November 23, 2024

Esther: Introduction

September 2, 2013 by

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Shalom!  God’s blessing of peace to you!  May I introduce myself?  My given name is Hadassah, though perhaps you have heard me called ‘Esther.’  (You can call me ‘Esther’, if you would like.)  I am a Hebrew girl, hence my real name. Hadassah means ‘myrtle,’ which is a tree or shrub.  My name signifies peace and thanksgiving.

I would like to share with you a little about my life; do you have a few minutes?  Perhaps as I relate to you the events of my life, you might think “Oh!  My! Not for me!”  But don’t…I have lived a life overshadowed by the hand of the Great I AM!  And I am sure that you have, too.  Perhaps  you will see some similarities between your life and mine.  Perhaps you will be reminded of great and small things that Almighty God has orchestrated in your life…for such a time as this!

Throughout most of our lives, there are usually a few people—loved ones, mostly—who are the major characters in our story.  For me, God placed two wonderful men as the main men in my life and my heart.  The first is my Uncle Mordecai…can I tell you about him?   Oh, please allow me—he was such an honorable, wise, God-fearing man!  You see, my abba-leh (my daddy) died while my ama carried me under her heart.  And my ama <sigh!> died as she labored to birth me.  By God’s grace, I had loving ones who raised me…in particular, my wonderful Uncle Mordecai.  Uncle Mordecai, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, deeply loved the Almighty God, the Great I AM and lived his life to serve Him.  When the Babylonians conquered our land, they took many of our people away as slaves, amongst them my parents and Uncle Mordecai.  Eventually, they settled in what is known as Persia in the capital city of Susa. Uncle Mordecai always had my best interests at heart and raised me according to the Law.

And there is another primary character in my story—my love, the king, Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes) who made me his queen.  It’s quite a story Esther chapter 2 how this happened…me, one of the captive Hebrews becoming the queen of a most powerful ruler of many lands and peoples.  His domain reached from India to Egypt.  Amazing!  But I was telling you how I, a young Hebrew woman, became the queen of all this…  You see, Ahasuerus DID have a queen; a stunningly gorgeous woman named Vashti.  Oh, he loved her…it was quite apparent.  But Vashti’s heart became proud.  And she turned from lovingly submitting to Ahasuerus to outrightly defying him publicly.  The king turned to his advisors to see how to handle this.

Esther 1:18-22
“This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.   Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she.  Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”  The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed.  He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household….

Here’s where Almighty God caused my path to cross with the love of my life, Ahasuerus. After his heart (and anger!) had recovered from Vashti’s deception, he sought a new queen.  Only the Almighty God could have known that, of all the beautiful, lovely young women of the kingdom, I would be the one who would find favor in Ahasuerus’ eyes—and his heart!

Esther 2:17
And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the maidens, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Years went by and all was well…Ahasuerus ruled his kingdom, and let his heart be ruled by our love.  All was very well.  Let’s jump ahead a bit because in the twelfth year of the king’s reign, a dastardly, devilish plot was launched to annihilate my kin, the Hebrews. Esther chapter 3 When Uncle Mordecai heard of this, he was devastated!

Esther 4:1
When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.

I sent a trusted friend to Uncle Mordecai to find out what was wrong and he sent me the strongest message I had ever heard him speak!

Verses 13 and 14
Then Mordecai told them to return this answer to Esther, Do not flatter yourself that you shall escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews.  For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?

You see, I had held back…well actually deceived the king.  I had never revealed to him my true heritage—that I was a Hebrew and served the Almighty God.  And so, remorseful, I sent this message back to Uncle Mordecai:

Verses 16 and 17
Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”  So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

I felt the weight and responsibility of not only my role as queen but my identity.  Uncle Mordecai was right!  And if I perished…so be it.

Not much time elapsed and I knew I must speak.  Risking banishment at best, and death at worst, I arrayed myself respectfully and went before my king.  His favor and love for me won out, and he welcomed me before his throne.  I asked only one thing.

