Today I want to look at a  passage in Esther Chapter 4. In this passage the Jews are in captivity. Throughout the Old Testament the Jews had fallen away from God, and God raised up a preacher to warn them to repent and turn from their rebellion and wicked ways. These preachers would warn of the painful consequences of their rebellion. They warned of coming punishment, and even being taken into captivity. They didn’t listen, and now the found themselves in captivity under Persia.

In this story we find the Jews facing an interesting situation. The King, Ahasuerus, had removed Queen Vashti, and Esther was now the Queen. Her Uncle, Mordecai, learned of a plot by Haman and others to destroy the Jews. Mordecai revealed the plot to Queen Esther.

I want to bring your attention to verse 14, because it contains a phrase that we should all pay attention to.

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? (Esther 4:14)

Esther did not become queen by her own choice. She was made queen by circumstances beyond her control, and perhaps if she had her choice, she would have wanted to marry for love. The marriage was forced upon her. She was a  person who had been oppressed. She had been put in a position that gave her special opportunities with the king.

Mordecai warned her that if she held her peace and said nothing, God would find another way to deliver the Jews from this plot, but her and her family would be destroyed. Holding her peace would also give the enemy time to enlarge themselves. He then tells her, who knows, maybe she was put in this position just for this purpose.

I hear many people express their concerns about what is going on in North America. I really understand these concerns, I have the same ones. I also see a lot of people full of anxiety, wishing we weren’t in this situation. They think that the only solution is for God to come and take us out of here. They just want the Rapture to come so we can leave all of these problems behind.

I do believe that the Lord’s return is immanent, and it would be great if we could go up in the Rapture. I wouldn’t be surprised if it came this year, or even this week, but I have no guarantee that it will. I don’t really know if it will be in my children’s or my grandchildren’s generation. I do know that if I do nothing about what is going on in my world today, if I just shake my head and say this is terrible, and I hope someone will do something about it, I will leave even worse trouble for my children.

These are our times, and we must realize that we are here for such a time as this. I do wish for a time and a country where people have a proper respect for God and His precepts, but that is not the time God has given to us. The condition of our world today is sickening. We live in a time where the most crazy and evil things are accepted as normal.

We now think it is normal for a boy or a girl to say that they are the opposite gender from what they really are. Parents are even wanting to leave the child’s gender off their birth certificates so the child can choose his or her gender later on. How stupid is this? People want this kind of foolishness enshrined into law.

Someone said, if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything. The truth of this is seen in the world we live in today. If there has ever been a time for God’s people to stand and bring some common sense into this world, it is now.

I left the mission field in 2008 because I sensed God calling me to call my countrymen to repentance. I felt God calling me to warn of coming judgment. In the Old Testament, when the children of God became rebellious and disobedient, God would bring the preachers to warn them. I believe that I have been called for such a time as this.

I believe that this calling is not just for me, I believe it is for all of God’s children. No matter where God has placed you, are you not there for such a time as this? Has not God given you certain knowledge, skills, and gifts for such a time as this? What will happen if you don’t do your part?

What would have happened if Esther had refused to put herself at risk. It was dangerous to try to go before the king without having been summoned by him. She had the example of what had happened to Vashti, the queen before her. She didn’t know what would happen to her. She could have chosen to do nothing with the knowledge and the position that she had.

The same is true with each of us. We could remain silent. Isn’t that what the enemy wants us to do? They don’t want us to speak out. They are afraid of the truth. They know they can’t argue the facts with us, because the facts are on our side. This is why we, at Fortress of Faith, have adopted the slogan, “Let’s meet at the corner of Truth and Courage.” It is not enough to know the truth, we must have the courage to stand for it.

As Christians, we take great pride in holding the truth. It is of no real value unless we have the courage to do something with the truth that we have.

Years ago I preached a message that I tittled “Soggy Spungeitis.” Once a sponge gets full, it doesn’t pick up anything else. It will only pick up more if you ring it out. If you don’t ring it out, and just let the wet sponge sit, it will start to stink. If you are just full of information, and if you are not getting it out, you become a bit of a foul smell.

It is good to have the knowledge of the truth, but something must be done with it if it is to have any real value. If there was ever a time that Christians need to stand up and have the courage to speak out for the truth, it is now. Let’s have the courage to speak the truth, and may God be glorified in it.