 Acts 2 16 "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:" See also Joel 2:28-29. Holy Spirit put this word on my heart this morning, along with the scripture, Mark 16:9-20. We will take a look at that scripture, and then take a quick look in scripture at some of the most noteworthy women of the Bible. Finally, we will try to understand the controversy over whether or not women should remain silent in church, as written by Apostle Paul. This is a difficult word to understand and/or write, and I pray that God guides my words in His Will, and opens the ears of His children to hear. In Jesus' Mighty Name. Amen. Admittedly, addressing this topic is something I have avoided over the years, since God awakened me to His Power. Why? Because I am a woman, so immediately anything I say could be considered biased, even by me. Over the years, however, God has proven to me repeatedly with signs and wonders in my life, and through his words in these blogs, that I am no longer my own, but His. See other words about God's Power in My Testimony and My Walk With God. Praise God. Thank you, Jesus. Amen. So, let's first look at the scripture Holy Spirit put on my heart with this word: Mark 16 9 "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. 12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. 14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." We will break that down into two discussions, Mark 16:9-16 now, and then Mark 16:17-20 at the end of this blog. We can see in Mark 16:9 above that after His resurrection, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, a woman, from whom he had previously cast out seven devils. This is significant because, as we will see, Jesus had every opportunity to appear first to one of His male disciples. John 20:1-10 tells us that Mary Magdalene first saw Jesus' sepulchre open, and she ran to tell Simon Peter and another disciple. Then, they all ran back to the sepulchre, and Simon Peter entered inside, and then the other disciple, and they both saw that the sepulchre was empty. John tells us that the other disciple believed, John 20:8, but "Then the disciples went away again unto their own home." John 20:10 The disciples just left. They had no idea what the empty sepulchre meant. They did not know what to make of it: "For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead." John 20:9 The disciples, including the eleven, lacked faith, and could not remember Jesus' words spoken to them in Mark 9:31: "For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day." Matthew 16 22 "Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." They could not hear His words. Furthermore, because of their hardness of heart, and unbelief, they also did not believe the women who told them the words God's angels had spoken to them from the empty sepulchre: Luke 24 1 "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words, 9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not." But, Mary Magdalene, and the other women, believed. They had great faith, and "they remembered his words" verse 8. Jesus used Mary Magdalene to preach His Resurrection to His disciples, and they did not believe her, and Jesus admonished them for their unbelief and hardness of heart. Mark 16:14 above. God always uses sinners, men and women, to fulfill His Will, because we are all sinners. God does not see us as sinners, or as male and female, because to God, we are all One in Christ: "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." Galatians 3:28 Recently, I heard someone describe it like this: When believers call out to God, he turns toward us to see who is calling him, and instead he sees Jesus, who is standing between us and God. This way, God does not see our sin; he sees Jesus' sacrifice and righteousness. But, for the unbelievers, or those who say they believe but have not been transformed by a renewing of their mind Romans 12:2, when they call out to God, Jesus is not standing in the Way, and God sees them and their sin, and rejects them. This is what Matthew 7:21-23 means: Matthew 7 21 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Who will God see when you call to him and he turns to see you? He will not turn to us to see if we are male or female, but only to see our righteousness through Christ Jesus, in whom we are all One. So, getting back to the scripture Holy Spirit put on my heart this morning, Mark 16:15, one of Jesus' final instructions to his disciples was, "...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Every creature who believes in Jesus Christ, male and female, receives the same Spirit: "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." 1 Corinthians 12:11 Is Apostle Paul speaking only to men in that verse, when he says, every man? Of course not. He is speaking to every creature at the church of Corinth, men and women, who were all listening to his words, and also every creature who will ever hear. We know that the Bible is written in an overall "masculine" form, often referring to "brethren" (brothers and sisters), "man," and "men," when referring to all of mankind, male and female. This is consistent throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. We understand to whom each scripture is referring by the context of adjacent scriptures. For example, to whom is Jesus referring, when He says, "he" in Mark 16:15-16? "...