Women Pastors? Biblical or not?

 

Greetings!
Yes, I know it's been a good minute, but I haven't had a GOOD thing to write about in a while.

I know my long-time readers are always looking for something new, and while this certainly IS NOT something new, it is something I haven't written about here before...

So with that, we have today's question (modified for flow and anonymity):

Question: Pastor Keith, there was something I wanted to speak to you about; seeing you brought up your feelings about women and their place when it comes to Biblical instruction.

My husband and I were attending an Advent church, in MA while my ordination was coming about.  Things were going well and my husband and I even began holding dinners, during the holiday; when folks had no one to eat with.  Then, the pastor of this church heard I was going to be ordained and everything changed.

He basically shunned me.  I was no longer worthy of doing the things I had done before.  He was incredibly angry that my cousin and my friend wanted to have me do a special portion of their wedding ceremony (not marry them).  My husband could not handle the way I was being treated, so he made the decision for us to leave the church and we did.

There are some lines of thought that feel no woman should be a pastor nor instruct the word of God, for they are a woman and must have the 'covering' of a man.  However, there is the other line of thought that when Christ Jesus paid the price; He PAID the price and truly did make a New Covenant.  And, His sacrifice is a woman's covering, for we are ALL meant to spread the Gospel.  Spreading the Gospel is to teach and instruct.

The Holy Spirit leads me into ministry; where He sees there is a gap.  This is where I step in.  I am to lead by example.  At least this is what the Holy Spirit is telling me.  I have only had a few strong men in my life and 2 of them are left here on earth.  I have learned my ways from them, not from women.  I hope this will help you understand me a bit better :)

Answer: Sister, I don't expect you to like or even value my reply, but I hope that you can see past what you think of as "MY OPINIONS, MY VIEWS & MY FEELINGS", and instead see this as WHAT THE OPINIONS, VIEWS & FEELINGS OF GOD ARE.  Because as far as I'm concerned, MY feelings are WORTHLESS when it comes to Gods Word.  Amen?

So, before I begin, please know in your heart that I mean no offense, no hostility and no ill-will of any kind.  If there's anything I've written that you'd like more clarity on, I'm available to speak any time.

First things first: NOBODY can claim to have a TRUE relationship with God unless they have 1 concept CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD.

Sola Scriptura: is a Christian theological doctrine held by most Protestant Christian denominations that posits the Bible as the sole infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice.

Without Sola Scriptura, ANYTHING that God has to say is flimsy and fallible.  Without Sola Scriptura, God's Word is ANYTHING BUT INFALLIBLE.

With that said, I have to answer the obvious question: What about the Holy Spirit?  And you'd be RIGHT to ask that question, especially since you mentioned Him so much (both in your question and to me on the phone).  Sola Scriptura is the PRIMARY WAY that we should HEAR and KNOW God's Word.  It's in stone and according to the book of Malachi, HE DOES NOT CHANGE.

Interruption: After I finished writing my response, I realized that I forgot to tell you something....  You made something of a habit during our 3 phone calls of mentioning THE HOLY SPIRIT THIS and THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT.  That was what led me to write the response that you have here.  You may not realize it, but the arguments you use aren't that much different from what any other religion teaches.  It's the same nonsense that keeps on producing new "prophets" and "apostles".  -- Ok, back to my reply...

Of course with that said, why bother speaking with the Holy Spirit at all?  First of all, if you expect that God will give YOU a NEW or BETTER answer, then you're lost, far more lost than I would spend the time with.  If you believe that God WILL ANSWER YOU or GIVE YOU GUIDANCE - BASED ON WHAT HIS WORD ALREADY SAYS, then I'd be in 100% agreement with you.

With that said, I think the Pastor that kicked you to the curb is a jerk.  There's plenty of them out there.  Fred Phelps anyone?  I think that God said it CLEARLY in 1 Timothy 2:8-15.

