Women, Get In Your Place!

I was ordained as an Elder in the Church of God in Christ.  Well, at least that is what I was told.   To be honest, I completely forgot. And I forgot on purpose. My ordination was controversial. There were those who embraced me in the COGIC but there were others who refused to recognize me as PASTOR Alexander. So I would sit on the pulpit with men who resented my presence and felt like I should get in my place which in their mind, was somewhere beneath them. But I'm not bitter. I'm too busy to be bitter.

To serve God as a woman is not an easy undertaking. The church still does not know quite what to do with us. Those of us, who operate in the preach ministry have an even greater struggle. I don't know any prominent women ministers who have had successful relationships other than Gloria Copeland and Joyce Meyers. So often times, we have to defend ourselves to the world, the church, and even our own spouses. Man, loose me and let me obey God! My anointing does not take away from you! Ok...let me get back to the message.  I had a flash back!

But it creates a loneliness and a sense of isolation that other women do not experience. So we either become very mean and bitter or over accommodating. Either way, it's painful. If I had my way, I'd walk away and never look back. That's real.

It is amazing that in 2015 we are still debating the woman question. 

What do we do with her? Where do we put her? Do we put her in the pulpit or must she speak from the floor? Can she walk in the five fold ministry or must she remain in the laity. Where is her place?

So I write to tell you women to get in your place!  And a woman's place is in the war!

In Judges the 4th Chapter, we learn about a woman named Deborah. And the Bible says that Deborah, a Prophetess, judged Israel. She didn't just judge the females. She wasn't confined to the women's ministry. She judged ISRAEL. The men and women. She was in a position of authority. So that kills that mess about women can not operate in positions of authority or lead men right there.

But Deborah was also UNDER authority because the Bible also makes it clear that she was the wife of Lapidoth. In other words, we are informed that she was not some male hating Jezebel who wanted to rule over men. She was a woman like other women. She wanted to be loved and she wanted to be protected and covered. Lapidoth had to be a bad man. He had to be secure in his masculinity to marry a woman with such a strong personality. But that's for another post.

If you read the 4th Chapter of Judges, you will find that Israel was being threatened by an enemy, as usual. She prophesied to the Captain of Israel's army and told him how he would defeat the enemy. Barak was a man who had good sense. He did not shun her word because she was a woman. He recognized the anointing on her life and He said to her, "If you go with me, then I will go. But if you don't go with me I'm not going.” (Judges 4:7)

Well, the end of the story is this, Deborah went into battle with Barak. Lapidoth, her husband, didn't have a problem with it and Israel defeated her enemy because a woman spoke a Word from God, a man submitted to the Word and another woman killed the leader of the enemy’s army. 

What am I saying? In this battle that we are fighting against our enemy, we can not fight each other. I'm sick of it. I walked away from my pulpit, from the church, from my denomination, and ultimately from God because I got tired of religion. 

But I'm back now so you might as well get ready. I got my ordination certificate out of my file cabinet, dusted it off, and laid it on my altar in my bedroom. I don't know what I will do with it but that little piece of paper doesn't matter anyway. He called me back to my purpose and I answered. It's on now.

God called me and He called some of you and it is time for all of us, both men and women to get in our place. 

Some of us are called to the five fold ministry while others are called to the ministry of helps. Some are intercessors while others are ushers. Some are called to the mission field while others are called to the Sunday School class. Some of us are called to the choir and some are called to the pulpit. Some are called to be home makers while others are called to corporate America. In other words, we all have our place. And a woman's place is where ever God puts her. 

Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”  God does not call or disqualify anyone based on their anatomical make up.   Period.

There's a war going on. You've been commanded to fight! Get in the presence of the Commander-In Chief and find out where your place is in this war. Let's go to work!

Til next time, may the Lord God bless you real good.

Pastor Shay

Judah Christian Church, Inc.

For Bookings: email sistashay8@gmail.com

www.judahchristianchurch.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, How The Mighty Have Fallen!

