Women's Day (Part 2)

In rightly dividing the Word, we are supposed to be listening to what is being taught and then having the

desire to study for ourselves. Take out those notes, our bible and spend time to see if the Word was quoted correctly and if it was used in the proper context. With all of those things in order, then and only then could we use the message in applying it into our lives or to use in discussions or to help someone in their time of need. Anything else without these matters in place is a person in error and causing others to be as well. You will discover this as you continue to read.

In the first part of this post, hopefully the idea that a virtuous woman can only be if she is a house wife has been dispelled. Her priority is in Christ and then doing what He has called her to do. This is the message that I didn't hear and is why I write. The other passages under the guise of "Women's Day" also kept the real message from being expounded upon. I am not sure if the reasoning is trying to only teach what the people can be comfortable in hearing or if the ministers were directed not to

preach such things. I don't have those constraints.

The book of Esther is one of those popular sermons where it has been said, to the group of women I was seated with, that if a woman wishes to keep her husband she should do as Esther has done and not Queen Vashti. It was also reiterated of the respect Esther had for her Uncle Mordeccai and for her husband once she became Queen. She also was obedient which is why she was highly favored (though her looks added to some of the benefit). While I took in these lessons, it wasn't until much later in my own studies did I wonder if the female ministers read the entire book of Esther or just the passages that seemed pertinent for the message. I also wondered if these lessons were from the Lord or something seen on television or recorded and watched to be taught again and again. If so, that was not from the Lord's table. The Lord may have prepared a meal in the presence of our enemies, but rest assured the meal had not been eaten before and regurgitated for us to swallow (Psalms 23:5 AMP).

To understand Esther in the role that was thrust upon her, you must first see the king for who he actually was. He was a foolish man. He held parties that lasted far longer then necessary and the only one enjoying his parties was him (Esther 1:1-8 AMP). He would have the food and drinks placed for everyone but no one would be drinking but him. Then when he called for his wife, Vashti, she was tired having thrown her own party for the women and wasn't about to be humiliated as she has been putting up with the king's drunken behavior before (Esther 1:9-12 AMP). She refused him. The king could have pouted for a moment and been over it. But the princes had to be bored. They were the ones that started thinking that the queen had some influence and would cause for their wives to be just as impassive (Esther 1:16-20 AMP). That was fear doing the thinking for them. Seeing the king was not of a sober mind, he listened and acted on that thought of

fear. This is what caused for the queen to lose her position.

Now Esther, she was a child. Not knowing what happened to her actual parents gives some perspective as to why Esther's demeanor was the way it was. She had been obedient and without a doubt her Uncle, a godly man, prayed for her. We also don't know if her Uncle had anymore children of his own. Assuming that he didn't, because the Word never tells us that he went back to his home or to his wife and family, he kept a close watch on his niece. Never did I ever hear how close knit this family was and why Esther may have felt that way; however when her surroundings changed so did she.

Why do you think Esther went from a humbling, obedient, quiet child that was highly favored to one that was going to give her Uncle a directive? He told her what was needed to be done to save the people and that she was placed in the position for this very reason. Instead of her seeing the big picture, she looked at how she had been trained to do as the king ordered (Esther 4:8-11 AMP). The order was, not to disturb the king unless he called for you. Did you notice how Mordeccai got her head back together (Esther 4: 12-17 AMP)? He reminded her where she came from. She saw her position being greater then the niece of her Uncle. Actually, it was...only Esther was a child and didn't see that. She had a decision to make and this may have been the last time her Uncle could give her a directive to follow. After all, she is the queen and needed to be about serving her husband not her Uncle. But, again, this isn't the message that was taught in the services I attended or those I've seen.

Now this is the part that most female speakers get trapped in and deliver the oration as a show on how to be that domestic engineer that all men desire in a woman. What is ministered is that the woman needs to be able to read her man (know his ways). She should not come at him the moment he comes home, but she should allow him to relax, draw him a bath, serve him a hot meal. Then after he has finished and is in a better state of mind, ask what you will. Then the scripture is used in seeing what Esther did with the king just for him to reconsider what he had ordered (Esther 5 AMP). Yeah right! Did we not establish that Esther is a child? Did we not already establish that she had no clue as to what to do with any man much less her husband? And if you keep reading, she didn't ask him with the first dinner, or the second. What I wondered was, what happened afterward? I mean after the order was over and Haman was executed? Did Esther continue cooking her man's meals or did she have those servants do as they have been hired to do? And isn't that manipulative? Does a man appreciate a conniving woman? Is this seed sown and now her husband can be the same way? Is this the sort of thing a woman hopes the rest of her life must consist of in order to speak to her husband? Its ridiculous, isn't it? It sounds like a hard task to keep up with especially when a woman

never had to go through such foolishness as a single person living her life righteous before the Lord. Why would God make marriage hard for us? Answer: He wouldn't.

