A great king once lived several centuries ago. His name was Ahasuerus, the great emperor who reigned over the Kingdoms of Persia and Media - the then world powers. The domain of this mighty King cut across the borders of many nations and tribes, having subdued one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of various kingdoms by his unrivalled military might and great political power. With unquestionable authority and supremacy, King Ahasuerus ruled majestically from Shushan the citadel.
King Ahasuerus’ awesome greatness was attested to by his decision to make a feast for his officials, servants, nobles, governors, princes from one hundred and twenty-seven provinces and every one that lived in Shushan, the capital city. The feast was the first and the last of its kind! It lasted for one hundred and eighty days! Imagine half a year of wining, dining, merry making and total holiday for a whole nation! Drinks were served in golden cups; foods were served in silver plates; the venue was heavily decorated with expensive fine linen, marbles and precious stones such as turquoise, gems and onyx. Such were the greatness and riches of Emperor Ahasuerus’ kingdom!
To crown this majestic event, King Ahasuerus wanted his wife - Her Majesty, Queen Vashti to impress his many guests with her beauty and splendour. The first lady was indeed beautiful to behold! Her charming look and captivating frame singled her out of all that dwelt in the kingdom; she was beauty personified! The King, apparently proud of Queen Vashti, wanted her to showcase her beauty before the seated guests in order to earn himself glory, respect and honour, so he sent for her. Surprisingly, Her Majesty Queen Vashti turned down the call of the King. She was not ready to come as the king commanded; she made light the order of her husband.
Queen Vashti’s refusal to come to the feast at the King’s order was a big slap on his face. The First Lady’s gross disrespect for King Ahasuerus became known to thousands of guests present at the feast. The disrepute, shame and contempt the King suffered as a result was enormous, to say the least! Her Majesty’s refusal of the King’s order suggested that though King Ahasuerus was a great Emperor who ruled the then world, yet he was not in control in his own home! The Queen’s contemptible act established that the honour, respect and reverence accorded the King by all nations, were far from his reach under his own roof! King Ahasuerus became disdained in the eyes of all that were present at the feast and in the capital city - Shushan. How sad!
Why did Her Majesty, Queen Vashti refused the King’s call? Why did she decide to bring her highly placed husband to contempt before the whole nation? Here is a clue!
‘ALSO Vashti the Queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to King Ahasuerus’ Esther 1:9;
It is apparent that Queen Vashti was busy with ‘her own feast’. She was not part of her husband’s feast; she also made her own feast for the women in the royal house. She must have been greatly engrossed in her own feast that she had no time to spare to answer the call of her husband the great King, who being proud of her, wanted to show-case her beauty to all present at the feast. She had her own aspiration, vision and pursuit separate from her husband’s, so she ran her own feast concurrently!
Why did Queen Vashti run her own feast when the King’s feast was supposed to be for everyone? It appears that Her Majesty also wanted to do something she could call her own; she needed recognition and self actualization as we call it nowadays; she was not readily available to run with the vision of her husband, so she didn’t see any reason being part of the King’s feast. Of course, in the midst of the women for whom she made her own feast, she was the greatest. She would have all the recognition that she had always desired for herself.
Somebody might want to give in to an assumption that separation of women from men folks during feasts was traditional to the Persian’s culture hence justification for Queen Vashti’s separate feast, but there seems to be no proof for this assumption. Her Majesty’s drive to run a separate feast for the women was born out of her own burning desire to do ‘her own thing’ even if her husband –the King would be brought to disrepute in the process.
As a result of this condemnable act, Queen Vashti was dethroned and replaced at the commandment of the King. Her position was subsequently given to Esther. We can imagine how Queen Vashti, the once respected First Lady would possibly end her life following humiliation out of the palace. No matter what her justification was for 'doing her own thing', nothing could save her.
The fall of Queen Vashti brings to light great truths about God’s order for the home. It is not surprising that Queen Vashti was dethroned and replaced; her action constituted a gross violation of God’s order. God’s order is that a wife must be an integral part and parcel of her husband’s God’s-given vision and pursuits. The fulfillment of a woman is complete only when she has found her place in the vision that God committed to her husband and run together with him. A wife that is not willing and prepared to identify herself with the vision and aspiration of her husband in all things is violating God’s order.
It must be emphasized that God did not create woman to be subservient to man in anyway; both man and woman were created in the image of God as co-regents according to Genesis 1:26-28. However, woman was never designed or made independently of man. Just like the church can never imagine being independent of Christ in anything, so also is a wife in relationship with her husband. She must be identified with her husband in all things.
