For Such A Time As This

The following is an excerpt from my new book: The Spiritual Resistance Agent Field Manual.

AVAILABLE NOW through Amazon.com or CedarFort.com

The Formation of Stars

Stars form inside dense concentrations of interstellar gas and dust. In the extreme cold, the gases become molecular and the atoms begin to bind together. When the density reaches a certain point, a star forms. The whole process from gas to star is said to take millions of years.  

            That means that for the star of Bethlehem to appear at the exact right time, announcing the birth of the Savior, it had to begin its journey millions of years beforehand. It had to be placed in its orbit long before Mary was to deliver Jesus; long before she was visited by the angel; long before she was even born, or the Savior’s birth was prophesied. It means that the events that created that star had to be set in motion millions of years before it was ever needed. 

            It’s mind-blowing and incredible, isn’t it? Don’t you think that if God could do that with a star, He could do it with you? Think about that for a minute. Events were set in motion long before you were ever born that will put you right where you need to be, at the exact time you are needed. 

A Personal Miracle

While I was writing the screenplay for my film, Resistance Movement, I began having dreams that something important was missing from it. It had something to do with one of the main characters. I prayed that I would be led to discover what it was.  Since it was a true story, I began doing more research about the true-life person I was writing about to see if I could figure out what was missing. As I was researching, I discovered there was an old German play that this particular person loved and often quoted from. I had no idea where to find this obscure play, but I knew I needed to read it.

A few days later, I was at the thrift store and, on a whim, decided to walk through the book section to see if there was anything interesting. As I walked through, I glanced down, and there, in the thrift store, in the middle of Utah, was a copy of that very play! I couldn’t believe it!  It was an old copy that had been printed in the early 1950’s, and it had the name of its first owner written on the inside flap.

            I bought it, took it home, and read it immediately. As I read, the answer to my dream became clear and I knew what my play had been missing. I was so grateful. As I knelt in prayer to thank Heavenly Father for this great blessing of inspiration and guidance, I was struck with a very powerful realization: This book didn’t just suddenly appear when I needed it. The events that had brought that book where I needed it, at the precise time I needed it, had been set in motion years and years before I had ever uttered that prayer. Someone back in the 1950’s had to purchase the book. They had to hold onto it until just the right time, decide to donate it to charity, and donate it in the exact right place, and at that exact time for me to find it. In other words, the Lord knew what I needed, before I even knew it myself, and He set things in motion years before so the answer I sought would be ready for me at the exact time and place I needed it. 

            As these thoughts flooded my mind, I felt such a strong sense of love and peace. I knew this was not just an isolated incident. This is how the Lord works! He knows what we will need long before we even know we need it. He also knows what we are capable of and who will need our help long before we do. And He places us, and others, exactly where and when we are needed; in the right place at the right time.

Queen Esther

In the Persian Empire, around 485 BC, there was a young Jewish girl named Esther. She had been chosen by King Ahasuerus to be his new queen. When Esther was chosen to go to the palace, her guardian and cousin, Mordecai, told her not to tell anyone that she was Jewish because it could be dangerous. There was a powerful man in the kingdom named Haman who hated the Jewish people. Haman went to the king and convinced him to kill all the Jews in the kingdom because they were a danger to his power. When Mordecai learned of this he went to Esther and begged her to try to change the king’s mind. 

Esther was terrified. This wasn’t a small or easy thing Mordecai was asking her to do. King Ahasuerus was very strict with the rules governing his court and very harsh in his punishments. She could only go to him when he specifically asked for her. He hadn’t asked to see her for over a month and, if she entered his presence without being asked, she could be killed. Seeing Esther’s hesitation, Mordecai told her that if she remained silent, God would send the Jews deliverance through someone else, but that she and her family would perish. Finally, he asked, “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

            Esther agreed to try approaching the king if the Jewish people would join her in fasting and prayer for three days first. After the days of fasting ended, Esther made herself ready. She dressed in her finest clothes and made herself as beautiful as she could. Then, with a pounding heart, she entered the king’s chamber. She must have stood there for what felt like an eternity, waiting to see if the king would accept her presence or condemn her to death for her intrusion. At last, the king raised his golden scepter and accepted her presence. 

            Through a series of feasts, Esther told the king that she was a Jew and asked for her people to be protected. King Ahasuerus ordered the extermination order to be revoked. Not only that, but the Jews were also given protection and the freedom to live their religion and fight against anyone who tried to take their rights from them. All because Esther had the faith to recognize that God had placed her in this position at the exact time she was needed. 

            There is nothing accidental about your being alive at this time. Just like Esther, you are here for a specific purpose and have been given the exact gifts and experiences needed to make a difference in a way that no one else can. YOU were born for such a time as this!

Are you tired of feeling helpless against the increasing wickedness in the world? Do you long to help your family stand for truth and resist the evil that surrounds you on a daily basis? . . . THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!

THE SPIRITUAL RESISTANCE AGENT FIELD MANUAL is a brand new book to help families become a powerful force for good in a world increasingly occupied by evil. Using personal stories, as well as examples from history and the Bible, the spiritual weapons discussed in this manual will help today’s youth and families fight against the wickedness and negativity that surround them with ever-increasing ferocity, and give them the courage and faith to stand as stalwart members of Christ’s spiritual army.

AVAILABLE NOW! THROUGH AMAZON.COM & CEDARFORT.COM