INFLUENCE FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

Proclamation:

"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?" Esther 4:14 (NIV)

Explanation:

There is some debate among Bible scholars as to the human author of this Book of The Bible, but the influence of The Holy Spirit of God is present revealing how God can use ordinary people to accomplish His purpose.  Through a series of unlikely events, Esther, a beautiful Jewish girl who had been raised by her cousin Mordecai, had married King Xerxes, King of Persia and Media, and become Queen.  Mordecai found out about the plot to kill the king and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king.  Somehow the king honored Haman for this, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles.  All of the people were to kneel down and pay honor to Haman, for the king had commanded it.  But Mordecai would not kneel down.  Haman learned that Mordecai was Jewish and wanted to kill all Jews because of his disrespect. (Ester 3:5-6)  Mordecai sent word to Esther to beg the king for mercy and plead with him for her people.  Going before the king without being summoned by him could cost Esther her life.  Esther did as Mordecai had requested and the Jews were spared, and Haman was eventually hanged in the gallows which he had ordered built to hang Mordecai. (Esther 7:10)

Application:

Sometimes we are placed in positions of influence and need to speak up for what we believe.  There is a cost associated with taking a stand and speaking up, but there is also a cost for keeping silent when we should speak up and for not helping others when we could.  In our circles of family, friends, and co-workers, we all exercise some influence through our advice and opinions.  Let each of us speak up for Christ and make sure that our advice and opinions are solidly Bible based as we attempt to help others.  It is very possible that the events of our lives, the lessons learned, and the blessings received have prepared us to be in position that we are in "... for such a time as this" in order that we might be a blessing to others.  Let us pray to God that we use our influence wisely.

BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS AND YOU WILL BE BLESSED

Proclamation:

"A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed ..." Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)

Explanation:

The Proverbs of King Solomon contain some of the best advice ever given, from the wisest man that ever lived. (2 Chronicles 1:7-12 and 1 Kings 4:29-34)  Under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, Solomon wrote that generosity would be rewarded.  He said that if they were a blessing to others, then they themselves would be blessed.  Solomon also said that if they went about looking for the good in others, then good things would come to them. (Proverbs 11:27)

Application:

As we sow, so shall we also reap. (Job 4:8)  What we give out is what we will get back.  And, one who gives will get back much more in return than they give out.  A seed which is planted produces not just another seed, but many times more seeds, often there is more than a one hundred fold increase. (Matthew 13:8 & 13:23)  That which we want more of, we should try giving more of that to others.  As we give to others, so shall we receive.   He who is a blessing to others, will himself also be blessed.  When we give to the poor we are actually lending to The Lord and He will repay us. (Proverbs 19:17)   Jesus, The Christ, said that it is better to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)   A generous giving person will be blessed for being a blessing to others.

Enjoy This Life More Abundantly

Jesus said "... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."  John 10:10 (KJV)

These words of Jesus, The Christ, were recorded by the Apostle John, the disciple who referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved.  Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees, and to the crowd of Jews who had gathered around Him and His disciples, after He had told them that He was the door.  He said that He was the door to salvation. (John 10:9)  Jesus said that He did not come to kill or destroy, He came that men might have life, and have it more abundantly.

Jesus, The Christ, is the only door to salvation.  He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. (John 14:6)  He came to earth to give us life, eternal life, not to kill and destroy.  The moment that we accept  Christ as our personal savior, He gives us the gift of eternal life. (John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:8-9)  The more that we turn our lives over to The Holy Spirit, and follow His guidance and direction, the more fully we will enjoy this life. (1 Timothy 6:17)  We will enjoy eternal life later on, and we will enjoy this life more abundantly.

Speak Wholesome Helpful Conversations

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve The Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."  Ephesians 4:29-30 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in The Church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul to guide and direct them in their Christian walk.  Under the direction and influence of The Holy Spirit of God, Paul told them to let their speech and choice of words reflect a Christ-like communication.  Their words should benefit the listener, and they should build each other up when they speak.  He told them to control their tongue and not let any unwholesome words come out of their mouths, least they grieve The Holy Spirit of God.

