Today, we must know that God has a perfect plan prepared for His children. He desires that we become new creations in Christ, with renewed minds, acting according to His commands. Obedience to God's will, relying on a heart filled with love for the Lord, and the faith and power of the Holy Spirit within us, to work and live, to serve and glorify the name of the Lord.

Reflection Questions:

• What kind of character do you think we Christians should uphold in times of crisis, so that God will come to our aid?

• Haman’s scheme seemed about to succeed, but the situation was reversed in an instant. For Christians, is crisis an opportunity? Do you agree with this idea? Please provide other examples from the Bible.

• Are you afraid of creating crises? What is God’s will for us when we face crises and enemies, as seen in this chapter?

The theme of this chapter is: God prepares opportunities to annihilate enemies. The Pentateuch mentions that the Israelites and the Amalekites are enemies for generations (Exodus 17, Deuteronomy 25). God is determined to wipe out the Amalekites. Not only should the Jews annihilate the Amalekites, but the Amalekites also want to annihilate the Jews, a conflict that cannot be resolved. Fishing requires bait; similarly, eliminating enemies requires bait. In this chapter, what you see may be a crisis, but it is actually bait, and the enemy has already taken the hook.

Turbulent times produce heroes and create opportunities. Without crises, there would be no stories. Everyone must understand that in the life of a Christian, crises are opportunities. There are many examples in the Bible. For instance, Isaac lived in Gerar, and there was a famine in the land that year. The Spirit of God said: Isaac, do not leave here. Isaac was very obedient and stayed in Gerar. But that year, Isaac had a hundredfold harvest! The people of Gerar said: We have clearly seen that God is with you. (Refer to Genesis 26)

Can you imagine? The land that Isaac planted had a hundredfold harvest, while the surrounding land had no harvest. That is blessing. Why? Because the surrounding people had to buy grain from Isaac, and Isaac controlled the price! As a result, Isaac became very wealthy. Moreover, the Philistines in the area could not find water when they dug wells, but Isaac found water as soon as he dug (Refer to Genesis 26), is this not also a blessing? The same things that are useless in the hands of some people become treasures in your hands. Is this not God clearly being with you? Therefore, when facing problems, do not have negative thoughts, but view the problems in a positive and proactive way. For example, when an economic crisis comes, that is when God greatly blesses you! We Christians see things in a completely different way from the world.

Mordecai, the Crisis Creator

In this chapter, Mordecai's unwavering character leads to the crisis of the Jewish people being exterminated, seemingly causing a great disaster. However, creating crises is actually creating opportunities. Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, the enemy of the Israelites from the lineage of Agag. This steadfastness might be considered rigidity by some. Whether you admire this character depends on your attitude towards the world and ultimately determines your choices. If you admire Mordecai, you are like him, a crisis creator. No devil or enemy can stand before such a person; everything will be trampled underfoot, and every crisis will be reversed. Mordecai's refusal to back down is worth learning. Such a character is fit to be a prime minister! Reading the following chapters, we know that Mordecai later became the prime minister of the Persian Empire, replacing Haman (Refer to Esther 8).

Mordecai’s character has several traits. First, he highly values his identity as an Israelite. Why did he not bow down to Haman? Because he was a Jew, and Haman was an Agagite, a descendant of Amalek. The Israelites and the Amalekites are enemies for generations. Second, he never bows to any power; he never worships anything other than the true God. Third, there is no fear in his heart. Whether you fear determines the state of your faith. Open Revelation 21, and you will see that if you have fear in your heart, whether it is fear of any person or any event, you cannot enter the kingdom of God, because the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Revelation 21:8). Cowardice and faith are opposed to each other. But if you have Mordecai's character, you will surely come to God.

There are many such people like Mordecai in the Bible, those who stir up the world. Wherever they go, things are stirred up. Paul was also such a person. Wherever he went, the people there would say: These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here. (Acts 17:6) That is to say, this person has great influence, can stir up many things, and create many troubles, just like Mordecai. In the Bible, all the vessels that God has chosen to use are trouble makers, but the troubles will be turned into blessings. For example, Moses was sent to the Israelites, and he also created many troubles among them. Pharaoh made the Israelites suffer even more, so the Israelites said to Moses and Aaron: You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials! (Refer to Exodus 5). Another example is Daniel's three friends, who refused to worship idols even to the point of death, and as a result experienced great acts of God. Even the King of Babylon witnessed the glory of God, and as a result, they not only did not die, but their official positions were elevated (Daniel 3). Daniel was also like this. These are all people with backbone.

