First of Many

First of Many

Revelation 14: Then I looked, and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion; with him were 144,000 people who have his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. ² And I heard a voice from heaven that sounded like a roaring waterfall, like a loud peal of thunder. It sounded like the music made by musicians playing their harps. ³ The 144,000 people stood before the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders; they were singing a new song, which only they could learn. Of the whole human race they are the only ones who have been redeemed. ⁴ They are the men who have kept themselves pure by not having sexual relations with women; they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from the rest of the human race and are the first ones to be offered to God and to the Lamb. ⁵ They have never been known to tell lies; they are faultless.

 

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Standing on the playground, I waited to be picked. I expected to be picked last because the jocks would win and I was not very coordinated. To my surprise, I was picked early. I had the best game of my kickball career! I not only kicked the ball and got on base, but I caught one during the game!

 

• I was one of the first chosen.
• There was nothing special about me, but I was chosen.
• Out of the whole playground, I was chosen early, but many followed.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, saw JESUS somewhere else, standing on Mount Zion. He also saw those who had received a special seal when the sixth seal was opened. They were not the only ones saved, rather the first in a point in time, who kept themselves pure and followed CHRIST without following the world.

 

My Observations:

• The special woman gave birth to a special child through a chosen people.
• The chosen people are called the bride of JESUS.
• Being the first of many required 12,000 from each tribe, chosen by GOD.

 

Numbers and gender can trip people up after reading this passage. I mean, only 144,000 men being redeemed, can seem like everyone else in the world is useless. BUT GOD is revealing something different.

 

HE is the one who gave the words to a writer “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Our cursed mind and eyes can question GOD’s sequence of events, missing out on the purity and not lying. I am glad JESUS redeemed all who believe in HIM.

 

Challenge

• How does the writer try to show how the group was “with” JESUS?
• Does any part of this passage trip you up?
• Will you look at GOD’s salvation of all humans differently and seek a great relationship with HIM today by believing in JESUS as the Savior?

He-Hive

 

He-Hive

1 Timothy 2: ⁸ In every church service I want the men to pray, men who are dedicated to God and can lift up their hands in prayer without anger or argument. ⁹ I also want the women to be modest and sensible about their clothes and to dress properly; not with fancy hair styles or with gold ornaments or pearls or expensive dresses, ¹⁰ but with good deeds, as is proper for women who claim to be religious. ¹¹ Women should learn in silence and all humility. ¹² I do not allow them to teach or to have authority over men; they must keep quiet. ¹³ For Adam was created first, and then Eve. ¹⁴ And it was not Adam who was deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and broke God's law. ¹⁵ But a woman will be saved through having children ( or will be kept safe through childbirth. ), if she perseveres in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.

 

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Ugh! This is a “He-hive!” I read these words and struggled to think of any example. Over the years, these words have been misused to cause pain and support inequality. After reading the words, one could go down a rabbit hole of misogynism  So I had to dissect them carefully to understand.

 

My Observations

Prayer, good deeds, and learning should be done by men and women.

Childbirth is a very difficult, stressful scary time that only women can experience.

Faith, love holiness with modesty should be done by men and women.

 

Paul writes to Timothy and is usually addressing specific issues. There may have been a situation where men were getting distracted to lust over women, causing marital problems, as best I can tell. An answer was to have the women teach each other.

 

As far as the curse, this is harder. GOD laid out a curse when Eve was deceived and disobeyed HIM. Paul reminded Timothy that the curse still stands in GOD’s eyes.

 

One would miss the solution if not reading with the right spirit, namely faith and love and holiness bring the relationship back into balance.

 

Challenge

What are your observations about women from the writer?

What are your observations about men from the writer?

What do you know about the curse GOD placed on humanity in the Garden of Edan?

Should faith, love and holiness be performed by only one gender?

Will you accept the fact that men and women were created as equals and the only balance in equality is through surrendering your life to CHRIST with faith, love and holiness today?

Supported

Supported

Philippians 4: ² Euodia and Syntyche, please, I beg you, try to agree as sisters in the Lord. ³ And you too, my faithful partner, I want you to help these women; for they have worked hard with me to spread the gospel, together with Clement and all my other fellow workers, whose names are in God's book of the living.

