Rena Groot's Blog, page 3

You Were Made For Such a Time as This

Do you like stories? This very cool story goes back to an ancient Persian court. If you are wondering what this story has to do with you, the answer is everything. God orchestrated the events of Esther’s life to position her to be able to save her people. If Esther hadn’t been in the palace to plead for her people, Mary, the mother of Jesus’, would have never been born. You would be facing an eternity without God. When God positioned Esther in a palace, He was also thinking of you.

Thousands of years ago, an impulsive and possibly very drunk king commanded his beautiful wife to appear before his gathering of nobles and princes. Vashti refused, which infuriated the king. She was immediately removed from her royal position. Now the king had a problem. There was no beautiful queen to show off to all his nobles. Someone had a brilliant idea. All the fair young virgins of the kingdom were invited to be part of a beauty pageant, with no chance to decline the invitation. The winner would become the next queen. Losers became the king's concubines. A beautiful young woman named Esther was crowned Miss Iran, and became the favorite wife of King Ahasureus. So far there's not much intrigue to the story. But wait...

The king's favorite advisor, Haman, was enraged that Mordecai, a Jew, refused to bow to him. So, he came up with a diabolical plan. He asked the king to allow him to remove all the undesirables from the kingdom. He didn't mention he meant all the Jews. What Haman didn't know was Mordecai was the queen's uncle. Esther had been an orphan so Mordecai raised her as his own child. Another thing Haman didn't know was Esther was a Jew. God is not mentioned in the book of Esther, but His fingerprints are all over the story.

Mordecai overheard two men plotting to murder the king, informed Esther, and the matter was recorded in a book of chronicles before the king that Mordecai saved his life. That part of the story gets dropped here, but will be picked up again shortly. Back to Haman. His desire to kill the Jews came from an ancient hatred, one that went back to King Agag. Haman was an Agagite, a relative of this Amalekite king. The Amalekites were enemies of the Jews. Haman was enraged that someone revered God more than man, and refused to bow to him.

Haman cast lots, called purim, to see what day the Jews were to be annihilated. Mordecai learned of the plot and warned Esther not to think she was safe in the king's house. He said, "If you keep quiet now, deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, and your family will be destroyed." Esther asked the Jews in the palace to fast and pray with her for three days.

Esther chose not to just sit idly by. She seized the moment and said she would go into the throne room to see the king. If he was in a nasty mood, and didn't hold out his golden sceptre, the queen would be killed. Esther said, "If I perish, I perish." Dressed in her royal robes, Esther must have been so relieved when the king held out the golden sceptre. Esther invited the king and his chief advisor Haman to a banquet. Schwarzriesling may have been popular then.

Meanwhile, Haman told his family how great he was, and that he was the only one besides the king invited to the queen's banquet. After his bragging ceased, Haman was so insanely mad at Mordecai he had a high gallows built to hang him on. That very night, the king couldn't sleep. He had a royal servant bring him the chronicles of his kingdom. I wonder if he thought the boredom would put him to sleep. The part about Mordecai saving the king's life was the chosen entry. The king asked how Mordecai had been rewarded. He hadn't. Now the king couldn't sleep as he pondered how to reward Mordecai.

The next morning Haman arrived at the palace, ready to ask the king's permission to hang Mordecai. The king asked him how someone the king delights to honor should be rewarded. Haman assumed the king wanted to reward him. He suggested the person being honored should be robed in the king's royal robes, led through the streets on the king's horse by one of the king's most noble princes. The noble was to cry out, "This is what happens to someone the king delights to honour." The king liked that idea, and commanded Haman to do all of that for Mordecai. Can you imagine the shock he felt? After leading Mordecai through the city on the king's horse, Haman ran to his house in shame. His wife and advisors told him, "If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom you have begun to fall, you shall not prevail against him, but shall surely fall." Did God put that prophetic word in their mouths? While they spoke, the king's chamberlains arrived to bring Haman to Esther's second banquet.

The king asked Esther why she was having these banquets. Esther pleaded, "If I have found favour in your sight, O king, and if it please 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, to be slain, and to perish..." The king must have been astonished at this news. Haman was probably choking on his food. The king asked who would dare to presume in his heart to do such a thing. Imagine Esther turning to look at Haman as she said, "The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman." Can you imagine his horror? The king rose up in a rage, went out into the garden, Haman fell on the queen's bed to beg for mercy, the king returned and saw Haman fallen over his wife, and demanded, "Will he force the queen also before me in the house?" Servants immediately covered Haman's face, and mentioned to the king there was a huge gallows prepared for Mordecai. Esther must have been horrified to hear that. The king ordered the servants to hang Haman on it.

