Willa

Women should minister to women. The advice of Scripture should be sufficient with a lot of prayer. All should be done with great compassion. Advice should be given when it is sought after, but would probably be resented if offered otherwise. Marriage classes and retreats are some of the best places to discuss these things since people go there to learn.

Pheobe was a deaconess, which is the meaning of the word interpreted servant. Satan was the first to usurp authority when he rebelled against God seeking to take God's authority for himself. Pride is the root of rebellion. So become prideful and seeking take the authority God gave to others is to usurp authority. Humility does the task assigned to it and does it cheerfully as unto the Lord, whether to prophecy or to fill in doing tasks needed by circumstances. That is how we as women serve God. But that is also how men are to serve God. He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

My impression is that women are allowed to teach other women and children as well. Women are not to teach men as a matter of chain of command, not because then are any less than a man. Some women are excellent teachers. Pricilla and Aquila taught apparently as a team. Occasionally a woman is called by men to step up where there is no man to be a pastor, until a man can be found. The whole thing is explained as a part of the curse, the punishment of Eve after the fall. The Pulpit commentary covers it well. And thy desire shall be to thy husband. תְּשׁוּקָה, from שׁוּק to run, to have a vehement longing for a thing, may have the same meaning here as in Son 7:10(Dathe, Rosenmller, Delitzsch, Keil, Bohlen, Kalisch, Alford); but is better taken as expressive of deferential submissiveness, as in Gen 4:7 (Luther, Calvin, Le Clerc, Lunge, Macdonald, Speaker’s ’Commentary’.) Following the LXX. (ἀποστροφημ), Murphy explains it as meaning, "The determination of thy will shall be yielded to thy husband." According to the analogy of the two previous clauses, the precise import of this is expressed in the next, though by many it is regarded as a distinct item in the curse (Kalisch, Alford, Clarke, Wordsworth). And he shall rule over thee. Not merely a prophecy of woman’s subjection, but an investiture of man with supremacy over the woman; or rather a confirmation and perpetuation of that authority which had been assigned to the man at the creation. Woman had been given him as an helpmeet (Gen 2:18), and her relation to the man from the first was constituted one of dependence. It was the reversal of this Divinely-established order that had led to the fall (Gen 3:17). Henceforth, therefore, woman was to be relegated to, and fixed in, her proper sphere of subordination. On account of her subjection to man’s authority a wife is described as the possessed or subjected one of a lord (Gen 20:3; Deu 20:1-20:22), and a husband as the lord of a woman (Exo 21:3). Among the Hebrews the condition of the female sex was one of distinct subordination, though not of oppression, and certainly not of slavery, as it too often has been in heathen and Mohammedan countries. Christianity, while placing woman on the same platform with man as regards the blessings of the gospel (Gal 3:28), explicitly inculcates her subordination to the man in the relationship of marriage (Eph 5:22; Col 3:18; 1Pe 3:1) So I see the role of women as that of helpmeet in the church. We are not to usurp the role of leadership but help out as needed and where needed. Any pastor should respect the advice of the elders and prayerfully consider it. How much more should women do so since we were designed to help out or fill in as needed. It is a matter of humility and respect for the leadership.

The Bible often uses the number 3. A thing is verified by 2 or 3 witnesses, or Jonah was 3 days and nights in the belly of the whale, for instance. Since the Trinity is One God, we can't so easily divide our own nature as pertaining to an attribute of a person of the Trinity. All the Godhead is love, and all have a mind and a will yet each is a separate Person. So your analogy breaks down in my mind. But it is interesting to think about.

This is also a favorite of mine. I always remember the prophecy of the angel to Mary and how she hid all these things in her heart. But as time went on and she was busy raising Him and his brothers and sisters she must have had times that she wondered. Yet she asked Him to turn the water into wine. She was given an outline of hints as in the prophets but it was in a mirror darkly. We aren't even sure that she followed Him except to the cross, the tomb and to wait for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. How many of us women while pregnant know what will become of our children? We hope and pray, we claim promises, and we raise them up in the way they should go. We aren't blessed as Mary was or found favor with God as she was, but we are born again as God's children and have the guidance and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. Yet we have no idea what impact they will have on those they know or how God will use them. We can only commit them to His care and guidance and continue to pray for them and their families.

1Jn 5:16 Wuest (16-21) If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which is not in its tendency towards death, he should ask, and He will give him life, to those who are sinning not with a tendency towards death. There is a sin which tends towards death. Not concerning that one do I say that he should ask. Every unrighteousness is sin. And there is a sin which does not tend towards death. We know absolutely that everyone who has been born of God and as a result is a regenerated individual does not keep on habitually sinning. But He who was born of God maintains a watchful guardianship over him, and the Pernicious One [evil one] does not lay hold of him. The sin leading to death is ascribing to satan the work of the Holy Spirit to save heal and deliver people. To harden one's heart to the saving work of Jesus on the cross also leads to death. A person can continue to harden their hearts till they no longer even care. To scorn God's loving work in a person's life to set him free and to ascribe it to satan takes a degree of hardness that is likely beyond reach. Here we are reminded that Jesus watches over and keeps all that the Father has given Him, protecting them from the evil one. Some churches teach that we have to be saved again should we slip and fall. We only need to be saved once and surrender to Christ as our Lord and King. Should we sin unknowingly the blood of Christ cleanses us. Should we give in to temptation and sin knowingly we need to confess it as in 1 John 1. But a person who continues in habitual sin with no desire or intention to cease was likely never saved at all.

