Innisfree in Alaska

Should women be pastors or elders? Or: get ready for rotten tomatoes #2

I have always held with the viewpoint women should not be pastors but I never had to chew on it much until recently. sigh... Well I first want to say that woman COULD be Pastors. Just like a compact car can probably carry at least 8 people, But SHOULD they? Especially when there is a perfectly fine van that is ready to be used. Of course not! In these times of equality and political correctness many churches have bowed to the social climes and given in.  But what does the bible say and what are certain arguments for this?

First what the bible says:

1st Timothy:
 12But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

 13For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

 14And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

I think it is clear they are talking about a man here.

and 1 Timothy 3:

1This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

 2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Sounds like above is referring to a man as well. As far as I know husband means man- Maybe not in certain circles but biblically YES.

and again in Titus:

5For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

 6If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

It doesn't say anything about women being overseers. Does it?Did  they mean man and woman when they said man? Nope because they address women as well

 11Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

So now common arguments used when women are allowed as pastors?

But how about Galatians? ( gal 3:28  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.)

If you read the whole chapter in context you will see that they are talking about the Law. Please don't take the bible out of context and warp it to your views!

What about Priscilla and Deborah?

I will answer that with an excerpt from THIS article.

"Some women minister have stated that they won’t argue what the words of I Corinthians 14:34, 35 and I Timothy 2:11, 12 say, but that they will “…simply give you other words from the same bible that speak clearly about women’s work in the kingdom of God.” This ignores the fact that God does not contradict Himself. If He states in one passage that an elder must be a male and states in another that a women may not teach, then, in those passages that appear to teach something contrary — i.e., Deborah and Miriam — we must struggle with what is actually being taught.  Deborah was described by some as “…a skilled warrior, prophetess, counselor and a judge of Israel.” How could this great woman of God not be a teacher of men in the things of God?” What they fail to understand the in the passage was that Deborah was indeed a prophetess and a judge of Israel. however, there is NO indication that she was a “skilled warrior” or a ”counselor”. In fact, it is clear from the passage that Barak was in charge of the army, not Deborah.

 The case of Priscilla and Aquila is very instructive as to the relationship of women and men. Priscilla did, in fact, teach Apollo. It was not, however, in a worship context. It is important to recognize that in I Corinthians 14:34, 35, Paul is dealing with the issue in a worship context. The women were interrupting the worship to ask questions. Paul admonishes them to ask their husbands outside the worship context. I Timothy 2:11, 12 is also dealing with a worship issue (see verse 8)."

And this is one I hear often:

I was called!:

I will answer that one with an excerpt from a carm.org

What About Women Who Say They are Called By God to Be Pastors?

     There are women pastors in the world who love their congregations and have stated that they are called by God to be pastors. Of course, I cannot agree with this considering the previous analysis of the biblical position. Instead, I believe they have usurped the position of men and gone against the norm of scriptural revelation.  Additionally, those who state that they are called by God because of the great job they are doing and the gifting they have received are basing their theology upon experience and not scripture.
     The issue is simple: are they submitting to the word of God or are they making the word of God submit to their desires?

* remember it is a sin to pick and choose what parts of God's Holy Word you want to follow.

So next time you are wondering, "Is it ok to let my family sit in and hear this female preach this one time?" You do know the Truth.  And the answer is no.

 

"Messianic Judaism" Why?

This is what I posted on a Christian ladies' online group. (about Messianic Judaism) I should be ready for some tomatoes tossed at me. (maybe?)

Why are so many Christians suddenly doing this? I don't understand even why. I agree with this writer:
Mountain Retreat

and I really like the way this guy puts it.( with humor even)
Team Pyro

We are free. I am not Jewish. There isn't a separation in Christ. Honestly why are people doing this? I am coming from a point of wanting to understand this. I worry about friends. Are they sinking into legalism? Is this a fad? I see much of this at Christian bookstores and sites. Kind of like I saw  a bunch of: purpose driven life, left behind stuff, and remember the prayer of jabeez? That was a big fad.

a pastor wrote on a blog:
Relevance = using that which is timely to present that which is timeless. Not a perfect definition, nor a prefect concept. But helpful. I am less concerned about "fads" for the sake of "fads." I realize that most of them (really all by very definition) will fade away. I am more concerned about the poor theology that drives these fads. If one uses some contemporary "method" as a tool to teach that which is truly timeless, i.e. sound doctrine, I don't get too worked up. I am more concerned with the theology, or lack therof of PDL, Passion, Jabez, etc... I seek to address the poor theology and sometimes blatantly false teaching in these fads. I once preached a sermon entitles "Why I Don't Pray the Prayer of Jabez." I lead a small group Bible Study on "What Was Christ's Real Passion - the Glory of God Alone" Fads can certainly be dangerous, but the greater concern must the false teaching behind the fads.