Sometimes, God moves things very quickly. Mordecai took Haman's place of honour and his house, the massacre of the Jews was averted as they were allowed to fight against all who hated them, and the Feast of Purim was established. The moral of the story? Well, there are several. One courageous life can make all the difference in stopping evil plans. No schemes of man or power of hell will ever thwart God's plans. Messiah was to come from the lineage of the Jews. God would not allow them to be destroyed. God was behind the details of this ancient story. He is behind the details of your story. Just as Esther became queen and was brought into a kingdom to save her people, you have been brought to this earth for such a time as this. God will give you wisdom, strength and courage to accomplish whatever His plans are for your life. Blessings, Beloved of God.

Lies, Myths, and Facts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aIyZnFbOu0

This inspirational music video was produced in the Caesarea Amphitheatre by over 1000 Israelis. Some are the families of those held hostage by Hamas Terrorists.

There are many myths surrounding the land of Israel and the Palestinian conflict. WHat is the truth? I recently heard an excellent sermon on the subject by Dr. Daniel Robitshek. I am sharing a few points from his message and my thoughts on the matter based on my research.

Lies are fabrications pretending to be truth. Myths are lies that are told often enough they are believed to be truth. Truth is based on what is real - people, places, things, events. The first witness to the truth of the existence of God and His Word is the Jewish people.

Jews were scattered from Israel to the ends of the earth because of their disobedience to God. They broke the Covenant He established with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But God's Covenant with Israel is eternal and irrevocable. It can be violated by the Jews but it cannot be broken by God.

God in His kindness said one day He would bring the Jews back to their land. This happened. Israel has been restored as a nation. He promises to one day take their hearts of stone and give them hearts of flesh. One day they will recognize their true Messiah. The Jewish presence on the land proves the existence of God and His Word.

This verse was written to Israel, however, if you are a believer in Jesus the Messiah, you are included in God's Covenant to the Jews, and you are the second witness to the truth. But, there is a problem...

This is tragic. Many today who profess to love God hate His people. Many "Christians" have embraced a horrible doctrine called "Replacement Theology". It states God is finished with Israel. What nonsense. God made an everlasting Covenant with the Jews. One day, the Jewish Messiah will return to Israel to rule and reign the earth from Jerusalem. So, a myth is being shouted that says the land belongs to the Palestinians, but God keeps His promises.

God cannot lie. How can lies and myths be presented as truth and people believe them? The Nazis propaganda machine said if you told a lie big enough and kept repeating it, people would eventually believe it. Fact: The Jews were promised 120,000 square kilometres of land by the British after WWI. After WWII they were offered 12,000 square kilometres. They accepted and declared independence on May 14, 1948.

A myth is a lie imposed on people who don't know what the truth is. One myth the world has embraced is that Israel is aggressively attempting to steal land. Did you know that in 1973 Israel was attacked by 14 Middle Eastern and North African nations? They fought back, won, and offered land for peace...multiple times. The Palestinians refused every offer.

Israel is not an occupier. They left Gaza in 2005. The Palestinians chose Hamas as their government. It could have been a beautiful resort area, instead, the money given to the government was used to build tunnels and weaponize the land. The Palestinians have been used as human shields - pawns by those wanting to destroy Israel. Israel has said, if their enemies laid down their weapons there would be peace in the Middle East. If Israel laid down their weapons, they would be annihilated. Interestingly, the IDF stands for Israeli Defence Force. They are about defence, life...not offence. So, why is there such a savage agenda against Israel? Because Satan wants there to be no Israel for Jesus to come back to...

Myth - The Palestinians are an ancient people who historically lived in the land of Israel.

Fact - The Quran never mentions Palestine once, but mentions Israel 43 times (Bani Israel, sons of Israel), and says that Allah has ordained the holy land for them! Interesting...

Here are more facts.

Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. Israel is fighting for it's survival - and also for you. If Israel loses, democracy is destroyed, and you are the next target. Here's another interesting thought...

Jesus was not a Palestinian. He is a Jew. Because God owns the land of Israel, He decides who lives on it. It is clear from the Bible God gave the land as an eternal possession to the Jews. As stewards, they must follow His conditions. They have no right to give the land to others. There is so much more one can say. For more information please see this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUU11UFzzM8 I would love to hear your comments. 

Blessings, Beloved of God.

Psalm 122:6 "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure."

Echoes Into Eternity

The great theologian Maximus, in the movie Gladiator said, "What we do in life echoes in eternity". I believe that. We only have one life. It goes by quickly—sometimes at seemingly breakneck speed.