Today, I challenge you, do you want to be a person with backbone like Mordecai? People advise him every day, and he bears pressure from Haman on one hand, and his own people on the other hand, but Mordecai does not change. This is very characteristic. If you want to recognize a godfather, find someone like this; if you want to marry a husband, marry someone like this; if you want to be a man, be a person like this. It is the same when we evangelize to our families. Why does my family follow me in believing in the Lord? It is because I have Mordecai’s character—creating trouble, creating crises, and then turning them around, without fear. In my heart, they will surely be turned around. So when you evangelize to your family, the first step is to create a crisis, and the second step is to turn the crisis around. Without crises and without conflict, there is no turnaround. But I need you to listen to these words with wisdom. If you listen without wisdom, recklessly create crises, and then become afraid, as if the sky is about to fall, then you better not create them. I like to create crises. It is hard to experience crises, and that is the time to pray desperately, hoping that God will work. If you do not pray, the crises you create will eventually become your troubles. Only through prayer can crises be turned around.

The Enemy Begins to Take the Bait

In this chapter, Haman's scheme of the Agagite people seems to be about to succeed, but few people feel that this is the enemy taking the bait when they read this. More people feel that the Israelites are entering a trap. Even in this situation, Mordecai does not think that the devil's scheme will succeed, because he knows that the God we believe in is the master of the universe, and what cannot be turned around? We must learn this faith of Mordecai. Here, the enemy Haman has indeed taken the bait. The first sign that the enemy has taken the bait is that he thinks the opportunity has come. Haman wants to destroy the Jews. He is the prime minister at the time, holding the power of the entire court, and everyone has to bow down to him. But there is one Mordecai who refuses to bow down to him. This angers him, and he feels that the opportunity to exterminate the Jews has come, so he incites the king to issue a decree to exterminate the Jews, and is even willing to donate 10,000 talents of silver to the national treasury for this! One talent is 90 kilograms, and 10,000 talents is 900,000 kilograms, which is 900 tons of silver. The enemy is willing to pay such a high price to exterminate the Jews. Haman believes that the king is on his side, as long as he makes a report to the king, the king will give him the ring representing power, and he can do whatever he wants. But Haman does not know that he has already bitten the hook and will soon be exterminated.

Haman thought that harming Mordecai was a minor matter, and he did not care much. He could kill a Mordecai the next day. Exterminating the Jews throughout King Xerxes’ kingdom, Mordecai’s people. That was his purpose. Brothers and sisters, there are people in this world who want to destroy you no matter what you do. If you are a person of God, no matter where you are, in a company, in the workplace, or in the crowd, the devil really wants to destroy you. Do not think that if I do not provoke the devil, the devil will not provoke me. It is not like that. The devil is a deadly enemy with the people of God! Even if you do not provoke the devil, the devil will still destroy you.

Regardless of whether Mordecai is causing trouble, Haman is determined to exterminate the Jews? In fact, Mordecai is just an inducement, and in fact, this is the feeling that God has given to Mordecai. Haman does not know that he is biting the hook, but thinks that everything is under his control. When we read the following chapters, Haman's wife also knew: If Mordecai is a Jew, you will not overcome him, but will surely be ruined before him. (Refer to Esther 6:13) Mordecai knows this, and even Haman’s own family knows it, but if we do not know it, is this not strange? In any case, you must know your identity in the Lord Jesus, and know that you can be afraid of nothing, because any situation will be turned around in your hands.

The devil's scheme is to incite hatred against Jews, hatred against Christians, and even to make people who belong to God hate each other. Therefore, anti-Semitism has appeared in the world, which is determined to exterminate the Jews and to exterminate Christians who are related to the Jews. This kind of hatred is inexplicable hatred------the Jews have not provoked anyone, but some people just want to kill the Jews. Anti-Semites who want to exterminate the Jews are typical Amalekites, the dark forces headed by the devil. But if you have God's presence on your body, no dark power can harm you, and you will surely be victorious. So this is what Haman's wife said to Haman at the end: whoever is against the Jews and Christians will surely fail. You do not need to take action at all, God will definitely take action. According to the attitude towards Jews, people can be divided into two categories: anti-Semites and those who pray for the peace of Jerusalem. The Jerusalem mentioned here is not a symbol of the church, but refers to Jerusalem, which refers to the Jews. I encourage everyone to break through the narrow-minded concepts in your hearts, and really start to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, pray for the Jews, so that the Jews can completely turn to God.

In Psalm 122, David said, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May those who love you be secure.'(Psalm 122:6). When Paul wrote the book of Romans, he said, For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (Refer to Romans 11:15) That will be a great revival! Mordecai is a man who loves Jerusalem, and his backbone comes from God. There will be no good end to exterminating the Jews, that is not a joke, to exterminate the Jews is to be against God; but if you pray for the peace of Jerusalem, you are walking in God's will. Weakness is not an option. If you are weak, your hook will not catch any fish. Weakness is unable to create a crisis that the enemy mistakes for an opportunity, nor is it able to completely destroy the enemy. So we must create opportunities. The premise is to be strong and courageous, like Mordecai, and then let the devil and enemy think that it is a good opportunity for it, so that it can be hooked. The devil wants to attack the Jews, do you think its attack will succeed? Even if we are weak for a while when creating a crisis and let it attack, that is not their opportunity, that is their crisis.

