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With Iran’s
unchecked nuclear ambitions and threats that Israel would be “wiped
off the map,” and with deteriorating security on all sides including
an increasing threat of a war with Hamas and/or Hezbollah, or
perhaps both, this Purim seems all too real with the increasing
dangers and open threats against the world’s only Jewish state. When
talking about Purim, one must understand in detail the Book of
Esther, which documents the deliverance of the people of Israel from
great danger and near annihilation during the Jewish month of Adar.
Purim is one of Israel’s most important feasts in this writer’s
opinion simply because it speaks of the need for fervent prayer and
sustained travail for the nation of Israel against her enemies
unlike any other feast on her religious and civil calendar.
Still reeling from the recent terror attack in the heart of
Jerusalem a little over a week ago now which left 8 bible students
ages 15 to 18 dead and 11 wounded, Israel’s plight continues to be
more desperate each day as her enemies become more brazen and their
threats more specific and pronounced. We as the church of the Living
God must grasp the prophetic season we live and continue to
intercede, travail and pray like never before for Israel’s
protection and God’s higher purpose in the Middle East region. By Chris McDonald
PURIM MESSAGE 2008 TEXT: Esther 4:15-16 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, [16] Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. Esther 4:14-16 - For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Much of history throughout the centuries has a singular noteworthy characteristic, unnoticed by many along the way. The most significant historical events have most often coincided with feasts of the Lord and when looked at more closely, we see amazing and thought provoking relationships between the events and the feasts themselves. Such is the case of Purim. This current conflict in Iraq began on March 18, 2003, five years ago today as we write this journal; the date of March 18, 2003 was significant in that it was the night the Jewish Feast of Purim began in 2003. Purim is the annual celebration of the great deliverance of the Jewish people in the days of Queen Esther, as recorded in the Book of Esther in the Bible. Was it just a coincidence that Esther was queen in the very region close to where Saddam Hussein once ruled and now a madman in Persia threatens Israel’s destruction and jihad against every single Jewish man, woman, boy or girl? Is it just a coincidence that the wicked Haman who sought to destroy the Jews in that day exhibits in the scriptures similar qualities to the former Iraqi dictator today or the current Iranian one? I was in northern Wisconsin selling portraits the night the war began in 2003. I remember the days leading up to the war there was much delay, yet it became an eerie coincidence the first bombs dropped on Baghdad the night of the 2003 Feast of Purim? Five years later the United States continues to be involved in a conflict in the land of tremendous prophetic significance and an ever increasing conflict with Iran looms soon this writer believes. The upcoming elections of 2008 frame this conflict between two parties who have significantly different viewpoints on how to handle our enemies. For me, the answer is simple. Which candidate will best protect Israel at all costs against Islamic Jihadism and Palestinian terrorism? It’s a terrible indictment to witness the growing anti-Semitism in the world today. History is replete with witnesses to the indictment of the times the Jewish people have been delivered to the mercy of the merciless as they were in the days of Esther and Mordecai. Not much has changed today in 2008 as Israel sits in a neighborhood of Arab nations seeking her destruction, especially Syria to her north and Iran to her east. On top of Iran and Syria, the terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah continue to send suicide bombers and Hassam rockets into Israeli cities, killing civilians and caring less if the entire region is plunged into terrible bloodshed. Yet one enemy who is now gone is the late Sadaam Hussein who fired over 100 scud missiles in 1991 during the first Gulf War. For this writer, the war in Iraq if nothing else removed one of Israel’s most bitter enemies and in that vein it will always be worth the cost and lives. Our hearts do not take the loss of any soldier killed in combat lightly. We honor our brave troops and thank those who stood in the gap during this time in both American and Jewish history. Most Christians don’t pause to think twice what would have taken place during the summer of 2006 had Israel been faced with fighting Hezbollah AND Iraq. Israel for the first time in her history was pushed to the edge with a terrorist group backed by Iran. Had Sadaam still been alive let this writer assure you he would have interfered with the war and brought even greater bloodshed to Jewish lives. On the more immediate issue, the Palestinian “issue” is NOT about land, it’s about the Arab desire, driven by the ideology of Islam, for total annihilation of every single Jewish person on the face of the earth. In reality, this issue over the West Bank hides an even greater war in the world today between the forces of Islam and those who know Jesus Christ as Lord. Islam means “submission,” however, it