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I have given this issue much thought and this is the summary of my research and what I believe is the basis for Women to serve in leadership and ministry.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
There are a number of instances where women were given significant roles in the Bible. The most striking is Deborah who held the two highest offices in Israel, judge and prophet. She had authority over lands, armies of men and affairs of state.
Genesis 1:27 reflects the nature of God in both the masculine and feminine. We need both genders to be heard in order to have the wholeness of God’s character. This is re-affirmed in 1 Corinthians 11:11.
In the New Testament are references to women teaching (Acts 18:26), praying and prophesying (Acts 21:9, 1 Cor 11:5, Luke 2:36-38) in public settings. Euodia and Syntyche, Priscilla and Aquila, Phoebe and Junias (Romans 16:1-16, Phil 4:2-3) were all commended for there leadership roles by Paul. Joel 2:22 speaks of women prophesying, and Peter re-affirms this in Acts 2:17-18. Galatians 3:28 says that there is neither male nor female in the context of inheritance related to the Abrahamic Covenant which includes dominion and authority (Gen 12:1-3, 15:18-21). We also see the heart of God in the way Jesus treated women, specifically Mary Magdalene.
“What about 1st Corinthians 14, and 1st Timothy 2?”
The bible cannot contradict itself and must interpret itself. Those facts alone make it difficult to say those two passages are for all people for all time. The weight of scripture showing women in leadership in a positive light seams to be overwhelming. How can Paul commend women for their leadership in Romans and Philippians then say no woman can ever be in leadership in 1st Corinthians and 1st Timothy?
“If these are not for us then why are they in the scripture?”
The context of these two passages is order. Paul is illustrating that we serve a God of order and these two churches were not operating accordingly. Additionally Paul illustrates that we should be a witness to the community (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Women were not permitted to be in leadership in the community and were largely uneducated. Those two cultural facts do not exist today.
No one should be placed in authority simply because of gender, except where the bible specifically defines gender roles for the purpose of order, as in the home (Ephesians 5:22), or practicality (Titus 2:4). Men and women should be held to the same standards regarding ministry and leadership (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, 1 Peter 5).
If you will indulge me for a moment this is the purpose of this space. To process thoughts.
We are in the final stages of producing “Rescued” John’s fiction work in audio theatre. It has been brought up that one of the characters didn’t say the words of repentance in the moments before she died and yet she goes to heaven in the end. The worry is that we are going lightly on her sin and we are portraying something that is not scriptural.
Why have we as evangelicals placed so much emphasis on “praying the prayer” or saying the right “words”? Are words magical? Can we miss heaven by not saying the right “words”? Is God really concerned about the right verbiage?
Jesus never taught us to pray a specific prayer for salvation. He always talked about the condition of the heart. As a matter of fact the bible talks about saying the right things and having a heart that is far from God in Isaiah.
I know a number of people who can’t point to a specific date and place that they came into relationship with God. I can promise you however that they are walking with God. The fruit is nice and sweet.
What happened that we are so concerned about words and appearances, I’m not talking about judging fruit, just what things look like. Now see I already hear some of you going literal on me. “we should avoid the perception of impropriety”. That is not what I am talking about. We are so concerned about what people will say or what our actions may look like that we don’t repent, we don’t speak the truth in love.
I have told many people not to ever sacrifice my future on the alter of my feelings. Why are we so concerned with how someone may feel today rather than where they will spend eternity or even how they will spend the rest of their lives. Would you rather have someone not speak the truth in love to point out that your thinking or your actions may be flawed and have you damage other relationships and not be able to live a fruitful life?
We must first examine the log in our own eye so that we can speak the truth in love when it is necessary without our own logs getting in the way. Jesus never spared someone’s feelings. Think of the rich young ruler, the Syro-Phoenician woman in Luke 7, what about Peter? “get thee behind me satan”. The enemy has crippled us with worrying about how imperfect we are and rendering us impotent at speaking the truth in love.
Examine the log in your eye and deal with it and then get with God and walk in His love so we can speak the truth when needed. Let’s not be so concerned with the right word or appearance and start being concerned with eternity.
What do you think?
We have been going through the truth project in our small group and absolutely loving it. In the very first session Dr. Tackett talks about assumptive language which is designed to be accepted without debate.
