PLACE AND PURPOSEEsther 8:1-17

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As a child of God, the place you are today is directly related to the plans and purpose of God; if you will not replace yourself outside of His current place for you. It does not matter where you are or how you are. As long as you have life in you, God is at work on your behalf. He is good and merciful. He is the God who never runs out of mercy; except we run out of His mercy. Also, despite our inconsistency, He remains consistent in His faithfulness to us. He said in Jeremiah 29:11, ÒFor 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.Ó The word of God is speaking to us and He is aware of where we are and what we are doing or what we might be going through. His plans for us are a testimony to the fact that we should remain focus at all times. Mordecai was a captive Jew who was captured and carried away by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Mordecai brought up Esther, his uncleÕs daughter, after the father and mother of Esther had died. His place was at the gate where he saw and heard as the Lord positioned him to. Esther 2:21-22, ÒIn those days, while Mordecai sat within the kingÕs gate, two of the kingÕs eunuchs, Bigthana and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in MordecaiÕs name.Ó Bigthan and Teresh were eventually terminated for the plot against King Ahasuerus and it was documented in the favor of Mordecai. One would think it was over with, but it went deeper than expected because God is always there with His plan and purpose. When Haman wanted to have all Jews in the land destroyed, it was the documentation of the plot that Mordecai had at the gate that came to the rescue. On the night of the day that the law to destroy the children of Israel was passed, the kingÕs lost of sleep brought a gain for the deliverance of the Jew when the king read the documentation that saved his life through Mordecai. Esther 6: 1-2, ÒThat night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the kingÕs eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.Ó The king was provoked to honor Mordecai based on the chronicle documentation of how his life was saved by Mordecai. As a result of the place and purpose in the life of Mordecai, the Jews were released and a new turn took its toll in the life of Mordecai as he went from gate to great in the hand of the King Ahasuerus. Do not replace yourself from where He places you; it shall be well in Jesus name.

INTEGRITYJob 1- 2

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Integrity can be defined as standing on your word and living your word as you believe it and not living your word as the world presents it to you. Most times we believe, but our confession often contradicts the life style that is being demonstrated. Are you holding fast to the Word of God that you have received? It is a command from God that we ÒÉshall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.Ó(Deuteronomy 6:5) When the Lord is being loved, worshiping Him will have no bound regardless of confronting situations. Job, while the news of the first assault of the devil was being delivered, could do nothing but go to God in worship. ÒThen Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.Ó (Job 1:20) Job had just lost all, including his children, yet he resolved to worship God. As a man who had received from the word of God that worship and honor belongs to God, he could remember nothing but to stand in the word of God; regardless of the dictation of the enemy against all that the Lord had blessed him with. Job could not take a stand of complaint, but he had to remain in the worshiping of the Lord. This is what is called integrity. He held on fast to the word of God knowing fully well that there is a Father who is above all and He is the giver and taker of all. JobÕs standing and position before God, by virtue of how he responded to the first assault, made God have no reason not to boast Job before the devil, Job 2:3, ÒThen the LORD said to Satan, ÒHave you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.Ó The grace to be able to stand for God and for God to declare us as worthy is what should be praying for. Job was a man of integrity who took his standing in the command of God. It was so glaring to God that He has to announce Job. As God saw integrity in Job, the wife also saw integrity in him. Job was not just holding to integrity; it was clear that he was holding so fast to it that his wife had to question his integrity. Job 2:9, ÒThen his wife said to him, ÒDo you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!Ó How do you see yourself when it comes to integrity? Can it be identified in you that you have integrity? When compromise sets into the life of a believer of the word, integrity will be offset and the standard of living in the word of God will be terminated. Integrity is what we all need to constantly demonstrate and to evangelize without a single word in the world of unbelief. Let it become of you that the way you said it is will be the way the world around you will see it.

GLORIFY HIM< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Jeremiah 48:1-20