is not the type submission where the follower falls into the graces of the one he is submitting to. If the “convert” fails to submit, Islam calls for the convert’s death. As long as there are Christians in this world, there will be an eternal war between the lineage of Esau (the Arab, Muslim world) and the lineage of Jacob (Israel). In this setting found in the book of Esther, Haman, an ancestor of the Islamic/Ishamael/Edomite line, had set a trap for the entire Jewish race. The gauntlet laid down by the king of Shushan was one that would mean the total annihilation of the Jewish race if Haman had been allowed to carry out his demonic plan. On February 12th a top terrorist named Imad Mugniyah was eliminated in Syria, stirring up an uproar in Jihadist circles worldwide. The Hezbollah leadership is accusing Israel of this and has promised serious retaliation. Some Israeli analysts predict that as soon as the 40 days of mourning for Mugniyah are over, Hezbollah will strike and turn the Galilee into a battle zone again. This Islamic 40 day mourning period will end on the 20th of March, strategically coinciding with the Feast of Purim, which will conclude on March 23rd With Iran’s unchecked nuclear ambitions and threats that Israel would be “wiped off the map,” and with deteriorating security on all sides including an increasing threat of a war with Hamas and/or Hezbollah, or perhaps both, this Purim seems all too real with the increasing dangers and open threats against the world’s only Jewish state. When talking about Purim, one must understand in detail the Book of Esther, which documents the deliverance of the people of Israel from great danger and near annihilation during the Jewish month of Adar. Purim is one of Israel’s most important feasts in this writer’s opinion simply because it speaks of the need for fervent prayer and sustained travail for the nation of Israel against her enemies unlike any other feast on her religious and civil calendar. Still reeling from the recent terror attack in the heart of Jerusalem a little over a week ago now which left 8 bible students ages 15 to 18 dead and 11 wounded, Israel’s plight continues to be more desperate each day as her enemies become more brazen and their threats more specific and pronounced. We as the church of the Living God must grasp the prophetic season we live and continue to intercede, travail and pray like never before for Israel’s protection and God’s higher purpose in the Middle East region. Adar: The Final Month of the Biblical Year The church and Israel have entered the final month of the biblical year, the month of Adar paving the way for the celebration of Passover in April, which will commemorate Israel’s great exodus from slavery after much struggle and travail in Egypt. First however, is Purim, which highlights lessons of grave peril, bold intercession, unwavering faith and great deliverance as they are told in the book of Esther, a book where the name God is not mentioned specifically, but without doubt one book where God is seen in every verse, every sentence, and every chapter. Prophetically speaking we see that before Passover’s new beginning always come the great test of Purim. The Feast of Purim is celebrated annually on the 13th-15th of the Hebrew month of Adar, the twelfth month of the biblical year. To state it again, Purim is the celebration of the deliverance of the Jewish people from sure annihilation during the reign of the Persian King Xerxes I, commemorating a season of danger, fasting, confrontation, deliverance and eventual victory. Prophetic Types and Shadows The story of Esther is a prophetic picture in types and shadows of the intercession of the Bride of Messiah on behalf of the people of Israel. God’s providence shines through this dramatic account, empowering the reader with faith and courage to stand up and to believe even when all hope is gone. If one’s life and circumstances bear the yoke of hopelessness and impending calamity, then Purim’s message is for you too. This story is rich with powerful prophetic types: AHASUERUS is the sovereign king reigning over a vast kingdom of many peoples, among them a remnant of the people of Israel. VASHTI, his queen, represents the “ransom principle,” having lost her royal position (and probably her head) to make a way for ESTHER who will risk her life to save God’s people. Both queens had beauty and courage, and both defied the king’s decree. Vashti, by not appearing when summoned, (Esther 1:12), and Esther, by appearing unsummoned (Esther 4:16) before the same violent and volatile king. ESTHER, the beautiful and humble maiden of Hebrew origin, is a type of the Bride of Messiah, the glorious Church in intercession for the Jewish people. MORDECAI is seen in the role of the godly, older, Jewish presence that does not bow down to any god but God, and can still mentor, train and exhort the intercessors. His character reminds us that “…all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Titus 3:12) and that there is a price to pay for serving God in this age. HAMAN, with his brutal plan to annihilate the Jewish people (and by that to destroy the Messianic lineage of the promised Savior of the world), demonstrates the ever-present anti-Christ and anti-Jewish diabolic drive that is the ruling dark principality of this age. This same spirit is active again today in the same land of Persia, modern day Iran and will be