There are many avenues for women to minister in the church. Women’s ministries, Children’s ministries, Education ministries, Counselling ministries… just to name a few.  The only restrictions in scripture are pastors, deacons, and other roles that would require women to be “in authority” over men. The real issue of Women in Ministry has nothing to do with “female-phobia”.

The REAL issue is the NATURE of SCRIPTURE… the BIBLE. WHAT is the BIBLE?      Is it Gods Word ?   Is it “THE INSPIRED, INFALLIBLE, INERRANT WORD of GOD”?  DOES it have the Authority or GOD in our LIVES ? IF the BIBLE is (as the Baptist Faith and Message says) “Gods revelation of Himself to    man.. and has God for it’s author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for it’s matter..     and it is the supreme standard by which all human conduct creeds and religious opinions are tried”  THEN we probably OUGHT to DO what it SAYS !

 BUT if the BIBLE is NOT  “Gods Truth w/o any mixture of Error” and Only CONTAINs Gods Truth  — Then it is up to someone to discern   -which parts are TRUE… which parts are NOT     -which parts are INSPIRED… which parts are “Culturally Conditioned”

 Which puts us on a Slippery Slope –LAST 50 Years in US – Christianity has SLIDDEN like This:

-As Divorce Rate Rose in USA – Churches began to bend the “Husband of one wife” qualification for Deacons & Pastors.

-Once Churches did that – Then some women in the church said – “Well you made  an exception in Bible for Divorced Men,  We have plenty of Women in the church who are Better Teachers, Better Speakers, Better Witnesses, Better           Servants, Better Givers …. than most of the Deacons – Why can’t they be Ordained as Deacons?  

-What about the Scripture that says “Women should not usurp Authority over Men”?  Somebody found some           commentaries that said something about “Cultural Conditioning – Paul lived in a Male Dominated Society &                Women at  Corinth & Ephesus were Roudy – Paul just wrote those verses to get a couple of churches under                 control”

-So some churches started Ordaining Women as Deacons.

– “Well in that case – If  Women can Serve as Deacons –  Why can’t women  be Pastors?? ”

– “Well – OK.   But it sure does look like we are BENDING alot Rules from the Bible.

-Then some Pastor who recently Graduated from a Liberal Seminary – “OT was about Rules – but in NT we learn that       Jesus came to tell us that Rules don’t Matter – Christianity is about Relationships.  The Bible is a Human Book               – It’s NOT that there are mistakes and errors – it’s just that  mankind is making progress in understanding the   TRUE THEME of SCRIPTURE which is LOVE… and the  Universal Fatherhood of God & Brotherhood of  Man – Bible is basically telling us to Seek  in every Situation to DO the LOVING THING.  

-That was 20 years ago –  NOW – you can’t say “Fatherhood & Brotherhood”  because you sound like a MALE Chauvinist, so we changed  the Theme of the Bible  to  “UNCONDITIONAL LOVE” – We LOVE Everyone regardless of Religion, Race, Color, Creed, National Orgin, Sexual Orientation…   

– What about the Homosexual couple that’s been visiting the Church ? –  “Sure, Welcome them on in. They are very        Talented and  Love to Serve – I think they would make Great Deacons.. Church Leaders… Pastors ”   

 People rarely FALL FAR.

–Israel did NOT fall from Revival –to- Paganism in a Single Step.

-Back in the 70’s, The SBC did NOT go from Conservative Christianity to Liberal Seminaries in a few weeks.

-Husbands rarely FALL from Happily Married to Adultery in a Single Bound.

It’s Usually a SLIPPERY SLOPE of Little Sins. 

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BACK to the Women Pastors –vs- Scriptures that Forbid it. 

The Problem with all these Liberal Views of Scripture –  They treat the Bible like a Buffet Line at a Restaurant – where we Pick &   Choose our Scriptures – We take what we want and Leave the Rest.

-Reject the MALE Leadership Scriptures – and Pick the One that says we are all ONE in Christ.

-Reject the Scriptures against ADULTERY & HOMOSEXUALITY – and Pick a verse about LOVE

-Reject the verses about HELL -& choose verses that we can retranslate to say that everyone is going to HEAVEN 

-Reject the verses that say Jesus is the ONLY Way – and say Jesus is the BEST Way – But Even that sounds so Arrogant so we  Settle for PLURALISM : God reveals  “Him/Her” self to us in Many Ways

 Once we have Finished SLICING & DICING the Bible –

We are Left EMPTY – What difference does the Bible Make?  

                If the Bible is NOT True – then we have nothing to Believe in 

                                Why Bother Sending Missionaries – IF Everyone is going to Heaven anyway ??   

                                                Why Bother Going to Church if there is NO such thing as Sin, Hell ??  

                                                                Why Not just Eat, Drink, and Be Merry – for Tommorrow we might Die ??  

And THAT’s why Christianity is in DECLINE in the USA.  And that’s why the USA is In DECLINE.

GOOD NEWS !!

There IS a personal GOD and His name is JESUS CHRIST

*He DID Live on this Earth- Part of history, UnDeniable – We count our YEARS from His BIRTH – (2011 since WHAT?)  

*He Lived and Died and ROSE Again– Jesus is the ONLY Religious Leader to ever pull that Off.

*And He Told us there IS an AFTERLIFE    – there is a HEAVEN to Gain & a HELL to Shun

*And He ALSO told us that HE is the WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE – the Only way to the Father – the Only way to Heaven – There is SALVATION in NO OTHER NAME.

*And tho He offers us a Personal RELATIONSHIP with Him –  There are SOME RULES to that Relationship      

            That’s why He says  “If you Love Me, keep My Commandments”

*And If you Want some More Information about all this – Open the BIBLE – which Jesus Claims is the TRUTH

            It’s the INSPIRED, INFALLIBLE, INERRANT WORD of GOD

And the LORD Finished His Thought about the Bible in the

      Last Book of the Bible – where He said –  Rev 22:18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;  19  and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part  from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

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In Conclusion – The Ground is Level at the Foot of the Cross

Gal 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  28 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. 

We ALL have Equal Access to God the Father – NOBODY is BETTER  than ANYBODY ELSE … in Christ… in the family of GOD.

And Apparently when we get to Heaven – there will be NO differences – Mat 22:30 “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.

 BUT for WHATEVER REASON – God has chosen since the Beginning of Creation –    that Men & Women have Different ROLES in our time on Earth – From Genesis – the Lord commanded MEN to be the LEADERs in their homes,       places of worship, communities, and nations. 

And it’s NOT just WOMEN that are “Discriminated against” in Leadership – NOT Every MAN – can be the Leader in the various Societal Groups that we find ourselves in.   Psa 75:7 But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another.

 EVEN in the CHURCH – We are ALL Equal in Essence and Access to the LORD – But have different Roles, Gifts, Abilities — 1Cor 12: 11 the… Spirit [of God]  works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

 WHY did GOD do it THIS WAY?  I don’t KNOW –   -But Since God is Sovereign  –it means He doesn’t have to explain Himself to me   –which doesn’t seem to satisfy us American’s – who think we have the Right to Vote and give our opinion  on everything.