These were famous words during the late sixties and early seventies.
I know; I used to read MS Magazine being a young impressionable lady. Most of America can remember the feminist movement and the various slogans and bra burning ceremonies. I can only say they must have had not much need for support during some of those ceremonies.
We saw a surge of American Women in the work force and children marched off to daycare as babies while people began to find themselves. I am not so much writing today about Women's right to fair wage or to attend universities of their choice or the right to have freedom from suffrage or oppression. Those things are inherently good. We need to get fair wages and be free from abuse. Jesus wants women to have the right to study and learn of Him, and be useful in life as He taught Mary at the home of Martha and Lazarus and the Bible says great was the company of women who followed Him and ministered to Him. The culture and climate of Israel
at the time of Jesus Christ was so different than it is today, but we don't have to leave the principles that He and the early disciples and Apostles left for us and march to the beat of a worldly drummer doing our own independent thing without the blessing and defending our rights to become something outside of the gospel.
The Worldly view of a woman is that she is equal to a man and therefore should not be protected and sheltered and taken care of. I heard the opinions being a child growing up in the Sixties and Seventies expressed that remarked that if a woman wanted to be equal to a man then she should be forced to do all the things men do and just prove to her that she
is not equal. Well guess what??? She is not. She is distinctly made for man for the service of the Lord. She was made as a gift when God saw how lonely man was. Adam received Eve as a blessing tailor made from his own flesh and bones. It is when he fell into disobedience with God that he looked at her in a different sense and even called her by a different name. What a shame that walking out of God's will, will cause a man to not have the same affection for his own wife that God intended. What a shame that walking outside the will of God will cause a woman to have disrespect for her husband's authority in the home and family. We though as children of Jesus Christ can walk in the realm of grace concerning this Bible truth. Today sadly many men do not step into the heavenly realm concerning the proper treatment of the gift of God given to them. They either abuse it or neglect it or abandon it. It is a great trial for a woman in the world to be both a mother and father to children. To be both a protector and provider and try to give the children the emotional attention they so desperately need to deal with life and the future ahead while many times being financially in crisis or emotionally in crisis or just exhausted.
Some situations are so bad that women are forced to leave the home with the children. I would never tell anyone to stay in a relationship where the spouse is a horrible example and not serving the Lord ever. It would be better to dwell in the house of the Lord and raise the children without demonic influence than to try to over come some of the horrible sinful practices of today and their influence on your children. In Old Testament days men would have been stoned for being an infidel and women would have been cared for by a kinsmen redeemer like we see in the case of Ruth and Naomi. Ruth's husband died and by following the will of Jesus she was rewarded with not only a wonderful person to care for her but being in the lineage of Jesus Christ. God loves a cheerful giver. Though circumstance dealt her a bad hand the Lord was able to see her through
He will do the same for us as the scriptures declare that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. If He did it for Ruth, He will glady do the same for you and I and whosoever calls upon His Name expecting.
We don't have to take on the image and persona of a man to be equal in the sight of Jesus. Shamefully, women after the fall were not cared for in the same perspective that Adam first cared for Eve on the day that she was formed. We have the "After the fall of man", mentality floating around the world today and it has caused women to suffer and be abused and be treated like cattle and property in the world. It has caused a fight back rebellious attitude and a self defense mentality to reign instead of a meek and quiet nature.
The world says women have no worth unless their dollar per hour is way up and they have numerous degrees. That did not matter when Anna was mentioned being in the temple praying day and night or Timothy's mother and Grandmother were mentioned by Paul in the Scriptures.
I would rather have a degree from the Master than a Masters degree in worldly knowledge. I would rather raise righteous living sons and daughters than choose my own way or career above them and use abortifactants.
A few years back I was a volunteer for Crisis pregnancy
and showed a film on what an actual abortion was to women who were feeling at the end of their road and seeking help and guidance. Well we need to educate ourselves on what causes a fetus to die. Not only do the abortion clinics kill children daily but so do our Apostolic ladies when they choose means of birth control and do not understand how it works. We are flushing our future Prophets and leaders down the toilet. The Children of Israel allowed Asa to lead them into Idol worship and throw living babies in the belly of a molten god, but what are we doing when we ignorantly destroy our unborn children and sacrifice them for money or convenience
or a selfish mentality? We are doing the same things and wondering why we are not blessed. Jesus no longer winks at ignorance. We to whom much is given are going to give an account of our actions. Its not too late for repentance and to move into right relationship with Jesus. Before you put something into your mouth know what it is and what it does. Be a daughter of the most high God. I don't condemn you. I have done it myself thinking that I could not support any more children. I took a birth control pill that caused miscarriages. I being only nineteen did not know this but education as a Nurse helped me to understand it does. We have libraries and computers at our fingertips and can know what does and does not abort a fetus. We have no excuse Today, if you are reading my writing and continue on in your sin then Jesus is going to hold you accountable so go and look these things up. Jesus always provides for His children not the welfare system. He can give a man who is not the chiefest in intelligence the knowledge of witty inventions and that invention bless his home and family tremendously. I really admire our modern day tent making contractor who build and remodel and repair houses and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ as well, not putting a financial burden on the church or society that the gospel not be made ashamed. Laziness is of the devil, and we need not bring shame to the name of Jesus Christ in our communities under the guise of doing a ministry yet starving our families and not providing for their needs. Priscilla worked right along side Aquila, so sometimes we have too as well for the cause and not to bring shame to the name of Jesus.
My husband told me that when we were in public a few days ago he was very glad to be with me in that I am what He likes a lady to look like. I can say the same for him. He always takes the time to dress professionally and appropriately. Many people say this doesn't matter that the clothes don't make the men, but sorry guys it does to us. If I were with someone and they dressed sloppy and cared nothing for their physical appearance, I would not feel as privileged as I do nor as blessed. Fishing clothes have their place and mine hang in the closet for their appointed time, but I am telling the truth when I say ladies love to be escorted by someone who cares how they look and dress and the extra time it takes to shine your shoes is worth it all. Brother Bruce is a great example of a courteous gentleman. He opens my door and seats me in chairs. He puts on my cloak or coat and makes me feel cared for. It is a refreshing thing considering when I look around I see couples out and ladies opening their own doors and sometimes it seems I have seen a shoe or two dragging the curve while she struggles to get in the car lest her foot be run over. That is not loving your wife as Christ loves the Church. The truth is if you want your wife to act lady like treat her like a lady. I am very blessed to be treated like a lady. Little gifts or books or flowers show up at my home in the hand of the handsomest man I know. I love books and love to read and when I get flowers I get excited. I also love clocks and watches. I don't care if it cost five dollars or a hundred as I have both and like them anyway.
In conclusion I like being a lady and like being treated like one. I love dresses and perfume and having a manicure or a pedicure. I love being taken to a nice restaurant and pampered. I only have one life, and want it to be spent with the handsomest man I know, so the happier we are during our life and ministry on earth the better. I refuse to allow the world to take the things from me that I feel are my right and privilege as a lady. Its bad enough when circumstance deals you a bad hand but to choose a bad hand over a good one thinking its win win is deception. We need to choose to be what Jesus made us to be. The problem people have is the interpretation often is filtered though a demonic stronghold and teaching. I choose life and that more abundant. Today consider your ways and consider whether you personify what Jesus would have His bride personify.
If marriage is a type of Christ and the Church, then we need to strive to move into the bond of perfection and the pattern of dying to self that magnifies His image and teachings. The Sermon on the Mount is still true today as is Genesis through Revelation. We can either be a Christian or pretend we are one. I am praying to be all I can be in Jesus Christ.
Dana Klein
