spring   ::   2010

GWTW Newsletter

Contents:

    1. Third Pentecost Anyone?   by Barbara Collins
    2. Porn Sows Death    by Charis Hart
    3. Seeing pro-lifers in a new light  by Destiny DeLaRosa
    4. What's New?



Third Pentecost Anyone?

by Barbara Collins

  

A friend of mine wrote on her Christmas card, “Can we save the economy of the country?” I replied, “No, we can’t save the economy of our country, but He can!”  We must have a great revival sweep our country, particularly in what we call the “church.” 

The “time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God, and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God.”  I. Peter 4:17.  Do we need a second Pentecost just like they had two in the Book of Acts, chapters 2 and 4?  However, in the second one what they received was unique, like boldness. 

In the first Pentecost, they had “one accord” (2:1) yet in the second one though they had grown into a “multitude of those who believed,” they were of “one heart and one soul.”  In the second Pentecost, they also possessed great power and great grace.  (4:33).   

How did the second Pentecost begin?  With prayer, just like the first one.  Of the second Pentecost, it is written, “And when they had prayed... the place where they were assembled together was shaken.  What happened?  “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke with boldness.” (4:31). In other words, the great shaking brought a great boldness. 

Of course, the threats that had come against them from everywhere caused them to ASK FOR BOLDNESS.  Notice that God quickly answered their prayer.  Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.”  (Mt. 7:7).  You can’t have a multitude of “one-heart and one-soul” people without a great submission.  Those who said, “I did it my way” have shed their independence.  Everyone whose goal has been control of others learned to yield.   

Great giving preceded great fruitfulness and great generosity so much so they had “all things in common.”  (4:33). In our lifetime, we’ve never seen all things held in common.  Dare we pray for it?  We may just as well get it just as these disciples prayed for boldness and God quickly and graciously granted their request.  They didn’t have to “prepare” to speak, but they spoke the word of God with boldness.  

Shall we ask for a third Pentecost?


Porn Sows Death

by Charis R. Hart (this article is condensed from a longer version)

Author's Note: When Barbara asked me to write a companion article to go with "Third Pentecost Anyone", I asked the Lord what I could say about revival? The Lord impressed upon me that porn use among self professed Christians is an obstacle to revival and HE wants His women to be instrumental in making these crooked paths straight in preparation for His arrival. Underlines denote hot links.

What is a Christian wife to do if her husband is addicted to porn?

Rise up, Christian wife.  

YOU are  his  help meet!

Katharine Bushnell (1856-1946) wrote:

"Woman was created as a help 'meet,' sufficient for man; and because it was 'not good'  for him to be alone.... That is sham virtue in woman which lends a cloak or gives stimulus to vice in man. 'By their fruits ye shall know them.' That which begets virtue in others is virtue; that which begets vice is vice. A wifely self-immolation which encourages masculine sensuality is vice. A feminine 'humility' which gives place for the growth of masculine egotism is vice.  [Quoted from   Lesson 53 "Meekness and Humility for Women" out of Katharine Bushnell's book "God's Word for Women"- available for purchase or for online viewing at the links].

What is a "help meet"?  Genesis 2:20 describes the purpose of the creation of woman.  She is to be  the man's "help meet"- ezer kenegdo in transliterated Hebrew.

The word ezer is used only twenty other places in the entire Old Testament. Fifteen of those are descriptions  of God Himself coming through for you when you need Him desperately: often life and death situations  with God as your only hope. Your ezer. If He is not there beside you… you are dead. Kenegdo means alongside, or opposite to, a counterpart. So, ezer kenegdo/"help meet" is a lifesaving partner.  What God has called a wife to be, HE will equip her to be!

What does this have to do with porn use?  Porn sows death.  His very spiritual life hangs in the balance.   Nowadays, porn use is at epidemic proportions among self professing Christians and even among pastors.  Here are just a few statistics taken from a large collection compiled by Blazing Grace: [snip- see full article]

My husband of over 25 years is a Christian who struggled with porn use.   Active membership in church did not bring deliverance, attempts to be part of male "accountability programs" did not bring deliverance.  Deliverance came only when I stopped listening to all the messages coming from various corners of evangelical Christian subculture about the duties of a Christian wife, started seeking God deeply and rose to the Holy Spirit's challenge to  be transformed into the keeper at home and the help meet which God has called and authorized me to be.  Neither the church nor other male  "accountability partners" are on the front lines when it comes to victory over the scourge of porn in Christian homes.  I am convinced that the wife's role is  key.  Biblically, she is the only one on earth who is called to be her husband's  "help meet"/ezer kenegdo and expressly given authority over his very body (see 1 Cor 7). [snip- see full article]