This life is a vapour compared to eternity. We must choose now which side of eternity we will stand on. One day, maybe soon, the King of all creation, Yeshua the Messiah, the King of the Jews, will set up His eternal Kingdom of God on Earth. He will rule and reign in righteousness from Jerusalem. There has to be an Israel for Jesus to return to. So, the enemy has fought ferociously throughout history to annihilate the Jews. Many people's hearts are turning against Israel and the Jewish people. So, my question is, where do you stand? Will you stand with God's covenant people, or will you side with the one who comes to rob, kill, and destroy?

The mighty God, the one who stretched out the heavens, who laid the foundations of the Earth, who makes Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all people round about, the One who forms the spirit of man in him, promised to make Jerusalem a burdensome stone. All who burden themselves with it will be cut to pieces. (Zech. 12:1-3) He that touches Israel touches the apple of His eye. (Zech. 2:8)

God made an eternal, irrevocable covenant with Israel. He promised to comfort Zion. He said He will again choose Jerusalem. God's promises to restore Israel are strewn throughout the Bible. He said He will bring His people from the nations. He is. He will turn their hearts to Him and breathe His Spirit into His people. That will happen. He will be Israel's God in truth and righteousness. (Zech. 8:7-8) His promises will be fulfilled.

Zechariah prophesied "in that day"- the last days before Jesus (Yeshua) sets up His eternal kingdom, all nations would come against Israel and seek to destroy her. In that day, it will not go well for the nations. Then, Israel will look on the one they have pierced. They will mourn for Him. (Zech. 12:9-10) In that day, the LORD shall be King over all the Earth. (Zech. 14:9). One day...one glorious day...the Earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD.

One day, we will see the King of kings. Meanwhile, which side of eternity will you stand on? I pray you are wise and stand with Israel. I also pray,"that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:9-11) May His love enfold you and may your life bring joy, glory, and honor to God—now and forever. Blessings, Beloved of God.

Your Purpose

You aren't on Earth by accident. You have a purpose. You may be thinking, "Who me? Who am I? What do I have to offer? What is my purpose?" The apostle Paul addressed these questions a few thousand years ago when he said this... "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God." 1 Corinthians 1: 26-29

That verse describes me. It describes you. It describes all people. No matter who we are, compared to God's infinite greatness, we have nothing to offer apart from His Spirit's enabling. Don't believe me? Without God, no one would even take their next breath. All we have is a gift from Him. Even the richest man on Earth is a pauper compared to God. In His kindness, God called us to be His for time and eternity. The all-powerful creator and sustainer of all that is chose us ~ weak, frail, earthen vessels ~ to contain His glory ~ His precious Holy Spirit. How incredible.

God created you for a purpose. Your reason to live goes far beyond this life. You were created for eternity. You have a high calling ~ a destiny beyond anything you can imagine. You have a mission no one else can fulfil. You will touch lives in ways no one else can. You have been called to follow God ~ to walk in His ways ~ to shine His light wherever you go. Your acts of kindness, love, and compassion reflect God's love and give others a glimpse of His beauty.

God didn't call you to join a religion. He called you to a relationship ~ to be a beloved part of His eternal family. No one else can take your place. He has called you to inherit eternal life ~ to be His for time and eternity. We share an incredibly high calling. Think about it ~ you have been invited to be in the royal family of the KING of kings and LORD of lords. Don't lose sight of that. It's beyond amazing. You are precious to the One who created the stars and calls them by name. He loves you with an everlasting love.

So, no matter who you are ~ no matter your age, your health, your financial situation ~ you are precious to God. My encouragement to you is that you ask Him to help you love Him with all your heart, soul, and mind ~ and to love others as you love yourself. Ask Him to lead you by His Spirit and fulfil His purposes for your life. May His love pour through you ~ through all of us who love Him and are called by His name. I pray all His beautiful purposes for your life will be fulfilled. Isn't it amazing to know you are deeply loved by God? Blessings, beloved of God.

The Bride Price

Let’s rejoice and be exceedingly glad,

and let’s give the glory to Him.

For the wedding of the Lamb has come,

and His wife has made herself ready.

Revelation 19:7

It was the night of the Passover. A marriage contract was offered. It was to be sealed by the bride drinking wine from a ceremonial cup handed to her by the groom. If the bride drank, it meant she agreed to the marriage. The groom knew he would not see his bride again until he had prepared a place for her and it was the day of their wedding.

