For Such a Time
The 2020 Awakening! 
Terry R. Baughman

“Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 
(Esther 4:14 NKJV). 

Mordecai inspired his young cousin, Esther, to arise to the challenge of her generation. He had taken her in as a child when both of her parents died and raised her as his own daughter. Because of his great affection for Esther he would have never suggested anything that would have endangered her life. There was a nation wide search for a new queen when the Persian queen fell into disfavor with King Ahasuerus. He desired to find a truly beautiful and special person to fill the role. When Esther was considered in the competition, Mordecai cautioned her to conceal her Jewish heritage. 

Living under the oppression of Persian rule, the Jewish people had began a slow recovery after long years of captivity. Old hostilities and prejudice remained against the Jews while many of the ruling party viewed them as inferior in the land of their subjugation. Haman had authority over the princes of Persia and had a deep-seated hatred for the Jewish people. He plotted for a way to destroy the Jews added to an acrimonious determination to eradicate Mordecai. Haman seethed with hatred when Mordecai refused to bow down in obeisance to him. Ultimately Haman developed a plan to paint all Jews as rebells to the king and convinced him to sign an edict that all Jews might be slaughtered on an appointed day. 

This became an urgent situation and the scheduled day for ethnic genocide was approaching. The Jewish people fasted and prayed for deliverance and Mordecai sent word to Queen Esther, “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13–14).

 Mordecai was now convinced that God had placed Esther in this position of prominence with access to the King for this very purpose. When the situation was desperate God had arranged beforehand the person to be an influential voice of hope for the Jewish people. Mordecai was full of faith and believed that even if Esther refused to intercede for the Jews, God would have someone else arise to the challenge. 

Esther rose to the challenge. After three days where all the people fasted and prayed for her because she pledged to approach the king saying, “I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” (Esther 4:16). She risked her own life when she approached the King unbidden. Had King Ahasuerus simply ignored her presence she would have been forcefully removed and sentenced to death. The King apparently wanted to hear her petition and what she had come to request. He raised the golden scepter that was in his hand indicating acceptance and granting her permission to speak. Through a series of banquets and efforts to win his favor she revealed her ethnicity and the motivation for the wicked plot of Haman. 

King Ahasuerus passed sentence against Haman and he was hanged on the very gallows he had constructed to execute Mordecai. Esther was spared and she was the instrument of God to bring relief to her people. 

God has brought each of us to this generation. The current conflict is not about our favor or discomfort, rather it is more about the advancement of the Kingdom of God. He is at work in the world and involved in our dilemma. Who knows if He has brought us to this generation for such a time as this!
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Theme passage:
“Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).

Spiritual Leaders 
The 2020 Awakening! 
Terry R. Baughman

“If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves” (Galatians 6:1–3 NIV). 

Sometimes, we think of Spiritual Leaders as being those who are very spiritual people, even icons of perfection. Because we see our own imperfections, we may feel inadequate for leadership and ill-equipped for positions of responsibility. In reality anyone who desires it, can become a spiritual leader.

The spiritual ones are those who are simply striving to follow God’s leading. Living in obedience does not imply perfection, it just exemplifies a willingness to submit to God and seek His direction. 

In the same way men in the home are called to be leaders in their families. Some are overcome with the heavy weight of responsibility and fear that they will fail to fulfill the expectations of those to whom they have been called to lead. Fathers and leaders in the home have a tremendous duty to provide direction for those under their care. Some flee from the weight of that task when they experience the burden of leadership, feel their inadequacies, and refuse to accept the responsibility.

The role of a father is fulfilled naturally. It is not a talent that you are born with but rather a skill that is developed through life experience. It is not a responsibility to flee away from but rather a challenge to be accepted and skills to be practiced. All leadership roles require time and exercise to overcome the learning curve inherent in any new endeavor. 

We should not allow the term spiritual leader to intimidate us or dissuade our resolve to rise to a new challenge. God has called us to leadership in whatever ministry He allows us to enter. Whether we are a father of children, a teacher of the Bible, a small group facilitator, or a nursery director, we have been called into leadership. We must rely on the Spirit of God to enable us to be effective leaders. We must recognize the call of God is to serve. Positions are not to produce pride and self-sufficiency, but the recognition that we are in leadership to serve God, our church, and those who have been committed to our care. 

Paul was clear. When we deal with problems among those we lead, we must also recognize that we are capable of the same mistakes and prone to the same sins. He warned us, “Watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted” (Galatians 6:1 NIV). The principle of the harvest is that what you sow, you will also reap. Paul said, “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8 NIV). As we labor for God seeking the things of the Spirit, the reward will be a reaping of spiritual blessings. 
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Let us seek fervently the things of God and expect the harvest to be revealed in our area of ministry. We are leaders and when we seek the leading of the Spirit we will become spiritual leaders.


