Battle Ready and The Word of God

Esther 9:

Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the days the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had had rule over them that hated them.)

2. The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such that sought their hurt; no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.

3. And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies and officers of the king, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them

4. For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and the fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater

5. Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them..,

The battle line has been drawn. The Commander is set with his warriors tagged the called, the chosen and the faithful (Revelation 14:4). The Holy Spirit seems to arrange these stages or states in ascending order of meaning. First, it’s the called. God loves the world so much and offered His Son on the altar so that everyone might be called, have the opportunity of being called. It’s like the parable of the broadcaster of seeds. Some fell here and some fell there but every type of soil received seeds. What happened next was entirely up to the soils. The word or the message of the coming kingdom is the seed just as the Mordecai counter decree was a seed.

Second, chosen. Out of the called, the chosen. Many, says the Lord, are called but few are chosen. And I desire this state of being among the chosen.

Third, faithful. This state or stage of spiritual growth spells absolute commitment to the heart of the Father. This estate of spiritual existence has gone beyond self-centered stage of loving God for what He alone can give or do; the outstretched arm of the Lord for His benefits is the reason for making God a friend. But there’s another level of growth that overcomes the enemy not only by the blood of the lamb, but by the word of their testimony that Jesus is Lord and sovereign. And the final stage of this growth is when the chosen rises up to the occasion of demand of the Father’s heart and says, “If I perish, I perish!”; it’s the state of the faithful. This is the state, quoting my pastor, James Boanerges, “that refuses deliverance.”

Today, the days of stages of battle are here when these followers of the true God are to follow the King to the frontiers of war against who hate them, without dithering, without looking back regretfully. This reminds me of a Billy Graham’s quote: “….. but for how many of them will you be able to say at the end, ‘no reserve, no retreat and no regret?'”  I confess, Lord, to having a pile of regrets that occasionally gives me a heart seizure! Oh, that You will help me to focus on You alone!

We follow the Commander to the battle just as the Jews enter the war to salvage their life from death. I think I have an understanding here. Christ the Commander will also make us pass through cycles of death to self before He can come to our rescue. For months, the Jews in Medio-Pertia kingdom have been in limbo, having received a decree of sure death; then emerges Mordecai and Esther. Possibility of relief comes in the third month of the year and the decree of death hangs over them for nine months more. But the victory at last is the coming of Mordecai who changes the narrative of the preceding edict of destruction to the Jews; the final victory for the believers is the revelation or emerging of Christ Who has changed the narrative of the law of sin and death.

The battle which lasts for two days, at the request of Esther of the king, continues till 13th day of the month, and engulfed 75,800 enemies including the ten sons of Haman.

The final but fiercest battles of the age – which is all about the righteous judgements of God – are dictated by the believers as the angels’ blow of trumpets and pouring of vials. But meanwhile, “Occupy,” says the Lord, “till I come.” Im turning aside to dream, to be in a trance, enchanted by the wisdom of God Who’s able to draw the dragon, that ancient serpent, to the final battle and absolutely defeat him; He has defeated him on the cross, done all He has wanted to do about him for now. He’s asked me to occupy for Him – till He returns! Mordecai is the one force of authority that spells doom for all the enemies; Christ Who dwells in me is the force of authority destroying the enemies of God in me. At the name of Christ, all knees should bow…. Certainly, there’s no need for me to scream as I charge into this all-time-involving battle. By my living in the reality of what the Lord has accomplished for us on the cross, the fear of the Lord is bound to fall upon the enemies, the evil powers and oppressors. And those in the secret places will have to flee. They may make  this life awful – they’ve been doing that incessantly  – build obstruction against me – that had been their stock in trade and they may come against me in a million ways – that has been their busy schedule – but I cannot careless. I can move against them in prayers, but if their moves persists, I know then that it’s a signal for me to carve my way through the thicket of enemies. However, I’ve found out that the way to victory is to learn to ignore these defeated foes; addressing them, shouting at the top of my lungs at them is dignifying them. They don’t deserve that; they don’t deserve my recognition.

As long as I’m doing well in the Lord, I’ll not deign giving them recognition.

If, for this or that reason, the pressure of these forces succeeds in pushing me into the blind alley of them tampering with my subconscious, I know that beyond my insanity is the comforting arms of the Lord. And if I have to leave the scene, what do I care? To live is Christ and to die is gain. By my life AND by my death, the Lord Jesus Christ must be glorified. This is the winning way, nay, the victorious way won for us by the Lord.

Thank you Lord

 

 

 

 

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