It happened the night before Jesus was killed. Everything that was done would happen at a Galilean betrothal. Jesus offered the cup to His disciples in the upper room at the Last Supper. They accepted the cup and drank. When they drank from the cup, a spiritual betrothal was sealed. Jesus told His disciples He was going away to prepare a place for them...for us... and would come back for us. He said He would not drink wine again until He drank it new with us in His Father’s Kingdom.

Jesus was trying to tell us—all who would choose to follow Him—that we are His bride. In a betrothal, there was a bride price to be paid. Jesus knew the price He had to pay. It was exorbitant. Separation from His Father and torture awaited Him. He, who had known no sin, was about to take the sin of the world on Himself. He would carry the guilt and shame for every murder, every rape, every abused child—the sins of all mankind for all times. The enormity of the price He had to pay for His bride weighed heavily on Him. He asked His Father if there was some other way —if this cup could pass from Him. [1]

Jesus knew He was the Lamb slain from before the foundations of the world.[2] He knew He would be betrayed, slandered, and killed. He knew all that lay before Him—and He chose it. He drank the cup His Father gave Him. If He hadn’t—we would be doomed to Hell for all eternity. The wages of sin is death. He paid our wages so we wouldn’t have to—so we could be free from the penalty for sin.

This briefly describes what happened after the betrothal…

Peter, James and John accompanied Jesus to the garden of Gethsemane. Judas arrived with blazing torches and a band of soldiers. The betrayal was swift and brutal. Judas had been given thirty pieces of silver to betray his friend with a kiss. Jesus asked the soldiers who they searched for. They replied, “Jesus of Nazareth”. When He said, “I am He” the men fell to the ground. The power and authority of His voice knocked them backwards. Impetuous Peter swung his sword at the high priest’s servant, cutting Malchus’s ear off. Jesus touched the man and the ear was restored. The disciples fled and left Him alone.

So much happened so swiftly after that. Jesus was bound and led away to Annas, the father-in-law of the high priest. Peter and John followed the soldiers—and just as Jesus said would happen—Peter denied he knew the Lord three times before the rooster crowed. Peter was so guilt-ridden he went out and cried bitterly. Judas never repented. His story ended badly. He killed himself. The Messiah was then sent bound to Caiaphas, the high priest. Not having the authority to kill a man, the priest sent him to the Roman ruler. The soldiers threw Jesus before Pontius Pilot, who asked the crowd who should be released, Barabbas—a murderer—or Jesus who is called the Christ? Many who days before lay their cloaks on the road and hailed Him as Messiah, now screamed for His blood.

The soldiers stripped Him, put a scarlet robe on Him, placed a crown of thorns on His head, placed a reed in His right hand, bowed the knee before Him, and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews”. They ripped out his beard, spit in His face, then took the reed and hit Him, driving the cruel thorns into His head. The soldiers flailed Jesus’ naked body with a cat of nine tails. The whip had nine leather strips with shards of broken glass, sharp pieces of bone, jagged rocks, and broken pottery attached to the ends. The nine tails wrapped around his body thirty-nine times and tore him open from front to back. The whipping was so brutal his flesh hung in shreds and all his bones could be seen.[3]

He was marred more than any man ever had been. A bystander was summoned to carry the cross so Jesus wouldn't die before reaching Golgotha. He was to be hung on a tree, as foretold by the ancient prophets of God. He endured unbearable agony and pain. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross.[4] The sound of the metal spikes pounding through his flesh must have reverberated throughout Heaven. I wonder if the angels cried? It was a miracle none of his bones were broken,[5] just as was prophesied about the Passover lamb. 

The crucifixion scene was cloaked in darkness for three hours. Were there peals of thunder and flashes of lightning illuminating the sign nailed above His head, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS? [6] Pilot didn’t realize He was crucifying the Lord of Life, the Creator and Sustainer of all that is. Gazing at His persecutors, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” [7]

The Father turned His face away. He had to. His eyes are too pure to look on evil.[9] Jesus cried out, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” meaning, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?”[8] Even in death Jesus showed compassion—a home for his mother—“Woman, behold your Son.”[10] —and pardon for a dying criminal—“Today you shall be with Me in paradise.”[11] Jesus carried the death penalty for all mankind as He breathed, “It is finished.”[12] “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”[13]

This is amazing. The crucifixion was at the time of the Feast of Passover when a spotless lamb was killed as a memorial of the Jewish people’s miraculous deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. As Jesus breathed His last, the High Priest in the temple killed the sacrificial lamb. Jesus, the Lamb of God, died at that exact moment, to free us from the bondage of sin. Heaven must have been filled with the sound of weeping.

