that needs clarification.

They are troubling singly and very troubling when coming all at the same time.

But that has nothing to do with our faith in God. God hasn't changed.

• God is still Omnipotent.
• God is still Omnipresent.
• God is still Omniscient.

We still need to pray with thanksgiving and supplication. Our intercessory prayers are not hindered.

We still need to read our Bibles. The truth and power of God's word is still the same.

We still need to evangelize. People held in the bondage of sin need to hear about the free salvation of our God.

These truths are to be grasped with zeal in our faith in God!

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills---from which comes my help?

My help comes from the LORD. who made heaven and earth"

Psalm 121:1,2.

God is doing something about our troubles, even though we know nothing about His future plan at the moment. The outcome is in His hands. Our faith is in Him.

If you are in a struggle, trust God is able to do all things.

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Two Reactions To Sin

When we realize the black destructive evil of our sin, we either attempt to run and hide from God, or we see God as our Savior and cry out for Him to forgive us, and cleanse us from the darkness of sin.

The first is impossible while the second is imperative.

In the Bible we have two people who demonstrate the one who hides from God and the one who cries out to God.

"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden" Genesis 1:6,7,8.

Having done what God expressly commanded him not to, as soon as Adam realized he was a sinner, he ran and hid from God's presence. Now covered by the evil of his sin, Adam knew he couldn't stand before a righteous and holy God.

When someone knows they are a sinner, (and inherently, because everyone is a descendant of Adam, therefore everyone does), many times that person stays far away from anything remotely connected to God. They hate the name Jesus, and cannot stand the witness of Christians.

They will attempt to cover their sin by making a self-righteous religion that satisfies the longing to be connected to God. Because of this false belief in a man-made religion, they reject anything that reminds them that God is true salvation. This hatred sometimes goes to the extreme and they kill the one who tells them about Jesus' love that will forgive them.

In total opposition to Adam's self-righteous attempt at covering his sin with his own efforts, (sewing fig leaves for clothing), Jesus wanted to stay connected to God the Father.

"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' That is, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'" Matthew 27:46 (see also Psalm 22)

Jesus is fully God and fully Man, yet God the Father stepped out of Jesus' life because, at this point, all the sins of the world, from Adam to the last person to die at the battle of Armageddon, were placed upon Jesus, the Man. All the black destructive sin of the world became Jesus' sin. The sinless Man took the punishment of all the wrath of God. The horrible black evil of sin made God abandon His one and only Son.

"For He made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Jesus felt that horrible separation Adam felt in the garden but in contrast to Adam running and hiding, Jesus cried out that His separation was painful and He wanted the connection returned. We cannot understand all of this, but we believe it.

"For we walk by faith and not by sight" 2 Corinthians 5:7.

When we see our sin as black destructive evil separating us from God, we, like Jesus, cry out to God to receive the connection from which Adam ran.

Because Jesus carried the wrath of God to death, we get to receive eternal life. Three days after Jesus was entombed, He rose from the dead, proving that God accepted the death debt He paid.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 6:23.

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Don't Shoot The Messenger--(Flash Fiction Tale)

This is a fictional story, Please enjoy.

Don’t Shoot the Messenger 

“You can’t shoot those things.”

Behind me, an unfamiliar voice made that statement as I lined up a shot at a large Canada goose.

Hunting alone, surrounded by only my decoys, I hadn’t expected any other voice within miles. My gun jerked, my shot was lost and the flock of geese I had artfully called took flight. I lowered the gun and craned around to see who had spoken. In my defense, I was cross about the interruption. “I happen to have a valid license.”

The man looked old enough to have lived two lifetimes. His face was long, with heavy lines, eyes thick-lidded, drooping, and moist. The clothes may have fit him in a younger era but now were too large. To add to my annoyance, he wasn’t even looking at me but at some point beyond. Managing not to swear, I stood up, my efforts lost for the day.

Before I could complain, he smiled and pointed, “See, there. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

All I saw was a muddy, harvested cornfield and my decoys. "Huh?"

“There,” he stabbed a gnarled finger forward. “You were aiming right at it.”

I squinted at the distant mountains. “The view? Yeah, beautiful scenery but why interrupt my hunt just to tell me that? You some sort of nature nut?”

He looked at me. “Well, Son, maybe that. I'm more inclined toward God creating everything and all nature speaks of Him."

I began to consider him a fruitcake. “My license for hunting geese says I can shoot them. You gonna give me trouble on that?"

He laughed, a hard, grunting, deep throaty noise. “Of course, you can hunt the geese. I meant you can’t shoot angels.”

My mind was working, thinking he'd escaped some nearby facility. “You see angels, Pop?”

The laugh came again. “Occasionally. Lately a bit more. I think it’s like maybe God is letting me know.”

“Know what?”

He pointed up. “Time to go home.”

Thinking he was talking about the actual hour of the day, I asked, “Your family worried about you wandering off?”

“Son, I’ve stayed on the straight and narrow path since I was fourteen.” He shook his head. “I strayed a little in my twenties and again in my late forties, but I’ve always returned to my Savior Jesus Christ.” When he rubbed his veined hands together against the chill, they sounded like old paper. “Yes, I have family waiting for me there. I'm wanting to see them, though, it'll be hard on the great grandkids. Ah, but their parents will raise them up in the Lord.”

He had me baffled. It was like we were having two different conversations. Breaking open the shotgun, I popped out the shells. Sliding the gun into the case, I closed it safely inside, securing the latches.

I asked, “You gonna be here tomorrow, Pop?” I only had this one week off from work and considered moving my spread to another field if he was going to interrupt my hunting.

