THE CALL of GOD

The first call God makes upon a life is the invitation to receive His Son that one might be saved.  Everyone has that call and all those who respond are called to a ministry of reconciliation.  Romans 11:29 tells us the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable or without repentance.  In other words, once God has placed a call upon an individual, he will not remove it or take it away.  We are given the wonderful privilege of participating in those works prepared for us by Him, even before the foundation of the world was laid.

However, God places different calls on men and women in His kingdom.  He defines and clarifies His call as we come under His lordship. An illustration of walking in obedience, for example, is the prophetic call seen in the life of Jeremiah, Chapter 20:9. Jeremiah cries out, “If I say I will not mention or speak anymore in His name, there is in my mind and heart a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with enduring and holding it in; I cannot contain it longer.”

When God called Abram out of Babylon, there was an eternal plan and purpose in His heart.  That purpose was to reveal Himself to Abram as God Almighty, bring him into a relationship with his Creator and to appoint him to establish the nation of Israel. God continued revealing Himself; the final revelation was disclosed through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Abram’s call brought not only salvation but a place of service as well.  This call to Abram was personal, clear and direct.  As God continues to call forth, He appoints and anoints for service, but hesitating hearts delay a response.

A woman named Esther heard a call to speak forth on behalf of her people, the nation of Israel.  She was told that if she kept silent at that time, relief and deliverance for the Jews would come from another place; and she and her family would perish. Consequently, Esther’s desire to reveal an evil plot to destroy all the Jews was exposed, and she became God’s instrument for saving the Jewish nation.

Rahab, the harlot, heard a call to protect Joshua’s two spies, and her whole family was saved when Jericho fell. Her name went down in the “hall of faith.” (Heb.11:31)  Rahab is almost certainly to be identified as the mother of Boaz, ancestor of David, who is included in our Lord’s genealogy (Mt.1:5).

While persecuting Christians, Saul of Tarsus had an encounter with the risen Christ and was called to be an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom.1:1)  

The shepherd boy, David, who was on the backside of the field tending sheep, heard the call of God through the prophet Samuel.  Upon answering, he eventually became King over Israel. David was one of those “hidden ones” least considered for such an awesome task!

God has spoken through the prophet Joel, and we know that in these last days women are prophesying as that great company of women publishing the Word is being raised up, fulfilling Ps. 68:11.  Young’s literal translation of Psalm 68:11 reads: “The Lord does give the saying, the female proclaim are a numerous host.”  King James uses the word company, which is feminine! Other translations such as Amplified, Authorized, New American Standard and The Living Bible correctly present the feminine usage. Women of God, are you listening? 

Dear Ones, to what has He called you? Is the call unheeded?  What is it that burns within your bones and beats within your heart?  What is it you cannot contain any longer?  His call for service is not a “general” call, but specific, a calling forth! 

The suppression of God’s truth has resulted in many women being bound and held in subjection to misinterpretation.  To a great extent, this suppression falls upon the accountability of compromising translators and deliberate, perverted interpretation rather than the clear Word of God. When we know God has spoken, there is no other voice to follow.  The Lord of the Harvest calls, and His sheep know His voice.  A new day is dawning.  Women are moving into the liberty of the Spirit and obeying God because they understand their callings.  The Holy Spirit is still speaking, “Separate unto Me” and is about the business of setting apart women for specific ministries. 

The downcast ones, disturbed within because of hindered spirits, cry, even as the Psalmist, “Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.” (Ps.42: 7)  Unwilling to fall into hopelessness and sink into despair, this soul dares to hope in God! The anchor of faith clings to the Lord and the new day that is dawning. Hope in God stirs the faltering heart to answer His call.  

  II Timothy 2:20-21 tells us: “But in every great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and earthenware, and some of honorable and noble use and some for menial and ignoble use.  So whoever cleanses himself, will be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.”  Our Lord would remind us  “we have been re-created in Christ Jesus that we may do those good works, which He planned beforehand for us, that we should walk in them…” (Amplified Bible, Eph. 2:10).  The rewards of obedience are wonderful, so let’s be about our Father’s business.    

What’s Happening on the Web?

Keeping Women in Their Place   by Rev. Johnny Wade Sloan, D.D.  This is an excellent article that we are reprinting from The Remnant.  Enjoy!
Kathryn Kuhlman  A short article on this amazing woman.  
Lesson 32 from God's Word to Women by Katherine Bushnell.
The Head in the Epistles by Berkeley and Alvera Mickelsen.  This classic article challenges traditional interpretation of the word "head" in Eph. 5:23 and I Cor. 11.

ICWHP

What is ICWHP?  It's the International Christian Women's History Project.

ICWHP exists to promote biblical womanhood and to write God's women back into history. This means recovering and reinstating the message Jesus taught about womanhood. It also means recovering the names and exploits of Spirit-empowered women often forgotten in the annals of Church history. This dual purpose is being fulfilled through literature, seminars, and workshops. 

ICWHP sees itself as a cooperating fellowship, synergizing with like-minded individuals and ministries as the Holy Sprit leads. This is currently happening in varying degrees with groups such as God's Word to Women,  Women of Substance, Christians for Biblical Equality,  Precious Daughters and the National Coalition of Christians Against Abuse 1-866-86ABUSE.

The long-range vision of ICWHP involves:  
1. DEVELOPING a multifaceted resource and interest center for the promotion, collection, preservation of materials regarding God's women past present and future
2. UTILIZING the wide range of communication avenues available in our day. 
3. CREATING educational and teaching opportunities for both men and women.      

Our friend, Susan Hyatt, is the Founding Coordinator of the project and we are excited about its possibilities. You can find the current list of areas where opportunities exist for participation on the ICWHP website that is under construction at www.icwhp.org .   

