Esther Ch4/2 Timothy Ch3
Watch and Pray! Do not fall into temptation
Esther 4/2 Timothy 3
Esther 4/1-8: Know how dangerous it is, pray earnestly, and preach at a risk of one’s life.
When Mordecai learned that the enemy of the Jews had set a date to destroy all of the Jews, he cried loudly and bitterly. There were many Jews also fast and cried bitterly because of that. But Queen Esther did not know the danger of her people because she lived safely in the palace. When she heard that Mordecai was in sackcloth and ashes, she was very upset. Esther sent clothes to Mordecai, but he would not take it. Then Esther sent a eunuch to find out why Mordecai was sad. Mordecai then asked the eunuch to tell her everything that the enemy had planned wickedly to destroy all of God’s children. Mordecai instructed her to plead earnestly to the king for her people.
2 Timothy 3/1-8: Proclaim the danger of resisting the truth in the last days.
Paul, a faithful servant of God, told a young worker Timothy about the terrible times in the last days. People will be evil and immoral in their heart. There will be pastors or missionaries who pretend to be godly outside. In fact, they are not godly at all. They pretend to be godly so that people will trust them and love them. In this way they go into homes of weak-willed women and gain control over them. Their minds are completely evil and morally unacceptable. They have titles as pastors, but in fact they are opposing the truth.
In Comparison:
Mordecai and Paul are faithful servants of God. Both of them teach the later generation about every wicked plan of the enemy. They urge their descendants not to relax or remain in their easy lives. Beware of the danger and know clearly the evil plan of the enemy. Mordecai urged Esther to plead earnestly for the life of her people. Paul pointed out the danger of the false pastors. He told Timothy to have nothing to do with them.
Esther 4/9-12:
When Esther knew all about the trouble, she had her own concern. It was impossible for her to go to the king and plead for her own people according to the law. She might die for that.
2 Timothy 3/9-12:
Paul assured Timothy that those who opposed the truth would not get too far. Their folly would be clear to everyone soon. Paul encouraged Timothy to follow his example to preach the truth even at the risk of his life. Timothy had known all of Paul’s teachings. He knew what kinds of sufferings and persecutions happened to Paul in everywhere. He also knew that the Lord rescued Paul from all of that. Paul reminded Timothy that in fact, everyone who wanted to live a godly life in Christ Jesus would be persecuted.
In Comparison:
When we truly know the wicked plan of the enemy, we want to do good to save people from it. But we may face serious difficulty. It may even cost our lives to do good. We must pray for an attitude of suffering and self-denial to do good in the last days. Or we can only sit there and wait to be destroyed. We pray that God will rise up His brave soldiers who have no fear of death. And they will fulfill God’s plan willingly.
Esther 4/13-17:
Mordecai urged Esther when he heard her problem. He said, “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (V. 13-14) Then Esther responded to his serious advice. She asked him to gather together all the Jews in Susa to fast for her three days and nights. She and her maids would do the same. After the fast, she would go to the king, even though it was against the law. If it would take her life, she was ready and was willing to die for her people.
2 Timothy 3/13-17:
Paul told Timothy that those who do evil and deceive people will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But God’s servants must keep in mind the truth that we are convinced of. This Holy Bible is able to make us wise for salvation. The word of God can lead us into perfection. The Holy Scriptures can prepare us for every good work in good times or bad times. The very good work of our time is to save our own lives and the lives of God’s children by praying and preaching the truth.
In Comparison:
If we keep silent in the times of darkness, the evil doers and the deceivers will go from bad to worse. In fact, this is the chance for us to pay our gratitude to the Lord’s kindness. We must pray to Almighty God earnestly for the lives of all God’s children now.
The most important thing for us to do in this evil and immoral time is to put the complete truth of the Holy Bible in our heart. His word is able to make us wise for salvation of our souls, our minds and our bodies. Esther asked all of the Jews to fast and pray earnestly to Almighty God before she went to plead the king. Proverbs said, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; He directs it … wherever He pleases.”(v. 1)
Paul also taught Timothy to put the Holy Bible in his heart and to enter into perfection by himself. When he was with the Almighty God, he could preach even when it was impossible. Though he may lose his life in preaching the pure truth, the Almighty God would be with him.