When I ran across this article by Dr Williams. I think he says it pretty well. Enjoy
Straight Thinking 101
By Walter E. Williams
Wednesday, June 27, 2007Just about the most difficult lesson for first-year economics students, and sometimes graduate students, is that economic theory, and for that matter any scientific theory, is positive or non-normative. You might ask, “What’s this business about positive and normative?” It’s easy. Positive statements deal with what was, what is or what will be. Normative, or subjective, statements deal with what’s good or bad, or what ought to be or should be. Confusing the two leads to considerable mischief.
The statement “Scientists cannot split the atom” is a positive statement. Why? If there’s disagreement with the statement, there are facts to which we can appeal to settle the disagreement — just visit Stanford University’s linear accelerator and watch atoms being split. The statement “Scientists shouldn’t split the atom” is a normative statement. Why? There are no facts whatsoever to which we can appeal to settle any disagreement. One person’s opinion on the matter is just as good as another’s.
How about the statement “Gasoline prices are unreasonable”? If some think they’re reasonable while others don’t, the argument can go on forever without resolution because there are no facts to which we can appeal to settle the disagreement. However, there are facts that tend to back up the statement: Buyers of gasoline prefer lower prices while sellers prefer higher prices.
By the way, years ago, Mrs. Williams would arrive home complaining about unreasonable grocery prices. After airing her complaints, she’d ask me to unload her car full of groceries. Having completed the chore, I’d ask her whether she was unreasonable, suggesting that it was my opinion that only an unreasonable person would pay unreasonable prices. The conversation never went far in a pleasant direction.
Having explained the difference between positive and normative statements, I tell my students that in no way do I propose that they purge their vocabulary of normative statements. Normative statements are excellent tools for tricking others into doing what you want them to do. I simply caution that in the process of tricking others, there’s no need to trick oneself into believing that one normative statement is better or more righteous than another.
A related term that doesn’t make much economic sense is the term “need.” The implication of an absolute, crying, dying or urgent need is that one cannot do without the need in question. Students sometimes say they absolutely need a car or a cell phone. At that point I ask them, how in the world was it that Gen. George Washington could defeat Britain, the mightiest nation on earth, without a cell phone or a car?
The problem with the term “need” is that it suggests there are no substitutes for the item in question. Thus, people will pay any price for it; however, the law of demand says that at some price, people will take less of something, including none of it. In response, a student might say, “Diabetics can’t do without insulin” or “People can’t do without food.” I say, “Yes, they can; diabetics have been doing without insulin for thousands of years.” In some poor African countries, people do without food. Of course, the results of doing without insulin or food are indeed unpleasant, but the fact that the results are unpleasant doesn’t require us to deny that non-consumption is a substitute for consumption. Again, I tell my students not to purge their vocabulary of crying, dying and urgent needs; just don’t trick yourself while you’re tricking others.
You say, “Williams, it doesn’t sound like economics is a very compassionate science.” You’re right, but neither is physics, chemistry or biology. However, if we wish to be compassionate with our fellow man, we must learn to engage in dispassionate analysis. In other words, thinking with our hearts, rather than our brains, is a surefire method to hurt those whom we wish to help.
Dr. Williams serves on the faculty of George Mason University as John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics and is the author of More Liberty Means Less Government: Our Founders Knew This Well.
This is something I picked up at a conference a long time ago and it had a great impact on me. I hope you enjoy it.
By: Brian Anderson
I Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
“We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God” A.W. Tozier Body Soul & Spirit are to be used in Worship.
A. first book translated in another language is Mark (a short gospel) the second book translated is Psalms (songs & prayers)
B. Worship & Prayer are closely tied together. They both have to do with connecting with God In an intimate way and communicating with Him.
Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Harps represent Worship
Incense represents Prayer
Phillipians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
C. Prayer in the Jerusalem Church
Acts 1:14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 6:4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
A. We haven’t seen the importance of prayer in the lives of major New Testament Characters.
Paul.
Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
I Thessalonians 5:17 pray continually;
Phillipians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Jesus
Hebrews 5:7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
John 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
Luke 6:12-13 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
B. We don’t expect anything to happen.
1. One of the greatest deceptions the enemy wants to pull on us is that our prayers don’t work.
2. That’s why the word of God constantly exhorts us about the necessity persevering in prayer. (Satan doesn’t want us to communicate with God because then we will see things happen)
Luke 11:5-13 Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him. “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything. I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 18:1-8 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!'” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Matt 7:7-11 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Is 62:6-7 6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: “Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and never again will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled;
Real faith is praying even when it looks like it will never happen. Things that won’t work any other way will start working if we start praying about them.
James 4:2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.
A common attitude among people is “ I want to get started on the days work” That’s the problem right there! Most people don’t see prayer as a good portion of the days work.
If you see prayer as a religious duty (“I’m putting in my time with God”) over and against an activity that changes the outcome of events, you’ll end up not praying much! We are not that disciplined! But;
if we realize that that our prayer will change our world we will pray !
C. We rely on our personal strengths: (I’ll never quit)
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
1.. Gifted people can get a lot of “ministry” done in the kingdom of God just through their personal giftedness.
2. The problem is we then tend to rely on our personal giftedness to get the “Ministry” accomplished, and often times a lot gets accomplished! But not in comparison. When we work “we” work but when we pray God works. E.M. Bounds
D. Time Pressures
1. In life there are lots of things trying to eat up your time. (work, family, ministry, friends, activities, relaxation, TV, etc.)
2. The most important time commitment you can make is an appointment with God every day.
a. We all know that intellectually when the time crunch comes what we will let go of. And the time crunch will come.
b. Guard that time commitment as if your life depends on it. (because it does). Don’t ever give it to anyone or anything else. It belongs to God. Sacrifice sleep, relaxation, TV, yes even Ministry if you have to.
3. Find out how much Grace you’ve been given for prayer time.
Grace is Gods empowering of you to be who He created you to be.
Ephesians 4:7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
We were created differently so we have different amounts of Grace. Don’t compare yourself with others.
II Corinthians 10:12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
A. To seek Gods face
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Psalm 27:8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.
God’s greatest desire from us is for us to love Him.
Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. We only seek God’s face out of a heart of love and that’s pleasing to Him. II Corinthians 5:9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
It would be shame to do ministry for God all of our lives and never come to know Him.
B. It’s part of developing a “secret history” with God.
1. Everything else in ministry flows out of this. If you’re in ministry it’s probably because you fell in love with Him & formed a relationship…… time has taken the shine off if we don’t keep it up.
2. In life often times you will be overwhelmed with all the tasks at hand. When that happens, there is only one place to go….the prayer room and seek His face.
3. Pastor Cho- “Pray and Obey” ( 50,000 home churches)
C. To receive wisdom & revelation from God
1. Gods communication with us.
Psalm 103:7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel
2. The difference between knowing someone as a friend and knowing someone because you have their resume’
D. Direction & vision in ministry
Proverbs 14:12 there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
1. We can’t rely on our own intelligence.
E. In dealing with people.
1. As we pray God will give us direction in dealing with people with boldness & compassion. Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
F. For impartation from God to be released among the people you are leading.
1. Preaching and or teaching by itself will not bring change in peoples lives to a great degree.
a. It takes more than a command to produce fruit.
2. Authority in prayer and laboring in the secret place over people will produce more lasting fruit in their lives than teaching on it for years.
a. Pray that God will raise up the people you need in specific places.
3. God creates and imparts more things through prayer than by any other means! Prayer has more power to make things happen than preaching, organization, administration, programs, music, personalities, etc………
G. To receive direction from God.
1. The most significant things that God has done with us have come in the place of prayer.
2. God will direct us to things and away from things when we are devoted to prayer.
H. Spiritual Warfare
Daniel 10:12-14 “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”
1. Prayer is the beginning of spiritual warfare
2. The battle of spiritual warfare is won through persevering in prayer.
Posted by Gary on August 14, 2006
We just had the desperation conference here and Hillsong united lead the worship at a couple of sessions. The comments are all a variation of “wow they really brought something”
I love those guys. They are great musicians and song writers and very gifted at the skill of leading worship. But there are lots of gifted people who are skilled at the craft of songwriting, musicianship, and worship leading. What is the difference? What do they bring that isn’t as strong in other teams, or leaders?
I can tell you these folks work hard at the craft of what they do and they pursue excellence but there is something more that can’t be shortened or substituted.
