Women 

Should someone want to ask me later how I feel about women in the priesthood. I will tell you what I’ve said. The Bible says that woman was made a help meet for man, but I ask you which is greater those who help or those who need help? I always get a laugh when I tell that but I am serious. Suppose that Adam had not slept but had watched as God transformed the rib he had taken into a new creature. And God’s glory shone in the new creature brighter than the man knew possible. And God gave the new creature the glory of bringing every soul of man into creation, and the glory of being his help to every soul all the days of their lives. And suppose so close were God and the new creature and so bright and perfect was the glory shining from them that the man could hardly abide in their presence and exclaimed “Lord I am not worthy that such a glory be given back into my body but I beg of thee to make me that I may abide with thy new creature that thy transforming power may always be before me, that thy glory may be perfected in me as it is in her”. And so God gave man that he might stand with the help he created, one help with another. And so should a man leave his mother and father and cling to his wife that God’s glory might be perfected in him and that he might learn from this presence and ministry of God upon the earth. But is that how women were treated? No, but whatever way the world treated women, so did the priesthood. And by so doing they encouraged the world to think that whatever they listed was right. Women were possessions, treated like livestock or slaves, inferior creatures only fit to serve the creature comforts of their masters. Deemed forsaken and neglected by God, without rights, without stature. For when Adam awoke men remained asleep unto women forever, and when sin conceived, men became dead to their calling and purpose and glory. But when Christ Jesus who was made of the Holy Spirit and woman awoke from the dust the glory of all women was revealed in his body and if we are in him we are no longer as those who are asleep and dead forever unto them. For Christ alone was able to bring back the recognition of women in his body that we might be made one again. Nevertheless, after he arose it was still considered the duty of all men to keep all women in subjection unto themselves. As the verse describes:

[1 Tim 2:11] Let the women learn in silence with all subjection.

[1 Tim 2:12] For I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

[1 Tim 2:13] For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

[1 Tim 2:14] And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

[1 Tim 2:15] Notwithstanding they shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

Was this a new order of life set forth in the Lord Jesus or the reinstitution of the curse pronounced in the garden of Eden. As it was written:

[Gen 3:22] Unto the woman, I, the Lord God, said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow, and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

This was a punishment for sin. Jesus answered for the sin of Eve and her punishment and the curse are done away in him. Yet it still continues unto this day not because it is the holy blessing of God upon them but because we are still in sin. Can anyone believe that the work of men in this world has been more righteous than the work of women? Have men shed less blood, have men shown more love, have men valued peace and kindness more than women have? Have men more right to forgiveness in Christ because of their gender? Is God a respecter of persons because of their gender when he has plainly stated that he is not a respecter of persons? If there is neither male nor female in the justice of Christ Jesus, are we to persecute and punish women for the sin of Eve in the garden of Eden after Jesus has atoned for that very sin upon the cross? Must women be saved by giving childbirth while men are saved by grace? Is it no big deal if only a woman is lost because she can’t have a child? But I am not ashamed of Paul for the same veil of privilege exists unto this day. And men have found other uses for their faith than to remove that veil which gives them the greater privilege. And I suppose that the tug of war between men and women will continue until the end of time. If God let Eve minister death through the tree of knowledge is it a shame to you that God allows her through faith in Christ to turn that around and now minister life through the bread of life? I say let the work of death cease and let every hand give life in Christ. I fear for you because the priesthood is only a resemblance of the ministry they bring. And you have not awakened in Christ unto the salvation and glory God has prepared for them from before the beginning of the world in Christ Jesus. But I am glad that they are at least among your ranks that you may say at last there are some among us who recognize the worth of women. And in so doing brothers I can only suppose that you have grown closer to the body of Christ.

Little Children

You have heard me say repent for the kingdom of God is at hand, and repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and you wonder where they are. But I tell you that Jesus made them both appear on earth by speaking four words, and I will tell them to you now. He said, “Behold your little ones.”. And when the people looked they saw the very church and kingdom of Jesus Christ that has remained perfect in his atonement upon the earth since the first child until now. The revelation and power of the kingdom of God has been one continual work of sinless glory in them. These are the kings and priests of God upon the earth. These are the victory of Christ over all unrighteousness upon the earth. And there is not one minister in all the churches in the world that can compare to the least among them. And can heaven lift itself higher than one of these souls which is without sin in the presence of God? Jesus has told you, “except you become as one of these you cannot enter the kingdom of God”. As women excel men in glory and are given as a help unto them, even so do children excel women in glory and are given as a help unto both men and women. They are the example not the accessory to our lives. They are holy from the foundation of the world and the world is not worthy of them and I would dare say this church is not worthy of them. The church like the world seeks to bind them with traditions and burdens that deny the spirit and are grievous to be borne. Wherefore, I call you again to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The foolish farmer