Conclusions of two chapters:
(1) Be sure to know the danger in the last days. (2) Understand carefully and clearly the evil plan of the enemy. (3) Keep firmly in mind the complete truth of the Holy Bible. (4) Pray earnestly to God and preach bravely even at a risk of our lives. (5) In this way, we save ourselves and others. When we pay our gratitude to God like this, we will be rewarded kindly by God.
Testimonies (1): “AVOID” those godless teachers—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women” (2 Timothy 3/5-6).
When I went to London for the first time, a sister told me this news. Lately a very young and smart professor of a famous Seminary ran away secretly with a wife of another man. No one knew where they were at that time.
One sister came to me for advice. She was from China. When she first arrived in London by herself, she started to attend a Bible Study because she had problem with her husband. There she met a man about thirty years old. He was the leader of that group. They liked each other a lot. Therefore, she went back China to divorce. But when she came back to London, she found out that this man was a homosexualist. She was also told that he was living with a black woman who was much older than him. This sister was very confused about their relationship. When he led the Bible Study, he applied the scriptures to their relationship in this way. He said, “If you have faith, you must put it into action.” By that he meant, “If you like me, you should just go ahead and live with me.” When I heard this, I was very shocked. This kind of explanation and application of Bible is from hell. It is a blasphemy. Later, this man was accepted by a famous Seminary in UK as a student of Theology.
This sister asked me, “Shouldn’t I love him since the Bible tells us to love one another?” She even asked me whether she should go with him and study at the same Seminary. How terrible the way she applied the Bible to her problem. In fact, the Bible teaches us to avoid sexual immorality. We must never abuse God’s words according to our sinful desires. Be sure to listen to God’s words humbly and quietly so that we can understand the original meaning of His words. I advised this sister to AVOID this man completely. Absolutely have nothing to do with such dogs.
Testimony (2): “For if you REMAIN SILENT at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish.” (Esther 4/14)
Sister Chang loves the Lord very much. She lives with her husband and three daughters in America. All of her daughters love the Lord and serve the Lord willingly. They have all graduated from universities. Her life is as easy and comfortable as Queen Esther in the palace. God calls her to preach the gospel and pray for God’s children. But she remains silent. She is unwilling to leave her home to follow Jesus gospel preaching. Later, God uses problems in her family to make her realize that she has been wrong in disobeying God’s calling. All of sudden God permits her three daughters to get sick. Her daughters have been well known for their purity and humility. But now they have Depression because they cannot lose weight. The second daughter always runs away from home and wants to kill herself. Sister Chang is so scared that she has no peace day and night. She has tried all kinds of methods and medicines for her second daughter. But nothing works out. Finally, she prays to God for His light. God shows her sin of disobedience. She then repents and obeys the will of God. She has joined our co-workers to Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Africa and many places for the work of God. She has been here with Rebekah in August. Her second daughter has been much better. Now she starts to read the Bible and pray. She even goes back to church. What a wonderful and true testimony of God’s words. Let us open our mouth and pray earnestly for children of God.
Testimony (3): Sister Xi-En Zhang
After the long period of hardships in the Labor Camp, I suffered a severe headache; a terrible pain was constantly on my head. If I did not have enough sleep, my headache got worse. It lingered for many years. I had tried everything for healing, such as Chinese and Western medicines, acupunctures, physical therapies, but none of them worked. It seemed no remedy for it.
In 1983, right before I left the labor camp, God called me the second time. He inspired me again to intercede for the lost souls and the church revival in mid-night as a watchman. I thought to myself, “My headache is already unbearable now. What will happen if I get up and pray in mid-night?” I felt pity for myself. I totally forgot God was almighty. Then the words of God came to me in Luke 21/1-4. God showed me that the poor widow put all she had to live on into the temple treasury. It was only two small copper coins. But Jesus praised her publicly. The Lord value this two small copper coins more than other’s offering. I was ashamed in comparison with that poor widow! I turned to trust in God, He is faithful. I should live by faith, not by sight. Then I gave myself to God and made up my mind to intercede as God wanted me to. As soon as I started to pray for the revival of the church and the lost souls according to God’s will, an amazing thing happened. My headache slipped away! Praise the Lord! I was healed completely! It has never come back.
I am so grateful and unworthy of being part of the watching and praying for the kingdom of God! I will repay the Lord for all His goodness to me. For Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever wants to lose his life will find it.” Let us learn the good example of Esther, risking her life, praying for her people earnestly and bravely! She said, “And if I perish, I perish!”