the spirit of the coming man of sin known as the Antichrist. Esther Interceded For Her Jewish Brethren; The Church is Rooted In Judaism Who Needs To Pray For Her Jewish Brethren! Esther’s role in intercession is a type of the Church’s call to intercede for the salvation of Israel! Let me explain that statement further for in it rests the key to world wide evangelism and the coming revival so many are predicting will come soon to Planet Earth prior to the Rapture and the Great Tribulation period. The whole purpose of the gospel is to see all nations brought to Christ. Israel was the original destined carrier of that message yet when Israel failed because of the unbelief of some, the Lord grafted in the Gentiles to carry this same message AND to provoke the Jewish vine back to God through jealousy in seeing the salvation they spurned lived out in love among the Gentile believers. When we dismiss the call on the Gentile church to stand in the gap for the salvation of Israel and the Jewish people, then we may need to send an email to heaven and tell the Holy Spirit that the entire book of Romans was written wrong. We may need to tell Paul that his treatise on the body of Christ being made up of both Jewish and non-Jewish believers in Ephesians was misspoken. When Paul said, "give no offence to the Jew or the Gentile," he was speaking of the unsaved. The terms Jew and Gentile used there refer to those individuals who have not been born again. Both Jew and Gentile must come to Christ – THE SAME WAY – through Faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross! Over the past several years, especially the last five or six, there has been a tremendous revival among the Jewish people as there are now record numbers of Jewish believers both in Israel and all over the world! The statement, "to the church of God," refers to a body of both believing JEWISH and NON-JEWISH people! You cannot separate the two. In Galatians, Paul said that "we are all one in Christ Jesus." There are some who diminish the importance of the Jewishness of the church feeling it is not important in the mind of God. Let me clarify that a bit because I do believe we can get into error in both directions on this issue if we’re not careful and remove our focus from off the Cross! Galatians 3:26-29 - For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. [27] For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. If we as Jew and Gentile are called to be the same in everything and do the same things when it comes to worship, then I guess me and my wife need to start wearing the same clothes and doing the same things as well when it comes to our identities. In this same passage, it says there is neither "male nor female," so that means that if there is not a difference in Jew or Gentile in Christ, then neither is there a difference in man or woman in Christ. The passage in Galatians basically means that there is no difference in the requirements of salvation IN CHRIST for either the Jewish or the non-Jewish person, as well as male or female, bond or free. We must all be IN CHRIST to be saved. We must ALL come the same way – through FAITH! The LAW will not save a soul! Adhering to feast days, ceremonies, wearing a prayer shawl, carrying around a Torah, will NOT save a single soul. Not one act we do in our flesh will merit righteousness in the sight of God! We cannot be saved any other way except we come through the Cross! HE is the HEAD of the CHURCH. WE are HIS BODY made up of many parts and many diverse ministries. My wife and I are ONE in the flesh and spirit together but we are very different in our make up and needs as individuals. (GOD HELP US IF WE'RE NOT!) And the Jewish and non-Jewish believers are ONE in the spirit (and should be in the flesh) together in unity in the BODY of Christ, but there are distinct differences in our callings, our anointings and our cultures just as there are differences in gender between my wife and I. You cannot argue this message away using those passages. Paul said in this same passage in Galatians one verse later, "if ye be CHRIST'S, then are ye Abraham's seed, and HEIRS according to the promise." We as Gentiles have been called along side the Jewish people to inherit the promises of God, not as the natural seed of Abraham, but as His spiritual seed. This does NOT mean that the church has replaced Israel nor does it mean Israel as a nation is not important in the plan of God for the human race. The Church and Israel are connected at the ROOT friend and that ROOT is the Lord Jesus Christ. Israel as a nation may not be where she needs to be with God at this time and certainly has been pushed aside in the plan of God temporarily, but she will not be in this state forever! The entire prophetic scenario of the Great Tribulation period is set up to push Israel into the realization she has no where to turn but God. There will literally be no one to HELP her during the time the Antichrist, like Haman sought to do during the first Purim, seeks her destruction and make Jerusalem a haven for Islam. It amazes me how we in the modern church love quoting this scripture when it comes to praying for prosperity over our people, but we shirk the very duty and responsibility of loving Abraham's seed through whom all this came to begin with! Gentiles, we are grafted into this great covenant of faith given to the house of Judah and Israel. NEVER FORGET THAT.
