SM130915For Such A Time As This

Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners to receive free email daily devotions or to become a harvest partners, please visit us online@harvest.org what we start with a word of prayer.

Father, we thank you for all that you did at the Southern California crusade. We thank you for all that you're going to do.

I ingest 13 days that harvest America with no Lord, we pray as we open your word that we will see the great message that resonates from these pages are story that will inspire us to be the man. The woman you want us to be.

So we pray for your blessing. Now, as we look at Scripture, we ask all of this in Jesus name, amen.

Well, recall how many of you like fairytales, raise your hand up it's okay guys, it's okay. I don't like it. Now come on now, I tell you what. If you have girls you probably are very familiar with fairytales. I have of course were granddaughters so I become very schooled in all the fairytales. All the princesses. It's a sad thing but I could be pretty much every Disney princess now because my granddaughters are very specific and which ones they want and so forth, and even likely that makeup fairytales. You might describe them as fractured fairytales, where I will tell a story and they want to be in the story, so whatever the stories about their needs to be for little princesses and it they need to happen. They have the same name as my granddaughters also tell these stories and they always want me to work in a wicked witch of course in a mermaid and mermaids are problematic. I think I got done on it for the men, sometimes with they want to mermaid in the story as well.

Not so many fairytales have sort of a similar trajectory if you will, sort of a ride to riches story beautiful obscure girl, often living with wicked wicked stepsisters is found by a prince and is rescued. Or maybe she's living in the forest with seven small men would sounds fashionable but anyway you know there's a similarity in most of the fairytales in the usually end with the words and they lived happily ever after. The problem is, life is not a fairytale life is full of pain and unexpected twist and turns, but we know in the end of the biggest picture of all we all will live happily ever after we get to heaven. But the story before is now is in some ways, at least in its early stages like a fairytale.

There's no fairies there's no which is there's no princes nurse. Certainly no mermaids. But there's a beautiful orphan girl who wins a beauty contest becomes a queen there's an evil man. The plots or destruction as well as the destruction of her people, but because of her courage and her bravery. She saves her people, and indeed they live happily ever after. Of course I'm talking about the beautiful young Jewish girl named Hadassah. She is better known as Queen Esther, but she was not always the Queen and that's where story begins you know unique feature of the book of Esther is the name of God is never specifically mentioned, for that matter, the Lord is never referenced over or grow or are even afraid to in an overt way, yet clearly thought is all over this book from beginning to end.

The Lord is present in every scene and in the movement of every event that's it's a good reminder for us as Christians that even when it seems as though the Lord is not present. Indeed, here to. As Christians, we don't believe in coincidence we believe in Providence, let me say that again. As Christians we do not believe in coincidence we believe in Providence. What is that mean Providence or the sovereignty of God means that God is in control or children.

Psalm 20 or 3723 the steps of the godly are directed by the Lord.

He delights in every detail of the law and of sometimes people will come and ask me to tell them of my favorite Bible passage and send that's hard to have a lot of passages that I like and really it depends on the situation know if I'm going through a difficult time more. I'm in need of something. My favorite passage.

For that moment would be Philippians 4 that says don't worry about anything but pray about everything. And the peace of God that passes all human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. When I look at this crazy world or unexpected events happen in my life. The big dog since I'm reminded of John 14 where Jesus said let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You believe in God believe also in me. But overall, if I had to pick one verse that I come back too often, it would probably be Jeremiah 2911. I bet it's a favor to some of you as well. Our God says I know the thoughts and I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a whole I love that because it just points out that God is thinking about it doesn't say God speaking. I know the single thought that I thought about you for a nano second, says the Lord infinite said that to me. That would've been far more than I would ever deserve but it actually doesn't say that it says God speaking. I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord. How many thoughts are there many more than you can count, but that could be good or bad depending on well. The mood of God. If God is angry with me if God is against me and I find out he's thinking about me all the time. This is not a good thing right. But no, he goes on to say, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope for a better translation would be an expected in so that's just a simple reminder that God is aware of everything that is happening to us a Chuck Swindoll in his excellent commentary on the book of Esther writes these words and I quote God's presence is not as intriguing as his absence. His voice is not as eloquent as his silence. Who of us have not long for a word from God.

Search for a glimpse of his power are yearn for the reassurance of his presence only to feel that he seems absent from the moment Justin preoccupied yet later we realized how present he was all along." So the story of Esther begins with the powerful king Xerxes now Xerxes was a powerful king.