We know that telling a lie is a sin. (Exodus 20:16, Proverbs 14:5, and Matthew 19:18)  However for some unknown reason, a lot of us seem to think that it is okay to use foul language and profanities in our conversation.  We will have to give an account for every word that we speak. (Matthew 12:36)  If what we say does not give glory to God, then it is a sin. (1 John 5:17)  We need to clean up our communications.  It has been said that "the use of profanity is just a weak mind trying to express itself forcefully." (author unknown)  Our communication should always be Christ-like, even when we are upset, hurt, or angry. (Colossians 3:8 and James 3:6)  Additionally, if what we have to say will not be helpful to the listener, then it should not be said.  On three occasions The Bible gives an example of men being told to encourage another. (Deuteronomy 1:38, Deuteronomy 3:28, and 2 Samuel 11:25)  Our conversations should please, and not grieve The Holy Spirit of God.

Using Our God Given Gifts

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.  If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.  Amen."  1 Peter 4:10-11 (NIV)

These are The Holy Spirit inspired words written by the Apostle Peter to the believers in order to expose, counter, and thwart the false teachers of his time.  His point was that every man has received a gift from God, and he should use that gift to the benefit of others to the glory of God.  

As we study The Word of God we learn that we each were uniquely and wonderfully made by God. (Psalms 139:14)  We each have a unique and different set of God given abilities, talents, and gifts. (Matthew 25:15)  We each should use our abilities, talents, and gifts as best we can to be a blessing to others. (Proverbs 11:25, Matthew 22:39, and Matthew 25:40)  All that we say and do, should be done as if we are doing it for The Lord God, to please Him and to give Him glory. (1 Corinthians 10:31) 

Be Thankful Share And Pray With Thanksgiving

"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."  2 Corinthians 9:11 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the believers in The Church at Corinth to encourage them to be generous with those who were less fortunate.  He told them that they had been blessed, and would be blessed even more so that they could be a blessing to others. 
He also said that their generosity would result in them giving thanksgiving to God. 

O, give thanks unto The Lord. (Psalms 105:1, 106:1, 107:1, 118:1, and 136:1)  We should begin our thanksgiving celebration with prayer, as Nehemiah was first to do. (Nehemiah 11:17)  We are encouraged to always come before the presence of The Lord with thanksgiving. (Psalms 95:2)  When we enter into our place of worship, we should do so with thanksgiving. (Psalms 100:4)  We should sing unto The Lord with thanksgiving. (Psalms 147:7)  This should not be something that we do one day of the year, every day is a day of thanksgiving.  We have been blessed in more ways than we can count, and we should be thankful. (Psalms 100:4 and Colossians 3:15)  We have been blessed so that we can be a blessing to others. (Proverbs 11:25)  Let us thank God for the blessings which we have already received, and let us share with those who are less fortunate.  Let us not worry about anything, and pray about every thing with thanksgiving to God. (Philippians 4:6)  Let us do this every day, and not just on this day of celebration, but continually. (Colossians 4:2)  Have a blessed day of thanksgiving.  O, give thanks unto The Lord. 

Bless Others And Be Blessed

"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in The Church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul said that God will supply all of their needs through Christ Jesus.  They had generously blessed Paul out of their meager possessions, and he said that God would bless them even more generously out of His unlimited riches for the kindness which they had shown to him. 

Being a blessing to a man of God will result in receiving a generous special blessing.  Anyone who even gives a man of God a drink of water, will be blessed and will receive a special reward. (Matthew 10:40-42)  Those who help supply the needs of a man of God or the needs of a righteous believer, will have all of their own needs met through blessings from The Lord.  As we give and share with others, especially with the needy and with the believers, so we will be blessed. (Luke 6:38)  When we are generous, helpful, and a blessing to others, we will ourselves be blessed. (Proverbs 11:25)  Be a blessing to others, and receive a blessing from God.  Bless others and be blessed.

