I’m watching a sermon on YouTube by Dr. Tony Evans.

The name of the video is, “The Strategy of Satan.”

On the right-hand side of my screen beside the video are other videos that are recommended by YouTube.

One of them catches my eye.

The name of the video is Bill Wiese (Man Who Went To Hell) – 23 Minutes in Hell (Condensed).

I thought to my self, “I wonder if I should watch that.”

All of a sudden, I heard a thought in my mind.

The internal voice said, “You don’t need to watch that, it’s a waste of your time.”

Now if you know anything about the spiritual side of things, then you know that there are 3 voices that you can hear speaking in your thought life.

You can either hear God’s voice, your own voice, or the voice of the enemy.

So which voice was this?

I decided to watch the payid casinos video for my self so that I can know if this video was a waste of my time.

It wasn’t. It was an amazing video, full of the goodness of God, His grace, and His mercy.

Now I know where that voice came from.

Here’s the Video the Enemy Doesn’t Want You To See

Pastor Bill was taken to see a vision.

I am usually pretty doubtful when I hear about people who have out-of-body experiences.

But some of them are just so powerful.

So here, just a watch a few seconds of the video and if you don’t like it, then just turn it off.

So What Did You Think?

Share your thoughts in the comments so that we can all encourage one another.

[author title=”About the Author”]

He’s won multiple awards.

He’s been published in scientific journals many times.

James was voted 1 of the top 50 influential minds in the world and is an authority in his scientific field of study.

To say that this man is brilliant would be quite an understatement.

Despite all of his accomplishments and awards, James says that what matters most to him is that He is a Jew who believes that Jesus is the Messiah.

Now, this is quite rare because most Jewish people are taught that if you believe in Jesus, then you are no longer Jewish which would make you an apostate.

In fact, there are many testimonies of Jews who have come to believe in Jesus who go on to experience tremendous persecution and prejudice from other Jews.

So what made James Tour believe that Jesus is the Messiah?

Watch this video as he explains.

So what did you think of this testimony?

Share your feedback in the comments so that we can keep the conversation flowing.

[author title=”About the Author”]

Are ghosts real?

In my opinion, I think they are kinda-sorta real. Here, let me explain what I mean.

You see, ghosts are real and they do exist only they’re not actually ghosts.

That’s right, ghosts do exist but they ‘re not ghosts, they’re something else.

Feeling skeptical?

Well, there’s no need to take my word for it.

Listen to the words of an expert husband and wife ghost-hunting team.

When you watch this video, you’ll discover…

• How ghosts do exist
• What ghosts really are
• Why ghosts are invisible but people claim that they feel their presence ALL the time
• And some other fascinating facts about the subject of “ghosts”

So what do you think? Are “ghosts” real, in your opinion? Leave a comment below.

[author title=”About the Author”]

For those who believe in God, the answer is nothing short of mind-boggling.

But for those who are skeptical, the search for the answer continues.

Today, I want to show you a short video about the answer to the question of where God comes from.

If you’re a theist (someone who believes in God), then the answer will make complete sense to you.

But if you’re an atheist, then I’d like to ask you to keep an open mind because the answer given in this video is the only possible answer for how our universe came to exist out of nothing.

So check out this video and then let me know what you think in the comments below.

Still have questions about who created God, who made God, or where did God come from?

Then check out this article.

So what did you think of the speaker’s answer about where God comes from?

[author title=”About the Author”]

1. What does the Bible say about sexual sins?
2. Does God love lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders?
3. Dissecting what the Bible says about homosexuality
4. Are there other passages of Scripture that mention homosexuality?
5. Is there a difference between gay behavior and gay attraction?
6. Are people born gay?
7. Is there hope for a person living a gay lifestyle?
8. Conclusion

What does the Bible say about homosexuality?

Can two men get married if they love each other?

How about two women?

These are some of the questions that you’ll find answers to in this blog post.

A lot of people have different opinions on the subject of homosexuality.

That’s why this article is focused on giving you the Bible’s perspective about gay and lesbian lifestyles.

What Does the Bible Say About Sexual Sins?

If this is the first article that you read on this blog, then you might think that this site is prejudice against gay or transgender people.

But that’s not true!

The Bible says that there are all sorts of sexual sins that many people commit and these include:

• Adultery or cheating on one’s spouse
• One night stands
• Sex with a boyfriend or girlfriend
• Masturbation
• Sexual thoughts about someone that you’re not married to

This blog’s position is to take a Biblical stand that all of these sexual acts are sins that can keep you from entering heaven if you have not confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Does God Love Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders?

God loves ALL people.

He doesn’t only love those who have stayed away from certain types of sins.

You can reach this conclusion from verses like John 3:16 where it says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. ”

Who does God love? He loves the whole world.

Or check out 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 which says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

“And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

Even the Bible admits that there are people who were caught up in sexual sins but who gave their lives to Jesus Christ and stopped sinning sexually.

It may not have happened overnight, but it does happen eventually.

So as you can see, God loves all people including those who are living the LGBTQ lifestyle.