Galatians 3:29
Jeremiah 31:31 We are but the branches, not the vine itself. Israel is not even the vine; JESUS, or YESHUA, the Jewish name for Jesus, is the TRUE VINE and Israel was the work of His husbandry. To state it again and even more strongly, Israel's importance as a nation in the plan of God cannot be ignored. The word "ignored," is part of the word, "ignorance," which many willfully embrace without thought or pause. It’s one thing to be ignorant of something because one does not “know” something; it’s a far worse shape to willfully ignore something one DOES know and yet, because of either unbelief or rebellion reject it. Most of the church world today is in that boat. We just ignore the scope of God's work concerning His people Israel and as a result, we have become very arrogant in our belief systems. The result of this will be apostasy if we don't repent. And this writer is afraid and concerned this apostasy has already set in within many mainline denominations and circles because we have rejected the love of the truth and forsook the message of the Cross in our preaching and teaching! For nearly 10 years now, this family ministry has been called as a family to encourage and admonish the Gentile church to find a place and position of intercession and prayer for the Jewish people, and as Paul prayed in Romans 10:1 - "that Israel might be saved!" Romans 10:1 - Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel, is, that they might be saved. It's a prayer that the Lord promised Paul would be answered one day and one day very soon! Romans 11:26a...And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written..........................." Some prophetic voices believe God has a wonderful blue print in the earth right NOW for the harvest of the end times. Some predict as many as a billion souls will be ushered into the Kingdom before the Second Coming of the Lord. That is powerful! No matter the number of souls, this writer does believe God is going to move upon Planet Earth one more time prior to judgement! Joel said that “in the last days, I will POUR OUT My Spirit upon ALL Flesh!” Something big is coming friend and it’s going to change the landscape of the church. Part of the catalyst for this harvest we believe is going to be the Jewish people coming back to their Messiah. When Israel returns to God, the Holy Spirit is going to be outpoured in such a manner that no other time in human history will mirror what will happen in terms of salvations and blessings upon the entire body - including the Gentile part of the believing church. I believe that the seeds of this are already beginning to sprout up in a small degree and will only increase as we draw closer to the coming of the Lord. Where the rapture plays into all of this is an interesting question and one certainly for discussion. I can tell you two things for sure about the rapture of the church. One, it's GOING to happen! Jesus is coming for HIS CHURCH, a bride made up of both Jewish and non-Jewish believers. Two, the rapture will take place when Jesus is ready for it to take place, NOT when man “fixes” the earth for the Lord to return. Man can’t “FIX” the earth! Man can’t “FIX” himself! Man is fallen and needs a REDEEMER and that Redeemer is NOT a 12-step program, or 40-days of purpose or global initiatives pushed by demon spirits ushering in a one-world government that will in essence embrace the Antichrist, the man of sin! Friend, the rapture is not going to happen on man's timetable, but God's. Whether you believe in a pre-tribulation, or mid-tribulation or even a post-tribulation rapture, friend, the time to be getting ready for coming of the Lord is TODAY! We are to be living our lives and doing the things we've been called to do as if Jesus was coming TODAY, this very minute. There are no arguments that can be gotten into over that! Having said that, let me add two serious statements concerning the immediate future of what I see ahead for the Body of Christ. One, the persecution of the church taking place now in other parts of the world is coming to the West very soon. A dynamic of this persecution will be the increased persecution of Jewish people once again like what happened in the Holocaust of 1938-1945. Those two issues must be wrestled with NOW, not later, by every one of you reading this journal who calls yourselves a believer. The church is going to have to make choices when the entire world turns against Israel in the future just like Haman did during the First Purim. If we don't understand Israel's purposes in the plan of God NOW, then when the entire world is calling for her destruction, we may not call for her destruction, but we will stand idly by like the church of Germany did in 1939 when the seeds of genocide led to the death of 6 million Jewish souls. We cannot afford to have that happen again. There will be a reckoning of the church world one day before Messiah Jesus. Yeshua will divide the sheep from the goats. When you read of the judgment in Matthew 25 you see very clearly the words, "my brethren." In the original language of the text, the words, "my brethren after the flesh," appears. It means literally Yeshua's brethren after the flesh - the Jewish people. Many would continue to argue that "well not all Jewish people will accept Him." Well, friend, have all Gentiles accepted Him? Of course not. No matter the move of God's Spirit upon Planet Earth, there will always be those who will reject the Lord. But upon no other nation in the universe is the phrase put "ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED." That is a promise of national salvation coming to the chosen race of Abraham. And while we believe that event will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation, it does not relinquish the church to intercede for that event NOW! We must be praying for that to happen NOW and plead to God for the salvation of the