All Good Gifts Come From God

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from The Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."  James 1:17 (NIV)

The Apostle James, the half brother of Jesus, wrote this in a letter to the scattered believers during their period of persecution under King Herod, after the death of Christ.  He reminded them that every good and perfect gift comes to them from their heavenly Father, the maker of the sun and the stars.

Everything that is good which happens to us, is a blessing from God.  Not just the gifts and presents that we receive, but even the good little things that we take for granted, like each breath and each heart beat.  Even the kindness shown to us by a friend is a gift from God.  Every random act of kindness that we receive is the result of love, and all love is from God because God is love. (1 John 4:8)  So, when we receive a gift, we not only need to the human giver of the gift, but we need to thank God for making that blessing possible.  We also need to thank God for the gifts and blessings which we receive that no man can give us.

Good Things Come To The Generous and Just

"Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice."  Psalms 112:5 (NIV)

The unknown author of this psalm states that he who is generous and fair with others will have good things come to him.  Those who do the right thing will receive good things.

This Bible verse is a reminder that blessings are meant to be shared. (Luke 16:25)  Stated differently, we will be blessed for being a blessing to others. (Proverbs 11:25)  Care, share, and be fair.

Blessings Come By Knowing And Doing

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you ... Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." John 13"15-17 (NIV)

Jesus spoke these words to His disciples at the Passover Feast after He had washed the feet of His disciples. He had provided them with an example of how to live and behave, and He had taught them. Then Jesus said, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

When we know better, we ought to do better. Knowing what is right and not doing it is not good enough. We are not blessed because of what we know. We are blessed by what we say and do. Faith without works is dead. (James 2:17) Knowledge alone, if it is not accompanied by action, is useless. We must apply what we know in order to be a blessing to others and to be blessed ourselves.

We Will Be Rewarded For Helping God's People

"God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them." Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)

This unknown author of the book of Hebrews told the believers that God sees the love and good deeds shown to His people and it will not go unnoticed or be forgotten.

God sees all of the good things that we do to help His people. The love that we show our brothers and sisters in Christ will be recorded in a heavenly ledger. Being a blessing to others will result in us being blessed. The good work that we do for others will be rewarded.

We Are Blessed To Be A Blessing To Others

"He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses." Proverbs 28:27 (NIV)

While contrasting Christian behavior versus worldly behavior, Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, basically said that he who gives to the poor will be blessed, while he who ignores to poor will be cursed.

We should make it a part of our behavior to be a blessing to those who are less fortunate than we are. Blessing were meant to be shared. We are blessed in order for us to be a blessing to others. Intentionally refusing to help someone who is in need may cause us to miss out on blessings in the future and cause us to have to endure curses instead.

Be A Blessing To Others And You Will Be Blessed

"A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed ... He who seeks good finds goodwill ..." Proverbs 11:25-27 (NIV)

The Proverbs of Solomon contain some of the best advice ever given, from the wisest man that ever lived. Generosity will be rewarded. If you are a blessing to others, then you will be blessed. If you go about looking for the good in others, then good things will come to you.

As we sow, so shall we also reap. (Job 4:8) What we give out is what we will get back. And, one who gives will get back much more in return than they give out. A seed planted produces not just another seed, but many times more seeds, often more than one hundred fold increase. (Matthew 13:8 & 13:23) That which you want more of, try giving more of that to others. As we give, so shall we receive. He who is a blessing to others, will himself be blessed.

Be A Blessing And Inherit A Blessing

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)

Writing to "the pilgrims", the scattered Christians now strangers in a land that is not their own,
The Apostle Peter provides them with instruction on how to live honorably before unbelievers, before fellow believers, and in the midst of suffering.