There are some rehearsal nights when Ian Fisher would lock the door and we would get on our faces and seek the face of God.
If you want to be a good songwriter, worship leader, preacher, father, etc. etc. Work at it, pursue excellence, be the best. But don’t stop there.
If you want to be the best at something pursue the presence of God. Don’t forsake your own personal worship time. Jealously guard your time with God. In other words:
Pursue God practice your craft.
I Samuel 30:6
II Samuel 12:20
I Chronicles 15:22
I Chronicles 25:1
I Chronicles 25:7
II Chronicles 16:9
II Chronicles 26:5
Psalm 27:4
Posted by Gary on May 8, 2006
I just got back from a weekend with John. Three great churches in three different states. 5 services over the weekend.
I am so blessed to be able to see how different churches do church. I can almost always tell what the church is going to be like within 5 minutes of meeting the person that picks us up.
The churches are full of people who live Psalm 100:2. They “serve with gladness”. I believe that it all starts with great leaders. Leaders who model a glad servant heart. Leaders who love what they do and are always full of life, joy, and gladness no matter the circumstance.
Sorry not very deep but something that is becoming more and more obvious every time I travel.
Love you all.
Gary
Posted by Gary on March 19, 2006
The LORD is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed.
1 Sam 2:3 NKJV
Where I am going ultimately is that faith operating through love is the most important thing but I don’t want to diminish our actions. Actions definitely matter.
One of my favorite proverbs is:
An empty stable stays clean-but there is no income from an empty stable. Prov 14:4 TLB
We can gain all knowledge and understanding, and that is ok, but ministry demands that our stables get dirty. If your carpet has mud on it and there are fingerprints on your stuff then you know you’re doing the work of the ministry. We must “do”.
I believe that our doing is an outgrowth of our being which is a whole topic unto itself consider Luke 10:28-42. So if your doing out of religious duty or obligation; don’t stop what your doing, change your reason for doing it.
Posted by Gary on January 18, 2005
This wekend while traveling with John I got a cool revelation.
John 14:15 says; “If you love Me, (you will) keep My commandments. NKJV
We could have a whole discussion on the difference between being restrained by the law and being liberated by the law and maybe we will do that sometime but for this entry I want to make a different point.
John 15:14 says this; You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. NKJV
The word “commandments” in 14:15 in the greek means “precepts” Websters defines it this way; a principle intended especially as a general rule of action. In other words things that are known because they have been stated or written down. We’ll say God’s Word.
The word “command” in 15:14 in the greek means “to give charge” Websters says to give instruction.
So Jesus is saying that we need to obey God’s word as well as God’s voice. What is God asking you to do today? Now be careful. God is more concerned with who we are than what we do. He does not “need” us to “do” anything. He wants relationship above all else. So this is not about earning anything. This is about friendship with God.
The first thing we need to know is that God is a good God and worhty of our trust. When we understand that and read everything in that context. We will happily live according to the word of God and respond immediately when He speaks to us.
Psalm 25:14 in the NLT says Friendship with the Lord is reserved for those who fear Him. Fear in this case means to honor and respect. We show that by keeping His commands and by responding when He speaks.
We serve an amazing God who wants the best for us, John 10:10, as well as many others. So take the time to listen to His voice and learn to trust Him. You will not be dissapointed.
See you soon.
Posted by Gary on September 11, 2004
Have you ever been in a place where one day you felt like finally everything was falling into place and the next day you felt like everything was falling apart?
Sometimes when we are walking by faith and trusting in the promises of God we begin to try to work out all of the details and the way things should look. God however has His own ways and His own time frame. He is always more interested in our character than our comfort. I know this is very cliched but also very true.
We find ourselves in that place where we thought everything was set and know we sit here wondering what hit us and what to do next.
Psalm 89 talks about the heavens worshiping God for His miracles and the angels worshipping God for His faithfulness.
We have walked in and experienced Gods undieing faithfulness and we will not be shaken. We are still human and sometimes we get weak but we will stand on the promises of God’s word and trust in His faithfulness confident that He wants good things for us more than we want good things for us.
There are no hands that I want to be in except Gods. He is my creator and my intimate friend. I will trust and follow and obey no matter what the cost because I am confident that He who began a good work in me will bring it to completion.
He is faithful!