 

⁴ May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice!

 

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Not knowing what I was doing, I stayed up late trying to understand my next move. I had never led anything, and now it was my turn to lead a group. Someone must have saw my struggles so he or she paired me up with a more experienced person.

 

• I was glad to have the help.
• I did not know what I was doing and felt overwhelmed.
• I was relieved to be supported.

 

Paul begs two women to agree. He, himself had disagreements that he regretted. He later saw that agreeing with a variety of approaches is far better than everyone doing things the same way. He then requests support for the two women who had a disagreement because they were passionate about the LORD.

 

My Observations

• GOD wants me to be passionate about spreading the Gospel.
• GOD wants my passion to be focused with discernment and agreement with a variety of approaches.
• GOD wants me to appreciate many styles so I can support versus debate.

 

“There is the right way and there is your way” is most people’s approach. I mean, when it comes to GOD, it seems like worship is the most segregated, gender and age biased thing we can do. Disagreements over music types, racial examples and “young” or “old” thinking keep us separated and weak. BUT GOD has a remedy.

 

Unity with the LORD breaks down arguments about GOD. When I unite with the LORD, HE is the center of attention, not me. HE gets presented in the way that is best for all and I can rejoice even when it is not sung or said the way I would expect. I am glad to be supported and I will support the efforts of those who seek the spreading of the Gospel of our LORD.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think the writer wants these two women to agree?
• Have you ever been passionate about something and were met with someone who was just as passionate about an opposing, yet correct, view of the Savior?
• Will you unite under CHRIST and figure out how to support one another’s views so “more” people can be reached for HIM today?

Freed Woman

Freed Woman

Galatians 4: ²⁸ Now, you, my friends, are God's children as a result of his promise, just as Isaac was. ²⁹ At that time the son who was born in the usual way persecuted the one who was born because of God's Spirit; and it is the same now. ³⁰ But what does the scripture say? It says, “Send the slave woman and her son away; for the son of the slave woman will not have a part of the father's property along with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So then, my friends, we are not the children of a slave woman but of a free woman.

 

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Hearing “GOD loves you” or “Trust in the LORD” got on my nerves. My mother and grandmothers were trying their best to impress something special on me but I wasn’t hearing it.

 

• I wanted to do what “I” wanted to do.
• I wanted to rebel and show everyone that I did not need GOD.
• I wanted to just be angry and full of rage.

 

GOD’s amazing promise was explained by Paul. Through two women, Hagar and Sarah, two covenants were displayed. One covenant was laced with mistrust, rules and disobedience, the other with belief, grace and freedom. Those who choose to believe will be freed.

 

My Observations

• Freedom is mine to choose.
• Accepting the fact that GOD owns everything frees me because I am in HIS family.
• Believing in JESUS is what set me free.

 

GOD chose some women to perform HIS amazing promise. HE redeemed mankind through a miraculous birth. HE grew up and raised women up from oppression so they too could be filled with HIS SPIRIT.

 

When the women were freed, there was no malice in them. They spoke about JESUS with excitement and fear. Many people believed because of their testimonies. I am glad I have had many women in my life who stood firm to the belief in JESUS.

 

Challenge

• What does it mean to be a child of GOD according to this passage?
• Have you ever devalued what a woman said?
• Will you ask GOD to look at the heart as HE does and see people as HE sees them so you can be added to HIS family and given freedom today?

Women Leaders Needed

Women Leaders Needed

1 Corinthians 14: ³³ because God does not want us to be in disorder but in harmony and peace.

As in all the churches of God's people, ³⁴ the women should keep quiet in the meetings. They are not allowed to speak; as the Jewish Law says, they must not be in charge. ³⁵ If they want to find out about something, they should ask their husbands at home. It is a disgraceful thing for a woman to speak in a church meeting.

 

³⁶ Or could it be that the word of God came from you? Or are you the only ones to whom it came? ³⁷ If anyone supposes he is God's messenger or has a spiritual gift, he must realize that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. ³⁸ But if he does not pay attention to this, pay no attention to him.

 

³⁹ So then, my friends, set your heart on proclaiming God's message, but do not forbid the speaking in strange tongues. ⁴⁰ Everything must be done in a proper and orderly way.