Hear the parable of the foolish farmer. For there was a farmer who had a choice and elect seed and he knew that the fruit of the seed when it was grown would be most precious. So he planted the seed and as soon as he had planted it he built a barn over it. For he reasoned within himself : now the wind cant blow upon it to take away the soil or to break its branches, now the rain can’t rain upon it to wash away the seed or to knock down its fruit, now the sun cant shine upon it to scorch it with his heat, now a passerby can't be tempted to taste of its fruit for he might then desire the tree and the land and all that I own, and now, most of all, when it brings forth fruit it will already be in my barn and I will not have to labor at all to gather it. And so he lost his seed and its fruit because he trusted in his own wisdom above the works of God. So, he should have worked as the kingdom of God. As it is written:

Mark 4:21 So is the kingdom of God; as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep and rise, night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how;

Mark 4:22 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

Mark 4:23 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. 

The heavens are waiting

How like the moon and stars,

hovering over the earth.

One higher and more numerous,

the other lower and single but brighter.

Which is really closer to

the future throne of God?

The mystery of the world

How can one slaughter and yet not eat?

How can one slaughter and yet not defeat?

As it was done unto the Lord Jesus.

The authorities of this world

The authorities are like a different species. They appear and do things that are only attractive to others of the same species. They must mate one with another to survive in this world. Yes, they may do things that serve only themselves, but it is for the propagation of their species in this world.

Choose life

If a branch of a tree were to decide the sap that flows through me is too precious to pass on to those smaller, weaker branches and their leaves, the leaves would die and rot would set in the branches beginning at the tips and moving back to where the sap was obstructed. And finally the whole branch, because it had not new growth to draw the sap up to it, would perish.

The application is the same

[Mat 23:1] Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying, The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.

[Mat 23:2] All, therefore, whatsoever they bid you observe, they will make you observe and do; for they are ministers of the law, and they make themselves your judges. But do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not.

[Mat 23:3] For they bind heavy burdens and lay on men's shoulders, and they are grievous to be borne; but they will not move them with one of their fingers. 

If Jesus spoke thus of those men who sat in Moses seat in his day, how much more then should you observe his words toward those who sit in Jesus seat in your day?

The church gives life and takes it away

If the church put that which was meant to be spiritual beneath the temporal, how much more the world? If the church place that which was meant to be spoken in a place of silence, how much more then shall the world? If the church keep that which was meant to be, as if it never was, how much more then the world?

A parable

There was in a certain kingdom a nobleman, who was made the wealthiest man in the kingdom for the great service he had rendered unto the king. And the nobleman having passed away left everything to his son. And his son's estate was very great, and he had children, and he lived upon his inheritance. And they were very rich. And after a certain time a great famine came into the land. And the people began to starve for the need and lack of food. But in the house of the nobleman's offspring they had plenty of bread to eat. And were fat and well favored above all the people. And the offspring thought in his heart, "Now before I was as nothing in my own eyes because my hand has brought me nothing. Nor has my hand gotten me any wealth to support my family. And these many years I've lived off my inheritance. But now the famine is great in the land, and I can easily feed my children, and they look upon me as though I am a god. And I have never had such honor in their eyes before. Wherefore surely this was an honor made for me, that my children might know my glory". Now the King of the land was very sorry for his people and moved by their sorrow. So, he sold all that he had and bought bread. And he said, "Go now and give all the bread in my house unto my people, that perhaps they may not perish. And if it so be that they perish I will perish with them. That perhaps even by my death God may turn away from his wrath upon the land. That the citizens and children of my country may have bread". So he sold his great riches and sent bread into all the country. Now when the King's servants came to the offspring’s house and knocked upon his door. They said, "Here the king has sent bread that thou and thy family might live". The offspring was very wroth, for he thought    "Do you now dishonor me in front of my children, to make me look like a beggar, like all of those around me? No but I will have honor in the eyes of my children. And they will know that they are fed from my hand alone. And that I do not receive anything from any others hand. That I lose not the honor that I have in their eyes". And so he threw out the King's servants and told his servants, "Throw them out and beat them and take the bread they have brought into my house and trample it in the mire and destroy it in the streets. That all may know that I am not a beggar like unto them. That God has placed me not only in honor above my house but above all the world". Now the King's servants, when they had been treated thus, returned unto the King and gave him their report. And they said, "Sir, the son of the nobleman, whom thou has set above the earth with great riches and honor, has cast us out and has thrown thy bread into the streets. For he said, "I will not receive from the hand of any other man, for in my own hand are all the riches I need to sustain me"". And the King said, "doth he so dishonor me as to forget where his riches came from in the first place, so as to thrust out my servants? In so doing he has thrust out me. Wherefore go and thrust him into the mire where he threw my bread and break down his house and take all the bread and riches thereof and feed it unto my kingdom that they may live. That perhaps by the breaking of his pride God may have mercy on the land. And turn away his wrath and the famine from us. That all my people may be fed". And so it was done.

In closing 

Pray on earth

as it is done

in heaven.