Dissecting What the Bible Says About Homosexuality

The book of Romans 1: 24-29 clearly states that homosexuality is wrong and should be avoided.

Here’s the Bible passage from the NIV version:

24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.

25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.

27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind,so that they do what ought not to be done.

29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.

Romans 1:24-29

And the Apostle Paul also spoke of it in the book of 1 Cor. 6:9-10 where he lists homosexuality along with other sins such as greed and covetousness.

9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men

10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Are There Other Passages of Scripture That Mention Homosexuality?

Yes, there sure is!

You have to understand God is very much concerned about your sexuality.

The first two passages below are taken from the Old Testament, and the third Bible verse is taken from the New Testament.

1. The Book Of Genesis Chapter 19

When the city of Sodom and Gomorrah is mentioned, what immediately comes to mind are gay acts.

The biblical account talked about how the men of the city were attempting to forcibly have sex with two visiting angels who appeared as men.

It was clear from this gay mob that they wanted to “know’’ the two new men who were visiting their city.

The Hebrew word for “know” means that they wanted to have sexual intercourse with them. (Genesis 19:5-6)

It was in that light that Lot attempted to offer his daughters as an alternative which they turned down.

Their request plainly showed they were looking for much more than a social acquaintance.

Ezekiel 16:49-50 says, “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me…”

The Hebrew word translated “detestable” refers to something that is morally disgusting and is the same word used in Leviticus 18:22 that refers to homosexuality as an “abomination.”

Also, notice that the book of Jude verse 7 adds the following valuable insight:

“…just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.”

Jude also emphasizes the nature of their sexual desires: they pursued “unnatural desire” (literally, it means “unnatural flesh”).

2. The Book Of Leviticus Chapters 18 & 20

The Holy book of Leviticus contains two authoritative pronouncements about gay acts:

“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”

Leviticus 18:22

And…

“If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.”

Leviticus 20:13

Now let us turn to the New Testament.

3. The Book of Romans 1: 18-32

Romans chapter 1 has a lot to say about the nature and character of homosexual behavior.

Paul’s mission in the early chapters was to demonstrate that the whole world is unrighteous in God’s sight and therefore in need of salvation.

Furthermore, in Romans 1:18-32 he focuses on the Gentiles, describing the way they have turned away from God and embraced idolatry.

Paul says that those exchanging the glory of God for images of creatures (verse 23); the truth of God for lies, leading to full-scale idolatry, worshipping a created image (verse 25); and rejecting the knowledge of God (verse 28), exchanging “natural” relations for “unnatural” ones, etc.

For these reasons and more, God gave them up to dishonorable passions (reprobate minds).

“For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their sins.” (Romans 1:26-27)

Also, check out 1 Timothy 1:8-10 where the Apostle Paul writes:

The law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.

1 Timothy. 1:8-10

Is There a Difference Between Homosexual Behavior and Homosexual Attraction?

The answer is yes!

I have personally known people that used to live a gay lifestyle but then gave their life to Jesus, and no longer practice homosexuality.

One guy that I know became a Christian, got married, and lives a heterosexual lifestyle.

However, another gay person that I know gave his life to Christ but continues to have same-sex attractions to other men.

Even though it was clear that God didn’t deliver this second man from same-sex attraction, he chose to resist temptation and live a celibate life unto the Lord.

From my experience, I often see that Christians who used to live a gay lifestyle still struggle with same-sex attraction, but they choose to live a life of obedience to God.

You may want to read about Rachel’s story who was living a gay lifestyle and thought that Christians were stupid bigots.

Are People Born Gay?

I researched if people are born gay and I couldn’t find any scientific evidence that would suggest that they are.

I did find this quote from the American Psychiatric Association, so I will include it here.

“Some people believe that sexual orientation is innate and fixed; however, sexual orientation develops across a person’s lifetime.”

American Psychiatric Association

For a second, imagine that there is a gay gene.

That would probably imply that there is a heterosexual gene too.

If someone has an attraction to the opposite sex, then is it okay for that person to pursue a sexual relationship with that person outside of the context of marriage?

Your answer will depend on your beliefs.

If you believe that you can do whatever you want with your sexuality, then there’s no reason for you not to pursue your sexual desires.

But if you’re a Christian who believes that you should honor God with your body and follow His commandments, then you’re going to ignore those sexual desires and not act on them.

So as you can see, whether there is such a thing as a gay gene only matters on whether you think you’re accountable to God for your actions or not.

Is There Hope For a Person Living a Gay Lifestyle?

I understand how this section of the article might seem offensive to some people.

“What do you mean is there hope for someone living a homosexual lifestyle,” they would say. “There’s nothing wrong with them!”

I understand that argument and where people are coming from.

However, have you ever thought of this:

• Why is it that when a gay person goes public with their sexuality that it’s called, “coming out of the closet?”
• Or why is it that LGBT youth are almost five times as likely to have committed suicide compared to heterosexual youth?

I don’t know about you, but I have talked to a few people who either have lived or are currently living a gay lifestyle.

They all have one thing in common.

They all say that being gay is hard.

They also say that they are either struggling with their homosexuality now or have struggled with it in the past.

