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Should Women Leave the Ministry?
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
I got an interesting e-mail from a brother demanding that single women should not be in ministry. I was amazed at the vehemence of the letter, which promised to ‘pray us out of the ministry’ and accused us of flowing in witchcraft for refusing to marry and submit to a husband.
The Apostle Paul himself said it is better not to marry so that we may be devoted fully to the Lord rather than being concerned about the needs of our husbands. I’m not against marriage between a man and a woman, and I certainly haven’t refused to marry by any stretch of the imagination.
I’d like to hear from the ladies in ministry. Do you still get folks questioning whether God uses women in the work of the ministry? Have you ever had anyone threaten to pray you out of the ministry if you didn’t voluntarily exit? Such threats are spiritual witchcraft.
Speak out ladies. Thank God for strong husbands, strong men, strong brothers. We need more of them to rise up and lead. But we can’t leave out the women, can we? There may be some women in ministry who are influenced by the spirit of Jezebel, but I submit to you that there are plenty of men falling prey to the Jezebel spirit, too.
I am interesting in measuring if, like in Corporate America, women are still being discriminated against in the ministry. What say you?
February 21st, 2008 at 6:37 am
Just one question for you Jennifer. Do you suppose Jesus wants His (future) bride to lay down all ministry until the wedding feast has come?
Not only does He LOVE her…. He TRUSTS her with HIS ministry. Shouldn’t us guys treat all women the same way Christ treats the church? Especially when it comes to ministry.
The Lord showed me once that if I left out the women and children in ministry, I’d be leaving out the biggest part of the army.
Most people discount kids until it’s too late and the kid is gone. It was so awesome when my 10 year old stood in the midst of mature prophets and proclaimed -”The crown that the Lord is lifting up in these days is the “crown of thorns”". It blew me away - and everyone else too.
Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart (2 Cor 4:1)
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:58 am
Dear Sisters in Christ
There will always be someone who will think they have a right to tell God who He can or cannot use. I do not spend any time responding to them whether man or woman they are wrong.
The spirit that was in Jezebel kills the prophets and servants of the Lord. You can see this in 2Kings 9:7 God’s reason for smiting the house of Ahab, was not because Jezebel was a woman, but because she killed the prophets and servants of the LORD. When the name Jezebel is used in Revelation it states that woman is a false teacher because she calls herself prophetess but she seduced God servant to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idol. Please notice it was that woman not all women just that one teaching at Thyatira. There is a second word that shows up in the Greek (termagant) when looking up Jezebel it is an offensive term deliberately used to insult a woman temperament but Jesus made it clear He was not after some pity insulting word, He was very direct in His statement she was not a prophetess of God. A real prophetess of God would cause the servants of the Lord to serve the only Living God.
According to 1Sam 15:23 witchcraft is rebellion meaning to be stubborn and reject the word of the LORD. When you look at the Hebrew language it is described as divination. The next time the bible uses the word witchcraft is 2Chr 33:6 and it is talking about spells, enchant, practicing magic or sorcerer. In the New Testament Gal 5:20 witchcraft is listed with the works of the flesh and the Greek meaning is medication, magic, sorcery.
Take heart my sisters in Christ obey God it is He that makes the call walk in love and truth. Those who try to stop or kill the prophets and servants of the LORD need wonder what spirit they have Jezebel or are they practicing witchcraft and they may be doing it out of ignorance but it has the same affect. Pray for them.
Jezebel
II King 9:7
7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.
Rev 2:20
20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Witchcraft
1 Sam 15:23
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
2 Char 33:6
6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
(Hebrew)7081 seem (keh’-sem);from 7080; a lot: also divination (including its fee), oracle:KJV– (reward of) divination, divine sentence, witchcraft.
(Hebrew )Witchcraft 3784 kashaph (kaw-shaf’);a primitive root; properly, to whisper a spell, i.e. to inchant or practise magic: KJV– sorcerer, (use) witch (-craft).
(Greek)5331 pharmakeia (far-mak-i’-ah);from 5332; medication (”pharmacy”), i.e. (by extension) magic (literally or figuratively): KJV– sorcery, witchcraft.
Jezebel.348 ‘Iyzebel (ee-zeh’-bel);from 336 and 2083; Izebel, the wife of king Ahab:KJV– Jezebel.
(Greek)2403 Iezabel (ee-ed-zab-ale’);of Hebrew origin [348]; Jezabel (i.e. Jezebel), a Tyrian woman (used as a synonym of a termagant or false teacher): Jezabel. 2363 Thuateira (thoo-at’-i-rah);of uncertain derivation; Thyatira, a place in Asia Minor:KJV– Thyatira.
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:27 am
After I submitted my comment I notice a word typed incorrectly in this sentence in the above comment. It should read;
There is a second word that shows up in the Greek (termagant) when looking up Jezebel it is an offensive term deliberately used to insult a woman’s temperament but Jesus made it clear He was not after some petty insulting word, He was very direct in His statement she was not a prophetess of God. A real prophetess of God would cause the servants of the Lord to serve the only Living God.
February 25th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
I wouldn’t worry too much about the letter. From the little that you shared it’s obvious that he is off. Even when a word of exhortation or correction comes from the Holy Spirit it comes NOT with anger. I wouldn’t give that guy the time of day. People like that say controversial things just to get attention. [Insecurity].
Anyways, who were the last people at the Cross and the first people at the Tomb? [Exactly.]
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:16 pm
The reason Jezebel was so powerful was because of the abdication of Ahab.
The church is full of Ahabs, people who want someone else to do the work that God ordained the responsibility of the individual. This attitude will only open the door for someone else take over decision making. (Male or female)
We are supposed to hear God and function as priests etc in our own right. However it is easier to get someone else to tell us what to do than seek God.
Why not just turn up on sunday, pay your dues and then get on with your lives, its much less bother and it looks spiritual.
Although Ahab fathered many children, he was a spiritual eunuch. You can see them all around the church.
Jezebel laughs.
Come Jehu, quickly!