It does not matter what the world teaches or encourages, the order of God cannot be changed. In the name of women emancipation and self actualization crusades in every quarter, a lot of women have neglected their God-ordained vital roles in the visions and aspirations of their husbands. I am not a proponent of male chauvinism in any way and would never approve of culture or traditions that attempt to reduce women to a sort of second-rated citizens or slaves. As long as a woman integrates herself into God-given calling, vision, aspiration, and pursuits of her husband, she will always know fulfillment and excitement. Remember God created Eve from one of the rib bones of Adam which suggest that she came out of man and she must always find her rightful place in the man’s life.
Ezekiel Olukolajo
olukolajoezekieloluseun@yahoo.com
Shalom.
For info: +2348093503769,dipoolatade@gmail.com
And
Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have
trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because
thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God. And now, behold, the LORD
hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since
the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel
wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and
five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that
Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for
war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this
mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that
day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and
fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive
them out, as the LORD said. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb
the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. Joshua 14:9-13;
By way of inheritance, God’s children have become bonafide owners of all good things of life. The birthright that comes with new life in Christ has conferred on God’s children, the right to own and enjoy everything that belongs to God their father! To have an idea of the great possessions within your reach as a child of God, the best angle is to consider the limitlessness of the power, wisdom, glory, majesty, dominion and riches of the Almighty God. Of course God’s possessions and riches have no limits, no boundaries, no beginning, and no ending! As God’s son, nothing less is expected of you because you are a partaker of His divine nature and grace. The scripture in 2 Peter 1:3 says that God ‘According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue’. With this declaration, it’s clear that God had already given you all things; what is expected of you is to possess your possessions. However, considering the situation of many of God’s children, it is extremely sad to see majority living like servants as though they own nothing, whereas God’s word says all things belong to them. This certainly is not God’s fault!
It is absolutely true that all things have been given to you as God’s child, but it is critical you understand how to possess those things which God has freely given to you as inheritance, otherwise, there’s no way you will enjoy or live the life expected of you as a son. To possess your possessions, the first key is that you must take practical steps to claim those things which God says belong to you. A lot of people usually make the mistake of thinking that their possessions will come to them on a platter of Gold with no efforts on their part, how wrong! At the time God gave the Promised Land to the children of Israel, it was not a vacant land; in fact the land was fully occupied by the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and the Girgashites who were the original owners and occupiers. To take actual possession of the land, the children of Israel firmly stood their ground, fought and claimed that which God had declared to be their inheritance by prevailing against and displacing the Canaanites. You also can have all good things of life which God says are your inheritance as long as you are prepared to take practical steps to possess them.
Another vital key you require to possess your possessions is knowledge. Hosea 4:6A says ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge’. Without adequate knowledge of what Christ has done for you, you can’t help being deprived, you may spend the rest of your life not enjoying those things which have been freely given to you. The scripture in Obadiah 1:17 says ‘But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions’. From this scripture, it’s obvious that you cannot possess your possessions until you’re delivered. The great deliverance you require to possess your possessions is deliverance from bondage of ignorance. It will be extremely difficult for you to possess those things which are legitimately yours if you’re not even aware they belong to you in the first place! The reason a lot of God’s children are being plagued by sickness and diseases is not because healing is unavailable; the reason majority of God’s children are wallowing in poverty is not because prosperity is inaccessible; the reason many of God’s children are not enjoying victory over their enemies is not because Christ has not overcome the enemies, the reason is simply because they are ignorant of their inheritance through Christ. To be free from the bondage of ignorance, you must actively seek for knowledge through reading, studying and meditating on the word of God. In addition to these, you must also be sensitive to your environment to know when opportunities are presenting themselves. What do you do with the information at your disposal? It is not enough to have information; information must lead to transformation of your situation!
Finally, to possess your possessions you must never give up. The problem with most of us is that we give up too quickly. It does not matter the situation or circumstance, you will surely hit breakthrough if you refuse to give up. In the above passage for instance, Joshua, at eighty-five (85) years did not give up nor become lazy in claiming his possession of the land given to him forty-five (45) years earlier. If Joshua did not give up even for the reason of age, but led a troop of soldiers against the giants –sons of Anakim to possess Hebron what’s your excuse? If Joshua did not retire at eighty-five to sit back and accept the situation, but pushed himself forward to action and received heaven’s backing, what’s your excuse? God does not waste His grace on those who have decided to give up, it was when God saw the courageous heart of Joshua to press on and possess the land of his inheritance that He released divine strength that helped him in the battle. Dearly beloved, don’t give up, you too like Joshua can say ‘give me this mountain’. Move on, don’t stop, anywhere you step with the soles of your feet has been given to you – possess your possessions!