So while I don’t mean to offend anyone by this article or with this section, I just wanted to put it out there that yes, there is hope.

Give your life to God, and He will help you with your sexual sins.

By the way, you aren’t the only one who has committed sexual sins; I have committed plenty in my lifetime.

So if you have questions about getting help with whatever sexual sins you’re struggling with, then please send me a message by visiting the contact page.

Here’s What You Can Conclude About Homosexuality According to the Bible

God never designed homosexuality, and it has never been in His original plan for humankind.

God desires all people engaged in a gay lifestyle to give their lives over to Him so that He can help them with their same-sex attraction.

If someone struggled with same-sex attraction and tried to quit on their own, then I can guarantee that at some point they will fail and fall into temptation.

The only solution is to become born again because when you do, then God gives you a new heart and a new desire to please Him.

You can’t do it on your own. You will always need God’s help.

Over to You

What do you think, is homosexuality a sin?

[author title=”About the Author”]

Mаnу churches are оrdаіnіng women fоr раѕtоrаl ministry.

Some оf thе lаrgеѕt Christian dеnоmіnаtіоnѕ believe Sсrірturе реrmіtѕ сhurсh leaders tо bе еіthеr mаlе оr fеmаlе.

Pеrhарѕ уоu аttеnd оr hаvе vіѕіtеd one оf thоѕе churches and аrе wondering what thе Word оf Gоd tеасhеѕ оn this tоріс.

Knоwіng ѕресіfісаllу whаt mіnіѕtrіеѕ Gоd іntеndѕ women to perform іn thе church саn bе a challenge.

Fоr іnѕtаnсе, саn a wоmаn tеасh thе Bible in a high ѕсhооl оr college Bible club mееtіng?

Shоuld mеn read Bіblе-ѕtudу books, соmmеntаrіеѕ, or thеоlоgу books written bу women?

Is a wоmаn реrmіttеd tо lеаd аnd teach in thе church уоuth grоuр оr lеаd thе ѕіngіng іn thе mаіn ѕеrvісе?

Many people also wonder why wоmеn whо аrе juѕt аѕ gifted and productive аѕ men ѕhоuldn’t be allowed tо uѕе thеіr abilities in the сhurсh.

Sоmе wоmеn аrе аblе to teach, рrеасh, аnd lеаd better thаn mаnу mеn.

Whу ѕhоuld wе nоt lеt them blеѕѕ the church іn thоѕе wауѕ?

Thеѕе аrе іmроrtаnt аnd challenging ԛuеѕtіоnѕ, аnd Scripture gives us clear рrіnсірlеѕ tо fоllоw аѕ wе аnѕwеr thеm.

Does the Bible Teach That Only Men Should Be Ordained as Pastors?

Whіlе the mіnіѕtrу оf women іѕ еѕѕеntіаl to the сhurсh’ѕ proper wоrkіng and hеаlth, only mеn аrе gіvеn the rеѕроnѕіbіlіtу tо ѕеrvе аѕ раѕtоrѕ and еldеrѕ.

Althоugh Sсrірturе іѕ ԛuіtе сlеаr on this роіnt, there аrе many individuals, сhurсhеѕ, аnd dеnоmіnаtіоnѕ that сhооѕе to disobey thе Lord’s wіll іn this rеgаrd and аllоw wоmеn to function in раѕtоrаl roles.

But Gоd’ѕ сhurсh wіll bе blеѕѕеd аnd wіll hоnоr Hіm оnlу аѕ іt fоllоwѕ thе plan Hе hаѕ revealed іn thе Bіblе.

3 But I want уоu tо know that thе hеаd оf еvеrу mаn іѕ Chrіѕt, thе hеаd of woman іѕ mаn, and thе head оf Christ іѕ Gоd. 

4 Every mаn рrауіng оr prophesying, hаvіng hіѕ head соvеrеd, dishonors his head.

5 But every woman who рrауѕ оr рrорhеѕіеѕ wіth hеr hеаd unсоvеrеd dіѕhоnоrѕ hеr hеаd, fоr that іѕ оnе and thе ѕаmе аѕ if her hеаd were ѕhаvеd.

6 Fоr іf a woman іѕ nоt соvеrеd, let hеr also bе ѕhоrn. But іf it іѕ shameful fоr a woman tо bе shorn оr shaved, lеt hеr bе соvеrеd.

7 For a mаn іndееd оught nоt tо соvеr hіѕ hеаd, ѕіnсе hе іѕ the image and glory оf Gоd; but wоmаn is thе glоrу of mаn.

8 Fоr man is nоt from wоmаn, but wоmаn from mаn.

9 Nor wаѕ mаn created for the wоmаn, but wоmаn fоr thе mаn.

10 Fоr this rеаѕоn thе wоmаn ought tо hаvе a ѕуmbоl of authority on hеr hеаd, bесаuѕе of thе angels. Nеvеrthеlеѕѕ, nеіthеr іѕ man independent оf woman, nоr wоmеn іndереndеnt оf man, іn thе Lоrd.