1 Timothy 2:8-15 - I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

Why did Paul write that a woman should learn in silence? Why did Paul write that a woman is not permitted to teach or have authority over a man?  Because Paul was a misogynist?  Unlikely.  Because he didn't like women?  Also unlikely.  Perhaps he was practicing discrimination?  No way!  Could it be that because in the 1st century, women were uneducated?  Nope, if it were so, the bible would tell us it's a matter of education.  He goes on to explain in verse 14 that women are precluded from teaching or being in authority over men thanks to Eve.  It was the woman who was deceived in the garden and caused BOTH her and her husband to fall into transgression.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS INSIDE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, therefore your supposition that it's all a part of the new covenant is incorrect on its face.

If you think that the Bible somehow teaches ANOTHER ACCOUNT, then you have a most interesting version of the bible to work from.  I can't find anything that shows that God speaks out of both sides of his mouth.

What about Priscilla and Phoebe in the new testament?  Does the bible refer to them as Pastors???  I think the closest we get is "Deacon".  A deacon is a servant, period.  I know you didn't, but I hate when people make up things that aren't there, just to get their way.

And just as a quick aside, it is generally accepted that when Paul says that a woman is precluded from teaching or being in authority over a man, it is SOLELY meant AS IT IS RELEVANT TO GOD AND THE BIBLE.  I'm pretty sure that God doesn't have any issues with women in secular management, mostly because the bible is SILENT on the matter.  Also, if you're inclined to bring up Deborah from the book of Judges, I would remind you that Deborah is UNIQUE IN ALL OF SCRIPTURE.  I was about to write a small book on the matter, but gotquestions.org saved me the work and made it more concise, this is what most people I know understand and believe to be true:

From gotquestions.org:

Deborah was Israel’s only female judge. Some scholars have suggested that her position as judge was itself a judgment on the weak-willed men of Israel. Because Israel’s men were unfit to judge, God chose a woman for the job, partly to shame the men who should have taken the leadership. Other commentators believe that Deborah’s role as judge was a sign of God’s comforting presence in the midst of His oppressed and downtrodden people.  

With all of that said, it comes down to a single question....

You're free to believe whatever you want, but is it Biblical?

If you tell me, it's what the Spirit laid upon your heart (and doesn't match scripture), then it's not Biblical (it's not even from God!).

If you tell me, that in the flesh it's how I feel, then I would agree with you 100 fold!

But I'm never going to agree that what God INTENDED was OPPOSITE TO WHAT HE SAID.

As for the new covenant, God clearly lays out IN SCRIPTURE what HIS NEW COVENANT IS.  And even better, Jesus not only CONSTANTLY referred back to the Tanakh, but made absolutely certain that we understood that even HE was bound by what it says.

THE NEW COVENANT, IN GODS OWN WORDS:

Jeremiah 31:31-36 - Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah --- not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."  Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The LORD of hosts is His name):  " If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the LORD, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever."

Where does it say ANYTHING about a woman's covering or being able to teach Godly things to men by women?

For posterity, it wasn't me who told you my FEELINGS about women in Ministry, IT WAS GOD THAT TOLD YOU HIS.

---

I hope that whoever is reading this understands the importance and severity of this instruction from God in 1 Timothy.  If you are a woman AND you believe that God is calling you into ministry work AND He's calling you to pastor and teach MEN, AND you've prayed about it AND you're 100% CERTAIN that the Holy Spirit is leading you to do this, THEN YOU ARE NOT IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD AT ALL.  Because God ALREADY TOLD YOU TO REMAIN SILENT.  God makes it SUPER CLEAR in Malachi 3:6, He says I DO NOT CHANGE.

With all that said, I say that Christian women the world over SHOULD at some point in their walk feel LEAD BY THE SPIRIT to work in ministry in some capacity, whether it be a food ministry, an outreach ministry, an evangelical ministry, a women's ministry or even a children's ministry.  If doing those things MAKES YOU FEEL lesser than a man, then I think we've found the issue.  In God's eyes all men and women are equal (when it comes to salvation), but please don't be fooled into thinking and believing that God somehow changed His mind when Jesus walked the Earth 2,000 years ago.

And with that, if you enjoyed reading this today, please share it with a friend or a loved one.  Who knows what it will take to help you break through the walls that Satan has erected?

Pastor Keith - Missing in Action?

Happy Sunday!

No, Pastor Keith hasn't gone MIA.  I have just been trying to recharge my battery since my surgery.

You can't imagine the toll a surgery like that can take on your entire body.