And I will end with this:

 Os Guinness' Prophetic Untimeliness: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevence?  119 pages, it's a quick yet profound read, . A few choice quotes:

"By our uncritical pursuit of relevance we have actually courted irrelevance; by our breathless chase after relevance without a matching commitment to faithfulness, we have become not only unfaithful but irrelevant; by our determined efforts to redefine ourselves in ways that are more compelling to the modern world than are faithful to Christ, we have lost not only our identity but our authority and our relevance." (15)

"... a new evangelicalism is arriving in which therapeutic self-concern overshadows knowing God, spirituality displaces theology, end-times escapism crowds out day-to-day discipleship, marketing triumphs over mission, references to opinion polls outweigh reliance on biblical exposition, concerns for power and relevance are more obvious than concern for piety and faithfulness, talk of reinventing the church has replaced prayer for revival, and the characteristic evangelical passion for missionary enterprise is overpowered by the all-consuming drive to sustain the multiple business empires of the booming evangelical subculture." (54)

"The air is abuzz with the future. The “coming church” and the “emerging church” are everything. The talk is all of new ways of “doing church” through reinventing, revising, innovating, borrowing, mixing, and experimenting. Everything now has to be “intentional” and “on-purpose.” Ministers are no longer theological authorities but the “chief story-tellers” and “facilitators of a joint spiritual journey.” “Dysfunctional churches” that are not “attuned to the world” are “reinvented for the present age” in a myriad of “intentional” ways, all with their “value propositions” clearly specified and their “measurable outcomes” clarified in advance. ... Was the church first invented by a previous generation, so that it is our job to do it again, or is the church’s real need for the revival and reformation that can only come from God?" (64-65)

I don't want my sons to think Jesus is a fad that he can abandon later like the books that we buy and the fads that we try that end up gathering dust on a shelf!- Briana

Is this the new Fad?
 These People make quite a claim! Pardon me but I would think the most imperative Biblical teaching is the BIBLE! The B-I-B-L-E yes that's the book for me. Yes, that's the book for me;
I stand alone on the word of God, 
The B-I-B-L-E..

The Principle of the Seed

"The most imperative Biblical teaching to date is found in the Principle of the Seed. No matter what you have heard or read concerning 'seed' you have never heard it taught like this. This simple, natural, agricultural principle is found in all of God's creation and even within the cellular structure of our bodies. The Messiah Himself categorically stated that all parables, and subsequently all prophecies, are founded upon this natural truth. The Principle of the Seed is a fundamental Biblical truth that lays the foundation for the identity of who the Children of God are from the very beginning. If you are interested in knowing the end, you must go back to the beginning."

These People make quite a claim! Pardon me but I would think the most imperative Biblical teaching is the BIBLE! The B-I-B-L-E yes that's the book for me. Yes, that's the book for me;
I stand alone on the word of God, 
The B-I-B-L-E.. Another little ditty that comes to mind is: BE CAREFUL LITTLE FEET WHERE YOU GO.  Most contemporary Christian songs don't stick in my mind but this one did:
It's a slow fade by casting Crowns. Watch the video here: HERE. Yes it is about a different sin but  Wow. It truly sneaks up on you.- Mrs. B

What can we do with a pumpkin?

Are they hard to clean? I was reading over at Lentils and Rice about how to bake and "harvest"   (Get it? harvest party+ pumpkins? I couldn't resist!) the pumpkin flesh.  Pumpkins are everywhere right now.  I have a feeling that they will also slash prices on pumpkins after October 31stI have one right now but I plan to get many more.  You can find recipes ranging from vegetarian lasagna to pumpkin spice muffins at Allrecipes Pumpkin Recipes.  Want more? There's more to be had at The Pumpkin Nook- even pumpkin fudge! , Mrs. B

The Challenge. What does he really think?

This is what my husband wrote about my dress:

 To whom it may concern. My wife and I have been married for ten years. It seems to me that the years that we have been a modest family. We have become closer. being separate from the world is hard. But it has brought us together. I know that my wife gets side ways looks from people. At the end of the day you know that you stood for God. Your family stood apart. Standing in the gap.

