Hi there! :) Welcome to my humble abode!
I am so glad you came....what ever the reason for your coming here...allow me to say: I AM GLAD!
My name is Apple...so nice to meet you :) ..
SOOOO...lets get to the real reason why you are here. Can I just start by saying this, #LadyInMinistry is the blog just for you!
Whether you are here because someone directed you...maybe you are looking for a platform to discover about yourself as a woman in ministry?...or perhaps you are trying to find out what ministry requires of you overall...? well, whatever the reason.... Please Come! ...let us reason together....
My name is Apple...so nice to meet you :) ..
SOOOO...lets get to the real reason why you are here. Can I just start by saying this, #LadyInMinistry is the blog just for you!
Whether you are here because someone directed you...maybe you are looking for a platform to discover about yourself as a woman in ministry?...or perhaps you are trying to find out what ministry requires of you overall...? well, whatever the reason.... Please Come! ...let us reason together....
Now first things first: have a seat, grab a cup of coffee, take a bite into that chocolate muffin and savour the taste...feel that? ....ryt! lets get ready to take off!
Before I go into anything, I want to first start by speaking about WHY we have women in ministry in this day...yep! you guessed it! I want to speak about FREEDOM.
Before I go into anything, I want to first start by speaking about WHY we have women in ministry in this day...yep! you guessed it! I want to speak about FREEDOM.
Christ came to liberate...not only His people but also WOMEN. Since the fall of man, woman was under the rulership of man "...and he shall rule over thee..." - Gen 3v16
These words have been misquoted and misused...and yes, at times they have been misunderstood. Do you not find it interesting that when God addresses the serpent and the man in this passage, He first says: "because of what you have done..."? However, when he speaks to the woman He simply states what her punishment is. hmm...Do you not find that intriguing? the reason why my eyes have fallen on this is because I believe this simple difference teaches us something about the original position of man and woman.
Have you ever seen a parent discipline his kids and go easy on the one? The reason for that is because he feels in his mind that the other kid 'COULD HAVE done better because they knew better; then maybe the other wouldn't have fallen'. Adam's problem was that he took advice from the woman, instead of guiding her into the ways of God. God was more disappointed in him because he neglected his duty to watch over the woman and teach her the ways of the garden, instead of leaving her to be deceived, and then falling into the same deception as well. Eve's problem can be summarized just as quick; instead of being Adams helper she was busy trying to be better than God. Think about it, Adam had been around for a while...he saw the first plants begin to grow physically. He was there when God created the animals so that he could give them names...He of all people knew and had been around God long enough to not question anything God said.
However, at that moment he forgot his duty to cover and lead his wife...instead he allowed Eve, out of a lack of knowledge, to lead him to a place of disobedience. Now Eve wasn't so blameless, she took to herself and acted emotionally (sound familiar?). Even though she was "new around the block" she thought she could get a "quick fix" to understanding God...her error was in trying to be "like God"...accepting any quick fix to get her to there!
When God speaks to the woman His punishment is to bring hard labor, but also to subject her under the leadership of the man....what does this mean?
As I write this something is tugging at my heart. What parent subjects another child under another? Is it not one who feels like the one child wouldn't make if they were infact NOT subject under the other?
OK, lets make it logical: God tells Adam..."Adam, take care of Eve..and Eve, listen to Adam and follow what ever way he leads you to". But why? well allow me to explain it: because God trusted him to take care of Eve. He not only had the knowlege of how things [animals,earth etc] worked, but He had the knowledge of how God worked. And that was it....man was assigned to care for the woman. However, as the years went by, they abused that authority and called it power, and used it against the woman...a power they could have used to protect!
Lets fast forward to where we are today:
Christ came that he might liberate all those in bondage, including that [blessing which became a] curse. Women are no longer "subject" under the man and neither is man "lifted" above the woman..."For there is neither...male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" - Gal 3v28. Men have been freed from the responsibility of looking after the woman and the woman is freed from the bondage of being subjected under the man. This pure relationship is now reserved for marriage...where the husband is commanded to LOVE his wife and the wife is commanded to SUBMIT (Eph 5v25). Both conscious actions.