We would do well to also follow these guidelines for Christian living. Because of their words and actions, some people are just plain hard to love. However, we must learn to live in harmony with all of God's people. We need to be sympathetic when sympathy is needed, compassionate when comfort is needed, and to be humble and loving at all times. We should show Christian love to others regardless of what is displayed to us. How do we bless folk who are not kind to us? We pray for them, speak well of them (find something good to say), and pray for their salvation and well being. By doing that, we will be blessed.

Comfort For Those Who Mourn

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4 (NIV)

The second of the Beatitudes that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount addresses those who grieve and mourn. This suggests that God knows who is grieving and why, and He will comfort them.

The death of a loved one, though not the only cause, is the most common cause for people to mourn. Even for Christians, who should be celebrating the home going of a loved one, still mourn their death. Intellectually, we know that "to be absent from the body ... present with The Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8), but our emotions get the best of us and we mourn. We know that "... blessed are the dead which die in The Lord ... they ... rest from their labours" (Revelation 14:13), and we know that "Precious in the sight of The Lord is the death of His saints." (Psalms 116:15). Mourning is a natural human emotion. We cannot stop someone from mourning, but with the help of God, we can be there for them to comfort them. Be sure that you pray before you speak to someone who is mourning.

Blessings Come To Those Who Bless Others

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:2-3 (NIV)

Abraham, the father of the faithful, was obedient when God told him to leave his homeland without telling where he was going. God said that He would bless him. God also said that He would bless the people who blessed Abraham, and that all of the people on earth would be blessed through him.

The genealogy of Jesus on earth can be linked to Abraham. That is how all of the people on earth were blessed through Abraham. When God said, "I will bless those who bless you ...", He was clearly talking to Abraham. However, I think this also applies to us today. That would be consistent with Proverbs 11:25, "...and he that watereth shall be watered also himself." (KJV) or "...he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." (NIV) He that blesses others shall himself be blessed. God will bless those who are a blessing to you and He will bless you for being a blessing to others.

Be Sincere And Share With The Less Fortunate

"Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter; when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of The Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and The Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I ... The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs ..." Isaiah 58:7-11 (NIV)

The Prophet Isaiah was to tell the people that God was displeased with their behavior. Their fasting and praying was only half-hearted. They were merely "just going through the motions" and their appearance of righteousness was only a pretense. God wants genuine humility including acting humanely toward those in need.

We need to be sincere, honest, and truthful when we pray and worship. We also need to act more humanely towards our fellow man, especially those in need. We will be blessed if we are a blessing to others who are in need.

Blessed Saints Leave Behind Blessed Memories

"Blessings crown the head of the righteous ... The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot." Proverbs 10:6-7 (NIV)

A righteous preson will be remembered by man and by God after their death, and their memory will be a blessing to those left behind. To those who have experienced the death of a loved one who was a child of God, remembering their Christian life and the things that they taught you will be a blessing to you. They may be gone, but not forgotten, and they can still be a blessing to you even in death.

We should thank God for the blessing of having them in our lives and for the continued blessings that their memory affords us.

Want A Spirit Filled Life?

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right ..." Romans 12:9-17 (NIV)

The above passage lists the traits and characteristics of a Spirit filled life. It describes our personal duties and it tells us how we should treat others. To practice good Christian behavior, these things should be on our daily "to do lists". Doing one good deed each day is good, but living a Spirit filled life all day every day would be much better. Attempt to live in such a way that God gets the glory from our life daily.

Help The Weak And The Less Enlightened

"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbor for his good, to build him up." Romans 15:1-2 (NIV)

The spiritually strong and enlightened among us are to tolerate and help the weaker and less enlightened until they too become strong in the faith.

We are to help our weaker brothers bear their burdens by showing loving support and practical consideration for them. We are to build them up, encourage, correct, inform, and strengthen them whenever possible.

The Christian life is centered on helping and strengthening others. We are not just to live selfishly and satisfy our own desires. Share with others what you have and what you know.