1.Now it came to pa.s.s in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:)

2 That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,

3 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the n.o.bles and princes of the provinces, being before him:

4 When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days.

5 And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace;

6 Where were white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble.

7 And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king.

8 And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.

9 Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.

10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,

11 To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.

12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.

The book of Esther is a book that the name of G.o.d was not mentioned yet we see G.o.d working and proving himself as the one who rules in the affairs of men. Vashti, the wife of the emperor who ruled 127 provinces lost her position because she did not understand purpose. If there is no husband there can be no wife.

The king declared six months holiday to celebrate his reign and at the peak of celebration, he sent for his wife, the queen, to come and show off her beauty. She refused to come possibly thinking that her husband might have been under the influence of alcohol to make such a ridiculous request. What she used to say to him at home in a husband-wife relations.h.i.+p, got to the ear of the public. At home she was the wife of a man but in the public, she was a queen in the land; the same person but different roles. There are people today who disgrace their wives publicly and the wife wonders why the husband is addressing her that way only for him to insist that he is right. But what is the point of being right when it is a public disgrace. At home, it may be normal for Vashti but outside it is not. So Vashti was busy entertaining her own guests that she refused to heed the call of her husband. So the king felt slighted.

Beloved what a husband wants from a wife is respect. You will get a man's heart if you give him a due respect. There is no wicked devil in a man that will not bow to honour for honour gives you access to the heart of a man. The devil once told Jesus our Lord that if he could bow to wors.h.i.+p him, he would give him the kingdom. Even the devil was willing to trade his kingdom for respect. Every man is made for rulers.h.i.+p.

So Esther became a replacement. The wise men told the king that Vashti had become a bad example because leaders.h.i.+p is by example. One of them named Memucan, said that if nothing was done to the queen, their wives at home would follow the same bad example. And a government is as strong as the respect the people give to it. On the other side was an orphan a slave girl named Esther who had respect for authority and was lifted by G.o.d to the place of power. She was raised up by her uncle, Mordecai, who trained her to obey. He told her not to reveal her history because no slave should contest in a national parade.

Mordecai was a prophetic mentor, who could see that Hamman would soon be promoted. And he been an Amalekite would want to destroy the Jews as a result of historical hatred between Esau and Jacob. So he encouraged Esther to go for the contest so as to preserve their lineage for the coming of the Messiah. Esther did not just wear any dress like the others were doing; but she went to ask the Chamberlain who knew what the king liked. She looked dependent like David, who would always inquire after the will of G.o.d.

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Beloved, only G.o.d guarantees our security and preservation. She might not have been the most beautiful of them all because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But she comported herself well and found favour in the sight of the King. We all have preferences in life. So she got to the palace, planted by heaven to defeat the counsel of the wicked. Beloved what you need in your life are men and women that understand purpose. There is no mistake in the universe for everything is created for a purpose even trouble has a reason behind it. Trouble is a transition; those who do you wrong are set up to move you forward. Everything is connected for example as in Joseph's experience of s.h.i.+fting from the pit, to Portiphar's house to Prison and to the palace. All are connected and to remove one of the "P's", is to cut off his future. They are all necessary to get him to where he is going.

Beloved, don't use today to ruin your future. Until you get to where G.o.d wants you, they will keep on rejecting you. Rejection is for your glory. When you understand purpose, it gives you peace that pa.s.ses all understanding. Trouble prepares you for the next level. You develop spiritual muscles which do not develop by reading muscle books but by carrying weights. Ordinary people have ordinary challenges; extraordinary people face extraordinary challenges. Don't compare your road with others. For example, Moses was born at a time when Herod wanted to kill all male children. Many pregnant women would have desired a girl-child. But Jochebed, the mother of Moses, submitted to the will of G.o.d. She saw him as an extraordinary child and did not release him to be killed. Miriam brought up a suggestion that the boy should be put in an ark and the river Nile where Pharaoh's daughter usually have her baths.

River Nile is known to have reptiles, if small rivers have snakes that do harm fishermen how much more a big river like Nile. Apart from the reptiles what of strong wind and storm and waves that can blow the ark away.