The  “Jezebel Spirit" Unmasked by Gay Anderson

 According to historians, we are told Jezebel was the daughter of the Phoenician King Ethbaal.  Her name means “unexalted,” or “where is the prince?”  Jezebel was a very ambitious woman as well as strong minded, and it is virtually impossible to write of her apart from her husband.  Her marriage to Israel’s King Ahab was “arranged” for the purpose of strengthening the “relationship” between Israel and Phoenicia.  So, let’s not embrace the false assumptions about Jezebel being the ruin of Ahab, for he was idolatrous as she!  In addition, he was the most wicked king ever to rule over Israel.  Ahab was primarily a worshiper of Yahweh, yet a large part of his kingdom remained Canaanite, and Ahab accommodated those subjects by granting the Canaanite God Baal the same standing as Yahweh![1]  (Sounds like the church today as she embraces all the philosophy solemnly warned against!)   Jezebel stood in strong partnership with Ahab.  We see the same partnership in the church today and depicted in the church at Pergamum (Rev.2:12), for the name Pergamum implies “marriage or union.”  Jezebel was devoted to Baal worship, slew the prophets of God and abolished Jehovah worship (I Kings 18:13,19).  Her name has been given to later prophetesses who sought to fasten the practices of idol worship on the church.  Money from the royal treasury was used by Jezebel to support 450 prophets of Baal and 400 goddesses of Asherah as she led forth the persecuting & killing of God’s prophets.

The Lord’s judgment came upon Israel as He sent drought to the land.  All of us are familiar with the account of the prophet Elijah as he came on the scene and challenged the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel.  The false prophets were exposed and swallowed up as the ONE TRUE GOD proved Himself that day.  Jezebel’s fury was copious when she learned of the death of the 850 prophets she had supported.  Consequently, she vowed the life of Elijah come to an end, but her evil plot turned unsuccessful.  As the story goes, Elijah fled in fear; and God sent ministering angels to feed him.  Jezebel came to a horrible death as dogs devoured her body, leaving no more than her skull, feet and the palms of her hands. (II Kings 9:35)   You may read the details in I & II Kings.

We hear no more about this woman until she is referred to figuratively in the book of Revelation as an example of idolatry leading to false teaching.  This picture sets in context, the teaching that has been so rampant in the last few years, namely, “The Jezebel Spirit”.

Just as Jezebel led many astray with her false teaching and beguiling spirit, the same spirit has continued within the church; for we read the Lord’s warning in the Revelation passage.  The warning is to the entire church, composed of male and female, in which gender is of no consequence, for in Christ Jesus “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28).”  How profuse the words prohibiting women to teach, lead, or minister have become because of the propulsion of another spirit the Bible calls a lying spirit. Jesus never forbade women to teach or minister.  The issue He addresses is FALSE TEACHERS, whether male or female.  The Apostle Paul’s words to us, “quench not” and “grieve not” the Holy Spirit come to mind as we contemplate what the centuries have imparted down through the history of the church.

 Many teachers of the Scripture have promoted the false teaching that if women are permitted to teach men, they will lead the whole church into witchcraft! This lie has quenched the spirit of many women called of God, and they have been forced to keep silent while men have walked in the liberty of their calling. Actually, there is no such spirit as a “Jezebel spirit”, but what is in question is a beguiling and lying spirit, leading people away from the one true God. The contrast between this woman and the ones at the empty tomb is vivid, for they were commissioned to “go and tell”. The commission of our Lord has been superseded by traditions based on mistranslations of Paul’s intent.

Shortly after she received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, a close friend shared with me that she had been told that she had a “Jezebel spirit.” The word given was by the very pastor who had prayed for her to receive the baptism.  Isn’t it amazing how quickly one who would dare to proclaim the good news of the Gospel is labeled and branded as a “Jezebel?”  Isn’t it a bit perplexing to see how absent the “Ahab spirit” is, for Ahab and Jezebel were partners in all?  It’s long past time to bury the miserable, void-of-the-Spirit, teachings on the “Jezebel spirit.”

Church!  No wonder the Apostle James admonished there not be many teachers, for they will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity than other people.  Thus, as teachers, we assume the greater accountability and the more condemnation. (James 3:1).  It behooves us to yield to the voice of the Spirit and pursue His truth as the church makes known to the powers and principalities of darkness the manifold wisdom of God.

Again, the Word reminds us in Psalm 68:11 of the wonderful ministry ordained, by God for multitudes of women.  That day is here, for the Spirit of the Lord says, “ Arise, O women of God; you who are so great a company! Be released to publish abroad the good news of Jesus Christ. Speak His truth; declare His wonderful name!” 
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[1] Who’s Who in the Bible/ Reader’s Digest

God is calling women to assume the full scope of the role for which they were created.  Our website is designed to help women in their search to discover who God says they are.  To do this we need your help.  

As the ministry has expanded, it has become increasingly clear that we need a team of intercessors.  The three of us are not nearly enough!  We are looking for those that God has called for this assignment.  The mission statement is listed below.  Please read it and seek the Lord.  If God is calling you to this assignment, please e-mail us at gwtw@godswordtowomen.org. telling us about yourself and why you believe God would have you pray with us and for us.   We’ll then get back to you with specific needs that we know we have and leave it to God to show you what we’re missing or what He’d have you tell us.

The mission of the God’s Word to Women website is:

…To provide a forum on the Internet to be used as an encouragement and a stimulus for women to gain assurance of their call and commission from the Lord

…To equip women with a knowledge of God’s Word as it relates to:

• their place in ministry
• their relationship to their husbands 
• their place and function in the local church as well as the Body of Christ as a whole 

…To become a catalyst for the release of women in the Body of Christ into their God-ordained ministries

…To encourage men of God to re-examine traditional interpretations of scripture pertaining to women.