Jewish race – as well as the souls of ALL men who do not know Christ. The pattern is clear however in Scripture – when the Jewish people come home, revival is coming to the church! If we as believers don't see a need NOW to come to grips with this, then how will we ever come to grips with it when they are seeking out those who are standing with Israel to kill us? How will we do it when standing with Israel will be more than just a catch phrase on our ministry statements? The blood of countless thousands, perhaps millions of people, will be shed in this final holocaust upon the Jewish race prior to and during the Great Tribulation period. I don't want to wind up as a goat when the Lord judges those on the Earth. I want to be a sheep who according to our Lord was a type of those who ministered grace to the Israeli people when they were in a time of great crisis - "hungry, naked, in prison, and sick," Let these words sink in. The Setting of the Stage This fellowship is pictured in great detail in the story of Purim, a season of danger that speaks to us today of the dangers both the Church and Israel face in these end times. Purim is a tale of danger, treachery, humility, courage, faith and great victory. Like other godly women, Esther affected great influence by her beauty of character, her faith and her humble spirit. Ahasuerus the Persian King had been defeated badly by the Greeks at Salamis at 479 BC. Known for his emotional extremes, the king sought solace in his harem and threw a grand royal party in his palace of Susa. Queen Vashti, whose renowned beauty was part of the program, defied her husband’s summons to show herself in public (some commentaries say in the nude) and was consequently deposed and probably executed. Esther, raised from obscurity like a biblical “Cinderella,” won the royal “beauty pageant” and, under Mordecai’s wise counsel, negotiated the treacherous and dangerous politics of this wicked pagan court. Facing impending genocide by Haman’s vindictive scheme, and empowered by an extensive prayer and fasting campaign, Esther gained the king’s favor and made powerful intercession on behalf of her people Israel. Esther was a woman of valor and action who didn’t shrink back from standing against evil and for the truth, yet she did so in the right spirit and was empowered by fasting and prayer. Purim is a tale of integrity and faithfulness as Mordecai took his quiet position protecting the king from an assassination plot without taking any recognition for himself. The unchanging principle of sowing and reaping is proven in his life as his righteous acts and godly choices produced in time the fruit of honor, favor and high position in the royal court. For some of you who serve unnoticed and unrecognized in obscure places and difficult circumstance, remember the apostolic encouragement, saying, “…let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.” (Gal. 6:9) Purim is a tale of divine providence, justice and vindication. Through fasting and bold intercession, Haman, the arch enemy of God’s people, was exposed and defeated. Not only has the gallows he prepared for Mordecai become the instrument of his own execution, but the entire spiritual atmosphere in the kingdom changed and the fear of God was restored because of Haman’s demise and the Jewish people’s victory. According to the king’s second (corrective) decree “…the Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them” (Esther 9:5). In addition, “…in each and every province, and in each and every city, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree arrived… many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them.” (Esther 8:17) The War Is Generational According to scripture, Haman was of the blood line of the Agagite (Esther 3:1) whose ancestor was none other than Agag, king of Amalek, Israel’s ancient and ruthless foe. Mordecai, on the other hand, was a descendant of Kish (Esther 2:5), a Benjamite, out of whose loins was born King Saul. Concerning the Amalekites who had been hostile to Israel ever since the Exodus from Egypt, God commanded Saul, saying, “I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel… Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” (1 Sam 15:2-3). In other words, Amalek’s depravity and corruption were so severe that even our merciful Father commanded their utter annihilation lest they contaminate the region. Saul, however, compromised and did not destroy his enemy. In disobedience to God’s word he spared the spoils of war and the life of King Agag in a bout of unsanctified mercy and greed. As a result, not only did Saul lose the throne (I-Sam 15:22-23), but Amalek was allowed posterity (though Agag himself was soon slain by Samuel). All too often such politically correct, humanistic and apathetic attitudes toward God’s commands render His people incapable of fulfilling His purposes, forcing the hand of the prophetic to do the king’s job. Though King Agag was slain, surviving future Agagite generations continued to be fueled by the same diabolic hatred, and the campaign against the people of God continued on and on. Nearly five hundred years later we find Mordecai and Haman, both of the blood lines of Saul and Agag, again locked in this mortal battle of the ages. In other words, the war will go on and on, from generation to generation, until the enemy is finally destroyed. Our failure to execute God’s judgment over sin and evil, especially in our own lives, will only perpetuate its destructive impact and invite graver visitations upon our descendants. Unchecked and unrepented, sin only escalates and increases over time, and the prophetic admonition is alarming saying, “…they sow the wind, and they reap the whirlwind.” (Hosea 8:7) If we don’t repent of our sins, our children and children’s children will bear the brunt of the ongoing warfare as did Mordecai. The Intercession of the Bride It was the 13th day of