He reigned over the vast Persian Empire, which range from India to Ethiopia. He was raised as a royal he was a son of Darius the great, he was a grandson of Cyrus the great history depicts a king Xerxes is physically towering over his contemporary. We also know from history that he was an intolerant and insensitive man. Let's just say he was liking and people skills.

So one day Xerxes, the king, the all-powerful monarch decides at the beginning of a massive fees and this can allow for 180 days and everyone in the kingdom was invited.

The food was plentiful and the wine was flowing freely. The drinks were on the house, courtesy of King Xerxes and imagine the great power he felt as everybody was present for this massive celebration, and the king decides to bring in his beautiful queen varsity and so she is prominent because he wants to sort of parade her before his lords and his subjects, but it's interesting because as we read it in the text, it would appear that he wanted her to come in wearing her crown and nothing else. In other words he wanted varsity to come in naked and walk around so everyone can admire this beautiful woman who effectively did whatever the king wanted her to do well. To her credit varsity flat out refuse, she didn't want to be humiliated. Now the king is in a quandary because all of his chauvinist buddy say hey you can't let this passage if she can get away with this, and none of our wives are going to do what we tell them to do anymore is able to get out varsity disobeyed the king why should we obey you. You've got a deal harshly with queen varsity and so varsity was out. She was fire she was relieved of duty, she was removed from the throne, so now the king needs a new 20 well. What better way to do that today A beauty contest. I miss Persia beauty contest the most beautiful woman in the kingdom would now become the next queen.

So the word goes out 10 it's distributed in in the country and in all the young beautiful women are brought in. Now the story we think, what is this even matter will tell you why it matters because God was studying things in place for a particular event that was going to happen a little further down the row.

God needed to get his person Esther into the palace to do his work.

It's a good reminder that big doors swing on small hinges and as you look back at your life you'll often find it would seem like small events turned out to be very significant events in the larger scheme of things that certainly the case in the story before us now and so now here comes Esther. Let's read about it were in Esther chapter 2 McGinnis start in verse five and I'm reading from the new living translation.

Note the fortress of Susa.

There was a certain Jew named Mordechai, son of J or he was from the tribe of Benjamin was a descendent of cash in semi's family had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar, along with King Jehoiada Kim of Judah and many others. This man had a beautiful and lovely young cousin named Hadassah who was also called Esther when her mother and father died.

Mordechai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter as a result of the king's decree, Esther, along with many other young women were brought to the king's parent at the fortress of Susa and placed in the head guys care because I was impressed when Esther without skirt and treated her kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for her and provided her with beauty treatments. He also assigned seven maids specifically chosen from the king's palace and he moved sure and are made into the best place in the Hera. There so the search is on for the next great beauty of Persia. Whoever wins this contest will become the next queen. I mean, isn't this the dream of so many young girls today. You know to be a princess ought to be a queen or at least to be famous.

I read an interesting article in the paper that pointed out that American teenagers are fixated on faith. This article went on to point out that more than 1/3 of them would prefer thing to beauty and intelligence are string even more problematic.

These during these teams are not just dreaming about being famous. There planning on it.

31% of American teenagers expect to be famous one day and it's amazing this desire for notoriety. Well what one this beauty contest was going to be famous, for sure. And I don't think Esther had any interest in this whatsoever. She probably just expected that one day she would marry a nice Jewish boy and she would live in obscurity and and just serve God and live her life.not unlike Mary who lived in the little village of Nazareth just expected to marry a good man and serve the Lord and never realizing that she would be chosen to be a fulfillment of prophecy and the mother of the Messiah and I don't think that Hadassah or Esther ever in her wildest dreams ever thought she would save an entire nation. I don't think she was pining for notoriety. I don't think she was posting selfies on her Instagram page are sending out tweets in no no I think she was just living her life with the fact of the matter is this girl was dropdead gorgeous. She was beautiful and does so in this beauty contest is put on. She stood out from all the rest of the ancient Jewish historian Josephus tells us there were as many as 400 women wrote involved in this competition and they had to be virgins, and then he experienced what we would call today a makeover. We would call the means as are described in Scripture stylist you know you'll come in and put your wardrobe together.

Do your makeup for you. They put her on a diet as well.