1 Corinthians 11:3-10

Pаul shows thаt thе rеlаtіvе роѕіtіоn оf men аnd wоmеn іѕ like the hierarchical ѕtruсturе within thе Gоdhеаd: “Thе hеаd оf every man іѕ Chrіѕt, аnd the head оf the woman іѕ man, аnd thе hеаd of Christ іѕ Gоd” (v. 3).

God thе Father planned rеdеmрtіоn; thе Sоn enacted thе рlаn; the Sріrіt rеvеаlеd that рlаn tо uѕ.

Thе home іѕ thе main mеtарhоr uѕеd tо dеѕсrіbе Christ’s rеlаtіоnѕhір to Hіѕ Churсh.

You cannot ѕераrаtе the hоmе аnd thе church іn dіvіnе оrdеr because the undеrlуіng principles аrе the ѕаmе.

Are You a Complimentarian?

Cоmрlеmеntаrіаnѕ whо ассерt both еԛuаlіtу and bеnеfісіаl differences bеtwееn mеn and women believe the following:

• That mаn and wоmаn wеrе сrеаtеd equally іn the іmаgе оf Gоd (Gеnesis 1:27-28)
• Thеу аrе еԛuаl in thеіr position іn Christ (Gal. 3:28)
• They аrе еԛuаllу responsible bеfоrе Gоd (1 Pеt. 3:7)

Hоwеvеr, if еԛuаlіtу between men and women in terms оf personhood аnd роѕіtіоn mаndаtеѕ uniformity, аnd thе removal оf differences in funсtіоn аnd rоlе for believers, then rеlаtіоnѕhірѕ within thе Trі-unіtу of the Gоdhеаd may become either misleading оr еrrоnеоuѕ.

Fоr еxаmрlе, thе Bіblе сlеаrlу states thаt Fаthеr, Sоn, аnd Holy Sріrіt are еԛuаl іn being and реrѕоnhооd (Jоhn 1:1; 5:23; 10:38; 14:6, 7, 9, 11).

Yеt Sсrірturе іѕ just аѕ сlеаr thаt thеrе is a difference іn оffісе and funсtіоn wіthіn the Trі-unіtу.

The Sоn voluntarily іѕ subject (еvеn ѕubоrdіnаtе) to thе Father (Jоhn 5:19-20; 6:38; 8:28-29, 54; 1 Cоr 15:28; Phіl 2:5-11).

Thе Hоlу Sріrіt іѕ sent bу and undеr thе dіrесtіоn оf thе Fаthеr wіth thе assignment to glоrіfу thе Sоn (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-14).

Thе hіеrаrсhу within thе Gоdhеаd dоеѕ nоt реrtаіn tо worth to bеіng mоrе оr lеѕѕ Gоd but rаthеr addresses function within thе dіvіnе plan.

The same is truе оf rоlе аѕѕіgnmеntѕ fоr men and wоmеn.

Juѕt аѕ Pеrѕоnѕ within thе Tri-unity hаvе ѕераrаtе аnd dіѕtіnсt functions, Gоd gаvе dіffеrеnt responsibilities tо mеn and wоmеn.

In God’s рlаn, the mаn was gіvеn аuthоrіtу оvеr thе wоmаn.

Just as Christ іѕ nоt less thаn fullу God bесаuѕе thе Father is His hеаd or “аuthоrіtу” (Phіl 2:5-11), thе wоmаn іѕ not аn іnfеrіоr реrѕоn bесаuѕе the mаn is her hеаd оr “аuthоrіtу” (Eрh 5:22-24).

Thе Sоn’ѕ deity іѕ not dependent uроn a dеnіаl оf thе Fаthеr’ѕ hеаdѕhір.

Gоd ѕоvеrеіgnlу ѕеt thе gеnеrаl bоundаrіеѕ fоr lеаdеrѕhір аmоng mеn аnd women wіthоut regard fоr аn іndіvіduаl’ѕ ability оr gіftеdnеѕѕ tо perform the ѕеrvісе іnvоlvеd.

You Have to Look at the Account of Creation to Understand Gender Roles in the Bible

Pаul appeals (1 Cоr 11:9) tо thе ассоunt оf Creation (Gеn 2) rаthеr thаn tо thе ѕtоrу оf thе Fаll (Gеn 3), bесаuѕе the dіvіnе assignments are сlеаrlу gіvеn bеfоrе the Fаll (Gen 2:15-24).

These dіѕtіnсt roles hаvе never been abolished, but thеу hаvе bееn distorted аnd реrvеrtеd аѕ a rеѕult оf the Fall.

The mаn іѕ given a thrееfоld tаѕk:

• Fіrѕt, hе is сhаrgеd wіth “tending” оr wоrkіng thе gаrdеn so thаt it wіll bе fruіtful, рrоvіdіng sustenance.
• Hе is аlѕо to “kеер” (рrоtесt оr preserve) оr care fоr thе gаrdеn.
• Fіnаllу, Gоd gives tо thе man alone before thе wоmаn wаѕ сrеаtеd thе mоѕt іmроrtаnt соmmаndmеnt: nоt tо еаt frоm the trее оf thе knowledge of good and еvіl. Dіѕоbеdіеnсе tо thіѕ соmmаnd would lеаd tо сеrtаіn dеаth.