Turning Crisis into Opportunity

The king's decree had been issued, and the Jews were facing imminent destruction. You might think, what can be done to avoid such a disaster? But upon further reflection, why should we avoid it? I encourage everyone to never expect to avoid crises, but rather to believe that every crisis is an opportunity. We often hope for a situation where everything is smooth and everyone is happy. But is this truly beneficial? You can try maintaining this state of harmony, but perhaps the individuals who need to be evangelized will pass away before you can transform them. Therefore, we must begin to learn Mordecai's approach: the enemy will surely be defeated, and our families will be saved! We should not evade the conflict that comes with spreading the gospel, nor should we try to avoid it, just like Mordecai, showing no regret. In my own life, I often find myself on the verge of collapse, but each time I thank God, because ultimately, He will turn my situation around.

God is in Control of Everything

A crisis is an opportunity; we must view everything positively, knowing that God is in control! Do you think the devil is in control? Haman, despite his position as prime minister, ended up being hanged on the very gallows he had prepared. The powerful brought low, and the humble exalted—this is the wonder of God's work. Always remember that God, not the devil, is in control.

Be Strong and Courageous

When we study healing and deliverance, we often need to understand the devil's schemes and abilities. This might mistakenly lead us to believe that the devil is powerful and difficult to deal with. But to resist the devil, you only need one thing: be strong and courageous. What was God's message to Joshua? Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9) With strength and courage, no enemy can stand before you, and no opportunity for transformation will be lost.

So, if you carefully observe the paths taken by the brothers and sisters among us, you will find that we have not been without conflicts and crises, sometimes even reaching very serious points. Some time ago, the mother of one of our sisters, although attending our gatherings, had not yet had her mind transformed. She had a major conflict with her daughter, and I removed her from the remote group. At the time, we felt sad and worried, fearing that this sister's mother would leave us for good. But praise the Lord, she has returned today! When I removed her from the group, I did not know what the future held, but I had confidence in my heart that God would turn her situation around.

In the church, if we cover things up, hide them, and avoid any conflict or crisis, the church we build will ultimately be a disorganized mob, unable to defeat any enemy, because what you are hiding is fear, not strength and courage. For those who are strong and courageous, nothing is impossible to turn around. If you want to bless your family and clan, you must have a strong and courageous heart. You must know that God is in control during times of crisis. I encourage everyone to pray more, so that when you create a crisis or stir up a situation, you can rely on prayer to turn it around!

God Will Use You to Create Crises and Destroy the Enemy

This is called emulating Paul. Know that no one can destroy you, not even a prime minister or a king, and not even if the order has been issued. In Numbers 23-24, the king of Moab hired the prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites, but God caused Balaam to speak only blessings upon them. Israel is God's people, so there is no sorcery that can succeed against Jacob, no divination that can work against Israel. (Numbers 23:23) But Balaam knew how to destroy Israel. He devised a plan for the king of Moab to entice the Israelites to commit sexual immorality with the Midianite women, sinning against God themselves. As a result, God Himself destroyed those who sinned (see Numbers 25). So, if we ensure that we live in God's love and grace, who can destroy us? No one! The question is whether we can hold fast to the grace of Jesus Christ. If you hold fast to the grace of Jesus Christ, no one can destroy you!

Do not exaggerate the works of the devil. The most fatal thing for Jews and Christians is to offend God. If you do not offend God, it does not matter whom you offend. Even if you do offend someone, what does it matter? In the end, you will see your victory. Thank God! Know the great grace that God has given us.

That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1:20-23)

Are Christians seated in heaven or on earth? In heaven! We are united with Jesus Christ. As long as you do not leave the body of Jesus Christ, and remain forever connected to Him, you are seated with Jesus Christ in heaven. You might ask if the Bible says this. Let us look again:

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Since we are seated with Jesus Christ in heaven, everything in heaven and on earth, all rulers and authorities, are under our feet! (Ephesians 2:6-7)

What is King Xerxes? He is merely a worldly ruler, and he is also under the feet of the church! So today, we have received such a noble identity, and the kindness that God will display among us will be shown to our future generations, becoming a beautiful testimony! Amen!

Scripture:

Est 3:1 After these things King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles.
Est 3:2 All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.
Est 3:3 Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”
Est 3:4 Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to listen to them. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.
Est 3:5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.
Est 3:6 Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.
Est 3:7 In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, they cast the pur (that is, the lot) in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
Est 3:8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.
Est 3:9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”
Est 3:10 So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
Est 3:11 “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”
Est 3:12 Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his ring.
Est 3:13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.
Est 3:14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.
Est 3:15 The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.