So girls losing weight is nothing new, of course, even back then, we want to get you in the best shape you can be. We want you to stand up from all the other girls. We want you to catch the kings on and then your dreams will all come true. Well here's young Hadassah in the middle of all of this in the Bible does tell us he was beautiful in form and lovely to look at. So we know she was really attractive but here's what I think. Not only was she beautiful on the outside. Hadassah Esther was beautiful on the inside.

This is a good reminder of the fact that we all have talents and gifts that God has given us and one of Esther's talents or her gifts.

You might say was, she was extraordinarily beautiful. You know often when you meet a person who is beautiful or super handsome.

Sometimes will not always, but sometimes they can be a little bit on the shallow side and my right why because well they think that an easy life compared up others you know because they were attractive. Maybe they were singled out by the teacher. Maybe they were given special favors and so maybe they didn't have to work as hard as somebody else. He didn't have those attributes another used to walking in a room and having people look at them like while they are so beautiful insane it to them. You are so beautiful.

Can I give you the best seat. Can I do anything for you and so they live sort of a self indulge life. You know sometimes people were super attractive. I've never had this problem, you know, they've never met Amir they don't lie you for the old joke.

You know how you drowned a blonde, you put mirror at the bottom of the pool. Okay, so get it over again to get letters from blonde people now I was blonde once. Believe it or not. A long time ago but you know there's an entity there that some people have.

You know they got that zoo lender pose dry for the photo. It's funny you know you will get people posing and they got the full pose gone like the certain look in the of the same look in every picture there very aware of their attractiveness, but not everyone has that, but Esther did.

But what's really impressive about is not just that she was beautiful, really don't determine if you're beautiful or not, you can do the best with what you got, but ultimately that just something you're born with it to give, but she had in her character to match it nozzle see later. She had great courage, so maybe you've been blessed with beauty.

Maybe you been blessed with brains. Maybe you've been blessed with Volvo may view of a musical talent and artistic talent. Then again, maybe you're good at crunching numbers are holding thing one can be a great visionary, another person may be more about detail person but everybody has gifts that God has given them secure the we need to do. We need to discover our talents and gifts and cultivate them and use them for the glory of God. First Timothy four tells us to not neglect the gift of God is given to us was another translation puts it, keep your gift dusted off and any use. So here's my question. Do you know what your gifts are cute what your abilities are sometimes the way to discover what you're good at is by first discovering which are not good at is called process of elimination I read a story about Walt Disney was quite visionary who used to tell this story about a little boy circus came to town and there you have a parade so the bandmaster needed someone to play the trombone and the little boy signed up this little guy had marched a block before the horrible rocket coming from his horn caused two old ladies to feed the horse to run away. So, the bandmaster demanded from the little boy why didn't you tell me you couldn't play the trombone the little guy replied. How did I know I'd never tried before. This is a thing you just try you know when we say we need help in this area of our ministry or that area. Is it why not called to do that. But how do you know have you ever tried it, you know, why don't you just get out there and take a step of faith and see how it works out for you. You teach a little Bible study at lunch break for your fellow Christians in see what happens volunteered to do the one thing that nobody else wants to do. You might make a discovery you might find that your gifted in an area that you never thought you were gifted.

Trust me when I tell you I never aspired to be a public speaker. I like to do art and design. I like to work behind the scenes. I member I had is a class in high school we had to get up and give an impromptu speech and I was terrified by the prospect of it. You know you've heard that when people are pulled and the rest with their greatest fears are in almost every case, the number one fear of most people is having to speak publicly sometimes even more than their fear of death, which have always found interesting. What would you rather do tires speak publicly kill me now so I never wanted to be a speaker per se.

Maybe it's because I never really had anything to say but after I became a Christian, little opportunities open up for me. That talk here and there and I realize that God is given me an ability so I tried to develop that gift, we all have a give one gift is not better than another gift.

It's only different. Finally gift of God is given to you and use it leverage number two there is a time to speak up and there's a time to be quiet is a time to speak up there sometime to be quite look at verse 10 of chapter 2, Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background for Mordecai and told her not so she's living in Persia, modern-day Iran, by the way, I she's living among the people that don't believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Israel adopts up. Esther is a Jewish girl she does not identify herself as such. He does not say I believe in the true and living God while some would read this and I've read commentaries that end up on both sides of this debate, but some are critical about her saying that she was effectively compromising her fate. She should have spoken up immediately and said I am a Jew. I think that may be true that she should've done that, but sometimes we have to understand that there is a time to be quiet. Though there are some people out there they feel it is their job to bombard everyone they meet with the gospel. But here's what I discovered.