Beloved, the foolish things that we do become what G.o.d uses to salvage our lives, and truly when Pharaoh's daughters came to take her bath, she saw the baby crying in the ark. Miriam suggested for a nanny to take care of the baby. Pharaoh's daughter paid Jochebed to take care of Moses. What she could have done for free, she got royal wages.

In years of taking care of Moses, she must have told him that she was the real mother. The first 12 years are the greatest time in the life of a child. Even our Lord Jesus Christ at twelve years sat with doctors of the law both hearing and asking them questions. Mary and Joseph were greatly disturbed looking for him for many days. When they saw him, he told them that he must be about his father's business. This means that at that age of 12, he already knew the work of G.o.d as a father's business. He never called Mary his mother, he called her woman. Can you see the price that Mary paid to birth Jesus? When you understand purpose, you will not be discouraged. When you are governed by purpose, you will be different. G.o.d can put you anywhere; you can be in the midst of witches and yet you can still smile because you are birthed for glory and grace.

So Moses was born in the time of trouble. Even Jesus was born in the time of trouble. Herod was envious and embarra.s.sed by camels loaded with gifts brought by the three wise men to honour baby Jesus. G.o.d was doing this ahead of time, He knew that for some years, Jesus would have to be taken to a strange land (Egypt) without his parents working for those period of those years. Beloved, G.o.d does not wait for things to be good before he helps you. G.o.d raised Moses in the palace. He used the trouble to grow Moses in the palace. He grew up different from other Israelites who had a slavery mentality.

When G.o.d told me to resign from the academics to full time ministry when I was 41 years old, the last year was my best year in service. I had an award and was paid so much money, giving seminars to organizations. I was being honored everywhere. G.o.d told me that when I see the sign, I would know the time to resign has come. As they would drive me to school, I would be feeling afraid as if death would happen on the road. Between 1-2 hours of lecture I would have said praise the Lord about 10 times. These were the signs that G.o.d spoke about; they were not paying me to say praise the Lord in the cla.s.s. Every time I asked the Lord, what I should do with the research papers that I have; G.o.d taught me to go and sell one of them to sh.e.l.l Oil Company. I was paid 8 years salary in one day.

Somebody that heard that I had entered into ministry full time, called me to beg me to think well before leaving my job. Then it looked like a waste but purpose makes you to know that there is a big purpose. If Moses had being a slave like all others he would not have the audacity to stand before Pharaoh. This is because no slave can stand before his master. Years of slavery and bondage dehumanize. It takes boldness to stand in the palace. It is the same mentality of slavery in Africa that makes a wicked husband torments his wife. Yet the wife goes back to the same man that is beating the daylight out of her. As a woman, don't lose your ident.i.ty. The man and the woman play different roles in the marriage relations.h.i.+p.

Never feel that being a woman is to be inferior, the two of you can enjoy marriage together. G.o.d specially allowed Moses to grow up in the palace to taste the education of the land. G.o.d endured the complaint of Moses-He could stand up to Pharaoh. Although Aaron followed him to the palace, but Moses was the chief speaker. When he went to the mountain, he was not sleeping there, but was writing down what G.o.d told him because he was educated. Beloved, everything you go through, can be turned around to your advantage. G.o.d used the trouble to move Moses to the palace and to have the education that he had. If not for what you have gone through you will not be where you are today. You may not know how G.o.d will do it, at times when G.o.d is at work, it may not be easy to understand, but G.o.d can use 30 years to teach or train you for one day event. And when he sees that you have pa.s.sed, in one day you can get to where he plans for you. You must not lose faith. That is why you must trust G.o.d anytime you don't understand. You are anointed for trouble not from trouble.

Psalm 89:20

20 I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:

Beloved when you are going through trials you must know these:

I Corinthians 10:1-11, 13

1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all pa.s.sed through the sea;

2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

5 But with many of them G.o.d was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not l.u.s.t after evil things, as they also l.u.s.ted.

7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but G.o.d is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1. Temptation means trials. Every trial is common. G.o.d will not allow the devil to use any temptation against you that is not common

2. G.o.d is faithful. Don't ever doubt the faithfulness of G.o.d

3. He knows your ability; G.o.d trusts you. It is a compliment

4. G.o.d has answer before the trouble.

G.o.d knows what strength he placed in you. Before the trials come, he had prepared a way of escape. Beloved don't allow frustration and desperation to make you not see the light in the darkness.