Ever wonder what a baby is worth? I do not know all the answer's to that question-- but I am learning.
I know it's worth a lot of inconvenience and money, just ask all the people that pay thousands and thousands of dollars to adopt a child overseas.
I know it's worth a lot of heart ache and longing-- just ask all the people waiting 7+ years to adopt a baby.
I know it can cost you a great job-- been there, done that.
So what is a baby worth?
It's worth a lot of sacrifice. It's worth the cost of all the luxuries I think I need. It's worth the time sacrifices that will be asked of me.
I don't want to be someone that says, "You made your bed, you lie in it." I don't want to be the person that goes, "Tsk, tsk, (big sigh)", and rolls my eyes. I don't want to be the person that is always reminding the girl/woman of the mistake they made-- like they've got to "pay" and be miserable the rest of their lives.
Church, there are a lot of women in our midst who are getting pregnant --while on birth control! and they are considering abortion because of our attitudes and lack of support. Heaven help us!
The heart of the Father longs for these little ones! He is entrusting them to us. We dare not turn aside-- who knows but that we will find his perfect will for our lives as we help the one in front of us.
So what do you think? Any thoughts or comments? I would love to hear from you.
Faytene's group (v-kolmedia) did this great video and it sums up what I am feeling right now..
http://youtu.be/8xUR5SbuWdY
Bless you real good!
Big hugs,
Brenda Gale Thompson
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Women Teaching And Preaching? Sure!
I'm writing this because I was told eight years ago that women couldn't minister. Didn't I know that women were supposed to be quiet and learn? I was told I could share testimonies on a certain web site but that I could not share with people how to get the same results. Of course I stopped writing immediately. In hind sight I realize that this was what the devil wanted. So I've started writing again.
You see, my dad raised me to believe that I could do anything for a living. I was always trying to help my Dad, whether it was fixing the car or building something downstairs. It was my Dad who suggested I go into Engineering studies at University. My dad believed in me.
In Western society we've come to realize that women can be good engineers, doctors, lawyers and executives. And yes, they can be good preachers. That's why these unfair judgments or shackles hurt so much.
Thank God for moms. She gave me a book titled "Why not Women?" by Loren Cunningham, (the Director of Youth With A Mission) and David Joel Hamilton. That book helped me so much. Husbands get it for your wives. Fathers get it for your daughters. It's that simple. Let me share what impacted me the most, and I didn't read the whole book. (Oops!)
This book helped explain how Paul was a woman's best friend because, in a cultural time when woman were not taught anything, he told the men to teach their wives. "Paul was encouraging the women in their desire to learn. He was urging them not to stay on the sidelines but to equip themselves for full participation in the Body of Christ! These words were a radical break with all the surrounding cultures." (pg 201)
I also found out that in a cultural time when a woman's only expression was to moan or wail in services he asked that they be quiet. (1Cor 14:34) I completely understand this. The women had no freedom to praise and worship or say 'Hallelujah!' or shout 'Amen!' in a service. They were only allowed to "moan or make ululations, which are high-pitched cries." (pg 197) Talk about shackles!
Well, guess what? Jesus took our shackles off two thousand years ago and Paul confirmed this freedom we now have, when he said that 'There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:28).
So why do men keep putting these shackles on us? Ignorance, insecurity, pride who knows?
It's time we educated ourselves. Time is running out fast and the devil has hamstrung 60% of the body of Christ with this false teaching. Therefore, I am going to make up for lost time.
Fast tract 5 years. I'd started street preaching and was learning by the seat of my pants. A friend of mine told me about his pastor who also street preached and I was so excited to meet him. I finally got the opportunity and you know what? He didn't want to even sit with me for a tea or coffee, because I was a woman preacher.
"Where's your husband?", he asked me. Can you believe it? He asked this in the 21st century no less.
This preacher was referring to 2 Tim 2:12 where it says "But I suffer not a woman to teach,". Paul made this troubling statement and it's been taken out of context for 2,000 years. I am not a Greek scholar, but if you translate the verses properly, and not out of context, the scholars can see that this verse was directed to one woman, who was probably responsible for the heretical teaching in the Ephesian church. (reference pg. 213)
This is also backed up by Paul's words in 2Tim 2:22 "And these things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable [persons, that is, men and women] who will also be qualified to teach others." (pg 221)
Let's go back to this preacher's question about my husband. Now anyone that knows my husband, is aware that he is an introvert. He once told me that if there was an introverts society he'd be the president and the phone number would be unlisted. Face it, not everyone is cut from the same cloth and not everyone is going to be thrilled to go street preaching.
My husband is very happy about me going out and preaching and he gives me lots of current event material to tie in to the gospel message -- but him speak publicly? It's not going to happen without a miracle.
I once brought him up in front of a congregation where I was sharing on evangelism and afterwords he told me not to do that again. All I did was introduce him as "my handsome husband!"
Now you can see why I thought this street preacher was way off the mark. He had a heart to get people saved, God bless him for that. I just would have thought that he'd be happy for some help!
