Feminism, from God or the World?

Many conservative Christians believe that feminism is anti-Christian and has its origins in radical secular social reform movements.

Radical feminists around the world aggressively advocate abortion and gay marriage.

But who were the actual pioneers of the movement that campaigned for equal rights for women?

John Wesley established Adult Bible classes over 250 years ago. Many groups were led by women.

The first college in North America where men and women studied together was founded by the famous revivalist Charles Finney. In Finney's college, men and women, blacks and whites studied in the same classes.

In North America, Charles Finney and DL Moody trained women preachers. In England, William Booth promoted women preachers and women in leadership.

A. B. Simpson, founder of the Christian Missionary Alliance (CMA), included women in all levels of his leadership.

In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many Christian missionaries went to China. There were twice as many women as men.

The women were only allowed to minister to women. So Chinese Christian women became the majority. 

Now, despite communist persecution, there are more than 50 thousand house churches. More than 75% of the pastors and leaders are women.

Women's equality does not come from the world, but from God.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 NIV84

What does "no difference" mean? Of course, mothers are women and fathers are men.

But women and men should have equal authority, in marriage, in the family, in the church, in politics, in society, in the office, in Christian leadership and all areas of spiritual service.

Ready for His Coming

 In the Bible you see how God loves you.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 NKJV

If you believe in Jesus, this promise applies to you personally.

We read here that God loves all people.

There are idealists who want to save humanity, but they don't really love people.

But God is not like these idealists. God is love.
And you are not a mere specimen of humanity. You are you, and God loves you.

In the New Testament we see that Jesus will come back to take his church from this world, just as a Jewish bridegroom came to take his bride.

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7 NKJV

Jesus is the Lamb of God who sacrificed his life on the cross to suffer the penalty for our sins, to remove all guilt from us, to set us free from sin.

Jesus said to his disciples that after his death and resurrection he would return to heaven to prepare our eternal home for each of us.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1–3 NKJV

Jesus will come again as the bridegroom to his loving and beautiful bride. We see in Acts a wonderful church where all were filled with the Holy Spirit, where Christians helped one another practically, where supernatural gifts of the Spirit manifested daily.

Jesus will come back for such a church. Is the church ready? Obviously not.
We need an unprecedented worldwide revival to bring this about.

We must expect it and pray for it. But the crucial question is whether you and I are ready.

Who can help us? Who can prepare you? Your church may be able to help. Some churches help and some don't. But only the Holy Spirit can transform you so that you are ready for Jesus.

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37–39 NKJV

Wisdom from God

 Solomon was young and inexperienced. He was sincere and loved God. He was very intelligent, yet humble.

There are many people who inherit wealth and power, who are proud, and do not want to accept instructions from God or men.

But Solomon was not like that. As a young and inexperienced king, he was aware of his responsibility and his own inadequacy.

He wanted to be a good and righteous king for his people.  

God saw his heart and He visited him in a dream.

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask. What should I give you?” 1 Kings 3:5 CSB

If you are like Solomon, if you want to live faithfully and responsibly, you must be aware of your inadequacy.

Solomon had a task from God. So do you and so do I.

If you think your knowledge, competence and intelligence are enough to fulfil your calling from God, then you have no idea. You need to recognise your inadequacy.

God saw Solomon’s heart, and He sees your heart. He wants to speak to you and help you.

How did Solomon answer?

Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 1 Kings 3:7 NKJV

He realised that his experience and competence were so limited that he did not even understand how to begin.

Many people try to get ahead with their own talents and only ask for God's help when they go horribly wrong, but Solomon understood better.

If you want to live a blessed and fulfilled life, you must involve God as your companion and guide at the very beginning of everything you do.

God wants to help you with your whole life, not just rescue you when you fall over.

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. 

Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5–6 The Message

Knowing Good from Evil

We must know the difference between good and evil, otherwise we will be lost. But how are we to learn this?

Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognise the difference between right and wrong. Hebrews 5:14 NLT

but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:17 NIV84

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.
“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4–5 NIV84

God created Adam and Eve. He made them in God's image, innocent and without defects of any kind. God placed them in a beautiful garden where nothing was tainted, nothing could be sick. 

Adam and Eve were designed to be happy and immortal.

But there was a problem. Lucifer, the highest archangel, had already become evil by abusing his freewill, and he had recruited a host of rebellious angels to his demonic army.

Because Adam and Eve were to rule the new earth, they needed knowledge of this battle against evil spirits, but God had not explained everything to them in the beginning.

God's first priority for the first humans was different. Their first priority was to get to know God Himself better. They needed to learn everything step by step from God Himself.

The fruit of the forbidden tree would instantly give the same knowledge of good and evil that God Himself had, according to Satan.

Did Eve understand this? The concept of ``evil'' would be completely incomprehensible to Eve if God had not explained some of it to her beforehand, but God had only taught the basic steps.

We are not called to know everything at once and always be right. We are called to know God Himself better and better as our Father, Friend and Guide.

There are police experts who are trained to identify counterfeit money. Do you think they study many specimens of forged currency? No. They study real banknotes in the finest detail.

We have only one way to recognise and reject everything that is against God. We can find this way only in close communion with God Himself.

And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John 17:3 NRSV

… we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3 NRSV

If we do not cultivate this close personal fellowship with God from the beginning, we will lose our way in life.

We can rely on our own Bible knowledge. Bible knowledge is indispensable, but without fellowship with God and the leading of the Holy Spirit, you will only become dry and religious like the Pharisees who persecuted Jesus.

This is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

... but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:17 NIV84

During his earthly lifetime, Jesus challenged his disciples to follow him. This often literally meant going around with Jesus himself.