Sometimes God wants me to so see sometimes God wants me to water is seen that someone else's stone and sometimes God wants me to read were others have sewn and water.

As Paul said one sows another waters God gives the increase. You might be surprised to know that I don't give a gospel presentation to everyone I meet. So when I'm in a restaurant. I don't say all of the hamburger and the prize and by the way, have you accepted Christ as your Savior. I'm not saying there's something wrong with that, though that would be a little product, but the point I'm trying to make is you pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit. When you're out and about, you know, there are some people out there that you know that there little weird and other Christians, and in so sometimes we sort of attribute their weirdness to their Christianity.

I suggest you they were weird to begin with there just weird people.

Some of you are weird people.

Many of you would think I'm a weird person. I don't know what to say. I don't think I'm where most word people don't think they are. But the fact is there. There's there thereafter. There are here okay and here's the good news. God can save strange people conversion doesn't make you un-strange just makes you say you see, but you still may have your unusual qualities that make you who you are, but often it's the weird people. If you will that are more verbal then let's say the normal people so that might be the ones of the most vocal so nonbelievers will look at them and say I don't know if I want to become a Christian because I might end up like them. So here's my point. I think God for normal Christian salt of the earth. People that love God, you know, in our faithful husbands and wives and and serve the Lord and work hard and get out there and do what they can ensure the gospel when the opportunities come in. Esther was just being salt in this situation. She was can have an opportunity to speak up and and be more vocal in time, but there is a place for just kinda being quiet at times and waiting for the right opportunity. But make no mistake about it.

She was a godly and extractive woman that would soon be a powerful tool in the hands of God and make no mistake about it, God can use an attractive woman. This is how I got say folks. Nobody invited me to a Bible study. Nobody centigrade we were really good burden about your salvation and we want you to know I just saw a cute girl, a cute girl that caught my eye enough to be carrying a Bible and I wanted to know why she would be into what she was into and resulted in me eavesdropping on the Bible study she was attending at lunch time. My high school campus and I heard the gospel and I came to Christ and Jack Says a similar testimony doesn't check with your recently in Jack's story is similar to mine.

Jack was just out party and then living his life as a young man and one day Sarkar fully cute girls and he said why wonder where they're all going. He literally followed this car of girls that pulled into the parking lot of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa there were going to a Bible study so check out a curiosity walked in sat down and I happen to be preaching.

He ended up accepting Christ.

So here's my point. I'm not saying that you have to be a hot chick for Jesus to get here's what I'm saying though that's not a bad thing.

Husbands are we in agreement on that. Come on, okay, here's what I'm really saying I'm exiting the opposite of that. If you're attractive or you're not as attractive to the best with what you can. But the thing that set Esther apart and the thing that will set you apart. Growth is the godly quality inside of you is called virtue. That's why she was use so powerfully by the Lord. Proverbs 31 describing a virtuous woman says Judy is empty. A woman who references the Lord shall be praised or is a modern translation puts it, trying to mislead and beauty soon fade. But the woman to be admired and praises the woman who lives in the fear of God were starting a barber to Bible study this week that we color women's Bible study here at harvest. My wife Kathy is speaking this coming week up for it and I would encourage all you girls to be a part of the virtue Bible studies. These are great studies were there looking at the life of Christ and you'll learn more about how to be that woman of God that woman of virtue that he wants to to be so. Esther she was playing it cool. She was waiting for the right moment to do the right thing. Now if this was a fairytale restricted event.

You know obscure peasant girl elevated to the throne wins the beauty contest becomes the Queen of Israel are Tuesday, the Queen of Persia the end and they lived happily ever after. Another story is just getting started. Every good story needs a protagonist and needs a villain in the story certainly has one. His name is payment. He was power-hungry and he would do anything you needed to do to manipulate his way to a higher position at present came in was the prime minister of Persia, so one day he's walking down the street proud as a peacock expecting everyone to bow before and everyone did because they feared payment except one God. Mordechai the cousin of Esther.

He saw healing without question. I bow before him so everyone spelling their sins. Mordechai hey what's up Susie, you're supposed to be bowing now about no known nothing about before you with this made Haman so angry he was incensed and he decided he wanted to Mordechai executed and as he found out more about Mordechai realizing he was a Jew. Not only did he want to execute Mordechai. He wanted to eliminate all of Mordechai's people. When you talk about holding a garage because Mordechai would not bow before him. He wanted to kill Mordechai and the entire Jewish race. It was sort of a precursor to the final solution in World War II bit off. It the elimination of the Jewish people. This was sort of the first phase of that and now here's our story in chapter 3 go over there to verse eight Esther three verse 8C can just do this on his own is going to get the king the sign off on then human approaching Xerxes and said there's a certain race of people scattered throughout the province of your empire laws are different from those of any other nation, and they refused to obey.