Ezekiel Olukolajo is a Ezekiel is an Insurance practitioner by profession and a teacher of the word by calling. He also serves as a resident Pastor in an Evangelical Church. Ezekiel can be reached at: olukolajoezekieloluseun@yahoo.com.
- See more at: http://www.mannaexpressonline.com/practical-steps-to-possess-your-possession/#sthash.UfgsAhIl.dpuf
By way of inheritance, God’s children have become bonafide owners of all good things of life. The birthright that comes with new life in Christ has conferred on God’s children, the right to own and enjoy everything that belongs to God their father! To have an idea of the great possessions within your reach as a child of God, the best angle is to consider the limitlessness of the power, wisdom, glory, majesty, dominion and riches of the Almighty God. Of course God’s possessions and riches have no limits, no boundaries, no beginning, and no ending! As God’s son, nothing less is expected of you because you are a partaker of His divine nature and grace. The scripture in 2 Peter 1:3 says that God ‘According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue’. With this declaration, it’s clear that God had already given you all things; what is expected of you is to possess your possessions. However, considering the situation of many of God’s children, it is extremely sad to see majority living like servants as though they own nothing, whereas God’s word says all things belong to them. This certainly is not God’s fault!
It is absolutely true that all things have been given to you as God’s child, but it is critical you understand how to possess those things which God has freely given to you as inheritance, otherwise, there’s no way you will enjoy or live the life expected of you as a son. To possess your possessions, the first key is that you must take practical steps to claim those things which God says belong to you. A lot of people usually make the mistake of thinking that their possessions will come to them on a platter of Gold with no efforts on their part, how wrong! At the time God gave the Promised Land to the children of Israel, it was not a vacant land; in fact the land was fully occupied by the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and the Girgashites who were the original owners and occupiers. To take actual possession of the land, the children of Israel firmly stood their ground, fought and claimed that which God had declared to be their inheritance by prevailing against and displacing the Canaanites. You also can have all good things of life which God says are your inheritance as long as you are prepared to take practical steps to possess them.
Another vital key you require to possess your possessions is knowledge. Hosea 4:6A says ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge’. Without adequate knowledge of what Christ has done for you, you can’t help being deprived, you may spend the rest of your life not enjoying those things which have been freely given to you. The scripture in Obadiah 1:17 says ‘But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions’. From this scripture, it’s obvious that you cannot possess your possessions until you’re delivered. The great deliverance you require to possess your possessions is deliverance from bondage of ignorance. It will be extremely difficult for you to possess those things which are legitimately yours if you’re not even aware they belong to you in the first place! The reason a lot of God’s children are being plagued by sickness and diseases is not because healing is unavailable; the reason majority of God’s children are wallowing in poverty is not because prosperity is inaccessible; the reason many of God’s children are not enjoying victory over their enemies is not because Christ has not overcome the enemies, the reason is simply because they are ignorant of their inheritance through Christ. To be free from the bondage of ignorance, you must actively seek for knowledge through reading, studying and meditating on the word of God. In addition to these, you must also be sensitive to your environment to know when opportunities are presenting themselves. What do you do with the information at your disposal? It is not enough to have information; information must lead to transformation of your situation!
Finally, to possess your possessions you must never give up. The problem with most of us is that we give up too quickly. It does not matter the situation or circumstance, you will surely hit breakthrough if you refuse to give up. In the above passage for instance, Joshua, at eighty-five (85) years did not give up nor become lazy in claiming his possession of the land given to him forty-five (45) years earlier. If Joshua did not give up even for the reason of age, but led a troop of soldiers against the giants –sons of Anakim to possess Hebron what’s your excuse? If Joshua did not retire at eighty-five to sit back and accept the situation, but pushed himself forward to action and received heaven’s backing, what’s your excuse? God does not waste His grace on those who have decided to give up, it was when God saw the courageous heart of Joshua to press on and possess the land of his inheritance that He released divine strength that helped him in the battle. Dearly beloved, don’t give up, you too like Joshua can say ‘give me this mountain’. Move on, don’t stop, anywhere you step with the soles of your feet has been given to you – possess your possessions!
