When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.
Esther 8:15-17
LESSONS FROM QUEEN ESTHER'S STORY:
DO NOT SURRENDER TO THE ENEMY. PRAY UNCEASINGLY, INSTEAD.
"pray continually" 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
The Jews could have also chosen to die. Are there cases where we surrender to the enemy instead of praying and listening to God with steadfast faith?
How about the challenges we face, are you ready to give up and surrender? In your opinion, why is it important to listen to the Holy Spirit in spiritual warfare?
DO NOT FEAR, DO NOT STOP. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT GOD IS ON THE THRONE, HE NEVER SLUMBERS, HE NEVER LOOSES. MAY HE BE NEAR TO THOSE WHO FAITHFULLY CALL ON HIM FOR HELP.
The Example of Queen Esther:
When we receive Christ as our Lord and personal Savior, it’s the beginning of a new life, the start of an exciting learning journey filled with amazing experiences. In the walk of salvation, the most significant form of learning is experiential.
God is Spirit and communicating with Him will be extremely hard unless we have surrendered fully to Him, remain obedient and full of the Holy Spirit each second of our life on earth. When we receive the Holy Spirit we should never assume all struggles are over. The mind will need to be trained in the knowledge and fear of God experientially. This underscores the importance of keeping the mind pure, attentive and sober each second of our life on earth.
Filling our minds with the word of God will bring healing and eternal life if we obey God continually. The word of God is sharper than a double edged sword, with great power to fight against the devil’s evil tricks. It’s strong enough to protect us from any form of corruption and enslavement. Blessings will flourish in the lives, families and generations that obey God as Abraham did. God desires everyone to live with each other in harmony, sober, loving and ready to pray. It’s very important to pray and read the word of God together regularly.
A true Christian should know Christ personally as his Lord and Savior and should endeavor to be active in Church. Take on the armor of God and pray without ceasing, asking God to direct your paths so that, even if it may be hard for you to find effective opportunities for sharing your faith in Church, you can influence your Church to a revival through your lifestyle. Allow God to live mightily in your life and to work through you for your redemption and healing. By this God will work through you for the redemption and healing of many souls, even when you may not be physically aware.
While we all wait for our Lord’s return, it’s much safer to regard each day as if it were our last day on earth. There will no longer be any more opportunities to repent or correct our wrongs after death.
God does not expect us to be spirit-filled and just rest with it. Just as water refreshes, a spirit-filled life will bring healing and restore Godly worship to as many as believe.
I met a friend online during a Bible study fellowship, and he asked me a wonderful question: "What is the percentage of Christians in your country?" I told him 80%. He said, "How many of those are practicing Christians?" I didn't have the data, but all I know is that it's very hard to tell, but it's not a big number. This made me think, how about the 20%? The experiences we face, the bad things, unreliability, things that are not good… Are they done by the other 20%?
The term 'born again' first appears in the New Testament during Jesus' teaching. Nicodemus comes along and he's teaching him about being born again. Nicodemus doesn't understand, wonders whether one has to go back into the mother's womb and come out again. Jesus helps him understand. Today we don't ask Nicodemus' questions because he helped us to understand.
The word 'Christian' came later to refer to the people who follow Jesus Christ and obey him. This implies that at the beginning, the term 'born again' and the word 'Christian', those two terms are the same. They mean the same person. But time changed, and then things were different.
Back to us today, saying 'I'm a Christian' doesn't really mean much, because being a Christian doesn't mean you really obey God. It simply means you belong to the Christian community.
And we've come to a time when describing oneself as 'born again' doesn't make much sense. People have been using the term 'born again' to tell you, "I am a Christian, but one who is practicing what the Bible says." This trend is shifting now. People say, "I'm born again," and then they ask them, "Which church do you go to? Who is your pastor?"
So the church and the pastor are becoming defining factors as to whether the person who is saying he's born again is truly on the right track, because everyone is probably on a scale set by men.
The good news here is that God is still the same, as the scriptures tell us, and he never changes. He's still the righteous God. Only we, the people, keep changing. We even find words to describe ourselves. But God really wants us to obey him. Despite all the changing terminologies, perceptions, descriptions, the word of God remains the same. Of course, as the scriptures say, that the word of God shall not pass away. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but the word of God shall not pass away.
That is our hope. We need to live genuine, true to the word of God. Say things that are true to yourself. Walk the talk. Even if everybody else around you may change, do not change.
That's why it's important as you pray, to read the word of God as well, in order to grow in knowledge and understanding. It's important to read with the mind, with intellect. It is very essential. Ask questions. Be part of a Bible study group. Do not think you know it all alone; that could lead you into some kind of heretical path, and you don't want to be there. You need to be part of a group, share your reasoning, let them share theirs.
Accept the Holy Spirit. Many people have decided to set themselves against the Holy Spirit. They really have nothing to do with him, but they are Christians, and they will fail. Get to understand, please, that the Holy Spirit has been given to God's children who obey, to help them in understanding the word of God. Please, do not set yourself against him. It will not help you. We need God's Holy Spirit.
As we close this discussion, there are four essential things to remember. Pray without ceasing. Study God's word continually. Join a Bible study group. Tell people what God has done for you. Be free. Some places or churches may not like that part, but how are you going to grow? Do not go for war with your churches. I will never tell you to do that. But that doesn't mean you should keep quiet. Does your church tell you not to testify even in your house, to your neighbors?
Thank you so much, and God bless you.
Allow me today to share an experience I had just recently when I went to fuel the car I was driving, and something really unexpected happened.
Our topic today, let us follow the topic "Transcending Peace Within."