The real lesson in Esther for the purpose of Women's Day is the childishness of the king listening to the advice of princes. He got what he deserved. The equivalence of who he is. All of those parties and allowing for those who were not chosen to be king have control of the decision making, got him a wife that was equally yoked with his personality. She was a child easily to be controlled and manipulated. We saw this when Mordeccai told Esther what to do. He was no longer in that position to do that, but she adhered to his direction. The princes told the king what to do. They were not in a position to make that decree themselves and if the king knew his place, he would have put those princes in theirs.

When a woman accepts the proposal of a man, she must know that he has the confidence, assertiveness, and aggression to hold the position as being the head of her. He has some direction of where he would like to be and is appreciative of the help that she is able to give to get him there. If its all about him and he doesn't love her as Christ loves the church, and therefore should expect all sorts of trouble. Because this man will be asking advice of all sorts of matters that should be left to you, him, and God - only!

Children Keep the Nest Full

I have listened to thousands of sermons and more qualified ministers then I care to count. It has only been recent when listening to a radio evangelist accuse pastors of keeping the congregations immature did I really start listening to messages more intensely then ever before. Isn't the whole purpose of a minister is to get the good news to God's people so we all can live an abundant life that Jesus died and rose again for? But how can that be obtained if the message is twisted to only benefit the one speaking it?

One of the few topics the church doesn't address is sex and everything that goes with sex. Such as, dating, sexual positions (which are acceptable and which ones aren't), cohabitating, petting is sex too, etc.The shunning from the topic is supposedly for the purpose of not encouraging the behavior. You know ignorance is bliss kind of thing. Except the trouble with that is the Word tells us that My people perish for lack of knowlege.

A church I attended made it known to a mid-week congregation what the topic would be the following week - sex. A middle of the week service barely carries the faithful few but that following Wednesday, there wasn't one empty seat.

Sunday morning I listened to a pastor that stated before beginning his sermon that as hard as he tried to find, there are no rules written in the bible about dating. Therefore, he took it upon himself to give the congregation all of the ins and outs in a simple 10 step guide to date appropriately as a Christian. Though peppered with "aw, you not gonna like me" throughout the message I had to change the channel after the second step. He was so pleased with himself to get across to every one that the first step being physical attraction went over well that with my son watching the same program I had to speak what I know about what God says. My son said nothing.

I suppose this would be the reaction of anyone who has read the scriptures for himself and then hear a spiritual leader speak of a matter opposing what is written. The Word says that in the last days there will be prophets that will tickle the ears of the listeners. What will be said are the things that people would much rather live by then to change and do what is right. Its supposedly easier to give into the desires of lust then deny your body that physical release that is not life threatening. What is the quandry when disease arise from lack of discipline? Is it still too hard to deny lust then?

Dating, sex, and any other subjects not knowing what to do can be found in the Word. That pastor over stepped the boundaries of Christianity when he made spiritual maturity number two and physical attraction number one. Our whole basis of belief is by faith, the definition of which is not by sight. He couldn't find that in the scriptures? He told men that if they like double D's not to encourage a flat chested woman. Though there were chuckles, the faces that the camera scanned were not laughing. The truth to that is when those double D's fall to her knees, there better be something else there that's supporting the strength of that marriage or it will fall too.

I have written a guide to dating for men and a separate one for women based on the Word of God. I really detest when ministers try to teach a delicate subject matter like sex with both genders in the same room. The speaker always tries to feel which one to bash with his sermon. Mostly, it is the women and the subject is usually the one of being ugly. It is suppose to be funny and it takes up 45 minutes quickly and the men just love it. They tend to come back to hear more of anything that isn't their fault. Women have gotten use to it and are just glad to see more men in the church so we weigh it and put the masks on to take it for the sake of winning those souls to Christ.

Trouble is, lies don't win souls. Men are the leaders and if they can't wear big boy pants and take it then we will continue to have babies going around the same mountain again and again. If women continue to be approached by these same men, having been made leaders, they will soon believe this is what men are made of, will marry them, only to raise up seed just like them. The families having never grown to know the real truth stay in constant fear and remain under the tutorialship of the very one who also believe the lie or he has discovered this evil and instead of ridding himself and congregation of it, he justifies its means to keep his church full.