{"id":14612,"date":"2013-09-18T01:00:38","date_gmt":"2013-09-18T06:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=14612"},"modified":"2013-09-17T23:04:41","modified_gmt":"2013-09-18T04:04:41","slug":"esther-chapter-38-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2013\/09\/18\/esther-chapter-38-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Esther – Chapter 3:8-11"},"content":{"rendered":"

Haman the Agagite is an arrogant, prejudiced, hateful, bold-faced<\/span> liar. He was given a position of honor by King Xerxes (Ahasuerus), but that wasn\u2019t enough for him \u2013 he had to be worshipped, as well.\u00a0 And when Haman wasn\u2019t worshipped by Mordecai, he leveled a false charge of disobedience or insubordination against an entire race of people, wrapped it up in an ingratiating package that looked like loyalty and served it up to the king.\u00a0 Deceived<\/span>, the king obliged him.<\/p>\n

Does Haman sound like anyone else you know??\u00a0 May I speak Southern, ladies?\u00a0 Haman is the devil.\u00a0 (We call<\/span> all manner of things \u201cthe devil\u201d in the south that seek to do us harm \u2013 that nosey neighbor, preparing your taxes, cupcakes\u2026. You get the picture.)\u00a0 Now Haman is not LITERALLY the devil, but he has so many of Satan\u2019s characteristics \u2013 elevated to a high place, yet wanting the worship due the King (God); arrogant; hate filled; a definite prejudice against God\u2019s people and a liar. \u00a0In this book, Darlene reminds us of Job\u2019s story, where Satan has an exchange with God about Job, and she calls him a tattletale<\/span> of sorts; \u201c\u2026 who puts God\u2019s people in the worst possible light to discredit our faith as he seeks to tempt and destroy all believers\u201d (page <\/span>39).\u00a0 I do agree, but let\u2019s call things as they are \u2013 Satan is known in the Bible as the accuser<\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ.\u00a0 For the accuser<\/i><\/b> of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down\u201d\u00a0 (Revelation 12:10 NIV).<\/p>\n

To accuse<\/b>, per the dictionary, is to charge with a shortcoming or error, or charge with a wrongdoing, fault, offense or crime. Sounds pretty serious, doesn\u2019t it?\u00a0 Satan, per Revelation, stands before God day and night<\/i> charging you and me <\/b>with wrongdoings, with crimes against God, with faults. What did Haman say in verse 8?\u00a0 \u201cThey do not obey the King\u2019s laws; it is not in the King\u2019s best interest to tolerate them.\u201d (Esther 2:8, NIV) Furthermore, he suggests that he be allowed to destroy them (verse 9).\u00a0 Unlike the King, God is not<\/i> deceived! The blood of his son, Jesus, was willingly shed for you to save your life and make you a brand new person!\u00a0 In Psalm 103:12, it says: \u201cHe (God) has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.\u201d (NLT)\u00a0 Not perfect?\u00a0 No problem!\u00a0 In 1 John 1:9, John says that \u201cIf we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.\u201d (NIV)<\/p>\n

Now hear me, sisters.\u00a0 If Satan is working day and night to accuse us before God, and God\u2019s not listening to him, who do you think believes Satan\u2019s lying garbage?\u00a0 We do<\/b>.\u00a0 What does Satan\u2019s accusations look<\/span> like?\u00a0 Stop me when this sounds familiar: \u201cYou don\u2019t obey God\u2019s commands.\u201d\u00a0 You think God can love you with your <\/i>past?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll never be good enough.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll never amount to anything.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cYou aren\u2019t a very good Christian.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve never finished anything you\u2019ve started.\u00a0 Why even try?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cDo you really think you\u2019re equipped to lead a small group\/start a ministry\/teach a class\/make a difference?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cGod doesn\u2019t care about you. Why bother?\u201d\u00a0 Lies, lies, LIES!!!\u00a0\u00a0 Satan is going to be punished for all eternity, and he\u2019s trying to take everybody with him.\u00a0 If he can\u2019t get God to sign off on you (never happen!), then he\u2019ll try\u00a0 to get you<\/b> to give up on God<\/b>.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why Ephesians 6:10-18 is so important .\u00a0 It tells us how to shield ourselves \u201c…against the devil\u2019s schemes\u201d (verse<\/span>11).\u00a0 This passage tells us about putting on \u201cthe armor of God.\u201d\u00a0 There are many ways that we can protect ourselves from Satan\u2019s schemes, but only one way to fight back \u2013 with the Word of God, which is called the \u201csword of the Spirit\u201d (verse<\/span> 17).\u00a0 When Satan whispers some lie in your ear, tell him (and remind yourself!) what ALMIGHTY<\/b> GOD<\/b> says about you!\u00a0 You are LOVED<\/b> (John 3:16) ! You are REDEEMED<\/b> (Galatians 3:13, Psalm 107:2).\u00a0 You are PERFECT <\/b>(Psalms 139:13-14)!\u00a0 You are a CHILD OF THE KING <\/b>(1 John 3:1)!!<\/p>\n

Enough, sisters!\u00a0 Have you allowed Satan to accuse you of things that God refuses<\/b> to hold against you, or even think<\/i> about you?\u00a0 No more!\u00a0 If you see yourself as \u201cless than,\u201d let\u2019s ask God to help you see the truth; you are royalty!\u00a0 You are a child of the King!<\/p>\n