A lot seems to depend on what we do with God's word. Luk 8:5 ESV "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. Luk 8:6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. Luk 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Luk 8:12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Luk 8:13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. I have a friend who has trampled underfoot the things she does understand in God's word. She hates anything written by Paul. She does not believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and that no-one comes to the Father but by Him. So the things she does understand she has rejected. Now even that is being taken away from her by satan. Our beliefs must be rooted in God's word to be able to withstand trials. If it is based on a feel good emotion it won't last long at all. Our emotions are fickle and may be influenced by hormones, weather, physical condition or pain, etc. When we have hidden God's word in our hearts we cling to it in hard times, fight the lies of satan with it, try it and make it our own. God's word is truth. 1Pe 1:6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 1Pe 1:7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. If you are truly hungry to know God you will find Him and His attributes revealed in the Bible. To reject the God of the Bible is to reject His salvation. You only need faith as small as a microscopic grain of mustard seed. We need a tiny bit of faith in a great God who loves us and sent His Son to die for our sins. The sin we must repent from is that of rejecting Jesus. He then changes us so we no longer enjoy our lesser sins that displease God. We just confess them and trust that He will forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

One of my favorite hymns!

Heb 1:1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, Heb 1:2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. After the Bible no new revelations or experiences have been given. If current things can't be validated by Scripture they are not true. It is necessary that they point to God and bring Him glory. I am not saying I believe that all gifts of the Spirit ended with the apostles. I am saying that the misuse of the gifts has increased significantly.

Sorry, Chanterelle, the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower are wrong about a lot of things.

The Lion is the Lion of Judah, meaning Christ reigning on earth and as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Lamb is the Lamb of God, again meaning Christ. So when they lie down together they represent the reigning Christ and the sacrificial Christ in one Person. We see the two in the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Setting the example by a loving attitude along with modest (loose fitting and covering) clothing goes a long way. New people should be welcomed as they are, as God has welcomed us. After they are saved God sets His priority in cleaning the fish. Usually it has to do with other attitudes toward God, making Him Lord of our lives, and toward others and ourselves as well. Learning about purity of sex within marriage, the world flesh and the devil temptations, and the need to be in the world but not of the world. Christians should be different and that is a hard pill for teens to swallow. People need to learn how much God loves and prizes them that He would send Jesus to dies for them. This is the basis for allowing the old man to die and putting on the new man in the image of Christ. So we can't expect change overnight. It is a growing process. Lastly there is the problem of finding clothing that is more appropriate in a world that sells filth. That might be a good topic for a woman's group discussion: where to buy more modest clothing and what to look for.

Since Jesus wore a tunic and a robe with tassels (to differentiate it from a woman's tunic and robe without tassels) I don't think there is a problem with clothing. The hair is a problem for me. Until God changes my attitude about this, keeping my thin fine hair short is the only option. Since I always had a godly attitude toward my husband that honored and prized him, submitting to him, the attitude of my heart was the prime importance. I would think this be true of men as well. As long as their attitude is submissive, devoted and honoring toward God, loving Him with all our hearts minds and strengths, the length of one's hair doesn't seem like an issue. Act 15:19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Act 15:20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.

Nah, I through of that too. They would just end up on some Gilligan's Island and get picked up by a freighter. The best thing would be to send a missionary to them. But I couldn't think of an island that would be suitable. We shouldn't wish evil for them--just some place that would isolate them. Most often their own countries won't take them back.

I was already considering it a perfect place to send all the illegal hispanic criminals via parachute after they pay their dues in prison. At least it would take them longer to come back here unless Venezuela programed them to be subversives.

2Ti 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 2Ti 3:13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

It didn't take him long enough to make it back here. We need to devise a place to leave him that would take a lot more effort and time.

What does a waiter do? He waits on tables. To do that he must be moving, serving water and giving menus, taking orders for beverages, serving and taking orders for food, serving, returning for refills etc. This person is constantly busy, always ready to take directions or instructions, but rarely able to take a rest. We wait on God as His servants. But we are about our Father's business. We go where His loving mercy draws us.

At most I would tell him he is welcome to meet you for church but that is all. Keep it public. Ask him eventually to a church group activity like a potluck. I wouldn't even get in the same car with him. Just meet him there.

We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart soul strength and minds, and our neighbors as ourselves. We are to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. We are to consider others to be better than ourselves. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. If we are truly seeking after God we will not be seeking to exalt ourselves but Him. Nor will we envy those whose values are askew yet who claim to be Christians. We will pray that they come to know true riches of a spiritual nature and of modesty and humility. Those who seek the world's values are poor wretched and blind. 1Pe 5:5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1Jo 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1Jo 2:16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 1Jo 2:17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Several time Pharaoh said he would release the children of Israel but then didn't follow through, effectively lying to God. Each time he lied to God he hardened his own heart. We also get harder and harder each time we say no to God and resist the call of the Holy Spirit. When people deny the authority of God's word often they also may be calling God a liar. All it takes is true repentance. " Today if you hear My voice do not harden your hearts as they did in the wilderness." As long as there remains a Today, there is hope.

We don't trust in feelings, Thecross. We trust in God's word which is ratified by His good Name, His character.

Welcome, Thecross. The purpose of fasting is to humble ourselves to be able to say "not my will but thine be done". We can't twist God's arm. We do draw near to God by humbling ourselves before Him.

In the old testament the sin of homosexuality was punished by death. Lev 20:13 If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. So in effect this was not a sin that was prevalent in Israel. However in the Roman world it was rampant and had to be dealt with. That is why Romans 1 gets to the heart of the matter. Rom 1:24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, Rom 1:25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Rom 1:26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Rom 1:27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; Rom 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, Rom 1:30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Rom 1:31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; Rom 1:32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.