When Jesus died, the veil of the temple that separated the holy place from the holy of holies was torn from top to bottom. God Himself tore the curtain. He showed the way into His holy Presence was now open to all who would come. The bride’s freedom from the law of sin and death was purchased. Jesus paid the bride price with His life’s blood.

Jesus descended into Hell. Lazarus, King David, Moses—all the righteous dead who waited in Abraham’s bosom to be set free, heard Jesus voice. The depths of Hell were shaken.There was a great earthquake in Jerusalem. Rocks split and many dead saints came out of their graves and were seen walking in the streets of the city. Jesus grabbed the keys of Hell and death from Satan, and stripped him of any legal rights to mankind. All power and authority now belong to Jesus.

Three days after His death, an angel rolled the stone away from the tomb. It wasn’t so Jesus could get out of the burial cave. It was to show the world He wasn’t there. Many who saw Him dead and His body mutilated, must have been astonished to see Him alive, totally whole and in a perfect forever body.

Forty days later He ascended into Heaven. He is the firstborn from the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. He is in Heaven, preparing a place for His bride—for us. I am sure He is eagerly waiting for the day His Father determines all is ready. He is praying His bride will be strong and remain faithful. One day, our Abba Father will say, “MY BELOVED SON, GO GET YOUR BRIDE!”Jesus will be accompanied by an innumerable throng of jubilant angels. He will appear in the Heavens above the Earth. Can you imagine the excitement?

The bride had been told to be ready. She knows the bridegroom will come at an unknown time, as a thief in the night, with the blast of a shofar. She has been told to watch. One day, Jesus will stand in mid-Heaven—in the clouds—calling His bride. Those who are ready—who have placed their faith in Christ—will hear His voice. The righteous dead will rise first—then those who are alive and remain will rise into the air to forever be with the LORD.

Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.[14] Abba has invited you, and all who desire, to be in His royal, forever family. One day, there will be a magnificent marriage supper. The King will raise His glass of wine as a toast and I believe will say something like this, “L’Chaim—to life—everlasting life—with My beloved, precious bride. There will no longer be any death, mourning, crying, or pain. The sufferings, sickness, and sadness of Earth is over. There is no longer anything that defiles—no more evil intentions or betrayal. Sin, fear and torment are forever gone. Come. All is ready. I have prepared a wedding feast for you, My beloved bride."

This message is based on a chapter from my book, Convergence—A Window Into Eternity— Part 3 in the Narrow Path Trilogy. Available on Amazon.

Remember

Remember, the many who gave their tomorrows so we could have today.

Remember the cost many paid for the freedom of others. Corrie Ten Boom was a prisoner in Ravensbruck, a German concentration camp in WW II, because of her love for God's beloved people, the Jews. Her family hid many Jews in their little home in the Netherlands. A ‘friend’ she tried to help informed the Germans. Maybe he traded people's lives for cigarettes and ration cards?

The Ten Boom family was imprisoned—Corrie was the only survivor. She must have had a difficult time seeing God in the horrific scenes that surrounded her. After the war, Corrie traveled as a speaker and was able to tell people, “There is no pit so deep, the love of God is not deeper still.” Corrie’s messages brought hope, forgiveness, and newness of life to many.

Years after her miraculous release from prison, Corrie was asked to extend forgiveness to one of her former brutal guards. She realized she could only forgive with God's enabling power. As she asked God to help her forgive, all unforgiveness was shattered and replaced with love that only comes from the heart of God.

I have been to Auschwitz, Poland. I remember it as a horrible memorial of the evil and depravity that exists in the heart of man. I have been to Calvary in Israel. It is a testament to the unfathomable love of God. There is so much evil and sadness in our world. There will always be wars and rumours of war. We could drown in despair—or—we could keep looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. It's our choice.

Just as there are earthly wars, there is a spiritual war being waged for the eternal destinies of mankind. This war is more vicious than any that has ever played out on Earth's battlefields. It is a war being waged over you. Jesus entered this battle and fought for you. He gave His life so you could live in freedom. He wanted your freedom to last forever. It really is the war that will one day end all wars.

God is working all things in our lives for His purposes—for our ultimate good—for the good of others. God knows our circumstances. Even when things look overwhelming, remember, God’s ways are higher than ours. This is not the final chapter of our lives.

I am thankful for all who fought for our earthly freedom, and especially to Jesus who fought for our forever freedom. Remember the price that was paid for your freedom—both for time and for eternity. Blessings, Beloved of God.

(This is a link to Corrie Ten Boom's message--How to forgive.) bit.ly/4cZE5mv