Ezekiel Olukolajo is a Ezekiel is an Insurance practitioner by profession and a teacher of the word by calling. He also serves as a resident Pastor in an Evangelical Church. Ezekiel can be reached at: olukolajoezekieloluseun@yahoo.com.
- See more at: http://www.mannaexpressonline.com/practical-steps-to-possess-your-possession/#sthash.UfgsAhIl.dpuf
And
Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have
trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because
thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God. And now, behold, the LORD
hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since
the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel
wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and
five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that
Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for
war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this
mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that
day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and
fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive
them out, as the LORD said. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb
the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. Joshua 14:9-13;
By way of inheritance, God’s children have become bonafide owners of all good things of life. The birthright that comes with new life in Christ has conferred on God’s children, the right to own and enjoy everything that belongs to God their father! To have an idea of the great possessions within your reach as a child of God, the best angle is to consider the limitlessness of the power, wisdom, glory, majesty, dominion and riches of the Almighty God. Of course God’s possessions and riches have no limits, no boundaries, no beginning, and no ending! As God’s son, nothing less is expected of you because you are a partaker of His divine nature and grace. The scripture in 2 Peter 1:3 says that God ‘According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue’. With this declaration, it’s clear that God had already given you all things; what is expected of you is to possess your possessions. However, considering the situation of many of God’s children, it is extremely sad to see majority living like servants as though they own nothing, whereas God’s word says all things belong to them. This certainly is not God’s fault!
It is absolutely true that all things have been given to you as God’s child, but it is critical you understand how to possess those things which God has freely given to you as inheritance, otherwise, there’s no way you will enjoy or live the life expected of you as a son. To possess your possessions, the first key is that you must take practical steps to claim those things which God says belong to you. A lot of people usually make the mistake of thinking that their possessions will come to them on a platter of Gold with no efforts on their part, how wrong! At the time God gave the Promised Land to the children of Israel, it was not a vacant land; in fact the land was fully occupied by the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and the Girgashites who were the original owners and occupiers. To take actual possession of the land, the children of Israel firmly stood their ground, fought and claimed that which God had declared to be their inheritance by prevailing against and displacing the Canaanites. You also can have all good things of life which God says are your inheritance as long as you are prepared to take practical steps to possess them.
Another vital key you require to possess your possessions is knowledge. Hosea 4:6A says ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge’. Without adequate knowledge of what Christ has done for you, you can’t help being deprived, you may spend the rest of your life not enjoying those things which have been freely given to you. The scripture in Obadiah 1:17 says ‘But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions’. From this scripture, it’s obvious that you cannot possess your possessions until you’re delivered. The great deliverance you require to possess your possessions is deliverance from bondage of ignorance. It will be extremely difficult for you to possess those things which are legitimately yours if you’re not even aware they belong to you in the first place! The reason a lot of God’s children are being plagued by sickness and diseases is not because healing is unavailable; the reason majority of God’s children are wallowing in poverty is not because prosperity is inaccessible; the reason many of God’s children are not enjoying victory over their enemies is not because Christ has not overcome the enemies, the reason is simply because they are ignorant of their inheritance through Christ. To be free from the bondage of ignorance, you must actively seek for knowledge through reading, studying and meditating on the word of God. In addition to these, you must also be sensitive to your environment to know when opportunities are presenting themselves. What do you do with the information at your disposal? It is not enough to have information; information must lead to transformation of your situation!
Finally, to possess your possessions you must never give up. The problem with most of us is that we give up too quickly. It does not matter the situation or circumstance, you will surely hit breakthrough if you refuse to give up. In the above passage for instance, Joshua, at eighty-five (85) years did not give up nor become lazy in claiming his possession of the land given to him forty-five (45) years earlier. If Joshua did not give up even for the reason of age, but led a troop of soldiers against the giants –sons of Anakim to possess Hebron what’s your excuse? If Joshua did not retire at eighty-five to sit back and accept the situation, but pushed himself forward to action and received heaven’s backing, what’s your excuse? God does not waste His grace on those who have decided to give up, it was when God saw the courageous heart of Joshua to press on and possess the land of his inheritance that He released divine strength that helped him in the battle. Dearly beloved, don’t give up, you too like Joshua can say ‘give me this mountain’. Move on, don’t stop, anywhere you step with the soles of your feet has been given to you – possess your possessions!
