Mordecai has gotten wind that there is a plot to kill all the Jews in the kingdom, and while Esther, herself, is a Jew, it's been kept secret from her husband, the king. Mordecai implores Esther to go before the king and plead his favor, asking him to spare her people. But Esther reminds Mordecai that it is the law of the land that if anyone goes before the king unbidden, death is the penalty. Mordecai then tells his daughter that, as a Jew, she cannot expect to escape the destruction coming against all Jews, and that if she chooses to not help, that God will send His relief and deliverance from another source, and her father's house will perish. Then he speaks the words that I believe apply to us in this generation ... "Who knows if you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther's response ... to gather all the Jews together and ask them to fast on her behalf as she approaches the king, even though it is against the law. "If I perish, I perish" are her words that echo across the centuries.
I think it is imperative [in this time and place] that we ask ourselves if we have the courage and faith of Esther. We have to be blind, and far beyond a "normalcy bias" mindset to not see the shifting sands we have been resting upon for the last few decades. If the panic and fear of the pandemic in 2020 wasn't enough for us to begin examining where we are in our Biblical worldview, or to discern the changing winds of world history, then surely we can see the current precipice on which we stand. The growing involvement of AI in our daily lives; the geoengineering of plant and animal life; the promotion of gender dysphoria; the drums of war throughout the world; and the trading of human flesh for the perverted pleasures of men are all birth pains of the intolerable evil which Jesus has forecast.
It cannot be appeased by politics or a new president. And sadly, the modern Western Church is unequipped to face the strategies of the kingdom of darkness. They are unaware of [or choose to ignore] the depth of depravity that is an undercurrent in our society and culture. And believe me, I understand the fear, anxiety, and disquiet in our souls when we dare to look at it. But we can no longer afford to turn away. Our newscasts are full of innocent people being assaulted and killed by random acts of violence as they stand on a street corner, or wait for a bus. The physical and moral evil of the child sex trade is storing up wrath in the Kingdom of Heaven, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. And just this weekend, I met a woman whose husband is using ChatGPT to engage with AI to create monsters that he hopes to interact with! The really sad thing is this man was an innocent child who was exploited and molested as a child, and his life began to spiral out of control until he now finds himself skirting the edges of being lost forever. I ask you ... Is the Church equipped to minister to him? Would they even try? Or is he just another casualty of a society and religious system that doesn't have any answers to the growing evil in the world?
If you are a Kingdom-believing Christian, where does all this leave you? Once you are willing to "face the monster", so to speak, is it possible to truly live in a "Kingdom mindset", not letting the affairs of the world shake our faith and trust in our Father and King? I can assure you that our Father in Heaven hears our cries. And He is not absent in this situation, just as He was not absent in Esther's plight.
And if you happen to believe that the state of the Christian Church in these modern times is inoculated against the consequences of our mindset [sorry for the pun] -- let me ask you to reconsider. Hear the words of Mordecai to Esther and take them to heart ... "Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, liberation and rescue will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish [since you did not help when you had the chance]. And who knows whether you have attained royalty for such a time as this [and for this very purpose]"?
Just like Esther, we Christians have to decide what our response is going to be. I cannot answer for others, but I can tell you that I have always felt that there would one day be a tremendous trial come upon the world, and I would have the opportunity to not only experience it, but stand for the Lord. Notice, I did not say that God is necessarily testing us. That infers that God has given His approval for the trials and evil the world is experiencing.
Instead, I recognize that much of the panic and hysteria that people will encounter will come from their lack of relationship with God, and their misplaced worship of the conveniences that the world offers them. Many Christians are guilty of this! We have fallen into step with society and the culture, and we worship our status, our wealth, our power, and our comfort. Many of us spend more time with our Facebook friends than we do with our Father in Heaven. We have not sought His will in how we should live our lives, OR how we should defeat the evil in the world. We have not fed on the Word of God, but have indulged in our appetites of unrighteousness and greed.
And now that may all come to a halt. There is [once again!] talk of a mandatory shutdown of the nation's government for an undetermined amount of time as our politicians haggle over the national debt, the corruption in high places, and the emboldening of our enemies. Everything in our world could change overnight. There will be people who will suffer if our medical system, transportation system, banking system, food distribution system, utilities system, political system, and yes, even our religious system is challenged -- especially our religious system.
Will people blame God? Will they curse Him in the midst of their despair? Will they try to bargain with Him? Or will they fast [like Esther and her people] for strength and wisdom, and then humble themselves, and pray and seek His face and be prepared for come what may? Are you honestly prepared to trust God and like Esther, say, "If I perish, I perish", knowing that you have stood righteously against Satan's plans for the world? And will the Church rise up and see this for the opportunity it is? For this is a time when not only can the world reset, and begin to look more like it was created to be, but Believers can begin to walk in their true Kingdom identities and take back Kingdom authority over those worldly systems that have gone so far astray.
This is the time to reclaim the earth for the Kingdom of God! It is a time, in the words of the late Dr. Myles Munroe, to "establish the governing influence of our King over the territory called Earth, impacting it with His will, His purpose, and His intent, producing a citizenship of people who reflect the King's culture, nature, values, and morals". Doesn't the world need that? Doesn't our nation? And don't you want to be a part of that?
I am watching people expressing their fears over what the future holds while I am calm and filled with anticipation and expectation. I believe the Lord desires to do a great work in the lives of millions of people. And as always, everyone has a free will choice how they will receive His invitation. Whether it is millions who answer Jesus's call, or just a remnant, Satan has had his way for far too long! The battle over mankind is intensifying. But what the devil means for evil, God will use for His good. We can see ourselves as being born for this time and join with God to glorify Him in the midst of the coming trials ... or we can sit back and wait for Jesus to do all the work. But that's not why we're here! This is an amazing time to spread the Gospel of the Kingdom and to be an instrument of God to sow into the hearts and lives of people.
It is an exciting time to be on the earth. It is a favorable time to be a worker in the Kingdom. It is also a dangerous time. The rulers in the spiritual realms, along with the authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places are all going to fight back against the Kingdom of God. We can expect to be embattled and we must prepare for casualties; yes, even martyrdom. I know that's not an idea that brings comfort, but just like Queen Esther, we must stand firm, declaring, "If I perish, I perish". Nothing is secure in this new world we find ourselves -- not even our lives. But there is one thing we can count on for sure... Jesus has paid for our victory! And just as Mordecai exhorted Esther, we can choose to be a part of that victory or not, but we can be assured that if it is not you or me, "God will send His relief and deliverance from another source", and our house and/or nation could perish. I want to be part of that victory source! I was born for such a time as this, and you are, too! Our Father in Heaven, use us to help bring Your Kingdom to earth and heal our land and this world!
John 14:1 Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.
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