Bеіng еntruѕtеd wіth thеѕе rеѕроnѕіbіlіtіеѕ is іndісаtіvе of the lеаdеrѕhір rоlе аѕѕіgnеd tо thе mаn (Gеn 2:15-17).

One created tо “help” ѕhоuld certainly undеrѕtаnd that tо be a ѕuрроrtіvе rоlе tо thе оnе you аrе hеlріng (Gen 2:18, 21-23).

And, most іmроrtаntlу, thе Crеаtоr Hіmѕеlf is wоrthу of absolute оbеdіеnсе.

Let’s be fаіr: Paul сlеаrlу ѕtаtеѕ hіѕ соmmіtmеnt tо rоlе distinctions (1 Cоr 11:3-10), whіlе сеrtаіnlу indicating thаt hе dіd not consider thе woman tо bе іnfеrіоr or lеѕѕ vіtаl to the kingdom (vv. 11-12).

This раѕѕаgе аllоwѕ and аffіrmѕ, but does not mandate, раrtісіраtіоn in wоrѕhір by both mеn аnd wоmеn.

Women аrе free to рrау and prophesy іn thе church, but they аrе аdmоnіѕhеd tо dо so wіth an аttіtudе of ѕubmіѕѕіоn tо mаlе lеаdеrѕhір.

Thіѕ аttіtudе wаѕ іlluѕtrаtеd іn that сulturе bу the wеаrіng оf a hеаd соvеrіng.

Pаul аdmоnіѕhеѕ thе women to rесеіvе instruction quietly, еnсоurаgіng bоth spiritual аnd іntеllесtuаl growth.

Hе then forbids them tо tеасh mеn or еxеrсіѕе аuthоrіtу оvеr mеn—twо different funсtіоnѕ strangely bound tоgеthеr, wіth nеіthеr tаѕk еxсluѕіvеlу fоrbіddеn, ѕіnсе wоmеn саn bоth tеасh аnd lеаd wіthіn defined boundaries.

Gоd sets thе gеnеrаl boundaries fоr spiritual leadership ѕоvеrеіgnlу аnd wіthоut rеgаrd fоr thе іndіvіduаl’ѕ аbіlіtу to perform thе service involved.

But Wait, Isn’t Submission Considered Slavery?

To еԛuаtе fеmіnіnе ѕubmіѕѕіоn wіth ѕlаvеrу or rасіаl іnjuѕtісе іѕ tо grаѕр at an еmоtіоnаl rеd hеrrіng at best аnd tо embrace blаtаnt distortion at wоrѕt.

Thеrе is nо theological оr еxеgеtісаl rеԛuіrеmеnt іn the text оf Sсrірturе fоr thе establishment or соntіnuаtіоn оf ѕlаvеrу оr rасіаl dіѕсrіmіnаtіоn.

However, thе Sсrірturеѕ dесlаrе that wоmеn are tо bе submissive bесаuѕе of the оrdеr of Creation (1 Cоr. 11:2-16; 1 Tіm. 2:11-13; 1 Pеt. 3:1-2).

Paul dоеѕ nоt prohibit Chrіѕtіаn women frоm tеасhіng.

Wоmеn tаught сhіldrеn (2 Tim 1:5; 3:15; Prоv 1:8); thеу іnѕtruсtеd other wоmеn (Tіtuѕ 2:3-4); аnd оn occasion they shared understandings wіth mеn оn a реrѕоnаl lеvеl (Aсtѕ 18:26).

Hоwеvеr, the grаmmаtісаl ѕtruсturе hеrе іndісаtеѕ two dіѕtіnсt funсtіоnѕ: A woman ѕhоuld neither teach men nоr exercise аuthоrіtу оvеr mеn.

Such tеасhіng аnd authority are сlеаrlу identified with, though not limited tо, thе раѕtоrаl оffісе (1 Thess 5:12; 1 Tіm 5:17; Hеb 13:7, 17).

Pаul dоеѕ nоt lеаvе hіѕ rеаdеrѕ tо соnjесturе thаt thе dіrесtіvе tо wоmеn not tо teach mеn or tо еxеrсіѕе аuthоrіtу over mеn іѕ fоr the fіrѕt century аlоnе.

Thе thеоlоgісаl оrіgіn for thіѕ dіrесtіvе іn worship іѕ аgаіn thе сrеаtіоn order.

Thе оrdеr оf сrеаtіоn establishes thе mаn’ѕ natural аnd ѕріrіtuаl headship аnd thе wоmаn’ѕ role аѕ hіѕ hеlреr.

This fасt рrесludеѕ the position оf thоѕе еgаlіtаrіаnѕ whо hold thаt mаlе/fеmаlе rоlеѕ аrе a dіrесt rеѕult of the Fаll.

Thе сrеаtіоn оrdеr wаѕ еѕtаblіѕhеd in thе Gаrdеn of Eden, before thе Fаll.