Esther 5:3 and 4
Then the king said to her, What will you have, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of the kingdom.  And Esther said, If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the dinner that I have prepared for the king.

He granted my request.  Ahasuerus and <hisssss!> Haman <hisssssss!> came to my home for dinner.  And upon leaving, I asked that they return again the following evening.  Time was running short and the execution of my people was imminent.  When they returned, I spoke plainly and pointedly to Ahasuerus.

Esther 7:3 and 4
If I have found favor in your sight, O king and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request.   For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, slain, and wiped out of existence!  But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I would have held my tongue, for our affliction is not to be compared with the damage this will do to the king.

Upon hearing my distress and fear, my king rose to my defense demanding to know how this happened and who was responsible.  ‘Haman.’ I replied.  Esther 7:5-10

Esther 8:3-5
Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.  Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.  “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews… For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”

Upon realizing what Haman had been devilishly plotting and hearing my pleas, he immediately revoked the order and saved my people, the Hebrews.  Prior to this, Ahasuerus had had a dream (perhaps that was our Almighty God?) reminding him of the loyalty and devotion to the throne of Ahasuerus that Uncle Mordecai had always had.  As an added blessing, Uncle Mordecai was rewarded for his loyalty to the king.

Verses 10 and 11
Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.  The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves;

Esther 9:20-23
Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far,  to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.   So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration….

Verses 28-32
These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews—nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants.  So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.  And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom—words of goodwill and assurance—to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation.  Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.

Imagine!  A simple, orphaned Hebrew girl raised by her uncle in the midst of slavery brought by the hand of God through hard and evil times—for such a time as this!  My people, the Hebrews, to this day celebrate the Festival of Purim and the joy of God’s deliverance during the reign of my king, Ahasuerus.

At the beginning of our chat, I had said that perhaps you might be reminded of great and small things that Almighty God has orchestrated in your life.  Have you thought on this?  I pray to the Great I Am that He would open your eyes to these things…for such a time as this!

* * * * *

Dear Lord, please help us to recognize Your mighty hand of blessing…Your directing our path as You did the path of Esther’s life.  May we see how You have done this, too, in our lives.  We praise You, Lord, for Your sovereignty!  Please help us to never doubt Your goodness and grace and favor; may we rest in Your care knowing that all is well.  May Your perfect will be done in and through our lives.  In Jesus’ precious name.

Amen.

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Esther: The Beauty of Courageous Submission — COMING SOON!

August 28, 2013 by

Esther_Sept3rd

 

 

COMING SOON!

To Register for this upcoming online Bible study, click on the REGISTER tab at the top of the page.  Once you complete the registration, and download your FREE copy of the Esther Bible study, you will be added to our private Facebook study group.*  If you do not have a Facebook account, please download the book and visit our website for your daily lesson.

*You must send a friend request to www.Facebook.com/GCH.Admin in order to be added to this study group.

On September 2nd, we will provide a brief introduction to the book of Esther.  Our actual Bible study will begin on September 3rd, 2013.

We hope you will join us!!

 

 

 

 

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“I AM” Chapter 7 – Day 5: I AM…with Christ in Eternity!

August 23, 2013 by

I would like to invite you to listen to this video before reading today’s blog.  Close your eyes, if you will;  allow the Holy Spirit to surround you and speak to your heart.  (You will definitely want to turn up the volume!)

 

I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by His side…I can only imagine what my eyes will see when His Face is before me…I can only imagine!  How about you?!?  Does your heart not yearn for our Lord’s return?  Do you not have your heart set on life eternally spent in the Presence of the Great I AM?  Can you hardly wait?!?

King Solomon, a man graced by God with more wisdom than any other man, wrote the following.

He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the human heart;
yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

God did this!  He put a strong desire to dwell forever with the Great I AM in the human heart!  We understand this, don’t we?  I can only imagine….

In our final lesson today, Teresa shared with us that we have REASON, we have HOPE, and we have PROMISE to cling to.  (Please insert your name in the blanks.)