“I don’t know. I suppose it depends on God. I keep waiting for that angel to step toward me and beckon me to come.” He sounded wistful and his eyes teared up, looking somewhere only he could see. “I'd like to be home to be with Jesus.”

“What are you talking about?

“Don’t you know Jesus, Son?”

“Sure, my mother took me to church.”

He laid his hand on my shoulder. “Son, do you know Jesus took your punishment because the wages of sin are death. He took the Father’s wrath so you wouldn’t have to. And if you don’t ask Jesus to save you, you're headed for eternity in the Lake of Fire?”

The hairs on my neck stood up. “I haven’t heard that in years. Not since Sunday School.”

"Son, will you ask Jesus to save you today? I wouldn't want to know that you were suffering forever in that tormenting fire.”

That old man's words burned like a hot brand on something other than my flesh. I thought sure the ground was opening to swallow me. I looked down expecting to see that flaming lake and was thankful just to see mud.

"Do want Jesus to save you?"

“Y...yes." And I did, kneeling with him right there in the mud.

The next morning, I parked the truck at the edge of the cornfield, having spent a sleepless night while my brain repeated every word he said, like a continual recorded loop. For some reason I didn't get out right away, just sat there listening to the radio. When suddenly, I reached out and cranked up the volume.

In that tone all newscasters have, he said "Last night, Mr. Hendrickson, our well-loved local minister died peacefully at home, in his sleep. We will miss him deeply. Heaven has gained a great saint."

The broadcast went on but I didn’t hear it. I stared out the windshield, thinking about God.

The End

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A Theorized Explanation of Satan in the Garden

This is not to be taken as a Biblical fact, nor to be used as a commentary, but it is my theory and mine alone, of which I hope you find interesting.

“And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.”1 Timothy 2:14.

There is no way to say how long Satan examined this couple before he approached them. My personal theory is Satan fell from heaven after God created the heavens and the earth and Adam and Eve.

Here he is, the most beautiful creature ever created. He’s the voice of worship and his place among the angels of glory is gorgeous and glorious. He enjoys pleasing God with his music, his magnificence, and all the splendor of his being, created to lead worship before God’s Throne. Lucifer is a great worshipper.

Then God fashions this tiny thing called the universe, and these puny little beings He calls humans. Suddenly, God has another worship leader, Adam. Yet Satan sees something exclusive about the worship Adam brings to God. Adam freely adores God with loving reverence. Worse, it brings God enormous pleasure the more Adam learns to worship.

Not one of the angels ever had the thought of not worshipping God. God created Lucifer to worship and lead worship. It hadn’t been a thing to contemplate before; it was how God ordained heaven's business.

Satan starts looking at Adam as a rival. Now Satan’s character changes and he begins to see where he is now second fiddle and it’s no place to be in the orchestra of the heavenly host.

That’s where we get God’s explanation of Lucifer’s sin in Ezekiel 28. Satan decides he wants the type of worship Adam brings to God. God says that pride entered into him and the most gorgeous cherub suddenly became the most abhorrent thing in heaven. Sin can never stand before God’s perfection and Satan has to leave heaven’s throne room.

Where’s he going to go? He’s a created being and there’s only two places available. Kicked out of the one God entirely occupies, he heads for earth and the garden.

Because everything is as it should be, Eve would have no qualms about submitting to Adam. He shows her around the neighborhood introducing her to the animals and all the fruit trees. She learns him and he learns her. It’s flawless, they are one, and both are naked. They’re naked of clothing because it wasn’t necessary and they are naked of fear, faults, or worry. God visits and the abundant life is theirs. Nothing is missing in Eve’s life. Eve’s submission was without fault and there’s no flaw in her marriage. There is no pain, no sorrow, no jealousy, and no strife. Their relationship doesn’t hurt at all.

The lord of the flies is about to land in the perfume. Satan has examined these simple little creatures for some time now and has seen how they walk and talk and interact with God. Since his defection, his one desire is be worshipped and these creatures have minds of their own. Maybe he’s tried to get cows to worship him, or serpents and concluded that’s futility. Adam and Eve, they’re different.

He can’t approach Adam, he’s always studying what to ask God at the next meeting But Eve, well, she’s always studying how to please both Adam and God.

Satan comes dressed as one of the peaceful garden creatures and offers her something other than submission. It might have seemed natural for it to speak to her, after all everything God made was good. Instead of asking why it was speaking, she entered into conversation with it. The first thing Satan does is deceive her with a lie about her relationship.

Eve could have said no. She should have said no. Eve had the perfect support group to run to and rat him out: Adam, and God. However, Eve stopped being submissive the moment she desired that fruit and ate it.

In the Garden of Eden, Satan won a small battle. But a small victory was all it was, even for the centuries he's walked to and fro on the earth, tormenting people and destroying souls. Compared to the Omnipotence of Almighty, Eternal God, it is a small victory. The created being he is, there is no successful future for Satan. His defeat was at the cross where Jesus Christ died.

And his future, final defeat is when Satan loses even the stolen control of the world when he is thrown into his eternal prison, the Lake of Fire.

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None Perfect, No Not One!

Born again Christians are not perfect people.

Born again Christians are imperfect people living on this imperfect earth who know God saves imperfect people and He will change us into perfect people in the next life for all eternity.

  "Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
  Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--
  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." 1 Corinthians 15:50-53."


Perfect, Holy God knows we're not perfect but by His grace He chooses to accept all believers as perfected in His Son Jesus. Because born again Christians accept Jesus' death on the cross as the substitute for their own punishment, God gives all believers this future of perfection guaranteed in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

  "So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
  "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"
  The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:54-57."

Have you gotten your guarantee of perfection yet?

   "Jesus said, "Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" John 3:3."

"Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." Hebrews 3:7."

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