Please pray for me and as I continue to pray, I will continue to post on what moves me.

Thanks for all the emails and encouragement!

Florida Church FIRST to get it right PUBLICALLY

Gold star goes out to THIS Florida church for being the first one in the United States to GET IT RIGHT!

Discussion Topic #1 - Society vs. The Bible

The Question: Because it has become acceptable to society, does that mean it has therefore become biblical or correct?

Under Spiritual Attack AGAIN

So here we are again.  10 some-odd years out and Satan or his minions are at it again - WITH ME.

I really thought that what I had gone through all those years ago was a one-off, something that wouldn't happen again, knowing full-well that I wasn't going to succumb to his nonsense, but I guess one of his demons didn't get the message.

Last night at around 2am I got up with some awful indigestion.  So I got out of bed, got some iced-tea and grabbed one of my little pills that makes the burning go away.  I took the pill, finished the tea and then I reached down to feel the cross on my neck to see if the clasp was in the back (I do that once in a while) and found that my necklace was GONE.  Except for the time that I was in the hospital for brain surgery, that necklace has been on my neck since 2008!  I don't take it off, I like having it on.  Not as an "idol", but as a REMINDER.  Every time I move from side to side quickly or turn around, or even bend over, I FEEL IT slightly bounce off of my body.  And when it does, it REMINDS ME that The Holy Spirit isn't just with me while I'm praying, but ALWAYS.  Do I need the reminder?  Probably not, but I think it's a good idea for people to have small reminders such as this and encourage them to do it IF it fits into their life.

So as it was dark in the house, late AND everyone was asleep, I decided I'd try to find my necklace first thing in the morning.  So I quickly fell back to sleep and when I woke up there were a couple of things that were a little bit odd.  Nothing really by itself that would make you think, but altogether something that helped to create this blog entry today.

The first thing I noticed, was my Echo device was RED.  You know those AI things Amazon makes?  I've got an Echo Show which is one of the ones with the screen and video camera.  I keep the video camera disabled, but I love the convenience of having an Echo to help keep me organized.  Anyway, the screen had a bright red bar at the bottom of it (never saw that before) and there was a bright red light lit at the top of it (which I had never seen either).  As I've worked in just about every facet of IT for the past 42 years or so, I thought about it for a moment and realized that the MUTE feature was turned on.  I have NEVER used this feature before.  So I pressed the bright red button up top and the red bar went away too.  No big deal right?

Then I was going to reach over for my phone to turn it on and sitting right there on the very corner of my night table was MY NECKLACE.  It wasn't just sitting there in a clump, it was all coiled up nicely with the cross sitting on top.  This is when I knew something was afoot.  First of all there is no way I could have removed this necklace in my sleep.  Next, there is no way I could have re-fastened it IN MY SLEEP and coiled it up perfectly with the cross on top!

So I grabbed my necklace, put it back on, then went in to where my wife was doing her morning bible reading and I said to her, "Morning, so where did you find my necklace?".  She looked at me in confusion and said, "Honey, your necklace is around your neck.".  And then I said "Very funny, I meant before you picked it up and put it on my night stand."  And she says to me, "Honey, I have no idea what you're talking about.  I haven't seen nor touched your necklace - at all - at any point."  Of course, that lead me to tell her the story of getting up in pain, needing a pill, etc.  As always, my wife rejoiced singing praises to Jesus.

For those of you wondering, my necklace is nothing special.  It's a stainless-steel ball-chain with a stainless-steel cross hanging from it.  With all of the street-work I've done in Jesus name I would never wear a necklace with actual monetary value.  I think the chain I'm wearing now cost me $8.  If someone were to snatch it from my neck, I think I'd laugh OUT LOUD at the thought of the pawn-broker who looks at it and says, "That's a piece of stainless-steel.  It doesn't really have any value, keep it!"  Hey, It's my imagination!  Let me have fun with it!  :P

So in conclusion, when Satan attacks, his main purpose is to divert your attention AWAY FROM God’s Word and OVER TO your circumstances. That’s why God said this in Proverbs:

Proverbs 4:20-23 - My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

Give your attention to the Word of God, it will give you much peace, guidance and wisdom in times of trial. I've heard it said before that the more attention you give to God’s Word, the easier the other steps will be in resisting Satan’s attacks.