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." "He" in verse 16, when taken in context with "every creature" in verse 15, makes it clear that Jesus is referring to all of mankind, male and female. Every creature, all of mankind, male and female, who believe ...shall be saved. Verse 16 Salvation does not know if we are male or female. Salvation is for all who believe, and with Salvation comes the endowment of the Holy Spirit: John 14 16 "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." With the endowment of the Holy Spirit comes the gifts of the Spirit, as described by Apostle Paul to the entire congregation at Corinth, male and female, 1 Corinthians 12 below. Was Paul speaking only to the men when he says in 1 Corinthians 12:1 "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant." Of course not. Men and women can be saved, can receive the Holy Spirit, and can and do receive gifts of the Spirit, different gifts, same Spirit: 1 Corinthians 12 4 "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many." Next, let's look at some of the Noteworthy Women of the Bible, and then, finally, Apostle Paul's controversial words, when he said that women should not teach in the church, but should remain silent. NOTEWORTHY WOMEN OF THE BIBLE Deborah, a Prophetess, and Judge of Israel Judges 4:4 "And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time." See also, Judges 4, 5. Huldah, a Prophetess 2 Kings 22 14 "So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her. 15 And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me, 16 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read: 17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched. 18 But to the king of Judah [Josiah] which sent you to enquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard; 19 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. 20 Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again." See also, 2 Chronicles 34:14-33. Anna, a Prophetess, who was at the Temple day and night, and preached the Salvation of Christ Luke 2 36 "And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." The Woman At The Well: A Samaritan woman [Gentile] was the first person to whom Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah, and many were saved through her preaching and testimony: John 4 1 "When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) 3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. 4 And he must needs go through Samaria. 5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. 7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. 27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. 31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. 39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. 40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his own word; 42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." Sister Phebe, Servant of the Church at Cenchrea; and, Priscilla, Helpers in Christ, whom Apostle Paul praised. Romans 16 1 "I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: 2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ." OTHER NOTEWORTHY WOMEN OF THE BIBLE
See a more comprehensive list of Noteworthy Women of the Bible at the bottom of this blog. In Romans 16:2 above, Apostle Paul refers to Sister Phebe as a "saint," a true believer in Christ. In verse 5, we learn that the "church" was in Priscilla and Aquila's house: "Likewise greet the church that is in their house. . ." It was a custom at the time for churches to be in the homes of believers. We learn from Acts 18 that this same Priscilla (and Aquila), preached unto a man in the synagogue "the way of God more perfectly": Acts 18 24 "And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly." Apostle Paul does not reprove, or correct, Priscilla by telling her she should remain silent. Apostle Paul praises Priscilla's service in Romans 16:3-5 above. Paul also says at 1 Corinthians 11:5 "But every woman that prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head. . ." Paul is saying that women prophesy, and we know that no one prophesies in silence! So, we can see that, scripturally, women have played a fairly significant role in the history of mankind. Why are there so many noteworthy women, even women praised by Apostle Paul, and yet Paul seems to say in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 below that women should be silent? Is Paul contradicting himself? Of course not. 1 Corinthians 14 34 "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." First, let's look at how the word "silent" is used here. The Greek word used, sigaō (to be silent), doesn’t necessarily mean absolute muteness. Earlier in the same chapter 14:28, 30, Paul uses it to tell tongue-speakers and prophets to be quiet if their speech would disrupt order. To understand why Paul says these things to the people of Corinth, and what it means to us today, it is important to understand the Gentile city of Corinth, to whom Paul was speaking in his letters in Corinthians. Excerpts from biblestudytools.com "Corinth was a thriving city; it was at the time the chief city of Greece both commercially and politically, and was "one of the dominant commercial centers of the Mediterranean world as early as the eighth century