I am so happy to read what he wrote. I didn't know he thought much one way or another about it. Thank you for writing dear, Mrs. B

What does he really think? The Challenge.

Sometimes we wonder what our husbands think of our headcoverings and or modest dress. So many time ladies tell other headcovering ladies things like. " I would like to cover but my husband is worried about me wearing a bandanna on my head all the time" or "I still want to look pretty for my husband. I don't think he will accept my covering."  So many times all we here is the woman's opinion on covering. So my challenge is this. Ask your husbands to write a blog post about how your covering and or modest dress affect your marriage. The answers may surprise you!
So for the next thirty days I will be adding links to this post.  And then at the end of the thirty days I will draw a name and the winner receives:  a custom dickies with any design collar you want from: collars n dickies by Sarah Now us modest ladies know how handy these are!  Much love to all and let's get posting!

the participating blog posts:

Briana

This is terrible ( why I homeschool #2)

The California Teachers Association reported donating $1 million to oppose Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban, on Tuesday.  If you wonder why this is a bad thing please read my first post about Proposition 8 HERE

watch this: The Case for Faith

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic ” on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg ” or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.- C.S. Lewis

* That is one of the opening quotes in the movie The Case For Faith, By Lee Strobel.  By the end of this movie I was weeping and Praising God for his Grace.  The movie goes way beyond thumbs up. Please find a way to watch this movie!  I sat and watched it with my thirteen  year old and I was glad I did. He admitted that he was asking the same questions  that were addressed in the movie. - Mrs. B

We've come a long way baby.... ( or why I homeschool)

......Down the Wrong Path
I received an email from One News Now today discussing how  eighteen five and six year olds were taken on a school sponsored trip to City Hall to see the "marriage" of their teacher and her gay partner. 

Can you imagine what is going through these poor children's minds? It makes me sick. Here is the San Fransisco Chronicles article about it.

But there is something we can do about it. Please go to Protect Marriage and see how you can spread the word.
- Mrs. B

True Beauty

I think everyone should watch this to see the "truth in advertising" especially young men and women.

Proverbs 31:30    Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 

Don't be caught up in the world's idea of beauty.  Ask yourself what is truly beautiful.. Take a moment to consider this. The answers may surprise you. - Mrs. B

Keeping Home

I think most Keepers at Home have Tough days. Here is a very funny story I only wish I knew who wrote it so I could give credit where credit is definitely due.

Women's Liberation

A paraphrase of a Bible parable for today's prodigal women.

A certain man had a wife and three children.  The wife becoming dissatisfied with being a mother and doing housework and coveting the money and material belongings of her neighbors, said to her husband: "Secure for me the social security number that falleth to me, divide unto me thy wardrobe of trousers, and I will go out into the world and seek a man's job." With reluctant heart the husband granted her desire and divided his wardrobe.

Not many days later the wife donned slacks and with a tool box took her journey far across town and secured a man's job.  She made big wages but she associated with the wicked and listened to the vulgar stories that they told. There was a mighty spiritual famine in the land, and she grew lean in her soul.

The children turned loose at the mercy of the neighbors, soon forgot they had a mother.  But the husband fondly remembered how it was in the home when the wife had been there and wished that she would return.  He dined on cold lunch meat while the wife tried in vain to fill her stomach with the husks of cheese crackers that fell from the vending machine.  And no man gave unto her the respect due to a lady.  One day at rest period as she sat engulfed in cigarette smoke and smutty  stories, she came to herself.  "Here I sit surrounded by vulgarity having sacrificed the respect due to a lady.  At home is my deserted husband, and roaming the streets unrestrained are my children.  The money I make seems so small when compared to the peace of mind and soul that was mine before I left home."

In vain she did try to smother her conscience with thoughts that she was contributing to the family's economic welfare. However, it was in vain. Therefore she said to herself, "I will arise and go to my husband and will say to him, 'Husband, I have sinned against heaven in neglecting you and the children in this way.  I am no more worthy to be called thy wife nor mother to thy children; make me thy hired housekeeper.'"  So, she gathered her tools and started home.  While she was still a long way off, the husband saw her and ran and clasped her in his arms.  And the wife said, "Husband, I am not more worthy to be called thy wife, nor the mother of they children." But the husband said to the children, "Run and bring hither a dress and the best apron.  Rush to the market and get a steak off the fatted calf, and let us have a hot meal once more.  For this thy mother was lost but is found, so rejoice and be merry."