MAGNIFICENT
TURNAROUNDS – ESTHER, JOSEPH, AND US
On
my calendar, I saw that Tuesday is Purim. I don’t know much about Jewish
holidays, so I looked it up. The Jewish holiday of Purim celebrates the
preservation of the Jewish people from an edict given by Haman (Esther 9:1)
during the reign of King Xerxes of Persia. In the edict, Haman plotted to
destroy the entire Jewish population. Purim means “lots” in ancient Persian.
The holiday was thus named since Haman had thrown lots to determine when he
would carry out his diabolical scheme. Haman wanted to destroy the people, but
God had something very different in mind.
God
worked through Queen Esther to destroy Haman instead. It was a total turnaround
for God’s people. I know you’ll enjoy the new insight the Lord will give you if
you take the time to read the book of Esther this week. It’s only 10 chapters,
and it’s right before the book of Job.
The
story of the magnificent turnaround of the Jews in the book of Esther reminds
me of Joseph in Genesis, where his brothers lowered him into a pit that they
thought he could not escape from. They left him for dead. But God turned it
completely around to where Joseph became the very rich and wise advisor to the
Pharaoh of Egypt.
All
of this above makes me turn to something I’ve been learning about this week in
reading the book PIGS IN THE PARLOR. (I highly recommend it!) When
demons are cast out of believers, their whole lives can be totally turned
around, cleansed, sanctified, holy, and without blemish.
As
it says in Ephesians 5:25b-27: “as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that
he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or
any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
This is the
part that really got me, starting with 1 Peter 1:18-19: “Forasmuch as ye know
that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold.
. ., but with the precious blood of Christ.”
“What? know ye
not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Think about it:
Our body and our spirit are God’s because Jesus paid for us. The rotten things
about us as well as the good, became God’s. When we accepted Christ as Lord, we
became sons and daughters of God.
As the authors
of PIGS IN THE PARLOR so aptly describe: “The Christian should always
consider indwelling demons as unnecessary and undesirable TRESPASSERS. A
trespasser is one who unlawfully and stealthily encroaches upon the territory
of another. Trespassers can continue their unlawful practices until they are
confronted and challenged on the basis of one’s legal rights. Jesus has
purchased the believer with his own blood and has made him a steward over his
own life. [with authority over demons – my emphasis].
“The devil has
no legal right to him; however, it is up to him to defend his rights. No demon
can remain when the Christian seriously desires him to go! “Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you” (James 4:7b).
There are so
many other great truths laid out in this book, but this first one I thought was
really important to share. Since we are Christ’s, no demon has the lawful right
to mess with us.
Like what
happened at the original Purim in about 357 BCE, our body, soul and spirit can
be completely turned around by not allowing demons to trespass. John 10:10
tells us the devil’s mission is to steal, kill and destroy, just like Haman
wanted to do to God’s people in Persia. But one believer, Esther, turned
everything around by obeying God. Same with Joseph in Egypt, The devil nearly
killed him, but when God sent some nomad merchants along, Joseph was rescued
and blessed by God.
We have the
same privilege today to turn around our own lives as well as the lives of other
believers by kicking the trespassers out of our lives in the name of Jesus
Christ. As the scripture says in Philippians 2:10: “at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth,
and things under the earth.” God’s
deliverance is for real.
Love, Carolyn
If you’re
interested in learning more, the book I mentioned has been enlightening and
helpful in this subject, and there are also many others available now. Several
years back, I tried to find out about deliverance ministries, and I tried to
find good books on deliverance as well, and there was next to nothing, but I
thank God for what has been opened for us now. Also, I want to mention that
there is a movie coming out next Monday, the 13th on Fathom Events. It’s called
COME OUT IN THE NAME OF JESUS. I haven’t seen it, but a couple of friends I
went to Bible college with are involved with this ministry, so I will
definitely check it out. I think it’s only playing one night so far.
One more thing:
My book is now out in paperback and Kindle: BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE.
Lots of great stories of things God has in nature that teach us about Himself
and His ways. 😊
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