God was speaking against Moab in the book of Jeremiah 48:7, ÒFor because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity.Ó (Chemosh: The chief deity of Moab.) It was a great pronouncement against Moab and it is worthy of our attention and sincere meditation so that it will enable us to observe how we place our trust. The pronouncement should be a strong warning for all that believes and also to unbelievers that God should be constantly and consistently acknowledged with thanks and praise for all that He enables us to do on a regular basis. A failure not to acknowledge Him for all is a demonstration of trusting and relying on self-effort as strength. It is clear that the people of Moab could have resolved to self-sufficiency whereby looking to their work and treasure as a measure of self-effort. A dangerous way to captivity is to assume self-effort as strength and source of blessing. God alone is our source. God wants to be glorified and exalted for every blessing that comes our way. He is a jealous God and He will not take it well with any soul who chooses not to acknowledge Him for His goodness and mercy. God spoke in Jeremiah 9:23-24, ÒLet not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight, says the LORD.Ó How clear and loud can we possibly hear this from the Lord God that He wants to be glorified by us? It does not matter how long we attempt to take away His glory but it shows to us that God is a merciful and longsuffering God and He will not overlook sin nor allow us to get away with whatever we do wrong before Him. Have you been counting on self-effort as your source? It is time that you count your blessings; name them one by one and let Him take the entire honor and the glory. Captivity is not a ground that is funky for any one that is enjoying and living in the blessings of freedom with God. The Moabites might not be around to tell what it means to end up in captivity after having been in control of treasures, but the documentation in the Bible about what became of them is enough for us to learn and live to the glory of God. What God said He would do has already been done because His Word does not return to Him void. Do not give away all that He has blessed you with. Turn around and give Him all the glory and honor that belongs to Him; not to your efforts. Go and glorify Him in Jesus Name.

GRACE TO RACEHebrew 12

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Life is a journey and the journey of life requires race to get to the end of the mark; the expected end. The race of life is not about how fast you get to the end mark, but it is all about getting through to the end of the race. Ecclesiastes 9:11 put it better, ÒThe race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor the bread to the wise, nor the riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.Ó  There is no clearer way to picture what the race can be compared to than Ecclesiastes 9:11. The race of life is not about how long you have been running it, but rather it is about how well you have been running it. The race of life is not about how often you have fallen and were able to get back on track instead of getting out of track. The race of life is not about what the weather will do to affect your going, but it is about how you are weathering through. It is absolutely certain that so many are in the race, but not all will get to the end of the race accordingly. That is not all will receive the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24, ÒDo you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.Ó How are you running the race? It is important to know that keeping track of how you are running will keep you focus from crossing off track in the race of life because some are running, but they are running off the track. 1 Corinthians 9:25, ÒAnd everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.Ó Running off the track will no doubt win a perishable crown, but running by exercising restraint will bring forth the winning of an imperishable crown. This race that we are running requires endurance; not energy. Neither does it require strength but rather the Spirit of God.  Continuity is the rule of the race while a purposeful heart is the official of the race. An advice about running the race is written in Hebrew 12:1, ÒTherefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.Ó The race is a war that has to be fought every day by the grace of our Lord and Savior. As you run, are you taking time out to check if you are still on track in the race of life? It is a serious matter because the Apostle Paul made us to see clearly that it is a war when he said in 2 Timothy 4:7, ÒI have fought the good fight, I have finish the race, I have kept the faith.Ó What will you say about how you have run the race when it is the time to cross over the line for prize? Ask for grace to run the race.

NO LIMITATIONGenesis 1:14< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

If you do not love the Lord, you cannot serve Him and if cannot serve Him, you cannot love Him. Deuteronomy 6:5, ÒYou shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.Ó Do you love Him? Are you serving Him? How you serve Him does matter regardless of how much you consider the depth of your service. Serving Him is loving Him and loving Him is serving Him. The standard that is required by our jealous God is to serve and love Him with our entire all. God sees our heart and He does know our limitation. If you are blessed with the strength and ability to stand in your time of worship and you chose to take a seat in your worship, no man can judge you, but remember that He is a jealous God. In every area of worshipping Him, give it all to Him and He will acknowledge your worship. The Bible points out in Hebrews 11:21, ÒBy faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.Ó The old man Jacob, even at His dying age, gave it all and he did not reduce His God nor limit the power of His might. He was at a dying age, but he could not let age affect his worship of the Almighty God. So many come to worship with full strength in them, but they cannot do better but then to sit instead of rather standing and raising up hands in worship to God. Where do you stand? Jacob was at a dying age yet he found a means to lift himself up before Lord. You are not at a dying age, but you have found a way not to lift yourself up before God in your worship to the Name of God. While there are some older bodies that stand continually worshiping God, what is it that is holding able body, young and vibrant men and women who are far from dying age to come and sit in the presence of God worshiping? Will you begin to cultivate a habit of taking a full stand, by the grace of God, to worship God? The details of JacobÕs last account of leaning on his staff to worship can be connected in Genesis 49:33, ÒAnd when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.Ó With this account, it can be concluded that after all the worshipping and blessing, Jacob went to sleep in the Lord. It is for our learning because documentation in the Bible is for us to learn so that we can begin to live by it for the glory of God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, ÒAll Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.Ó Belief is learning and living by the Word of God.