b.c." "Although Corinth was not a university town like Athens, it was characterized nevertheless by typical Greek culture. Its people were interested in Greek philosophy and placed a high premium on wisdom." "Corinth contained at least 12 temples. Whether they were all in use during Paul's time is not known for certain. One of the most infamous was the temple dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, whose worshipers practiced religious prostitution." "Like any large commercial city, Corinth was a center for open and unbridled immorality. The worship of Aphrodite fostered prostitution in the name of religion. At one time 1,000 sacred (priestess) prostitutes served her temple. So widely known did the immorality of Corinth become that the Greek verb "to Corinthianize" came to mean "to practice sexual immorality." In a setting like this it is no wonder that the Corinthian church was plagued with numerous problems." "The letter [Paul's letter, 1 Corinthians] revolves around the theme of problems in Christian conduct in the church. It thus has to do with progressive sanctification, the continuing development of a holy character. Obviously Paul was personally concerned with the Corinthians' problems, revealing a true pastor's (shepherd's) heart." So, the people of Corinth followed the misguided doctrine of men (mankind), still based in the practice of religious prostitution, and all manner of sexual immorality, worshipping pagan gods and goddesses like Aphrodite. Not only did they follow these doctrine, but they believed they were acceptable to God and worthy of Salvation. They were an unruly lot, prone to every manner of abomination, believing themselves to be righteous. In addition, the church of Corinth was divided, in that women sat on one side of the room, and men sat on the other side of the room. While the word was being given, unruly women would often yell out to their husbands on the other side of the room. Thus, Paul's admonition for women to remain silent. Also, because they followed the misguided doctrine of the men of Corinth, they were unable to teach sound doctrine, and, therefore, were instructed by Paul not to teach. We know that Apostle Paul wrote 13 letters, or epistles, that were specific instructions to the Gentile congregations (male and female members) throughout Asia at the time. See a timeline of these epistles at the bottom of this blog. He begins the letters to Corinth by pointing out that he had received bad reports on them from "the house of Chloe," another woman. Paul clearly valued the role of women in the church: 1 Corinthians 1 10 "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you." Paul encountered the same division, and unruly, immoral behavior, being practiced in churches from Rome to Philemon. Yet, his admonition for women to remain silent is only written to Corinth and Ephesus. He reiterates his letter to Corinth at 1 Timothy 2: Women should learn in silence, and should not be allowed to teach in the church. Let's look at 1 Timothy 2:12 "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." When we read this scripture in context with verses 9-10, Paul is saying that, just as clothing should reflect a controlled demeanor, so too should behavior in a church service reflect godliness, and women should not be loud and unruly in church. "Let all things be done decently and in order." 1 Corinthians 14: 40 When taken in context with Paul's praise of women in the church, shown herein, we understand that Paul is saying in these two instances that women should remain silent until they can speak in Truth, like Priscilla, Phebe, and other noteworthy women of the Bible. The confusion from Apostle Paul's words about women is not unlike other instances of doctrinal debate. We must study the Bible as a whole, rightly dividing the word of God. 2 Timothy 2:15. Paul's words about women remaining silent must be tempered with his other words that praise women who preach, teach and prophesy, and also tempered with Jesus' works through women, as well as the remainder of God's Word, which says, among many other things: There is only One God. We are all One in Him. There are varying gifts, but one Spirit that works in us all. In the remainder of the scripture from Holy Spirit this morning, Mark 16:17-20, God is saying, Who are you to judge your brothers (sisters) in Christ, when you do not have the faith to bring forth God's Will for believers through Christ Jesus? Mark 16 17 "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." How many Christians lay hands on the sick, or speak with new tongues? Many Christians mock and/or crucify their brothers and sisters in Christ for performing these signs that Jesus said would follow true believers. “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” Matthew 7:5 Remember what Apostle Paul said in Romans 15:20 "Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:" Preach the gospel. "Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 Paul's 13 Epistles: Cities, Sexual Immorality, and Women’s Silence Paul’s letters were written to Christian communities or individuals leading them, not to Jewish synagogues as institutions. He encountered sexual immorality across the 13 cities (epistles), but writes that women should remain silent in only 2: Corinth and Ephesus.