Even the laws of the King. So it's out of the king's interest to let them live it, please your Majesty issue a decree that they be destroy. I will give you 375 tons of silver to the government administrators so they can put it in the royal treasury, the King agrees, confirming the decision by removing the signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman, the enemy of the Jews keep the money.

The king told Haman, but going ahead and do would you like with these people so him a lot in these three will not obey our laws. In fact, the Jews were law-abiding citizens. It's just that in this case Mordechai would not bow before Haman, but the king's bladder. Oh yes, they don't obey me. They don't honor me as they should just wipe them out. It shows up heartlessness of Xerxes as well and little did Xerxes know that he was effectively sealing the zone weans that even Xerxes did not know that his beautiful bride was a Jew, so this decree is published and posted throughout the entire empire they they would put signs up. You're all good time to the Jews in one year I meet.

If it wasn't done enough that even one of them all kill to give him a year to think about it my dips again of World War II when the Jewish people had the where these little yellow armbands of the Star of David on it in their businesses were being trashed in and then their businesses were shut down and then they were sent to the ghettos and then ultimately they were shipped off to concentration camps where they were being executed in Gaston. So here is Haman I went to give you a year to think about a year to be stressed out about it now Esther's going to find out why she one that beauty contest and why she was Queen. As I said earlier, it was not a coincidence. It was Providence, so there's public morning in the city.

There is weeping in this in the streets. Mordechai goes to the palace but he can't get insecurity as time you know he can't get the attention of Esther and so he is out on the street trying to make himself visible to the Queen and here's a problem that Esther faith at this time she was disconnected.

She did know what was going on. Secluded in the luxury of the palace being waited on hand and foot having all the beauty treatments and and everything that a person could want. I guess he shouldn't know about the plight of her people right outside of the doors of the palace, so finally, word gets to hurt your cousin Mordechai is out of the street in sackcloth and ashes, weeping. Maybe you should do some. She said oh yes, let's do something here. Send them some clean clothes, and so she sends a change of clothing to Mordechai and Mordechai thinking girl, you're missing the point. This is about clean clothes.

This is about your people, the Jews were about to die. His little cousin Hadas sent needed a wake-up call, so IT sends back a decree give this to Queen Esther, if you wouldn't mind, and that decree was the one signed by the king, authored by Haman that called for the execution of all of the Jewish people. So here now is Esther in a dilemma.

What do I do about that. If I go and approached the king without permission.

I could be executed in this culture, you couldn't just walk in unto the king's throne room you are to be some if you were to walk in unannounced or unexpected. You could be put to death right on the spot for that act of disrespect soap girl like could be lost in the process so she sort of struggling with this, but here's the way I see this Esther is a lot like many Christians today were removed from what's really happening, you know, we have sort of entered into our little Christian subculture and to me. I find it humorous out we always have to have a Christian version of everything these days. You know whatever there is out there. We have a Christian version we have Christian radio Christian TV Christian books Christian music events. All great. We have Christian hotels Christian gyms are, you name it we have Christian apparel you know it.

I don't know where secular close ammonia to work Christian." We need a Christian car. I'm tired of secular cars in other Christian car, the radio stations are only centered Christian station when you get the GPS is not only tells you where to go. It can also give you biblical counsel right when you hit the horn instead of allowed Blair. It says that blessing would you move please praise the Lord. I don't know what the car won't start.

Unless you begin in prayer member the ejector see the James Bond Aston Martin Goldfinger this one as 12, but it's it's activated by the sound of a trumpet for the rep for your sunroof open. She out the top you go. We live in a Christian bubble and sometimes removed from what's going on in the outside how people are suffering how people need to hear the gospel. Esther was disconnected from her people. She was disconnected from reality and now the wake-up call is going to come. Esther chapter 4 verse 10 then Esther told Hodge Lodge to go back and relay this message to Mordechai the whole world knows that anyone appears before the king and his inner core without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. The king is not called for me to come to him now. Mordechai was going to put in the plain English or Hebrew would Hadas and needs to hear the good Esther four verse 13 Mordechai sent this reply back to Esther.