  • REASON:   (_______) needed a Savior—John 3:16 and 17
  • HOPE:         (_______) is awaiting the Lord’s return—Philippians 3:20
  • PROMISE: (_______) will have a new, perfect body—Philippians 3:21

Please personalize this, my friends!  When we recognize and believe that the Great I AM has made a way from the beginning for (______) to be saved and redeemed and bought back with a precious and costly price—the blood of Jesus—then, I can only imagine….

And check this out!  Here is another promise…we shall see Him; how AWESOME is this?

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
1 Corinthians 13:12

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8

Hope remains for God’s children (us! you and me!) We have these beautiful promises from our Faithful God—we SHALL SEE Jesus face-to-face.  I can only imagine….

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared;
but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him,
because we shall see Him as He is.
1 John 3:2

From this glorious verse we are assured of THREE things:
—we know that He will appear;
—we know that we shall be like Him;
—we know we shall see Him.

To KNOW and be assured of these things gives such comfort and joy to our hearts, doesn’t it? This is TRUTH to speak to ourselves every day!  To remind ourselves that I AM God’s child, I AM going to be like Him (like HIM!!!  amazing!), I AM going to see the Lord.  The truth contained in the Scriptures is our standard, upon which we can stake our very lives because God has spoken it.   I can only imagine….

Jesus’ followers have always believed that He will come again.  He promised the apostles: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” John 14:3.

Paul related the same promise: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness…” Titus 2:11-14.

The Church today believe this, too.  We wait for His return!  When Jesus was finishing giving Revelation to John, at the very end He says,

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I AM coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Revelation 22:20

————————

Friends, this concludes our study of ‘I AM, Discovering the Character of God through the Revelation of the Scripture.’  Has this study been EVEN MORE than you had hoped?  It certainly has for us!  We pray that Teresa’s book, the accompanying blogs written over the past 7 weeks, and our group study has been a great blessing in your life.  God has certainly knit our hearts together as we have studied the truth of His Word together.  God bless you! <3

And, Teresa, we just would like to communicate our love for you and our thanks!  At the opening of your book, you invited your readers to dig in and ‘find ourselves’ in the pages of God’s Word.  Oh! My!  How amazingly that has happened!  We remain so very thankful for your obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit as He taught you…and you taught us!  We are so thankful to God for all that He has worked in your heart, Teresa.  May He continue to make Himself known as He leads you along this path He has placed you on!  We pray for you and your loved ones asking the Great I AM to continue to bless you, keep you and make His face to shine upon you…in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

_____________________

Ladies, may I pray for you?

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26

Lord, I thank You for each and every one of Your daughters who I have been privileged to journey with through this “I AM” study.   We have shared this journey—the growth, the challenges, the struggles, the peace, the joy—and grown closer together.  Thank You for that, Lord!  I pray for each of these dear hearts that You would continue to draw them close to Yourself.  I ask, Lord, that as You have worked in each of their hearts, they would continue to seek You and find You through the Scriptures.  Thank You, Lord, for their hearts, their lives, and their loved ones.  In Jesus our Lord’s name.

Amen.

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“I AM” Chapter 7 – Day 4: I AM…The Root and Offspring of David

August 22, 2013 by

2Samuel7_IAMI am where I am because of my family.  Faith in Jesus and a strong relationship with Him is a legacy that has passed down from generation to generation.  I am so blessed to have known Him all my life.  My grandparents on both sides were faithful Jesus followers.  My parents made sure that above all else, my salvation and my relationship with Jesus trumped all.  I want to make sure that my children know Him and will spend eternity with Him.  To follow only Him and to faithfully see His word.  It’s true that we cannot choose our family, but God did choose them for us.