Noteworthy Women of the Bible: Role, Scripture, Significance.
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"KING JAMES BIBLE" AUDIO BLOG Heavenly Father, thank you for your many blessings in our lives. Thank you for Your Word, Your Spirit inside of us, and Your only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Amen. Are you thinking about reading the Bible, and have no clue where to start? Don't think, just read! Amen. Seriously, however, which version of the Bible is the best, or most accurate, version to read? It may surprise some people to know that the King James version is considered one of the most accurate English translations of the Holy Bible today! A group of 54 translators worked 7 years to complete the King James translation. What does God say about His Word? Psalm 12:6 "The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." Purified seven times: Is it a coincidence that the King James Version is a culmination of six previous translations, with the King James Bible being the seventh, Purified Seven Times, as follows: Tyndale Bible Coverdale Bible Matthew's Bible Great Bible Geneva Bible Bishop's Bible King James Bible Now, I do not think it matters which version we read, as long as we read it. Personally, when I started studying the Bible in 2019, I was blinded by the ruler of this world, and I found it very difficult to understand the King James Version. So, I began studying God's Word in an easy-to-read Bible. Then, next, I read the entire Bible, Genesis to Revelation, in an Amplified Version, which is more pages, more words, because it explains a lot of passages. And, finally, I was called to read His Word in the King James Version, which I just completed recently, and have since started reading it again at Genesis. Honestly, God does not care which version we read, and if He does care, He will let you know. Just read it! He is waiting to show YOU great and mighty things. Call unto Him. "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." Jeremiah 33:3 I have said this many times, but it is worth repeating: Praying is how we talk to God, and reading His Word is how He talks to us. God Bless You-All. Amen. "THE BIBLE, INSPIRED BY GOD"Is the Bible, God's Holy Word, inspired by Him? Don't take my word for it. God's Word should always be our fact-checker: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” 2 Timothy 3:16 This week, I had a long chat with someone in the comments section of one of my posts on bitchute.com. You can read our conversation about Jephthah, one of God's Judges, by clicking here. The last thing the commenter reiterated was that the Bible, God's Holy Word, is a Luciferian Bible, Satan's Bible, and that Christians have basically been duped. If the Bible is a Luciferian book, then Satan has a really bad business plan, because he created over 2.5 billion people (Christians), who love everyone, want peace, help the needy, hate abortion, love innocent life, and hate wickedness, or unrighteousness. All of these things are antithesis to, or against, Satan's very reason for existence, his mode of operation, his business plan. As Jesus said in Matthew 12, 25 "And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?" Also, I did a little research on what Satanists think of God's Holy Bible, and what I found was enlightening. They believe the Bible is full of myths and fairy tales, and they do not use it. They have their own satanic bible. I cast down to the pits of hell all evil imaginations. In Jesus' Mighty Name. Amen. Sacrifices and burnt offerings are NOT from God, the Father of Lights, in whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning. Jeremiah 7 22 "For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: 23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. 24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward." After their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears, saying what they want to hear, instead of the Word of God: 2 Timothy 4 3 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." Remember, Satan was cast down, fallen, and whispering in the ears of men, deceiving nations, a murderer, and a liar, the father of lies, who caused the whole world to sin. God is love. God is good. Everything God created is perfect. James 1 17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." Do everything in love! 1 Corinthians 16:14 If you are not saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, or if you are not sure, follow along and say "the Prayer of Salvation" out loud by clicking the below image, and YOU can know Jesus as well. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13 Read the Bible, obey God, pray, and God will show you great and mighty things. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God. Praise God. Thank you, Jesus. Amen. Welcome to the Family. Love in Christ, Melanie  "READ THE BIBLE" AUDIO BLOG“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6 verse 33
