called to the kingdom
for such a time as this

In a few short moments everything will change. Reality will hit. Everything that has been hidden will be revealed. Hearts will be uncovered, and motives exposed.
When the final curtain drops on this drama called life, we will all appear before the judgement seat of Christ.
Our lives will be tested through the blazing fire of His glory, and only what is pure will remain. Only what is in Christ will remain. Only absolute goodness, purity, and love will endure. Everything else will be done away with, and completely consumed by flames.

And in that moment your true self will be revealed. When Jesus appears, we the Bride of Christ will appear.

It's hard to imagine what that day will be like. But whenever I find myself day dreaming about the glorious unfolding of Heaven, my mind drifts to the story of Cinderella. In the 2015 live-action Disney version of this tale, I envision the scene where Cinderella's dreams finally come true, and her pumpkin carriage carries her to the castle where the Prince lives. She enters the stunning castle wearing a most glorious gown. As the Prince's eyes meet hers, it is as if time stands still. He takes her hand, and leads her into a mesmerizing waltz.

When we finally see Jesus face-to-face, that moment is going to be ten-trillion times more beautiful than anything Hollywood could dream up.
I believe that even the angels will gasp in wonderment when the Bride's true nature is unveiled, for she has been tenderly created in the very image of Christ.

We will be clothed in the most breath-taking garments of righteousness, far more gorgeous than Cinderella's gown. The righteousness that we will wear will be so stunning, because it is the VERY beauty and glory of God! God will bestow His beauty upon us, and our hearts will sparkle like dazzling diamonds.

For the first time in forever, our inside will become our outside, and the true nature of our character will be revealed. The life we lived will be the garments we wear. The worship we poured out upon Jesus will be the jewels that He places in our crowns.

Just like in Cinderella's world, everything will suddenly be flipped inside out. Her inner beauty- her kindness and faithful, steadfast love- was never noticed, applauded or appreciated. Those around her took advantage of her, they bullied, betrayed, and persecuted her tender soul.

But in the blink of an eye, everything changed. Her tears were transformed into diamonds. Her ashes into beauty.

The girl who sat by the cinders of broken dreams, was swept up by a tidal wave of joy, totally overtaken by the goodness of her Prince.
He redeemed everything. He swept her away into her happily ever after, placed a crown of glory upon her head, and declared her to be His queen!

Sister, the same story can be true for you! As God's royal ones, we have so much to look forward to. We must lock our hearts on this reality:
You have an address in Heaven. This is not your home.
Everything that you see now IS going to pass away. Only what is unseen is eternal. The Lord is going to lavish His love and goodness upon you in ways that you never even DREAMED possible. Heaven will take your breath away. His overwhelming presence will cause you to forget every terrible, painful memory.

The price of denying yourself, carrying your cross, and following after Him will be all worth it. Every tear. Every sacrifice. Every battle. It will suddenly seem so trivial and insignificant, when the waves of His love crash over your soul!

You are a co-heir with Christ. In Heaven you will rule and reign with Him. You will make some HUGE decisions. You will advance the Kingdom. You will walk in the fullness of your true self, and will never doubt or question your royal idenity.

But what about right now, while we are on this earth? If all of this is true, and we have a royal calling, royal influence, and royal authority, then why aren't we walking in it? Why are we waiting for heaven, to be who we truly are?

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be surprised when I get to Heaven, and see a crown upon my head. I don't want to look at the signet ring of authority upon my finger, the royal robe on my back, and the smile upon my Daddy's face, and think, "What?! You mean this is who I was all along!? Beautiful, kind, gracious, powerful, influental, loving, and regal? I had the same calling of Esther upon my life, to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, to dine with kings and people of great influence, to love the un-lovabale, and inspire those around me to greatness, and I DIDN'T do anything about it?! I had all of Heaven backing me up, just waiting to answer my prayers, and I didn't ASK for the impossible?! The angel armies of Heaven were just waiting for me to lift my voice and cry out against injustice, and I didn't DO anything?!"

For many, the life that we live in Heaven will be such a shocking revelation. So many Christians live their lives without knowing who they are in Christ. But I don't want to wait until Heaven to be who I was created to be.


I want to receive as much revelation as possible while I am on this earth, about who my Daddy is, who Jesus is, who the Holy Spirit is, and who I am!

I wasn't raised in a palace, and don't understand the way God's Kingdom, royal rules, Heavenly economy, and monarchy authority works, therefore I must seek the Lord and cry out for Him to reveal this reality.
How will a Princess ever know how to behave in the courts of the King, if she doesn't spend any time with Him?

I am a citizen of Heaven, growing up in America. I won't know how to live, and act, and BE according to my Daddy's Kingdom, if I don't actively seek Him!

How will I know what to do, or what to say, if I don't see my Heavenly Father move and speak? I need the Holy Spirit to daily reveal everything I need to know! He is my teacher!

Princess, we are on this journey together. Even Queen Esther had to have her mind renewed in the presence of royalty, before she could walk in her calling as Queen. She was required to undergo a whole year's worth of beauty treatments. The same is true for us. If we want to walk in the royal reality of who we are, we must spend time with our King, and allow Him to transform and renew everything about us!

Royal One, you have such a high calling. You've been sent out by Jesus, on mission impossible, to make disciples of all nations, loving everyone you come in contact with, forcefully advancing His Kingdom of Love.
There is a broken world out there, just aching and waiting for a princess to come and introduce herself to her Prince. You are a minister of peace and reconciliation, an ambassador of Heaven!

It is my prayer that we, as ambassadors, do not represent the wrong nation. I pray that we do not present our royal Kingdom as selfish, materialistic, beauty-saturated, entertainment-binging, food-obsessed, scared, wimpy, depressed, lazy people. We cannot possibly change this worldly culture if we live, think, and act just like it. Sons and Daughters of the King are to be so contrastingly different, that it causes people around us to say, “What do they have that I don't? What planet are they from?”
It is my prayer that we dare to seek our King like never before, and truly get a hold of His heart. That His goodness, glory, and holiness will wash over us and renew our minds. That our spirits would sparkle afresh, as we catch a glimpse of our Heavenly home. 

I pray that great courage and daring hope would burst from our souls! I pray that we would love like Jesus does, give so courageously and benevolently, refuse to conform, be undercover agents of change, transform this culture, stand firm 'til the end, and walk in the confidence that we are so DEARLY loved by our King!

Cinderella, you have been promised a beautiful ending. But what are you going to do with the time you've been given? Just like Esther, you have been called to the Kingdom for such a time as this.