Ezekiel Olukolajo is a Ezekiel is an Insurance practitioner by profession and a teacher of the word by calling. He also serves as a resident Pastor in an Evangelical Church. Ezekiel can be reached at: olukolajoezekieloluseun@yahoo.com.
- See more at: http://www.mannaexpressonline.com/practical-steps-to-possess-your-possession/#sthash.UfgsAhIl.dpuf
By way of inheritance, God’s children have become bonafide owners of all good things of life. The birthright that comes with new life in Christ has conferred on God’s children, the right to own and enjoy everything that belongs to God their father! To have an idea of the great possessions within your reach as a child of God, the best angle is to consider the limitlessness of the power, wisdom, glory, majesty, dominion and riches of the Almighty God. Of course God’s possessions and riches have no limits, no boundaries, no beginning, and no ending! As God’s son, nothing less is expected of you because you are a partaker of His divine nature and grace. The scripture in 2 Peter 1:3 says that God ‘According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue’. With this declaration, it’s clear that God had already given you all things; what is expected of you is to possess your possessions. However, considering the situation of many of God’s children, it is extremely sad to see majority living like servants as though they own nothing, whereas God’s word says all things belong to them. This certainly is not God’s fault!
It is absolutely true that all things have been given to you as God’s child, but it is critical you understand how to possess those things which God has freely given to you as inheritance, otherwise, there’s no way you will enjoy or live the life expected of you as a son. To possess your possessions, the first key is that you must take practical steps to claim those things which God says belong to you. A lot of people usually make the mistake of thinking that their possessions will come to them on a platter of Gold with no efforts on their part, how wrong! At the time God gave the Promised Land to the children of Israel, it was not a vacant land; in fact the land was fully occupied by the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and the Girgashites who were the original owners and occupiers. To take actual possession of the land, the children of Israel firmly stood their ground, fought and claimed that which God had declared to be their inheritance by prevailing against and displacing the Canaanites. You also can have all good things of life which God says are your inheritance as long as you are prepared to take practical steps to possess them.
Another vital key you require to possess your possessions is knowledge. Hosea 4:6A says ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge’. Without adequate knowledge of what Christ has done for you, you can’t help being deprived, you may spend the rest of your life not enjoying those things which have been freely given to you. The scripture in Obadiah 1:17 says ‘But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions’. From this scripture, it’s obvious that you cannot possess your possessions until you’re delivered. The great deliverance you require to possess your possessions is deliverance from bondage of ignorance. It will be extremely difficult for you to possess those things which are legitimately yours if you’re not even aware they belong to you in the first place! The reason a lot of God’s children are being plagued by sickness and diseases is not because healing is unavailable; the reason majority of God’s children are wallowing in poverty is not because prosperity is inaccessible; the reason many of God’s children are not enjoying victory over their enemies is not because Christ has not overcome the enemies, the reason is simply because they are ignorant of their inheritance through Christ. To be free from the bondage of ignorance, you must actively seek for knowledge through reading, studying and meditating on the word of God. In addition to these, you must also be sensitive to your environment to know when opportunities are presenting themselves. What do you do with the information at your disposal? It is not enough to have information; information must lead to transformation of your situation!
Finally, to possess your possessions you must never give up. The problem with most of us is that we give up too quickly. It does not matter the situation or circumstance, you will surely hit breakthrough if you refuse to give up. In the above passage for instance, Joshua, at eighty-five (85) years did not give up nor become lazy in claiming his possession of the land given to him forty-five (45) years earlier. If Joshua did not give up even for the reason of age, but led a troop of soldiers against the giants –sons of Anakim to possess Hebron what’s your excuse? If Joshua did not retire at eighty-five to sit back and accept the situation, but pushed himself forward to action and received heaven’s backing, what’s your excuse? God does not waste His grace on those who have decided to give up, it was when God saw the courageous heart of Joshua to press on and possess the land of his inheritance that He released divine strength that helped him in the battle. Dearly beloved, don’t give up, you too like Joshua can say ‘give me this mountain’. Move on, don’t stop, anywhere you step with the soles of your feet has been given to you – possess your possessions!
Ezekiel Olukolajo is a Ezekiel is an Insurance practitioner by profession and a teacher of the word by calling. He also serves as a resident Pastor in an Evangelical Church. Ezekiel can be reached at: olukolajoezekieloluseun@yahoo.com.
- See more at: http://www.mannaexpressonline.com/practical-steps-to-possess-your-possession/#sthash.UfgsAhIl.dpuf
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