How do we seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness? We read His Word and obey Him. Holy Spirit has been putting this on my heart for the last few months, and I spoke at church about it in the last few months, I think, but this morning He showed me the "big picture." People, including me, have a tendency to read the Bible looking for the answers to life’s mysteries, or something specific we want to know, or maybe we want to understand completely every word as we read it, or perhaps we read only a verse or two per day. By doing these things, we can and do often overlook some of the greater mysteries and more important messages that God is trying to show us. God’s Word can be difficult to understand, right? People say, I don’t understand the Bible; it’s too confusing; it’s too difficult. I too have said these things, and frequently still do. Let’s face it, no one understands every word in the Bible. That’s why there are so many commentaries and opinions on so many passages, and these opinions can be helpful in understanding difficult passages, but God will provide the answers for which we are seeking, if we call unto Him. Amen. Jeremiah 33 verse 3 “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” God’s Word is alive; it is written for us. Call unto Him by praying and reading His Word. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10 verse 17 Reading the Bible is how God speaks to us; praying is how we speak to Him; praying in tongues is how we tell Him our heart’s desires, which only He can understand. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Or, hearing by reading the word of God. Amen! What I was/am really hungry for when reading the Bible are answers to the mysteries of His Word, and how do I activate His blessings in my life? How do I get Him to show me great and mighty things? Um, hello. Here’s your sign! The power of His Word, which is written for us. The power of the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And, the power of His Holy Spirit inside of us. This morning, again in the twilight hours, Holy Spirit showed me that God, the Father of Lights in whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning, wants all of us to read the Bible, His Holy Word, written for us, so we can find Him and activate His Blessings in our lives. Not only that but something I noticed over the last few years of reading the Bible almost every day faithfully is that the times when I did not read it as often as God wanted me to, I would get a pain in my shoulder. As soon as I started reading the Bible, the pain would go away. I never wrote about these experiences, because I thought I was crazy yet again, but I told my husband about them plenty, believe me. This morning, Holy Spirit showed me that many people in the churches have a nagging pain or ailment because God is waiting for us to read the Bible. Not a verse or two per day, chapters per day, from Genesis to Revelation. Pick up the Bible and read it, and see what happens. Not only might you see minor ailments and pains subside, but God is lifting the veil of blindness from hearts, and He has a lot to show us. So, even if we do not understand what we are reading, read it anyway; and, pray for understanding; and keep reading; and keep praying; and, God will show you great and mighty things. God Bless You. "BRACE FOR IMPACT" AUDIO BLOG This is something God put on my heart in 2021. At the time, I woke up, half awake, in the twilight, with great thanksgiving and praise and glory in my heart to our Heavenly Father. He was very excited in me, and was yelling,
GIVE THANKS! GIVE PRAISE! GIVE GLORY! Psalm 24 verses 8 through 10 8 "Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah." For our God is righteous and fierce. "The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works." Psalm 145 verse 17 "Thy fierce wrath goeth over me . . ." Psalm 88 verse 16 And I just kept feeling, as I lie there hearing over and over, GIVE THANKS! GIVE PRAISE! GIVE GLORY! people were kneeling all around, everywhere, up and down the streets, and bowing and cheering and celebrating, and giving THANKS! PRAISE! and GLORY! To our Heavenly Father, the creator of the heavens and the earth, in whose likeness and image we are ALL created, and by whom, we were bought with a heavy price, the blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that we, wretched man, could be made whole in His perfection, and receive the gift of Everlasting Life! God will NOT be mocked, and He WILL receive His due THANKS! PRAISE! and GLORY! "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Hebrews 13 verse 15 "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." Psalm 150 verse 6 Remember the story of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, as he cried out to the God of Abraham in 2 Chronicles 20 verse 9, as the Ammonites and Moabites were threatening Jerusalem: "If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help." Jehoshaphat cried further, "O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee." 2 Chronicles 20 verse 12 And what did our God respond? 2 Chronicles 20 verses 15 through 18 15 "And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. 16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you. 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord." GIVING THANKS! GIVING PRAISE! GIVING GLORY! As in the days of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, God is fighting this battle for us, and we have already seen the proof that he has won. Now it is time to see the battle, to see what has been hidden in darkness. All will be revealed. About a week ago, I told my husband that God put on my heart, Brace for impact, and the following day, I heard a prophet say those exact words. Today, I tell you-all: Brace for impact. The world will be a different place when God is finished, a better place for God’s Children. Do not listen to the false prophets, who are the fake news, social(ism) media censorship, dishonest leaders (political and church). They cannot stand against Our God. Listen to God, and to His Word. His Word is the Truth! And, in this season of giving thanks, and always, let us give all Thanks to our GOD! Praise to our GOD! Glory to our GOD! Amen. Thank you, Jesus. Amen. Heavenly Father, thank you for your many blessings. Thank you for Your Word, and Your words through me. I pray that all of Your children return to you in obedience, change our hearts, and show by the way we live that we have changed. Matthew 3:8. Let Your children with ears to hear, hear. In Jesus' Mighty Name. Amen.
