Jordan and I just got out of a prayer meeting, having to leave early because of his work. I cannot express in words the joy and compete rejoicing I have in my heart for my brothers and sisters!! His Spirit, The Spirit of Truth, testifying with my spirit, even through my brothers and sisters. My heart, as I listen to them share concerns, truth, reproving the works of darkness, light, and prayer, is just screaming "Amen! Yes! Amen! Truth! Truth! Hallelujah! I have never ever ached like I do now, for any people, until now. And it is not the people that it is about though they are absolutely precious and wonderful, this is not an overwhelming love I have from myself nor is it to a respecter of persons. It is the Holy Spirit IN ME!!! And that our love abounds one for another in the body of Christ through Him! It is not of us, in us no good thing dwells, but in Him is life and peace!! As a product of walking with and in Him with His children, there is fellowship, TRUE fellowship!! "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you" (1 Thess 3:12), "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."(1 John 1:7) My heart is filled with gratitude toward the Lord of lords, King of kings, The True and Living God! He is so so good! He is gracious! He is wonderful! He hath done great things and yet more to be done!!
So now I am at Starbucks at Jordan's work, that I might be here for him, by him, a comfort to him, in prayer, and to be able to write on my blog what the Lord is showing me to His glory. I guess there are a few things that are on my heart and I will just start typing my heart, forgive me if that means a few different subjects that might have little to do with one another but I believe He is leading me as well :).
I wanted to just share a little bit about submission and what the Lord is teaching me (Reteaching me really). What authority He has set up in His Word. And What submission brings, what obedience has done in my life...
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. (Hebrews 13:17)
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. (1 Peter 3:1-6)
The Lord has been teaching me to grow in godliness, in meekness, in quietness of spirit, in adoring Him, making my adornment subjection to my husband as he is subject to Him. Being adorned not in my own ways of what I think is right but being adorned in submission joyfully I might add. The flesh hates it but the flesh must die, as we are crucified with Christ so we may live and experience a clear conscience before God and joy and peace! We are daughters of Sara (daughters of the Promise) ARE YE AS LONG AS YE DO WELL in submission like he is talking about. Wow, we know we are Sara's daughters when we submit to our husband, and this is pleasing to the Lord! These are the Lord's commands, that is fearful and beautiful! Never have I had more joy than I do now in doing so!!!
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. (1 Timothy 2:9-15)
Something I want to note, Adam was formed from the dust, Eve was formed from Adam for a specific calling, to be a helpmate to Adam. (Gen 3:6) He has made both equal, yet each have their part, their calling, the way the Lord designed them for His purposes. Coming out of this order, when the woman comes out of the covering of man in no longer submitting to His godly leadership she is going out of God's protection He has set up for her, and she is in danger of being deceived just like Eve was. But being under the protection and cover of her husband her husband has the responsibility to follow God and to fellowship with godly men to guidance, it is on his shoulders unless the woman goes out of his covering and does not submit to him.
As well as God wants us to be shamefaced, to want to draw no attention to ourselves. In the world women want to be noticed by other men, this is not godly. The Lord says that we are to be shamefaced. This does mean without joy, but instead this brings joy, being in the dust, for the Lord's glory.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. (Ephesians 5:21-31)
There is an order, there is an authority He has set up in the church, in His body of Christ, it is Christ, then the man, then woman. It is not the woman, then man, then God. Neither is it man then God then woman! It is clear submission to Christ is first, then submission to husband is next. If a woman is without a husband she would submit to her father, the father is the head if she is unmarried, and if she is without godly father she would submit to the elders in the church. This is for protection, for the safety of her soul.
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5)
The other morning I woke up with just Scripture after Scripture, His Word just flowing through my mind, many many verses, I have never had anything like it, He was confirming me that I am His. As well as Him showing me in the way in which I should walk to follow Him, to stay close to Him! One of those verses was the first one of that last section of Scripture ("Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord."). It was powerful, because I had read these Scriptures, yes, and knew this was His command and the way He ordained things to be, but never had they been real like they are now! Shortly after that someone random asked me about submitting to my husband, and I knew it was the Lord's faithfulness to show me FIRST so that I was learning from Him and not from men, then men can ask me after He gently told me my calling :). He doesn't have to do it that way, but in His grace He did, to give me a willing heart. He is my head, my husband, (my covering!), He must protect and nourish and lead me, as a follower of Christ who is his Head. How amazing is that truth!
I know in a past post I did bring out some of these Scriptures, (at that point the Lord was establishing His standard to me. Now that HE has given me understanding and instruction He has given me things to submit to through my husband and ultimately Him, leading me to carry out what He has taught me, giving me opportunity to follow and obey). This is very weighty, if you read it plainly as it is written.