Praise the Lord everybody!  Happy New Year!

One of my New Year commitments is to re-commence by Monday Messages.  As I sought the Lord for direction in this new season in my life, one of the things He clearly spoke to me is to go back and pick up the things that He has already commissioned me to do.  Some of us are asking God for more but we've not learned how to manage that which we have already been assigned to do.  More on that later.

It's no secret that my beloved Seminoles suffered a very bad loss on New Year's Day.  Everybody knows that the Lord speaks to me through football games.  As the Oregon quacks began to run away with the game, I started walking the floor speaking in tongues.  I got some oil and anointed Jameis, the offensive line and the defensive line.  My tv so slick if I try to pick it up it'll slip out of my hands.  I did all the things that USUALLY work when FSU is about to lose. I even called Jimbo and threatened to break up with him.  Nothing worked.

One of the things I said to God is, "Lord, you know our haters are waiting on us to lose.  They will laugh at us, they will pick at us, they will make me wanna cuss.  God, don't let us be ashamed before our enemeis."

Despite my prayers and yes, I admit it, even my tears, we still lost.  We lost.  Lawd, have mercy WE LOST!  

Am I the only one that has prayed, fasted, believed God for the victory only to have my prayers fall to the ground?  Am I the only one who cried out to God asking Him to deliver only to have it seem that God had turned a deaf ear to my cries?  

How many of you have been living life on the edge, walking by faith and one day the rug was snatched from underneath you?  Let me raise my hand.

2014 was a rough year.  The funny thing is, however, that I went into it with such high expectations.  I had Word after Word, prophecy after prophecy about how God was going to do this and God was going to do that.  I forgot that warfare always follows a Word.  

And there were so many people who were secretly hating.  Some were openly hating.  Like they did FSU.  When you are great and/or destined for greatness, you will always have haters.  And sometimes, God will allow you to fall before their faces.  Sometimes, He will allow you to be embarrassed.  Sometimes He will allow the news to get out that you lost your job, your house, your car, your husband, your wife, your weave...tee hee.  

But be encouraged because God never allows you to lose anything unless He is coming with something better.   

There are those who think the Seminoles should hang their heads in shame, not just because we lost but because of the way we lost.  Never mind that we are STILL 29-1 and have the best record in the country.  I'll take 29-1 over 4-8 every day of the week.  Devils.

There are those who think you should be ashamed because of what you've gone through.  THE DEVIL IS A LIE!  Don't you be ashamed of anything.  In this life everybody shall have a valley experience.  The mountain top is not a place where you can dwell all the time.  When you fall, cry, kick, scream...do whatever you have to do to get through the moment.  Then dust yourself off, pick yourself up and head back up the mountain.

This is not the season to tuck tail and run.  This is the time for you to get back to the drawing board and get some new marching orders.  Regroup.  Re-assess.  Reevaluate.  One defeat does not change who you are in God.  It is simply an opportunity to get your head back in the game.

It's not over for the Seminoles and it's not over for you.  WE WILL BE BACK.  YA HEARD ME?

When the mighty fall, there are those that will rejoice because they know that they will NEVER walk in those shoes.  They want to feel equal with you but they know they can't.  The most important thing to note is that when the mighty have fallen, we always get back up and we get back up with greater wisdom, greater power and greater anointing.

According to Isaiah 61:7 "For your shame you shall have DOUBLE..."  So the people who are laughing at your hurt, your pain and your calamity today will have to pick their lip off the ground tomorrow because God is setting you up for the comeback.  He's getting ready to prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies.  That's why they lurking.  That's why you've got people watching you. That's why you have page watchers and Facebook stalkers. God needs an audience for what He is about to do.  They came to see one thing but God is going to show them something else.  

Tell ya neighbor in your Eddie Long voice, "Watch this, watch this."  LOL.  Hallelujah!!!!

Until next time, may the Lord God bless you real good