Have you ever looked at Jesus’s family? Did you know James was His half-brother? Did you know that James did not believe in Jesus until after the resurrection? The Book of James is written as a letter addressing many issues about how faith in Jesus needs to affect the way we act. It also addresses some misunderstandings about the relationship between salvation by faith in Jesus and the need for believers to live a godly life.  James 1:2-4 says “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

The scripture from today’s lesson is Hebrews 11.  It has been called the “Hall of Faith” because it mentions a long list of people who were used by the Great I AM because of their faith.  No doubt the author of Hebrews confused the readers by calling it this.  These mighty Jewish people, heroes if you will, never received all that God had promised them because they died before Jesus came.  In God’s plan, they would be rewarded together for enduring much testing.  Old Testament faith was also a heartfelt trust in a personal God.  Many before us faced difficult times and persevered by faith.  Notice that in every illustration in this chapter, it starts with “It was by faith that….”

Hebrews 12 begins “Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run the race that God has set before us….”

Maybe the weight that slows us down is our past or maybe it is what we are dealing with right now.  You and I both have had the awesome privilege of meeting Jesus and have formed a real relationship with Him.  Now, what are you going to do with Him? Don’t you love this question that Teresa asks in this book?

It is God’s will for us to win this race we call life, for us to lay down our recurring sin that weighs us down sometimes. There will be pain from exertion, but we are told to pace ourselves and bear the pain with grace and with patience. And remember that others, who have run the same race and finished, will be cheering us on!

*****

Let’s Pray:

Dearest Lord,

Thank You so much for all those who went before us to show us that all Your promises do come true and if we trust You we will be rewarded.  What a day that will be when we see Abraham, Isaac, David, Mary, Martha, Peter, Noah (and the list goes on and on), rejoicing when we cross the finish line all together.  You are our great reward and You are worth it.  I end with a prayer from 2 Samuel 7:25-26, “And now, O Lord God, I am Your servant: do as you have promised concerning me and my family.”  In Jesus’ Name I pray.

AMEN

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“I AM” Chapter 7 – Day 3: I AM..the LIVING ONE

August 21, 2013 by

2Chron7_14_IAM

What a wonderful way to close out this study knowing that our God is the “Living One.”

 Our Living God from A – Z

A- AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH (HEBREWS 12:2)

B- BREAD OF LIFE (JOHN 6:35)

C- CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD (ROMANS 8:39)

D- DELIVERER (ROMANS 11:26)

E- ETERNAL LIFE (1 JOHN 5:20)

F- FAITHFUL AND TRUE (REVELATION 19:11)

G- GREAT HIGH PRIEST (HEBREWS 4:14)

H- HEAD OF THE CHURCH (EPHESIANS 5:23)

I- I AM (JOHN 8:58)

J- JESUS (MATTHEW 1:21)

K- KING OF KINGS (REVELATION 17:14)

L- LIGHT OF THE WORLD (JOHN 8:12)

M- MEDIATOR (1 TIMOTHY 2:5)

N- NAZARENE (MATTHEW 2:23)

O- OUR PASSOVER (1 CORINTHIANS 5:7)

P- PRINCE (ACTS 5:31)

Q- QUINTESSENCE – THE MOST PERFECT EMBODIMENT OF SOMETHING (REVELATION 1:8)

R- REDEEMER (JOB 19:25)

S- SAVIOR (LUKE 2:11)

T- TEACHER (JOHN 3:2)

U- UNMATCHABLE – NO ONE IS EQUAL TO HIM (ISAIAH 40:28)

V- VINE (JOHN 15:1)

W- WORD (JOHN 1:1)

X- EXCELLENT (PSALM 8:9)

Y- YOURS – HE IS FREE TO YOU IF YOU BELIEVE (ROMANS 10:9)

Z- ZION, KING OF (PSALM 9:11)

Revelation 1:18  I am the living one.  I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

WOW!  God’s Word speaks for itself to show us Life (living life-Himself)

People go around asking all kinds of questions daily.  Some of the many questions we have heard are: Who made the trees?  The flowers?  The birds?  The animals?  The earth?  The rocks?  The stars, sun, moon, ocean, mountains?  Who made you and me?  And the answer is:   Someone who is greater, more intelligent than all, made them!