GWTW's  word study on "help meet"/ezer speaks of this courageous MEET help who will firmly oppose her husband's unrighteousness:

The Torah Study for Reform Jews says, “From the time of creation, relationships between spouses have at times been adversarial.  In Genesis 2:18, God calls woman an ezer kenegdo, a "helper against him." The great commentator Rashi takes the term literally to make a wonderful point: "If he [Adam] is worthy, [she will be] a help [ezer].  If he is not worthy [she will be] against him [kenegdo] for strife." This Jewish study also described man and woman facing each other with arms raised holding an arch between them, giving a beautiful picture of equal responsibility

Rise up, Christian wife.   YOU are  his  help meet!


Seeing pro-lifers in a new light

by Destiny DeLaRosa

For Destiny DeLaRosa, advocacy means helping women find solutions.  

The reformed pro-life movement is not about shouting at frightened women. It's not about hate-filled debates or holding up signs containing graphic images at organized protests.

It's about helping women utilize resources that will allow them the option of choosing life for their unborn child, plain and simple. It's about education and assistance. It's about cultivating informed and well thought-out decisions.

As a member of this movement, I don't see myself as a baby sav-ior. My apologies if that offends you.

I have a heart for women – especially women who are feeling terri-fied, alone and desperate. These emotions are all too vivid to me. Nine years ago, at the immature age of 16, I became pregnant.

My universe imploded. [...to Full Article]

What's New on GWTW?

  1. Introducing GWTW on Facebook! Check it out and join the discussion. Many thanks to Pastors Ross and Brenda Wood, founders and shepherds of the Facebook page. Meet the Woods on the GWTW "Who We Are..." page
  2.  
  3. Professor Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Assistant Professor of History at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan has graciously granted GWTW permission to reprint her article "Beyond Knights and Damsels" where she draws heavily upon the writings of Katharine Bushnell to respond to modern evangelical writings such as John Eldredge’s Wild at Heart; Robert Lewis's Raising a Modern-Day Knight; James Dobson's Bringing up Boys; and Douglas Wilson's Future Men. Her upcoming book on Katharine Bushnell and Lee Anna Star, The Forgotten Woman’s Bible, is due to be published in 2011 by Westminster John Knox.

  4. Susanna Krizo's newly released book is entitled When Dogmas Die: The Return of Biblical Equality. As a sample, please enjoy Chapter 12 of the book "Gal 3:28" published by permission of the author: click here. A special offer is now available for a limited time at Susanna's website: www.whendogmasdie.com Signed copies are only $12 (reg $21) plus Flat rate domestic US shipping of $3.95 for up to 10 books.

  5. Gladys Masore has added to the GWTW missions’ ministry the testimony found here which adds more details and offers some jewelry to those who make a donation. GWTW now covers 8 different cities in Kenya , including Nairobi , which is the capital of the country and where Sr. Gladys lives with her husband Zaphania, pastor of their home church, who fervently supports her and her work to the extent that he participates in the conferences and seminars with his wife. During this year 2010 and extending into the first quarter of 2011, these women will go to 12 more cities in Kenya. They plan to win 3,000 more souls to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Presently they have 295 women they count as a part of this ministry.

    The African women leading the GWTW Kenya ministry have supplied Barbara Collins with handmade African jewelry as a thank you gift for any US resident who sends a donation of $25 or more to support the GWTW Kenya Mission. Please write to gwtw@godswordtowomen.org giving your home address and telephone number in the U. S. after you have made your donation to assure that you receive your jewelry. Should you desire to see a picture of the jewelry, please include that request in your e-mail. Donations can be made via the donate button on the bottom right hand side of the GWTW Home Page


  6. The book God's Word to Women is now available for purchase at our brand new Amazon "God's Word to Women Storefront" for $13.50 as well as on the GWTW website (click on the top right of the home page to order)

  7. Charis Hart, GWTW webservant and blog steward is collecting links to articles where Katharine Bushnell’s work is quoted. Says Charis, "I am including academic articles with bibliographic reference to her work as well as personal testimonies which speak of her influence." Readers, please let Charis know of other articles you find deserving of inclusion by posting the link on the GWTW Blog or contacting Charis by e-mail [titus2keeper@gmail.com].



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