I've learned that if you want to do a good work for the Lord, persecution and opposition will come and sometimes it's surprising which quarter it comes from.
Finally, my advice to you is witness, share, testify and preach about our Lord and His gospel as often as you can. Do not let someone silence you, with their condemning words, like I was. I am going to make up for lost time. I have so many testimonies that I have written down in my journals and I am going to post them on this blog site. Plus, I fully intend to tell you how I got these results. I will share all my bloopers too, because you learn more from your mistakes than your successes, right? Right! Holy Spirit is such an encourager and He is so helpful. When you realize how much you are loved, it's easy to be real and share your bloopers.
Right now, I bless you In Jesus Name with the "spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;" (Is.11:2) May you know HIM in a greater way today and every day this year, in Jesus' name!
Amen!
Till the nets are full,
Brenda Gale Thompson
You see, my dad raised me to believe that I could do anything for a living. I was always trying to help my Dad, whether it was fixing the car or building something downstairs. It was my Dad who suggested I go into Engineering studies at University. My dad believed in me.
In Western society we've come to realize that women can be good engineers, doctors, lawyers and executives. And yes, they can be good preachers. That's why these unfair judgments or shackles hurt so much.
Thank God for moms. She gave me a book titled "Why not Women?" by Loren Cunningham, (the Director of Youth With A Mission) and David Joel Hamilton. That book helped me so much. Husbands get it for your wives. Fathers get it for your daughters. It's that simple. Let me share what impacted me the most, and I didn't read the whole book. (Oops!)
This book helped explain how Paul was a woman's best friend because, in a cultural time when woman were not taught anything, he told the men to teach their wives. "Paul was encouraging the women in their desire to learn. He was urging them not to stay on the sidelines but to equip themselves for full participation in the Body of Christ! These words were a radical break with all the surrounding cultures." (pg 201)
I also found out that in a cultural time when a woman's only expression was to moan or wail in services he asked that they be quiet. (1Cor 14:34) I completely understand this. The women had no freedom to praise and worship or say 'Hallelujah!' or shout 'Amen!' in a service. They were only allowed to "moan or make ululations, which are high-pitched cries." (pg 197) Talk about shackles!
Well, guess what? Jesus took our shackles off two thousand years ago and Paul confirmed this freedom we now have, when he said that 'There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:28).
So why do men keep putting these shackles on us? Ignorance, insecurity, pride who knows?
It's time we educated ourselves. Time is running out fast and the devil has hamstrung 60% of the body of Christ with this false teaching. Therefore, I am going to make up for lost time.
Fast tract 5 years. I'd started street preaching and was learning by the seat of my pants. A friend of mine told me about his pastor who also street preached and I was so excited to meet him. I finally got the opportunity and you know what? He didn't want to even sit with me for a tea or coffee, because I was a woman preacher.
"Where's your husband?", he asked me. Can you believe it? He asked this in the 21st century no less.
This preacher was referring to 2 Tim 2:12 where it says "But I suffer not a woman to teach,". Paul made this troubling statement and it's been taken out of context for 2,000 years. I am not a Greek scholar, but if you translate the verses properly, and not out of context, the scholars can see that this verse was directed to one woman, who was probably responsible for the heretical teaching in the Ephesian church. (reference pg. 213)
This is also backed up by Paul's words in 2Tim 2:22 "And these things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable [persons, that is, men and women] who will also be qualified to teach others." (pg 221)
Let's go back to this preacher's question about my husband. Now anyone that knows my husband, is aware that he is an introvert. He once told me that if there was an introverts society he'd be the president and the phone number would be unlisted. Face it, not everyone is cut from the same cloth and not everyone is going to be thrilled to go street preaching.
My husband is very happy about me going out and preaching and he gives me lots of current event material to tie in to the gospel message -- but him speak publicly? It's not going to happen without a miracle.
I once brought him up in front of a congregation where I was sharing on evangelism and afterwords he told me not to do that again. All I did was introduce him as "my handsome husband!"
Now you can see why I thought this street preacher was way off the mark. He had a heart to get people saved, God bless him for that. I just would have thought that he'd be happy for some help!
I've learned that if you want to do a good work for the Lord, persecution and opposition will come and sometimes it's surprising which quarter it comes from.
Finally, my advice to you is witness, share, testify and preach about our Lord and His gospel as often as you can. Do not let someone silence you, with their condemning words, like I was. I am going to make up for lost time. I have so many testimonies that I have written down in my journals and I am going to post them on this blog site. Plus, I fully intend to tell you how I got these results. I will share all my bloopers too, because you learn more from your mistakes than your successes, right? Right! Holy Spirit is such an encourager and He is so helpful. When you realize how much you are loved, it's easy to be real and share your bloopers.
Right now, I bless you In Jesus Name with the "spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;" (Is.11:2) May you know HIM in a greater way today and every day this year, in Jesus' name!
Amen!
Till the nets are full,
Brenda Gale Thompson
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