Amen?

Of course, there's the lingering question - Did a demon remove the cross from my neck and just happen to leave it somewhere close by or did a demon remove it from my neck, dropped it somewhere I'd never see it and then God found it for me, coiled it up nicely and left it where I could easily find it and put it back on again?  Hmmmm....  ;)  Either way - I'm good!

If you enjoyed reading this blog and maybe learned something today, please think about sharing either the link to this story or the link to this blog with someone you care about.  It could make all the difference in how they deal with the issues we cover here.

PS: The last time this happened to me (being attacked in the spirit), all sorts of great things started to happen to me.  God started using me like crazy and I pray that's His plan again this time!

Should Pastor Keith Run for Office?

So in 2014 I posted something about what I would do if I were President.  Back then we were living under the constant tyranny of Obama and this country was moving further backwards by the day.  But when I wrote that post, I touched upon something that actually got many people over the years to message me about the prospect of whether or not I'd ACTUALLY consider running for ANY office.

Seems that Democrats / Progressives don't mind if 10 year old girls are raped

In THIS article dated 7/2/2022, the title indicates that a 10 year old girl was pregnant, crossed state lines and "thankfully" was able to get an abortion, because you know, it's a normal everyday thing for 10 year olds to get pregnant, right?

What is going on in this country???

Due to Popular Demand - List of Bad Churches

I'll tell you...  You'd be hard-pressed to know it, but this site is amazingly busy.  So much so, that my mailbox is usually overflowing.

One of the biggest requests I get from readers, is that I put up a simple to read and simple to understand list of which Christian Religions have completely lost their marbles and are either encouraging the whole LGBTQ-XYZ nonsense or are actually ordaining openly gay people.

Methodists take turn at turning Christianity into a joke

For years I've heard atheists make fun of Christians (the least of which is Bill Marr), and now we have to watch this nonsense unfold.  Churches split over LGBTQ nonsense.

First it was the Presbyterians, then it was the Lutherans and now the Methodists get to take the same walk of shame.  I say shame, because that's what it is, it's a shame.  It's a shame that they all think that they're smarter than God.  It's a shame that they all think that they have better answers than God.  It's a shame that they think what they believe is right is finally being treated as right, because the active-sinners have made their way into leadership.

How far does God's forgiveness really go?

As I've said on a zillion occasions, every now and then I get these really great questions thrown in my direction and I really love to share them with you.  Why?  Well, I figure it like this... If ANYONE is asking the question, then ANYONE should have the answer available to them.

Today's question comes from an older woman who has been through a lot in her life and is nearing the end of her journey.  But don't let her circumstances dictate how you "feel" about the answers.  Fact is, how you feel about the answers doesn't change the fact that the answers ARE WHAT THEY ARE.  Amen?

A "funny" Corona Virus Story... (And who are God's Chosen people?)

Just about 2 years ago, we were told to "give us 15 days to eliminate the virus" and here I sit at my desk laughing at the lies and nonsense we've all been fed.

And it's all over for the Lutheran church....

So 3 years ago, the Presbyterians decided that there was more than one way to get to Heaven.  This of course is patently untrue.

John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Today, the Lutherans have also fallen away from God by "installing" their first transgender bishop.  This man is not gay, not bi, not confused in any way, but clearly God made HIM in the wrong body.  

Tongues, tongues, always FALSE tongues....

The single biggest question I get throughout EVERY year is always the same, here's the latest from a sister in Africa, who's desperately trying to wade through the nonsense she's being taught:

Question: Pastor Keith, allow me ask you, can a born again christian be filled with the holy spirit but cannot speak in tongues?

Is being a Catholic the SAME as being a Christian?

"All people bleed, but not all people are bleeding."
"Everything for sale in the toy store is a toy, but not all things in the toy store are toys."

Those are just two things that I can think of off the top of my head to confuse you.
If you weren't confused, good, because they're only sensible.

But there are people out there who are NOT sensible.

Site Update Notification - 6/16/2021

So a lot of changes are in the works....