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (Titus 2:4,5)
These are beautiful adornments for the woman of God to put on! It is shocking that if a woman of God does not do these things that she could be making the word of God in vain to others, it may even be blasphemed by others if they watch her and she does not have these qualities!! That is heavy!! That is fearful! But the beautiful thing is, flesh cannot do this by it's strength, this is something that only the Holy Spirit can produce in a woman, only the woman who truly knows Christ and His Holy Spirit is in her working through her can she be this person! She can then bring glory to the word of God!! Without the Lord this is impossible though! In our own flesh we will fail, but in the Spirit this is a joy and truly reason to rejoice, to get to walk in this as a woman! This is a great calling! A privilege! This is of great price to the Lord of hosts! He delights in this!
The greatest comfort in submission to me so far has been that Christ Himself led a life of submission! He submitted to the Father's will! He was fully in the flesh, yet fully God as well, but He suffered the subjection of being in the flesh, carrying around this body of flesh. Yet He submitted to the Father, even submission to death on the cross! He struggled with the flesh, asking Father is there any other way besides death on the cross!!! It was clear there was NO other way, so He submitted!!!
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. (Matthew 26) Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (John 4:34). Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (Hebrews 5:7,8)
We ought to submit to the authority God gave us as Christ did submit to His Father in all things, learning submission and obedeince.
As the Lord is showing me to submit, if I simply obey in faith, though in my flesh I do not want to submit nor obey, the Spirit helps me to just do it. I am weak in the flesh, but He is the source of strength. And after submitting to whatever it is He puts before me to obey, I am then filled with joy in the Spirit. I am then filled with excitement and joy and peace in submission. I delight in those things that He has asked of me, a joy to walk in them. Crucifying the flesh is so important, obeying in faith. He delights in obedience, this HE desires. As I submit He fills me. I literally have hymns and spiritual songs coming out of me, from His Spirit if I am walking in obedience to the light He has given me, to the things He has asked of me, or Jordan has asked of me. I have learned that doing as Jordan asks of me I can trust him because he is following Christ as I follow him. As the holy women of faith revered their husbands, this is no different today! Submission is of the same importance to God today as it was then. I have seen such blessing from submitting to my husband, it actually unleashes a river of desire and respect for my husband I have never had! A desire to want him to be my covering, a comfort in coming under the covering God has graciously given me. I have seen just total conviction of heart if I come out of that covering and disrespect him even in the smallest way. But as soon as I repent and ask for forgiveness from God and him and then go back under the covering I am given peace to walk again. It is wonderful and fantastic watching what God says in His word just play out in reality!! It is the Living Word of God!!! I praise God for the grace to submit! I praise God for the great calling He has given me! I praise Him for the sisters and people He has put in my path that have been used of the Lord to grow me in this area and find great joy!
Something recently that I have addressed in my life (purely by His leading in the word and conviction of heart) is as I have said in a past post... clothing. I have submitted that area to the Lord, and to my husbands decision. And recently those standards have been even more altered which the flesh hated, but the Spirit gave me willingness of heart, praise Him.
Some thoughts:
As a wife and bride of my husband, do I want other men weather that be brothers or anyone else looking at my shape and my form?
In the bible there are very sacred parts of the body that are in our culture made very common. In our culture the chest, butt, waist, even the neck and collar bone, and thighs are just a part of being shown at all times, anytime, no matter who is around. Low cut shirts, tight shirts showing off figure, skinny jeans, even bigger jeans showing off the shape of your butt, short shorts and skirts, leggings being used as pants, and many other different forms of clothing, why are we not convicted by the Spirit of God about these? But they are all very private, sacred and not to be just displayed for all to see. They were for the husband's eyes only in the bible. This is how Song of Songs can be such an intimate book in times past and in other cultures where women cover up much more. God smited me recently on this! God is renewing my mind in these things!!! And oh how I needed it!
What if my husband was the only one to see my form, my shape, my body, that no other man would see this, it was just for him only? Well, this is my desire from now on, that only my husband sees the sacred parts of the body. This is powerful, because this is saying that the only man in the whole world who gets to see these things is my husband. This is then a gift and not something I flash around for all to see. The Lord has shown me the way to walk in this. I think as women of God we need an open mind to the Spirit of God in EVERY area of our lives, and clothing is not a small area, ask Him to examine you. Ask Him if your clothing glorifies Him and sets you apart from the world or if it makes you look just like the world, alluring men's flesh. It's very important, if indeed you do know the Lord, He will show you. He is gentle and merciful, but He is also just and He reproves, corrects and rebukes as necessary.
We are to transform our minds by the word of God, not let them be conformed by the world's standards to the world's image.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord and touch no the unclean thing; and I will receive you.(2 Corinthians 6:17) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
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