April 15, 2005

• Friday Bible Study!!!!!!! Pastor Don continued his teaching on Esther

  
  

  Esther, end of Chapter 4 God will spare our life to serve his purpose, and when we yield to that purpose we will be happy. “You have come to the kingdom for such a time as this.”

  
  

  With God there are two different kinds of time:

  
  

  1. Natural time (chronological).
  2. Prophetic time, which is based on events. God deals with seasons of time.

  
  

  Pastor Don spent some time talking about spiritual adolescents. He pointed out that some people have been in the Lord for years and years, but never seem to mature in faith. That sometimes God will create a season of challenge for a person so that they move forward in their faith. Some people, while saved, still stay as arrested adolescents even though they might be older than us.

  
  

  We must focus on where we realize we are broken within, and get healed in that area or we end up on crutches for the rest of our lives. Whatever arrests our development as Christians can be overcome by making the same committment that Esther made in Ch. 4: 15-16. She fasted and went to the king. We must go to the King (Jesus) and if I perish, I perish.

  
  

  For Esther, she risked her life to go before the King, but for us, Jesus paved the way for us to go boldly before the King. But parts of us that are not in line with God will perish.

  
  

  We have to realize that whether or not we perish, does not change God’s ability to deliver us.

  
  

  Some people have WILLFUL faith. This is faith where we ordain something in the season we are in, WE will it, but God doesn’t have to deliver what we WILL if it is not God’s will. We must do it in the season that God prescribes for us.

  
  

  God will give us our heart’s desire, but sometimes it takes a supernatural move of God. Sometimes God has to put things into place (people and opportunites) to make this heart’s desire come to pass. But our willfulness will not determine when we will get it.

  
  

  Now Esther determined to do God’s will without the details. God gives us the instructions, but not always the map or the complete plan. We must act on God’s will even though it doesn’t always make sense to our natural man.

  
  

  You can have a law modified to fit your situation but you must go to the King.

  
  

  Chapter 5 – 3rd day (often refers to end times events).

  
  

  Ch. 5:2 God has opened His heart to us to come to Him at any time. When judgement comes to His throne, He stands in Mercy and Grace and We stand in forgiveness through Christ. We do need repentence for God wants a broken and contrite heart.

  
  

  The Banquet that Esther prepares for the King and Haman is a dangerous thing to do. She in essence invited the devil closer to contain him. She is safer because she also invited the King. Most often we have to flee the devil (Haman), but there are times and situations where you want to know what the devil is doing and need to contain him.

  
  

  One way to know someone has a problem with satan is to find their position on the Jews. Satan hates the Jewish people, and trys hard to destroy them because it is through them that Christ came.

  
  

  Haman set up gallows which will ultimately end up hanging him, the plans satan has for us will ultimately destroy him.

  
  

  Chapter 6, the King did not sleep for God was troubling his soul.

  
  

  Sometimes in the midst of the things you are going through, you don’t see the hand of the Lord  in them, but God is there working behind the scenes to position things for you.

  
  

  Ch. 6:6 at the Banquet, what Haman meant for Evil, God meant for Good.

  
  

  Haman had to honor Mordecai – which is funny. When the King asked Haman what should be done to honor a person, Haman thought he was to be honored, so he suggested things that would have positioned him to be second to the King. He then had to do this for Mordecai, and at the end of Esther, Mordecai was second to the King.

  
  

  Ch. 8:8 Whatever is written in the King’s name, no one can revoke. And we are told to pray in Jesus’ name.

  
  

  Esther is a picture of the Church. The Church is to provide a safe haven for the Jews in the Last Days.

  
  

  Pastor Don stopped there, for there were things that had to be done for the building of the new wing of our church.

  
  

  This Bible study spoke a lot to my situation now, and some of the questions I have had for past issues. I am learning more to approach the King with my problems, but I have much to learn in this regard, and much trust to learn how to give. But looking back, I can see that there has also been a lot of growth.

  
  

  I hope you have a great weekend.

  
  

  Heather

  • 6:03 pm
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