Women, prophecy and the church
"A woman with the gift of prophecy has to be very careful," the preacher said. "What she hears from God, she is not to speak but to take to her prayer closet.”
"A woman with the gift of prophecy has to be very careful," the preacher said. "What she hears from God, she is not to speak but to take to her prayer closet.”
Wilderness strips life bare. It knocks all the supports out from under us. Circumstances may scream at us - and we may scream at God - that he has brought us there to kill us. And yet, it's in the wilderness that we may hear him say, “I have carried you on eagles’ wings to bring you to myself.”
May I tell you a story? It’s a true story. And it shows what can happen when God sees courage in you that you do not see.
“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places of the mountain crags, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.” (Song 2:14 NET)
This is the Lord’s blessing: He entrusts himself to us. As we receive him, he delights in us. Out of this greatest blessing, all his other good gifts flow.
It’s not a little thing to face into something as painful as shame. It takes courage, and trust. Yet to experience the abundant life and rest and favor our Lord holds out to us, it’s vital to let him show us when we’re feeling shame, and how to walk free from it.
As I stumbled around, stuck in the fog – confused as to what was good and what was evil, what was true and what was not – my Lord knew I wanted to see. And he kept showing me what I needed to know to be free.
Some things, you can’t wait to tell God. You run to him with the news. The Lord who invites you to meet with him delights in your coming to talk. He delights in your coming to hear. For this God has important things to say to you too.
As you inhale, you’re filled with breath. As you inhale spiritually, you’re filled with the Breath of God. Spirit-to-spirit, you receive his life.
Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God." But the Hebrew verb translated "be still" actually means: "Decisively let go, or abruptly cease, something strenuous you are doing." It urges me to let go of the tug-of-war rope called enmeshment, that robs me of identity and intimacy.