I remember every Sunday in the church, a priest would say, "May the peace of God which passes all understanding..." He would proclaim peace over us. Things we take passively, but they are real. I don't take God passively, and I pray always that whenever I go to a church, I ask God to open my ears and my inner understanding because there is a lot that God speaks to us through the scriptures, through the priests that God has given us.
So, people of God, servants of God, thank you. And whenever I'm in a church, I want to listen. This time round, this is something in the marketplace, an experience. When I think about it right now as I share in this podcast, I look back and I'm full of joy because of the outcome of the kind of response, unexpected response. When we choose to take this for real, the kind of experience and response we get afterwards will bring joy and inner transcending peace.
So, at a fuel station, a gentleman does not read the sticker that says "Diesel". He doesn't want to look at it. He just puts in petrol. Thank God, he stops slightly before he puts in one liter, after I ask him, "What are you putting in?"
Yeah, here where I come from, in my country, sometimes we don't read. Sometimes we can call when we are at a signpost; for example, if I'm going to Banana Hotel (doesn't exist), I'll be at the signpost and make a call, "Hello, where is the way to Banana Hotel?" even when there are arrows that show where I should go.
The gentleman, upon realizing he had put in the wrong fuel, he was timid. I was calm inside because I feel I've been transformed, and I'm undergoing transformation still in many other areas. But in this one, I thank God. I felt transcending peace, even when there was a crisis before me.
The gentleman does not read. He gives me wrong fuel. What is my response? Now, before I continue, what would be your response? I wish this was a discussion and I hear your experiences, wherever, whichever culture, what would be your immediate response?
The gentleman came over to apologize. But here's something strange on me again. Let me ask you, especially the practicing Christian believers who are reading. (Remember, my podcasts are not only for Christians. Please, these podcasts are for everyone). But let me ask a question for my fellow believers. In that case, what do you do?
And then there was another technician, by God's grace, he hadn't gone home. It was at night. Two technicians were able to give me advice from their experience. The matter was resolved. The gentleman who had put in wrong fuel had become calm seeing I was focused on solutions and not against him. That also gave me peace. His colleague was working with me to find the solution. The management also quickly understood.
There was nothing like, "No. You need to pay for this crime." I wanted peace for everyone.
I hope this gentleman will know that God changes people, and he can change him as well. As I share this podcast with you, everyone, wherever we are, we don't really have to talk too much, but how we react, how we respond to a situation has very many effects.
There is peace within, as a result of how we respond to situations. It determines how we affect the other people. And in our Christian world, for us who believe in Christ, this is how we change the world. Not looking for our own interests, but making sure we stay tuned to the Holy Spirit, who loves everyone and is the giver of peace.
God bless you so much. Thank you for reading.
In our previous topic we said, "If you find obstacles or notice a lack of moral compass for your leader, know at once you need a mentor."
Please also note that it's possible to brand a leader wrongly, simply because of impatience or conflict of interests. In any case, it's not advised to launch an opposition against your leader. Do not even attempt to do so secretly. Instead, please follow internal guidelines and procedures to address your concerns. If these don't help, you might have two options; resign or seek a mentor to help you navigate the difficult season.
In this topic we will look at God walking with Joseph through his terrifying experiences. The rest of us, let's look for human mentors!
The most inspirational story for young people is Joseph’s victorious response to serious problems as recorded in the book of Genesis chapter 39. Joseph was the 11th of the 12 sons of Jacob. He was voluntarily loved by his father, because he was the son of his old age (Gen. 37:3). But his brothers hated him for that. Joseph was an obedient boy as he grew up. His brothers weren’t as well behaved and Joseph kept reporting them to their father.
Joseph had a dream twice, that clearly indicated God was preparing him for leadership and that his parents and brothers would bow before him one day. Jacob didn’t understand but he did not fight the boy. He only kept thinking about it. His other sons were terrible that time. These brothers, ten of them, plotted to kill their brother Joseph just for his dreams and being favored by his father. Reuben advised them to throw him in a dry well instead, and later Judah advised they sell him to Ishmaelite traders. That started his days of suffering as a captive, slave, then prisoner, before God finally fulfilled His plan for him.
After Joseph was separated from His father Jacob, he was deprived of a credible mentor, at least an encourager. God had already started communicating to Joseph through dreams, which even Jacob was still yet to understand.
Joseph’s life appeared unfortunate even when he was being prepared for a position of high-level leadership. In a dry well – he could have died of hunger or suffocation by water. The traders could have killed him on the way. In slavery he could have been lost forever without trace. After being charged falsely with rape he could have been sentenced to death. In a foreign prison he could have died there and forgotten. None of the challenges he went through stood in the way of his relationship with God. He kept a close relationship with God and by that God’s favor evidently remained on him.
Did the rage kill the dream? No! Did the tricks of an adulterous woman overcome the dream? No! Did prison life and the test of time stop the dream? No! So, what helped Joseph? He kept his faith in God and feared Him above all.
If Joseph was here, I would recommend Him as the priority mentor choice. Now you have to find one that at least beats all others in excellence of character, learning and allegiance to God. If Joseph had discarded God's sovereign power like we often do, where would his stubbornness have reached him? And if we don't learn from Golden history, what type of world will we reap tomorrow?
Just remember to find a mentor who honors God and has triumphantly gone through the experiences you are facing.
Your next step in life is to pledge your allegiance to God. As a leader, start mentoring someone. That's how excellent leaders are raised. If you are already mentoring one, make sure your "mentoring house" is built on the rock. You don't have to waste your valuable time on anyone who is already opposed to God deep inside their hearts. That would look like you care nothing about the God of Truth.
Thank you for Watching, Listening or Reading.
Thank you so much. Enjoy your reading and please keep praying for these series to end well.