That Someone is the only true and living God. He is invisible to our eyes, because He is a Spirit.  He lives in heaven.  He is eternal.  He has always existed and He always will.  We know Him because we see the things He has made and because He has given us His book called the Bible in which He reveals Himself to us.  We don’t find His bones in a grave, like other gods who have died, because our God lives!

Do you know the only true and living God?  If not, would you like to?  Do you want to be free from your daily burdens of sin and have a sweet assurance of “living” with the “Living One”?

If you are ready to meet the “I AM” and “live” with the “Living One” for eternity then all you have to do is ask Him.

“Dear Lord Jesus, 
I know that I am a sinner, I believe Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for my sins, was buried and rose from the grave.  I ask You now, Lord Jesus, to come into my heart, and take away my sins, and save my soul.  Change my heart and life, Lord, to be what You want me to be!  I thank You, Lord for the forgiveness of my sins, Your gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of Your mercy and grace!  AMEN.

Oh what a precious journey you will have as you will get to know the “I AM” – the “Living One” now that you have accepted Him as Christ your Savior.  I may not ever get to meet you personally here on this earth, but know, my friend, that I will be praying for you as you begin your new life with Him, and on the day He returns I will meet you in heaven!  Hallelujah!

**********

Let’s Pray:

Dear God,

I thank You for these past seven weeks that we have been able to dig in Your Word together, Lord, and truly get to know Who You Are and who we are in You.   I thank You for any that have received You as Savior and I ask that You help them to continue to dig in Your Word and become the beautiful creation that You intended for them to be and help them to spread this wonderful news of salvation with the world.  In Your name, I pray.

Amen!

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“I AM” Chapter 7 – Day 2: Alpha and Omega

August 20, 2013 by

2Chron7_14_IAMAlpha and Omega

These are two very powerful words; they are strong and demand attention.
But for me these words also bring comfort.  Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega; the Beginning and the End. There is so much in between those two words, in between those two names.

Alpha (Friend. Redeemed. Forgiven. Free. Confident. Assured.) Omega

This is who I am in the great I AM.  This is who you are in the great I AM.
When I look at this title, and what the Alpha and Omega truly means, it reassures me that I will never be left alone.  Christ has been with me from my start and He will be with me through my finish. He will be with me when I need a friend; when I need redemption; when I need to be forgiven; when I am seeking freedom; when I need confidence and when I need assurance.

By having a relationship with Christ we can feel these things, we can develop a relationship in which we will always know our Beginning and we will always know our End. To quote Teresa from this book, “Jesus wants to be your best friend.” He wants us to have all of these things in abundance. He wants to be there in our Beginning and in our End.

 ____________________________

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for showing us our beginning and our end. Thank You for being there in our lives for both, and through all the in-between. Lord, You offer us friendship and redemption.  You offer us things we do not deserve; Your love always remains. Your gift of friendship always remains. Lord, help us to walk in the power of Your promises and in Your covering.  Most importantly, help us to be an example to others of what it means to be a friend of the I AM.  In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

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“I AM” Chapter 7 – Day 1: 7 “I AM’s” in Revelation

August 19, 2013 by

2Chron7_14_IAM

Revelation is more than just the end of the Bible.  It is more than the end of time, or the end of the world.  A revelation is a new realization of something you previously had not known or understood.  It could be revealing of a secret.  A revelation is definitely a gaining of knowledge you can use to apply to your life.

Here we are at the end.  The last week of our study.  The omega…the last.  There are seven more “I AM’s” for us to look at this week.  As we conclude our study together, we find that four of them use the term “Alpha and Omega”.  The word nerd in me had to look these up for us.  Let me show you a couple of things I have learned.  (Warning: This will be cheesy!)