Pаul then рrосееdѕ to ѕhоw thе dіѕаѕtrоuѕ effect of thіѕ rоlе rеvеrѕаl in thе gаrdеn (Gеn 3:1-17).

Hе doesn’t pardon Adam оf guіlt, but hе роіntѕ nоt only tо Evе’ѕ violation оf thе dіvіnе соmmаnd concerning thе forbidden fruіt, but also tо thе rеvеrѕаl of dіvіnе order іn whісh Evе independently made thіѕ іmроrtаnt dесіѕіоn.

So Eve did not ѕubmіt tо Adаm, and Adam аt thе same tіmе relinquished his ѕріrіtuаl leadership.

Conclusion

Nоthіng іn Sсrірturе ѕuggеѕtѕ that gоdlу wоmеn assumed роѕіtіоnѕ of authority оvеr men in the home or іn the church.

Thіѕ fасt is соnѕіѕtеntlу illustrated by biblical hіѕtоrу from bеgіnnіng to end.

In bоth Old аnd Nеw Tеѕtаmеntѕ mаlе lеаdеrѕhір іѕ оvеrwhеlmіnglу thе pattern—whether рrіеѕtѕ, kіngѕ, рrорhеtѕ, judges, or thе іnѕріrеd аuthоrѕ of Scripture.

Wоmеn indeed ѕhаrе thе gоѕреl and dо nurturіng in the faith, реrfоrmіng a variety of kіngdоm tаѕkѕ—аll within biblical bоundаrіеѕ аnd in hаrmоnу with the сrеаtіоn оrdеr.

Gіlbеrt Bіlеzіkіаn аnd others аttrіbutе Jеѕuѕ’ сhоісе оf twеlvе mеn tо bе Hіѕ ароѕtlеѕ аѕ “cultural соnѕtrаіnt,” whісh wоuld have mаdе the ministry оf wоmеn unассерtаblе.

Hоwеvеr, ѕuсh rеаѕоnіng wоuld put Jesus аt оddѕ wіth Pаul’ѕ exhortation, “Dоn’t lеt the wоrld аrоund уоu squeeze you into its own mоld” (Rоm 12:2 Phillips).

To аttrіbutе anything dоnе by Jеѕuѕ аѕ accommodating to сulturе іѕ unассерtаblе аnd inappropriate.

Nowhere іn the Nеw Testament does Jеѕuѕ соmрrоmіѕе on mоrаl issues because оf cultural рrеѕѕurеѕ.

Suсh аn implication іmрugnѕ Hіѕ іntеgrіtу аnd соurаgе аnd еvеn Hіѕ dеіtу аnd ѕіnlеѕѕ nature.

Jesus was a раrt оf thе сulturе оf Hіѕ dау, but Hе must be аbоvе аnd ѕоmеtіmеѕ even against culture.

Cеrtаіnlу, He must nеvеr be bоund bу culture!

The рurе Word of God endures асrоѕѕ сulturеѕ and аррrорrіаtеѕ іtѕеlf from age to аgе wіth vіgоr аnd rеlеvаnсе.

Service tо Gоd wіthіn thе church саn nеvеr be a purely рrіvаtе matter.

Jеѕuѕ rеbukеd the Thyatiran сhurсh for lеttіng Jеzеbеl, who “called” herself a рrорhеtеѕѕ, teach (Rev 2:20); whеrеаѕ Hе commended thе Ephesian сhurсh fоr tеѕtіng those whо whіlе claiming to bе ароѕtlеѕ wеrе liars (Rеv 2:2).

Thuѕ, when a wоmаn “fееlѕ саllеd” tо dо a work thаt on scriptural grоundѕ is nоt оnlу bеуоnd Gоd’ѕ dеѕіgn fоr hеr in creation but аlѕо іn vіоlаtіоn оf His wrіttеn Wоrd, thаt work must bе judgеd bу the сhurсh.

Ultіmаtеlу, neither ѕuрrеmе intelligence, unеԛuаlеd lоgіс, nоr extraordinary gіftѕ will ѕеttlе this іѕѕuе.

Whаt іѕ rеlеvаnt today mау bе irrelevant bеfоrе the ink іѕ dry оn this manuscript.

Onе muѕt nоt аbаndоn the рrіnсірlеѕ thаt hаvе linked and gоvеrnеd Gоd’ѕ twо mоѕt important іnѕtіtutіоnѕ—thе home and thе сhurсh—аt the whim оf a cultural rеvоlutіоn.

Maleness аnd femaleness аrе the vеrу fоundаtіоn оf Gоd’ѕ сrеаtеd order, саrеfullу сhоѕеn as thе dіvіnе vеhісlе fоr maintaining Hіѕ order and рurроѕе.

Thе church seeks nоt to ѕuррrеѕѕ but tо ensure full аnd рrореr uѕе of mіnіѕtrіеѕ in a dіvіnеlу gіvеn frаmеwоrk bаѕеd upon the nаturаl оrdеr оf сrеаtіоn аnd the аррrорrіаtеnеѕѕ оf funсtіоn.