Theme passage:
“Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11). 
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Dressed for Leadership
The 2020 Awakening! 
Terry R. Baughman
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“But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the LORD. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest” (1 Samuel 2:18 NLT). 

Children will sometimes play dress up, either by clunking around in the shoes of their parents or siblings, or donning oversized clothes. Little girls may dress in long flowing nightgowns and slippers pretending to be Cinderella or a princess. Boys may wear a bathrobe and a sash tied around their head pretending to be Luke Skywalker or a quick and nimble ninja warrior. In the field of imagination you can become anything you wish and there is no limit to where you can travel. 

The uniform or dress becomes the identity. A raincoat can transform the character into a spy or an Arctic fisherman. A turban can evoke images of magical flying carpets or a Bedouin shepherd on windswept desert dunes. A bath towel can become a superhero’s cape granting special powers and the ability to fly in the sky. 

Just as a young boy, Samuel was brought to the temple to serve and to be trained to perform protocol and assist in the daily ceremonies of worship in Israel. He took his role seriously and he “served the Lord.” It quickly became obvious that Samuel was serious about his training. The text said, “He wore a linen garment like that of a priest” (1 Samuel 2:18 NLT). This was more than play-acting or pretend. He wore the garments proudly and performed flawlessly. 

Many years ago John T. Molloy wrote, “Dress for Success” (1975, revised in 1988), to stress the importance of our appearance on our success in a chosen career and in life. It was probably somewhat in response to the hippie generation and the general trend toward more unkept appearances in the 70’s. However, the principle was true then and it is true now that we can project an appropriate image for our desired achievements by the way we dress. 

We often dress in garments that don’t seem to fit. Sometimes we are called on to fulfill a role or assume a position for which we are not qualified. We put on the uniform, pin on the ID badge, and show up for the job. We look the part and wear the apparel. However, confidence eludes us and our lack of experience becomes obvious, but that’s the way we learn. First, we dress for the role; then we gain experience while performing the duties that go with the position. 

As a graduate, or when you assume a new position of responsibility, take courage in knowing that everyone had a first day. No one comes to the job with all of the experience and qualifications that will prepare them for the challenges that new roles require. The term “fake it until you make it” applies here. Take on the challenge with confidence and don’t be afraid to ask for assistance when you just don’t know how to do something. There will always be someone willing to give guidance or a word of instruction. 

On the first day or in the beginning of your journey you may feel that you have stepped into giant shoes that are clunky and ill-fitted, but be encouraged. You will grow into your clothes. In time your feet will fit in to the shoes of your calling and your garment will seem just right!

Step into the future and accept the role of leadership. You are prepared, now dress like it!
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Theme passage:
“Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).

Every Nation
The 2020 Awakening! 
Terry R. Baughman
Jesus, “You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). 
The purpose of God was far more inclusive than just for the nation of Israel. Notwithstanding, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were uniquely favored by God to be the lineage whereby He would reveal Himself to the world, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 18:18; 22:18; 26:4). 
God’s kindness was revealed throughout the Scripture toward those who were outside the family of favor. Naaman, the Syrian, was healed of leprosy when he dipped in the Jordan River at the word of the Prophet Elisha. The hospitable widow of Zarephath baked a cake with the last of her supplies for Elijah and found that her meager staples were never depleted throughout the time of famine in the land. Jonah preached one message to the pagan city of Nineveh and the entire population turned their hearts to God in repentance. Jesus drew from these illustrations in the Gospels as He ministered to Jewish crowds who rejected His message and opposed His purpose. John said, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11–12).
God’s view has always included the broader picture of redemption. His plan of salvation was universal, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The commission was all inclusive, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). 
John’s revelation gave insight to the ultimate completion of God’s plan and the extent of His outreach. John saw the host of people that were redeemed to God by the blood of Christ. They represented, “every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). Every tribe represents ethnic groups of families and regional identity. Every tongue assures that all language groups are reached and represented among the redeemed. Every people encompasses the cultural groups around the world. There is no culture that is omitted or neglected from God’s focus. Finally, every nation indicates that there are no borders or boundaries created by humanity that precludes the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The call goes out to the entire globe, “Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelations 22:17).
We have no reservation when we declaring the grace of God and the provision of salvation. We may freely extend the invitation to any and all within our reach with full assurance that God’s plan is to fill them with His Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive” (John 7:37–39).
The name of Jesus is known around the world and the Gospel continues to be preached. The Word of God is being fulfilled and we are tasked to proclaim a universal message to every nation. Solomon spoke in the Psalm, “His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; All nations shall call Him blessed” (Psalm 72:17). 
Let us declare the power of the name of Jesus to every nation!
Theme passage:
“Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).