  • The New Testament was written in Greek, the Old Testament in Hebrew (mainly).  Alpha and Omega are the first and the last letters in the Greek alphabet and signify the “beginning and the end” or eternity.    The Greek “alpha” was derived from the Hebrew “aleph.”  (Doing a Happy Dance!)  The Hebrew name for aleph sounds like “eleph” or ox.  An ox is a leader and leads the other letters in the alphabet.  (Get it?  The alpha – bet?)
  • Ox comes into play in our culture, too.  How many times have we signed a greeting card with oxoxox?  Did you know you were actually sending God’s love to that person?  These are Christian symbols introduced through the ages, based on the Bible and the Great I AM.  Don’t get me started on crossing your fingers….
  • The Hebrew word for truth – “emet” is made up of the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet.  This kind of consistency makes me dance with joy.  Our God is a God of order.  No matter what language or dialect you speak, His TRUTH will always be the same.  He is “I AM”.

From the Prophet Isaiah, “I AM the first and the last”  (Isaiah 44:6) to the Psalmist, “From everlasting to everlasting thou art God” (Psalms 90:2), to John, “I AM the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8), the message of the Bible DOES NOT CHANGE.

This “I AM” is important because Jesus is telling us He was before creation and will be after the end of time.  He is eternal.  When we see or hear Alpha and Omega (AΩ or ox) we are seeing the “I AM”.  Because of our relationship with Jesus (The Great I AM) we can claim the “Truth.” 

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
even when we were dead in our transgressions, made alive together with Christ
(by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him,
and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”
Ephesians 2:4-6

As a member of God’s family, seated in the heavenly places because of Jesus, we are in His KINGDOM.  A kingdom is where the king is.  The Kingdom is where the KING lives.  If you have received the gift of salvation offered by Jesus, you are in the Kingdom and the King lives in you.  Did you hear that?  The KING lives in YOU!!!  The Kingdom is not a far away land, it is here now.  If the King lives in you, the kingdom is here…on earth.  The kingdom is not broken down into small factions of fighters in their own corners doing their own thing.  We are ONE Church, ONE body of believers, living in the Kingdom of God RIGHT NOW!!!!  Let revival begin with us!

We have received a revelation over the last seven weeks.  Now, we have a responsibility to share the good news with others.  Listen to the prayer of our hearts as we declare our allegiance to the King of Kings.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, King of Kings,

We praise You for the HOPE You have placed in our hearts as we have drawn closer to You.  We thank You for the great LOVE You have shown us that while we were yet sinners, You wanted us.  Lord, we want to let this fire burning within us to be seen by the world.  Heal our hearts and heal our lands so that we may serve You.  We ARE the Church…Send us out to do Your work while we are here on earth.  We are YOUR church…One Body, unified for Your purpose.   Live in us.  Bring Your Kingdom now.  We are ready.  We love You, Lord.

AMEN

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“I AM” Chapter 6 – Day 5: I AM…Able to Do Anything

August 16, 2013 by

Eph2_10

 

Hasn’t it been such a great joy and encouragement to consider just some of what I am (I AM) and who I am (I AM) IN CHRIST these past couple of weeks?  My heart has been revived and refreshed because of the TRUTH that has been presented in our I AM study.  I am so thankful for all that God revealed to Teresa as she wrote this book.  We have reflected upon the truth of who and what God has made us to be in Christ. Here in the Book of Ephesians, listen to this truth:

 

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through HJesus Christ…In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us…In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will…And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance…those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory. — Excerpts from Ephesians 1:3-14

How about a little review?

I AM accepted
Colossians 1:12 and 13
…and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.  For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves…

I AM family
Galatians 4:4-7
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.  Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”  So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

I AM free to be me
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

I AM fit for service
Ephesians 1:3-7
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

I AM complete
Colossians 2:9 and 10
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

I AM significant
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

I AM a branch of Christ
John 15:5-8
I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.  If you do not remain in Me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.

I AM God’s workmanship (His masterpiece)
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I AM a minister
Ephesians 4:3-6
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

whew! …or rather… HALLELUJAH!  And who and what I AM in and through Christ leads us to—I AM able to do anything!  His grace covers me!

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

The Apostle Paul, sharing of us struggles to live for God’s glory, tells us what the Lord revealed to him.  This truth applies to our lives, too.  In our weakness(es) we, too, are given the sufficiency of Jesus’ power through His gracious help and provision.  Through all that I AM in Christ, I AM able!  God has provided for us in so many ways!