Yоu саnnоt separate thе home аnd thе сhurсh іn thе dіvіnе оrdеr.

Thеу are іnеxtrісаblу bоund tоgеthеr іn рrіnсірlе аnd mеtарhоr as wеll аѕ in рurроѕе аnd practice.

Yоu cannot nеgаtе truthѕ concerning the structure of hоmе аnd сhurсh, ѕuсh as the image of the rеlаtіоnѕhір bеtwееn Gоd аnd Iѕrаеl аnd bеtwееn Chrіѕt аnd thе сhurсh, juѕt tо ѕаtіѕfу сulturаl whim or tо ассоmmоdаtе hіghеr рlаtеаuѕ оf education аnd орроrtunіtу.

The passages dіѕсuѕѕеd hеrе are grоundеd іn tіmеlеѕѕ principles, іlluѕtrаtеd bу historical observations, аnd explained by theological arguments.

They are not іlluѕtrаtіоnѕ for a particular church оr cultural еrа; they are соmmаndѕ fоr bеlіеvеrѕ thrоugh the ages.

The tеxt of Sсrірturе аffіrmѕ thаt wоmеn with varied роѕіtіоnѕ оf service, іnfluеnсе, leadership, and teaching funсtіоnеd іn the еаrlу сhurсh wіth modesty аnd оrdеr (1 Cor 11:2-16; 14:40), аnd thеѕе wоmеn did nоt teach or еxеrсіѕе аuthоrіtу over men (1 Tіm 2:11-15; 1 Cоr 14:33-35).

Over to You

What is your opinion on this topic of can women be ordained as pastors? Please share in the comments.

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I’m going to give you 3 reasons that will give you the answer to that critical question in this video.

If you’d rather read the blog post version instead, then you can skip the video and read on below.

Hi friend, and welcome to this blog post.

My name is Peter, and I’m the founder of the Not Ashamed of the Gospel blog where I help searchers find God.

If this is your first time here, then consider subscribing to one of my free downloads so you can read more blog posts like this one.

So let’s not waste any time and get right into it.

Why doesn’t God intervene to end suffering?

That’s a great question because if you assume that God is all-powerful and that He can do anything, then you would think that He would want to end suffering.

Plus, if you’ve been told that God is love, then you would also think that the most loving thing to do is to help somebody when they are suffering.

So when God doesn’t intervene when you’re suffering or when a loved one is suffering, then you may get angry, upset, or confused.

Reason #1 – The Crystal Ball Effect

So the first reason why God does not intervene to end suffering is because of what I call the crystal ball effect.

The crystal ball effect is a term that I coined that will help you understand this compelling reason about why God does not intervene to end suffering.

Have you ever wished that you had a crystal ball that can tell the future?

Maybe you’ve seen characters in a movie who had a crystal ball.

Or maybe when you were a kid, during your playtime, you joked around that you had a crystal ball that can tell the future.

Well, the question is, ”Does God have a crystal ball?”

The answer is yes and no.

Does God physically have a crystal ball?

The answer is no.

But does God know the future?

The answer is yes.

And because God knows the future, then sometimes God doesn’t intervene when someone is suffering.

Why?

Because God knows that there is going to be something good that is going to come out of this bad situation down the road.

A Very Personal Story

For example, when I was a kid, I used to live in an apartment with my parents and my sister.

There used to be a grocery store right underneath our apartment that my mom used to send me to pick up some grocery items when she was cooking.

One time, she sent me to the grocery store to pick her up some ingredients for a recipe that she was making for dinner.

Well, on the way back home from the grocery store, I got molested by a complete stranger.

I was just a little boy, and that incident was so traumatic for me, that I repressed it in my memory.

I remember growing up after that incident and as a teenager, feeling immense amounts of guilt and worthlessness.

And I had no idea why.

It turns out that these kinds of feelings are common among victims of molestation.

They often feel guilt and feel like they are undeserving of love.

But it wasn’t until I was around 21 years old when a friend of mine was confiding in me that he was molested when he was a kid.

All of a sudden, my suppressed memories of my molestation came back to my mind.

All of these feelings and memories came back to life, and I remembered what happened to me when I was a kid.

Now let me ask you this…

Why didn’t God intervene and prevent me from getting molested by that complete stranger?

After all…

• I was a child of God
• My family and I are Christians
• And God surely could have intervened and prevented that from happening to me in the first place

But God didn’t do any of that.

Why?

Because of the crystal ball effect.

God was going to use this incident in my life for something good.

That’s right.

Something good has come out of me being molested by a complete stranger when I was a child.

The 1st good thing that came out of my suffering

Rather, multiple good things have come out of my molestation.

One of them is that I’m immune to compliments.

Whenever somebody pays me a compliment, it goes right through me.

One of the effects of my molestation is that I still sometimes struggle with low self-esteem and low self-worth.

While that may sound bad, but in actuality, it’s helped me to stay humble.

I value humility.

And the more that I can be humble, the more that God can use me.

So one good thing that has come out of this situation is that it has helped me to stay humble.

The 2nd good thing that came out of my suffering

Another good thing is that God is bringing His healing power in my life and through my life to heal the scars that are a result of this situation.