the month of Adar which Haman had selected for the annihilation of the Jewish population of the Persian Empire. Authorizing his request, the king issued a royal decree sealing the fate of his Jewish subjects. Queen Esther, however, who was already providentially positioned in the palace, interceded before the king and saved her people. Her weapons were humility, beauty, fasting, faith and great courage (Esther 4:14-17). Esther’s Hebrew name was Hadassah, meaning a Myrtle tree – a low tree [humility] with shining green leaves adorned with snow white flowers [purity] and bordered with purple [royalty], emitting an exquisite perfume. Yet her Jewish identity was kept hidden. She is pointing prophetically to the true Church who also is of Hebraic roots though called to a heavenly position. Regardless of her royal office, Esther would not have escaped the fate of her Jewish brethren should Haman’s plot have succeeded, just as today the true Church is intimately linked to the people of Israel, their fate and their destiny. Other than the intercessory ministry of the Lord Jesus Himself, we cannot find in the Word of God a more dramatic, dangerous or powerful intercession than that of Esther. Among the great intercessors of the Bible, none other portrays so clearly and vividly the position and ministry of the Bride of Messiah toward God on behalf of His people Israel.. The Right to Suffer and To Fight Responding to the beauty, courage and passionate appeal of his bride, and seeing the treacherous nature of Haman, the king issued a second royal decree overriding the first one which sanctioned the annihilation of the Jewish people. This second decree now authorized and deputized these very victims to rise up, assemble together, pursue and destroy their enemies. In it “… the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right to assemble and to defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate the entire army of any people or province which might attack them… and to plunder their spoil.” (Esther 8:11) In fact, the king's first decree, though seemingly fatal, served to expose and flush out the enemies of God’s people so that they might be destroyed at the second decree. The end of the story is in the hand of the Lord, and those of you who have suffered under the enemy’s oppression will also be given authority to pursue and conquer your foes as you do it God’s way. As the Word exhorts us, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober {spirit}, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in {your} faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen {and} establish you.” I-Peter 5:6-10. Prophetically, the month of Adar is a season of great danger, fierce battle and eventual victory; a season of fasting, fighting and rejoicing. Those who call upon the name of the Lord today and are led by the wise counsel of His Spirit are in a position to enter into bold intercession before the King of kings. The enemy has pronounced murderous plots against Israel as well as against many of you. But God, who is sovereign over all, has promised to pass judgment in favor of the saints. So great was the victory and deliverance of God’s people that “…Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus… obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day… because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday…” (Esther 9:20-22). The original Purim drama came to a happy end with a great victory and deliverance as the “formula” of humility + integrity + fasting + intercession was proven undefeatable. The sovereign king granted the bride’s powerful intercession; the enemy’s plans were turned upon himself; and all things worked together for good for those who loved God and remained true to His purposes. And yet, this great intercession still stands to be fulfilled one last time at the end of this age. The Final Battle A Bride of Hebraic roots, most excellent of maidens, prepared and perfected for royalty, will yet enter the presence of The King of kings and make powerful intercession on behalf of His people Israel. The fate of the people will once again rest in the hands of the Bride. As we close today, we ask you today - are you willing to join with those who pray and plead with God during the coming prophetic Feast of Purim? Haman’s spirit is alive and active today, and Israel is still on the devil’s cross-hairs. Will you be that Bride who will take up the mantle of Esther’s intercession and pray against the forces of darkness seeking Israel’s destruction? The fact is simple; Israel’s enemies are OUR enemies; those who seek HER destruction seek the destruction of both America, but more importantly, those who name the name of Jesus as well! This battle is neither play church nor one for the faint of heart. We are called to the kingdom for such a time as this – the season of danger – yet a season of victory – if we will grab hold of the Cross, look to the Lord Jesus Christ, and embrace what He has done for the whole world through the sacrifice of His life! Without a revival and a return to Biblical Christianity, America is doomed, the west is doomed and Israel will have one less ally in the world. Once the voice of the Bible is silenced, the war on Western Civilization, from the forces of Islam, will descend upon a sleeping church and the world will no longer be. It’s a scary thought but one that has real life implications if America does not repent as a nation and the Church come to its senses concerning Israel. THE BLOOD sets the captive free and it’s the BLOOD that will set Israel free today – both spiritually and nationally! Celebrate Purim this year with these thoughts in mind and pray for the peace of Jerusalem! God bless. Esther 4: 15 -16 - Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, [16] Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish
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