 

Let’s Pray:

Lord, we offer our hearts to You!  We stand in awe, so amazed and so thankful…hearts full of praise to the One Who has made us accepted, free, in Your family, fit to serve, complete, significant, a branch of the Vine, Your masterpiece, a minister of Yours, and able to do anything!  It is in Your Presence, Your indwelling of our hearts through Your Holy Spirit that we can be anything…and we are!  We are!!!  Thank You, Lord.  May You be honored and glorified as we live today in light of all that You have made us to be.  May our voices and our actions prove “I AM His!”  We praise You and we love You!

Amen.

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“I AM” Chapter 6-Day 4: I AM…A Minister

August 15, 2013 by

How are you doing with memorizing this week’s memory verse?  Here it is, again, to help you remember it.

Eph2_10

I have always wanted to be in ministry, even since I was a little girl.  I used to line up my Fisher Price toy people in the barn, along with some of the animals and then I would preach a sermon.  And they sat and listened.  As I grew up, I started believing that I wasn’t good enough…holy enough…or memorized enough scripture…the list just goes on and on.  Isn’t that just like the enemy?  But Scripture tells us otherwise!

2 Corinthians 5:5 says “God Himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee, He has given us His Holy Spirit.”

We may feel like we aren’t good enough to be an example for others.  We may find it hard to believe that our own story of deliverance could help someone else who is struggling.  The apostle Paul said “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body.  We are all parts of His one body and each of us has a different work to do.  And since we are all one body of Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others” Romans 12:4-5.  “We are God’s masterpiece, He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so that we can do the good things He has planned for us long ago”  Ephesians 2:10.

To have a perfect view of where each of us fit into the grand scheme of things, we need to see that God has a purpose for each one of our lives and He created us with abilities and talents.  He likens us, if you will, to a part of a body where every single part is needed for the whole thing to work properly.  If you isolate any part of the body and examine it apart from it’s proper place and function, it may seem odd, useless even.  Only when it’s connected to the body and doing what it is supposed to do is it’s true purpose and usefulness realized. One body, many members.

As in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 “So it is with the body of Christ.  Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit and we all share the same Spirit.”  As believers, we should be standing hand in hand across this world trying to preach one message—the most important message.

2 Corinthians 6 sums it up in verses 1 and 2, “As God’s partners, we beg you not to reject the marvelous message of God’s great kindness. For God says, ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ ”  Indeed God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.

NeverGodsWill_TeresaBolmeGod has given His church an enormous responsibility!  To make new disciples in every nation, preaching, teaching, healing, nurturing, giving, administering, building and many other tasks  (Matthew 28:18-20).  We cannot do this by ourselves. God calls us, as members of His body, together so that we can obey Him more fully and we can accomplish more together than we ever could by ourselves-working together, the Church, all of us to express the fullness of Christ.

Let’s not get separated because of doctrinal differences, and let’s agree that because we have the unity of the spirit, together we can cover the world and make sure every ear will hear the good news that we are so fortunate to hear on a daily basis. Ephesians 4:3-6  says “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in spirit, binding yourselves together in peace. For there is one body and one spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one truth, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is overall and living through all.”

I challenge you today to find the place(s) where your talents can be used, where your abilities are valuable.  God loves us and He wants us to find our place in the Body of Christ and our unique purpose in this life.  Just as Paul challenges the church, God also is begging us to lead a life worthy of our calling.  We have been called by God!

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We love You and we praise You for Who You are.  You love us unconditionally.  You show us mercy and grace and we are so undeserving.  Give us the confidence we need to step out of our comfort zones to be Your hands and feet to this hurting world.   We have what it takes for You have given us the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us.  You have given us Your Word as a reference and Your promises that You will never break.  We are a body of believers and may we be unstoppable!   May we be a force for good and show others the love You so freely give.  May we stand unified as one for Your kingdom and Your mission, and may we spread the good news that Jesus saves!  We want all Your people to have the chance to live with You in Heaven forever.  We love You and may we continue to show You how much.  In Your Son’s name we pray.