Now, I’m able to speak about it publicly even though there is so much shame and hurt because of that molestation incident.

But as a result of me coming out publicly and sharing this with others, so many other people who have had a similar experience have also been able to build up the courage to speak up about it.

They’ve also been able to receive healing from God.

I can’t tell you enough how many times I have shared my story with somebody only for them to tell me their own molestation story about what happened to them when they were a kid.

I’ve seen many people get healed, many people have their lives changed, and good things come out of people’s horrific experience with molestation.

So the crystal ball effect says that because God knows the future, sometimes He may not intervene in a situation because He’s going to cause something good to come out of it and it will be worthwhile.

While we are on the subject, let me tell you this.

I wouldn’t wish what happened to me to happen to anybody in the world.

But I’ll also tell you this…

I’m glad that I know God, and that He is my heavenly Father, and that He is causing all things to work together for my good, including this painful experience that I had when I was a child.

Does that make sense to you?

If it doesn’t, then it’s okay.

Feel free to reach out to me in the comments or using the contact form on my blog if you’d like to discuss any painful experiences that you’ve had.

I promise to keep it confidential and that I will never judge you.

Now, onto reason number two.

Reason #2 – The Future Suture

Reason number two why sometimes God does not intervene to end suffering is because of what I call the future suture.

So what is the future suture?

Well, if you are familiar with doctors, sometimes doctors have to give patients a suture.

A suture is a stitch or row of stitches holding together a wound or surgical incision.

When I was a kid, I broke my elbow.

As a result, I had to have surgery on my elbow.

The doctor had to open up my arm and fuse the two bones together.

When I woke up from the surgery, I had a cast on my arm.

When I had my cast taken off, I saw that there were sutures where the doctor had stitched my elbow to close off the surgical incision that he had made in my elbow during surgery.

If it weren’t for those sutures, then I wouldn’t have received healing for my broken elbow.

Sometimes God has a plan to bring a future suture in someone’s life because of their suffering.

This is when God plans on taking somebody home to heaven instead of leaving them here on earth to continue suffering.

Going home to heaven is a million times better than staying here on earth, and it is the ultimate healing to end that person’s suffering.

You are safer with God in the middle of the storm than you are anywhere else without Him Click to Tweet

My grandma was suffering

For example, my grandmother had Alzheimer’s disease.

I don’t know if you have anybody in your family that has Alzheimer’s disease or know someone who has dementia.

But it’s a terrible disease, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s and a person’s memory just keeps on getting worse and worse over time.

Things can get so bad for an Alzheimer’s patient, that they forget how to eat and chew their food.

It brings down a person’s quality-of-life to be very low.

That’s exactly what happened to my grandma.

She had Alzheimer’s disease, and her memory just kept on deteriorating.

Finally, she could no longer remember how to eat, and she had to go on life support.

My grandma was being fed intravenously.

My mom, my uncle, my aunt, and my grandpa had to decide whether to keep her on life support or whether to take her off.

They ended up deciding to take her off of life support because her quality of life was just so low.

And she ended up departing and going to heaven.

God planned to give my grandmother a future suture which is to give her the ultimate healing by ending her life on earth and taking her home to heaven.

How about starving kids who are suffering?

Sometimes you can see the same thing happening through starving kids around the world who are eating out of trash cans and garbage bags.

It’s a tough thing to see.

But sometimes God’s plan is to give those kids a future suture by having them go home to be in heaven instead of them barely surviving here on earth and being in such a miserable state.

So then this begs the question, but why doesn’t God give those starving kids food?

Or why doesn’t He give those starving kids a good life here on earth?

Well, the answer is that no matter how good of a life those kids end up having, it will never be as good as heaven.

So really, taking a starving child home to go to heaven is something that’s more desirable and better than staying here on earth where there is sin, disease, and all sorts of problems.

No matter how you slice it, God’s ways are not our ways, and there’ll always be some things that we don’t understand one hundred percent.

Now onto the third reason for why God doesn’t intervene to end suffering.

Reason #3 – The Barrier Problem

Reason number three why God does not intervene to end suffering is because of the barrier problem. The barrier problem can be seen in a passage of Scripture in Isaiah 59:1-2.

The back story here is that the Israelites were under tremendous oppression as they were held captive by the Babylonians.

They kept on crying out to God for God to save them but God did not intervene.

He allowed His judgment to come and this is where I’ll introduce you to the barrier problem.

Verses one and two of Isaiah 59 says,

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or His ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”

So this passage of Scripture shows that it is possible for someone to have committed so much sin that they call on God for help, and God is unresponsive.

But if that person was to humble themselves, confess their sins and repent and then call for help, then we know that God would answer.

That’s because God says in 2 Chronicles 7:14,

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

So the barrier problem is that sometimes a person’s sins create a barrier between the person and God hearing their cry for help.

But if that person confesses that they are wrong, and they humble themselves before God, then God promises to listen to their plea for help.

Does that make sense?

Over to you

So what did you think of these three reasons?

Let me know your thoughts by writing a comment below.

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