As I was reading the Bible on August 22, 2022, at the book of Ruth, God showed me how the story of Ruth is a comparison to our redemption through Christ. He showed me later, more importantly, how our obedience leads to said redemption. Ruth 4 7 "Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel. 8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe. 9 And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. 10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day." So, Boaz redeemed Ruth, as was the custom of the time. I did a little research and found an article at corechristianity.com. Following is an excerpt from that article, titled: BOAZ’S REDEMPTION OF RUTH LOOKS FORWARD TO OUR REDEMPTION IN CHRIST "Boaz redeems Ruth in chapter 4:7-10. According to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 25) a relative was to act as a redeemer for any family member who was destitute, widowed or living in poverty. The redeemer would buy back property that person had lost in time of need, so it would be kept in the family. If they were sold into slavery, the redeemer would buy back his freedom. Boaz becomes Ruth’s redeemer. He gets her out of poverty, provides for her, buys back Elimelech’s land and marries Ruth, providing an heir for Elimelech’s line. She is redeemed from poverty to abundance and from hopelessness to a bright future. This is a picture of how Christ redeems us. Where we were meant to face God’s just punishment for our own sins, trusting in Christ, that punishment has been borne by him. He paid our debt of sin on the cross. Ephesians 1:7 says, 'In him (Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.' In Christ, we’ve been redeemed from being slaves to sin and from facing God’s wrath to being forgiven in him, knowing his grace and peace. Like Ruth, we’ve been redeemed from spiritual poverty into Christ’s abundant life and from hopelessness and death to true hope and life that is eternal. This gift is ours out of no doing of our own, sheer grace!" End quote. Not only that, as I was finishing this up today, September 1, 2022, I realized the comparison of Ruth to the story of Jesus goes even further. Think about it. Naomi was Jesus in the story. Ruth 1 16 "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee [Naomi], or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me." So, Ruth followed Naomi, just like the people followed Jesus. Ruth did not want to go back to her family; she was completely committed to Naomi, even vowing to die if anything parted her and Naomi, and accepting Naomi's (Jesus') God as her own God. Hallelujah! Amen. Also, yes, Ruth was redeemed by Boaz as was customary, but why was she really redeemed? Because she was obedient to Naomi. Naomi told her to go glean the leftover grain in the fields, and Ruth obeyed. Naomi told her to lie at the feet of Boaz, and Ruth obeyed. Ruth followed Naomi, was devoted and obedient to her, and she was redeemed. If we follow Jesus, and are obedient to God, we will be redeemed as well. Finally, because you literally cannot make this stuff up, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is actually descended from Boaz and Ruth, as shown in the generation of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1 below! God truly works in mysterious ways. Matthew 1 1 "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; 3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king;" Hallelujah! Praise God. Thank you, Jesus. Amen. "GOD vs. THE BIG BANG" AUDIO BLOG AMEN!  I found this image amusing after reading parts of our government's (NASA specifically) comical theory on man's creation (see link to article below): The Big Bang, and some make-believe inflationary theory, off of which their entire Big Bang theory rests. I challenge anyone to read the entire article, if you can. This article is representative of the corrupt politicians today: Nonsensical: But this, but that, he said, she said, and if, if, if. Never accepting the obvious: But, God! God sits on his throne and laughs at them. Amen. Heavenly Father, Father of Lights, like the stars in heaven, in whom there is no shadow of turning, like the sun, thank you thank you thank you for our many blessings, too many to count. Thank you for the sun, the moon and the stars. Thank you for the signs and seasons. The rainbow. And, the rain. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