These words have been misquoted and misused...and yes, at times they have been misunderstood. Do you not find it interesting that when God addresses the serpent and the man in this passage, He first says: "because of what you have done..."? However, when he speaks to the woman He simply states what her punishment is. hmm...Do you not find that intriguing? the reason why my eyes have fallen on this is because I believe this simple difference teaches us something about the original position of man and woman.
Have you ever seen a parent discipline his kids and go easy on the one? The reason for that is because he feels in his mind that the other kid 'COULD HAVE done better because they knew better; then maybe the other wouldn't have fallen'. Adam's problem was that he took advice from the woman, instead of guiding her into the ways of God. God was more disappointed in him because he neglected his duty to watch over the woman and teach her the ways of the garden, instead of leaving her to be deceived, and then falling into the same deception as well. Eve's problem can be summarized just as quick; instead of being Adams helper she was busy trying to be better than God. Think about it, Adam had been around for a while...he saw the first plants begin to grow physically. He was there when God created the animals so that he could give them names...He of all people knew and had been around God long enough to not question anything God said.
However, at that moment he forgot his duty to cover and lead his wife...instead he allowed Eve, out of a lack of knowledge, to lead him to a place of disobedience. Now Eve wasn't so blameless, she took to herself and acted emotionally (sound familiar?). Even though she was "new around the block" she thought she could get a "quick fix" to understanding God...her error was in trying to be "like God"...accepting any quick fix to get her to there!
When God speaks to the woman His punishment is to bring hard labor, but also to subject her under the leadership of the man....what does this mean?
As I write this something is tugging at my heart. What parent subjects another child under another? Is it not one who feels like the one child wouldn't make if they were infact NOT subject under the other?
OK, lets make it logical: God tells Adam..."Adam, take care of Eve..and Eve, listen to Adam and follow what ever way he leads you to". But why? well allow me to explain it: because God trusted him to take care of Eve. He not only had the knowlege of how things [animals,earth etc] worked, but He had the knowledge of how God worked. And that was it....man was assigned to care for the woman. However, as the years went by, they abused that authority and called it power, and used it against the woman...a power they could have used to protect!
Lets fast forward to where we are today:
Christ came that he might liberate all those in bondage, including that [blessing which became a] curse. Women are no longer "subject" under the man and neither is man "lifted" above the woman..."For there is neither...male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" - Gal 3v28. Men have been freed from the responsibility of looking after the woman and the woman is freed from the bondage of being subjected under the man. This pure relationship is now reserved for marriage...where the husband is commanded to LOVE his wife and the wife is commanded to SUBMIT (Eph 5v25). Both conscious actions.
So Lady, you have no excuse...
I believe we have an example in the Bible of women that were after God's heart; women that brought change, and women that stood for what was true. I can name many of them; Ruth, Esther, Mary etc...yes, the bible speaks about them. I can also point out women who have led many astray, fooled and cheated their way to the top...Delilah, Jezebel, Salome etc..the list does infact go on. But! The bible "teaches" and we must live. My concern is...where are the women of today? What are they doing and who are they impacting. THATS what a lady in ministry is: Someone who is PRESENT, is ACTIVE and is IMPACTING.
You see, I believe that Ministry is like Shoes. "If the shoe doesn't fit...don't wear it", because if you do, you either won't walk properly, or you will fall.
Maya Angelou said: "A woman's heart should be so hidden in God, that a man will have to seek Him in order to find her"...In addition to this I say: walk in YOUR own shoes! Coz truth is, you won't ever be as good as the original you trying to imitate.
You are called! Rejoice! God chose YOU for a purpose...now lets go and rewrite history - walking comfortably in OUR tailor made shoes
You are called! Rejoice! God chose YOU for a purpose...now lets go and rewrite history - walking comfortably in OUR tailor made shoes
Be Blessed
Apple [Of His Eye]
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