We can no longer walk with Jesus physically, but He has offered us His Holy Spirit to be our companion and guide.

If you want to hold fast to God's Word without being daily acquainted with the guidance and fellowship of the Holy Spirit, you will gradually become dry, lifeless and merely religious.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14 ESV

If you are a woman, you can also hold on to this promise.

This letter from Paul was written for the church in Rome. According to Roman law, sons were the heirs of the father but not daughters. When Paul implicitly includes Christian women here, we are to understand that women are equal in God's eyes.

 

Healing for Broken Souls

Are you overwhelmed, or perhaps really traumatised?

Maybe you are in a church where they preach the Bible, where you see healings, where you hear good testimonies.

You have learned Bible verses by heart and you quote the promises of God.

But it doesn't seem to work for you. You have really tried to do everything right, but you are still deeply hurt. Your spirit is broken.

The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? Pr 18:14

You talk about your abuse and trauma, and they say you simply have to forgive. 

Simply forgive? What do you mean, simply?

Unfortunately, there is no simple prescribed method for healing your soul.

There are preachers and pastors who think their methods are from God, and if it doesn't work for you, you must be to blame.
But this is often not the case.

I believe in miracle healings, even for deep traumas.

In the Bible, Jesus met a demonised man who was running around naked. Jesus told the demons to leave the man and the man was instantly delivered and healed.

In the Acts of the Apostles we see how Peter and Paul performed amazing miracles in Jesus' name, and there are a few preachers today who call corpses back to life.

But please be careful. There are genuine preachers, but there are also false preachers.

Jesus promised that we can expect real miracles.

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. Jn 14:12

But Jesus also warned against false preachers.

Beware of false prophets. They come like harmless sheep, but in reality they are dangerous wolves who want to tear you to pieces.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 

By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Mt 7:15-17 

Paul warned against preachers who intimidate and dominate Christians.

You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face. 2 Corinthians 11:20 NLT 

But we must not condemn all preachers because of this, but it is important to mention this, because deeply broken souls are often manipulated by dominating ministers.

In the New Testament we find false preachers but also good preachers and it is the same today. Those who are spiritually hurt need real pastoral care and sometimes even deliverance.

• But beware of preachers who only see demons behind all the problems of the soul.

• Beware of preachers who demand to control your whole life.

• Beware of preachers who forbid their members to visit other churches.

• Beware of preachers who have only one method of dealing with all spiritual and emotional problems.

• Beware of preachers who claim to be faultless, because this is just not true.

If you are traumatised and cannot find a way out, please recognise that God loves you in spite of everything, that God stands by you, that God wants to accompany you as a friend. 

If you can find good pastoral care, all the better. But if it takes some time to find the right help, ask God to be your guide.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV
 

New Mission. New Mindset.

When God intervenes, he looks for people to use as instruments or agents.  God's approach is to do His work on earth through human agents.

When God founded the Hebrew nation, He gave Moses not only the Ten Commandments, but more than 600 laws. Those who did not obey all the laws were cursed.

When the Holy Spirit established the church in Jerusalem after Jesus returned to Heaven, all the believers were Jews and all held fast to all the laws of Moses. This was never questioned.

In the New Testament, many non-Jews converted to the God of the Bible, but this was not totally new.  

In the Old Testament, sometimes non Jews converted, but then they had to become practically Jewish. They had to obey all the commandments of Moses. The men and boys had to be circumcised. Ouch!

The new Christian community in Jerusalem was one hundred percent Jewish, but Jesus had said that this was only the beginning of something new.

So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:6–8 NIV84

The Jewish disciples had to have their traditional Jewish way of thinking transformed in order to fulfil this task.

The persecuted Christian movement in China cannot function as it does in Europe or North America. 

Christian meetings must take place in private houses or apartments. Three quarters of the church leaders are women.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18–19 NIV84

When God wants to step in, he looks for people to use as instruments or agents. God's approach is to do His work on earth through human agents.

But God sometimes has problems with us humans. 

We pray that God will do a great work. Then we look so often, at the miracles or revivals of the past, and we expect God to act in exactly the same way.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. John 14:12 NASB
 

God's New Ways in the Crisis

 This crisis is a hard test for many. If you are doing well anyway, it is important to help those who are really suffering.

There are different reactions. Some want to complain because the strict measures seem like a dictatorship. If we were really under a dictatorship, do you think protests from a few thousand  people could liberate us ?

Someone has said of a head of government, ``He is a dictator. We must get rid of him in the next election campaign.'' The answer was clear. ``What do you know about dictatorship?''

For the Christians in the New Testament, democratic freedom was totally unknown, but they spread the good news of Jesus and expanded God's kingdom in a dramatic way.

The first church in Jerusalem had to deal with two non-democratic governments. The Roman rulers were not nice and the Jewish religious rulers wanted to abolish Christian freedom.

But God used the persecution of the church to spread the gospel.

Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. Acts 11:19 NKJV

But this was only the first phase of God's plan. Then it became quite radical.

Among them were some people from Cyprus and Cyrene. They entered Antioch and began to proclaim the good news about the Lord Jesus also to Gentiles. Acts 11:20 CEB

Some now complain because normal worship services are not allowed, but God has also used this situation to spread the gospel.

Many churches have shared sermons and services with online streaming and You Tube. Something amazing has happened.

Before the crisis, 200 to 400 visitors were expected in our church on Sunday. But when we were only allowed to minister online, 2000 were involved.

Not only that, but God has also blessed our finances. The donations have increased dramatically.

And what has happened to the church building? It was used to distribute food for the unemployed.

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? 

I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18–19 NKJV

Some people are upset because normal worship services are not allowed during the crisis, but God has also used this situation to spread the gospel. God is leading us in new directions.