Amen.

 

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“I AM” Chapter 6 – Day 3: I AM…God’s Workmanship

August 14, 2013 by

Eph2_10

Have you ever wondered just how God made everything?   Have you been sitting outside during the summer looking up at the beautiful sky with all the twinkling stars shining like diamonds, the bright moon shining so bright you didn’t need a flashlight?  What about walking along the beach as the sun begins to pop up on the horizon with it’s beautiful orange canvas?  What about when the skies turn dark and thunder is clapping so loud you need earplugs?   These ladies are some of the many wonders of our Lord from His artistic hands!

Our God of the universe created all this beautiful artwork and more. As you sit and think on these, your mind is captivated by ALL the wonders of God’s creations; and yet, in all these things happening around us, there is still MORE!  Something even greater that He is molding into being.

 His greatest masterpiece of all time = You and Me!!!

God created the heavens and earth and He knew it was good, yet there was still something missing….It was US!!    So He decided He needed to make man in the image of Himself.    We were created to have fellowship with Him.   We were not just an after dinner thought.   We were the special finishing touch to His creation!

Zechariah 2:8 says ”For thus saith the Lord of hosts; after the glory hath sent Me unto the nations which spoiled you; for He that toucheth  you toucheth the apple of His eye.  He says we are His workmanship.”   How about that?  We are His greatest work of art.  We are so valuable that He tells us we are the apple of His eye!

Ephesians 2:10  says “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Did you know there is a Master at work in you?  Did you know your life is a priceless work of art? He is the Master Artist, who is painting, sculpting, chiseling away each day as He envisions you to be.  With every stroke He is shaping your identity in His image.   You can depend on His Masters Art Degree.   You will experience every day as He chisels at you that what you end up with is a “one of a kind”  “not for sale” masterpiece.

Do you have a hard time believing you are God’s masterpiece?  That you are special to Him?  If you question this at all, then that means ol’ slewfoot (Satan) is trying to convince you otherwise.  Don’t let him come in and fill your head and heart up with all kinds of lies.  This is definitely not what our God thinks of us!

How about taking a trip to the closest mirror in your house…go…right now…then come back….and take a long hard look while you are there.

OK, so what did you see?  I pray you saw a beautiful cherished creation, a treasure, a masterpiece!  Because that is what God created when He made you.  But maybe you saw some things when you looked in that mirror that you didn’t like.

Think of your life when you look in the mirror as a canvas that began empty with nothing there but as soon as you were born He began a new work in you creating an astounding depiction of His glory and grace.   I know sometimes you may think “But wait, God…this part of my life is a waste;  don’t draw that!”   But remember these are some special strokes and chiseling that God is having to apply as He is growing us, changing us into His special masterpiece.

Are you willing to let Him paint, chisel you until He gets you right where He wants/needs you to be?

 You are His most prized possession and what matters most to Him is you!

So why not let Him be the creative Master artist that He is and let Him transform you so that you reveal His beauty, His glory and His love, His MASTERPIECE!

A lovely work that comes straight from the Master’s hand.

 When you looked in that mirror did you question, “God, am I your masterpiece?”

If you feel or have felt this way at any time in your life,  open your heart, your ears, and watch this video and allow God to show you who you are or who you can become.

Now say this  “(your name)  is God’s  original Masterpiece!”

 

Let’s Pray:

Dear God,

Sometimes it is hard for me to think of myself as a piece of Your artwork, created to be just who You wanted me to be.  Help me to acknowledge and embrace who You have made me to be.  I’ve had areas in my life that needed or still need chiseling, and I thank You for continuing to be a Master Artist and stroking me daily in areas that need to be fixed.  Help me, Lord, to fully be that person You had in mind as You made me.  Help me to live to glorify You and to fully reveal this wonderful masterpiece that You continually grow and chisel each day!  In Your name I pray.

Amen!

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