 

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Ugh! Another tough message from Paul! When I first glanced at the message I dreaded the thought of addressing the statement because I was taking it out of context. I mean, I can only imagine my wife dreading hearing any words that would place her in an unheard state. We are working through hearing each other to this day, as all marriages should. But Paul raises a doozie!

 

• At first glance it looks like women are not valued.
• At first glance it looks like women can never say a word.
• At first glance it looks like women would cause disgrace.

 

My Observations

Again, I have to return to the curse of GOD when Adam took down all humans in Genesis 3. GOD made a hierarchy that showed sin caused disharmony between HIM and HIS creation. GOD also added pain and struggle in this curse. Nothing exciting happens in a curse. But what does the curse have to do with women speaking in church gatherings?

 

I wish I had the letter or letters written to Paul. I mean, Paul’s reference seems to be focused on married women, not all women. He seemed to be addressing an issue written to him versus bashing women. I don’t know is my answer. Here is what I believe.

 

• I believe GOD made man and woman to live in harmony.
• I believe GOD wants man and woman to have peace.
• I believe GOD wants HIS message proclaimed by every human, man and woman.

 

In this chapter, being heard “is” the problem. Not everyone can rush the stage with a message and not everyone can speak in strange tongues without full understanding. All must have the desire to spread GOD’s message of love and sometimes be silent and use restraint as the example.

 

Women leaders are needed more and more as men have not brought the harmony and peace GOD is seeking. Women who can proclaim GOD’s message while bringing in harmony and peace are desperately needed these days. Both my grandmothers and my mother, mother-in-law, wife, sister, sisters-in-law, aunts, cousins and daughter have been and should be icons of harmony and peace pertaining to proclaiming GOD’s message. I have learned a lot from them as do many.

 

Challenge

• What are your observations about harmony and peace in this chapter, not just the passage?
• What do you think about women speaking and leading in the gathering of people?
• What suggestions do you have for seeking the “harmony and peace” GOD is looking for?

For the Good of All

For the Good of All

1 Corinthians 10: ²⁷ If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you decide to go, eat what is set before you, without asking any questions because of your conscience. ²⁸ But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat that food, for the sake of the one who told you and for conscience' sake— ²⁹ that is, not your own conscience, but the other person's conscience.

 

“Well, then,” someone asks, “why should my freedom to act be limited by another person's conscience? ³⁰ If I thank God for my food, why should anyone criticize me about food for which I give thanks?”

 

³¹ Well, whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for God's glory. ³² Live in such a way as to cause no trouble either to Jews or Gentiles or to the church of God. ³³ Just do as I do; I try to please everyone in all that I do, not thinking of my own good, but of the good of all, so that they might be saved.

 

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“There is no ‘I’ in team” was a cliché thrown out at us from a boss. We giggled and someone replied, “But there is in ‘win!’” We went our individual ways trying to implement solutions each had come up with, and none of them stuck. We failed as a team.

 

• There have been many times when “I” did things on my own and received accolades for myself but not others..
• There have been many times when “I” tried to do what “I” felt was right but failed as a group.
• There have been many times when “I” thought of a solution from “my” point of view and presented it, only to receive resistance.

 

Paul goes into a difficult subject, namely relationships. He presents it from a perspective that, whether dealing with a person who believes in JESUS or not, think what is best for that person.

 

• GOD wants me to see people as HIS creation.
• GOD wants me to think of others so they might be saved.
• GOD wants me to put aside “me” so I can be with “them” to see “HIM.”

 

Seeing people is important. I mean, when I go “my” way, it is easy to not see people. I may be busy or getting beat up in the alley, but no one would know what is going on without unity. Thinking of “the good of all” means I bring the hope of GOD into a relationship without clobbering the relationship.

 

Yes, eternity is extremely important, but it takes time. You may say, but there is a sense of urgency that is needed. But the urgency needs to be tempered with the raw ingredients baked at the right temperature so the meal is not deadly, but can be eaten. I am grateful for all those who are in my life.

 

• Are you developing individual solutions, expecting others to follow “you?”
• Do you think “you” know what is best for “that” person?
• Will you think of solutions to bring people to GOD by being with “them” versus against them today?