The most significant of which is that I'm protecting this blog and indeed ALL of my materials from "the powers that be".  There are too many crazy people working in Tech (and government) these days, and I don't trust anyone to stand up for my right to freedom of speech OR religion (or anything else for that matter).  So I'm pulling the entire site and recreating it ON MY OWN PLATFORM.  Google can't touch me, Microsoft can't touch me, Amazon can't touch me, nobody can touch me.  Yes, I realize that I sound a little "tin foil hat-ey", but I've seen what's been done to silence some other Pastors, so I'm doing what little I can to defend against it.

So the good news, is:

a) The site will be moved OFF of Google servers
b) I'll be creating a user FORUM so we can have REAL conversations
c) I'll be saving money!

Honestly, just a) is worth the entire move.

In other news, thousands have read the previous blog entry and still there is no movement.  That's ok, I know who's in charge.  When the time is right, I know this site is going to explode with life.  I just wish it'd happen today!

Let your YES be YES and your NO be NO

So Matthew is one of those books that newish Christians love to quote.  Somehow it gives them the warm and fuzzies.  Personally I think the warm and fuzzies are highly over-rated.  I prefer to see scripture the way that Jesus does. 

John 5:39 - You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

The Rush Limbaugh of Christianity

So as most of you know, I get all sorts of messages from all sorts of people from groups all over the world.  There was a point where I was meeting with groups of men from Pakistan (thru Skype) on an almost daily basis in order to teach the concept of Discipleship as Jesus taught it.  But I digress.

Today's post is not so much a question as it is a comment I received from a rather enthusiastic reader of mine.  I'm re-posting it with their permission.

1st Annual Push for Sharing this Site with Someone!

So after 10 years of being online (go ahead and look, I'll wait), and with close to a year spent offline due to a desperate need to recover (still desperately recovering), I find myself dealing with the same issue I was dealing with 10 years ago.

This blog has 100,000+ visits every year, 99% of them are repeat visits.  I don't care who you are, or what kind of site you have, those are good numbers for a new site, but not a 10 year old site.

I put in a serious amount of work on these blog entries that I make.  I don't ask for money, I don't ask for you to buy my "72 steps to a more christian you" series (which is make believe!), I'm not asking you to sell your land and give it to me.  In all actuality, some of you might want to throw something at me for saying it, but in this 1 small regard, I think Jesus and I have something in common.  He did all he did FOR YOU, without even asking you first.  He did what He did out of love and in that regard He and I (his lowly servant) have something in common.

So with all of that said, here is HOW to SHARE THIS SITE:

Just for posterity, I made the image above for you to more easily understand what some of the buttons on this page do.  If you look below ANY post, you will see all of those buttons next to the "how many comments" area.  As a matter of fact, for your convenience, I have those buttons at the bottom of every single post on this site.  So if you see a post you like, that made you laugh, that made you go "A-ha!", or even made you scratch your head, why don't you do me a solid and SHARE the post with a friend, loved one, enemy, teacher, coach, bible-study partner, etc.

I've really started to think it must have something to do with how I'm asking or WHAT I'm asking people to do.  As many people seem to really like this site, some days it really breaks my heart that it's not getting shared.  And I am NOT too proud to beg!  :P

Boy, they don't write music like that any more huh?

So come on, I danced a little (like a monkey), gave you some music to listen to and got down on both knees AND elbows, won't you PLEASE send just one story (or 50) to someone for me?  Pretty please?

Let's hope there isn't a 2nd Annual Push!
I'll let you know how it works out!
Thank you!!!  :)
God Bless you all!

Bible Nuggets 5 - Exactly HOW narrow is the way?

Luke 13:24 - "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

Jesus was talking about HEAVEN, and the MANY who will STRIVE to enter, but will fail miserably.  They're going to fail, because they DID NOT READ what God said.

Committing the sin of cutting in line! - Sermon Series #1

So anyone who is familiar with me and the teachings that I do, knows full-well that I do NOT consider myself a "preacher" in the traditional sense of the word.  I'm not the kinda guy to get up before a congregation of people and bore them to sleep for an hour!  :P  I'm a Discipleship Pastor, as such, I spend the majority of my time teaching Discipleship and correcting false teachings.

But this morning I woke up thinking to myself, "You should do a short sermon on what happened to you yesterday".  So here I am, I prayed on it, got the green light and here goes nothing!  :)