Don't think for a moment that you will escape there in the palace when all the other Jews are killed if you keep quiet, in a time like this. Deliverance of the Jews will arrive from some other place but you and your relatives will die once more. Who can say. But that you've been elevated to the palace for such a time as this. That's why call the message for such a time. Is this a Dosso as it never dawned and you the God put you there.

For this moment, as it never occurred to you. This was never about a beauty contest. This was about being in a position of influence to see your people. Here's a thought one of your entire life is been preparation for this moment. One of all that you've gone through in your life is been getting you ready for what is about to happen.

Has God placed you where you are such a time as this lesson. There's only one you is only one person walking this earth with your exact heritage whose experience the events that you've experienced was gone to the suffering that you have gone through in its product to to this hour just is no snow to snowflakes are exactly alike.

Two. People are not the same either God is been prepping you for this moment and now God wants to use all that you gone through to.

Here's the problem. A lot of times we don't like Laura that we complain about work God has placed us you know I don't like this neighborhood I live in I don't like the people I have to work with.

I don't like these people I'm related to title like this and I don't like that way. The second is a possible you're there were such a time as this. My answer is, of course, it's possible it's more than possible it's reality.

God is in control of your life. Now are you willing to be the person that God wants you to be. You need to ask yourself the question I am worrying I can't necessarily change that. But what can I do to bring glory to God. How can I take this position that I'm in good or bad, easy or hard and use it to bring others to faith in Jesus Christ. How can I use this position in a productive way. So here's Esther on the horns of a dilemma. She could dives.

He goes to see the king. But she knows what she has to do is see she was on a fragile drama queen.

She was a courageous Hebrew warrior and it was time to fight, put away the makeup and take out the sword and it's time to do what God is called you to do Esther and she was ready for battle. One commentary summed it up this way and I quote, wherever there is a people of God. There are enemies of God realization that there is an enemy forces a reassessment of priorities. The moment came in service. Esther begin to move from being a beauty queen to becoming a Jewish thing from being an empty headed % to be the passionate intercessor from the busy and dull in life and they carry them to the high risk venture of speaking for and identifying with God's people." I love what Esther says look at Esther for verse 15 Esther sent this reply to Mordechai go in general the Jews together and fast for me the waves and pray for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My needs and I will do the same. And then, although it is against the law. I will go in and see the king if I must die. I'm willing to die all right. I'm in a do it.

I'm going to I'm going to take this on Niemi die doing it but I'm willing to do it. So pray for me as I go and see the cake. I would say the same thing to all of you knows we do these Crusades, pray for us and I'll pray for you as we engage in bringing the gospel. The devil hates the gospel the devil locates any effort on the part of the people of God to engage others with the message that can change their eternal destiny.

He will oppose it in any way that he can so here now. Is Esther ready to take the step of faith to what we learn in closing or there's a lot but here's just one simple thing we learned in our lives belong to God he created us. He's called us he's gifted us and now he wants to use. We need to step out of our Christian bubble if the attentions of the people around us instead of cursing the darkness we need to turn on the light, we need to ask the Lord when we should be quiet and when we should speak just as the Jews were crying in the streets. There are people today all around us everywhere we go at her crying out for help. Now they may not be openly doing it. They may not be walk around saying, tell me how to believe in Jesus, but in effect there saying it by choices they make.

By things that they do by bad decisions that they make their looking for someone to step into their life at sea.

Let me tell you how you can can have your life changed for time and eternity.

God has placed you where you are for such a time as this. So here are your marching orders carpe diem sees the moment, look for the opportunities let's pray.

Father, we thank you for your word and every one of us are living our lives and were facing our challenges and were looking at our opportunities and I pray for everyone here, Lord, that you would help us to be the man to be the women jib you called us to be and to seize the opportunities you have set before us, not thinking so much about our personal comfort or even our safety, but that we would be willing Lord to put it on the line to engage people with the only message that can change your life for time and eternity. So Lord, we commit ourselves to you. We pray for harvest America only 13 days away for your spirit out powerfully, not only in Philadelphia but around the nation in these venues where this will be proclaim, including our own church and Lord, we pray that it will result. One of the largest responses to the gospel in the history of our country. We know it can happen use it. Lord help us to remember to pray for and help us to all do our part must now also Lord this time of giving as we invest our resources in your kingdom. So more people can hear the life-changing message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We ask this in Jesus name