I guess God wants me to talk about His wonders on Earth, because yesterday I posted about His rainbow, and, today, He wants me to post about His constellations. "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also." Genesis 1:16 "[God] which makes Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south." Job 9:9 "Can you bring forth Mazzaroth [possibly, the 12 signs of the Zodiac] in his season? or can you guide Arcturus [the bear constellation] with his sons?" Job 38:32 like God? Can you do any of that? Of course not. Did a big explosion create intelligent design like the constellations? Probably, but just not the way "they" want us to believe. Here is our illustrious government's opinion on our creation, at least the NASA arm of our government: NASA Science: "The Big Bang: (click here for article) One interesting correlation to the Bible I see in the above article is a reference to "deuterium," which apparently is an "isotope of hydrogen." Hydrogen comes from water. What did God create on the fifth day of creation, in the Book of Deuteronomy? Water: the sea, and all sea life. It is almost as if NASA knows it was God who created the heavens, earth and universe, but they do not want to give Him credit. They are blinded by the ruler of this world. I heard Prophet Julie Green say recently that God is getting ready to remove their blinders for a moment, so they can see clearly on which side they stand, good or evil, and make an informed choice. I pray all of God's chosen choose God. Also, another problem with NASA's big bang theory is that it is based entirely, or in large part, on Einstein's theory of relativity, which most scientists now agree is wrong, or at the least, inadequate. Admittedly, I am not learned, or a novice even, in evolution, the big bang theory, or Einstein's theory of relativity, but I am somewhat learned on God and His Word. Even during my darkest days, when I did not know God, and when I denounced Him openly to anyone who would listen, never did I consider evolution or the big bang theory. Why? Because I always knew there was a higher power, a source of all things, and even though I did not specifically call it God, nonetheless I did believe. So, I was lying in bed this morning thinking, as I usually do; this is the time when God often speaks to me, and He did not disappoint this morning. This morning, God said, "If the world was created by mere evolution, or a mere explosion in the universe, then whom, may I ask, created the constellations? Did nature create artwork in the universe? No, I think not. I set the stars in the sky to form the constellations, for signs and seasons, lights on earth, for man, and as an habitation for the angels." God, the Father of Lights, is the creator of the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them. Satan is a liar, and the father of lies. He would love for us to believe that we evolved from fish in the sea, or apes even, or that we magically appeared when some big, unexplained, explosion occurred in the universe. I did not read every word of the above article, but in what I did read, I saw nothing that explained the formation of God's artwork in heaven named the constellations. Coincidence, i.e., the coincidental creation of the constellations? Nope. Coincidences are God-inspired, if you believe in God! Ironically, I do believe there was probably a big explosion that started creation, but it was an explosion of God's Spirit pouring down on earth in Genesis 1. Without God's Spirit, heaven, earth, and all the host of them, including man, are nothing. God is the cohesive force that holds it all together! "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist [reside, live]." Colossians 1:17 Or, the Amplified Version: "And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]" Guess what? God's Spirit is pouring down on earth again, right now. Can you feel it? Do you receive it? How can you tell if you feel it or receive it? Well, it makes you want to fight for God. Be a warrior today! Denounce evil! And, as Jesus said, Defeat evil by doing good! Praise God. Thank you, Jesus. Amen. Peace and blessings, Melanie PS. Also, I would like to point out that this subject is not something that has been on my mind, or that I have been studying, or even read about recently in the Bible. It is just something God wanted spoken today. Praise God. Amen. THE RHYTHM OF LIFE: |
Melanie GarciaFaithful and humble servant to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Archives
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