Where Are the Women?

In this transcription, the speaker talks about the importance of women in the church and how they are often overlooked and undermined. They mention the story of Deborah in the Old Testament, who was a powerful prophetess and judge in Israel. The speaker argues that God has a special role for women in the church, not to replace men, but to fulfill a specific purpose as nurturing mothers and warriors. They emphasize the need for men to support and recognize the gifts and abilities of women. The speaker highlights the importance of unity and collaboration in fulfilling God's purposes. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! God's people praise God! It's a rainy Sunday evening here in Rosedale, Maryland. And it's a wonderful gift, as always, to be here alive and well to look into God's Word together. We are grateful that God has given us an assignment that changes lives, changes our lives, and shines the light of God on a generation. Tonight we are expectant, as always, to receive of God fresh wisdom. The breath of God is on hand to enlighten us, to refresh us, to renew us. And so before we get into the Word, we're going to pray. We like to start with prayer. We like to end with prayer. Father, we thank you tonight for your presence, for your wisdom, for your grace, for life, and for your Word. Even as we go into your Word, we ask for light. We ask that you will release illumination. You will reveal unto us the mysteries of the kingdom. Breathe on us tonight. Reveal Jesus to us tonight. And I ask for help, Holy Spirit. I ask for the gift of articulation, the gift of oratory. Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening. In Jesus' name, amen. So this evening we're going to talk about a demographic in the church that are usually overlooked. A demographic of great power, but usually underestimated. Not everywhere. This isn't happening everywhere. But in many churches today, this particular demographic is being overlooked, being undermined, and therefore weakening the army of God. Because, you know, like we have said before on this platform, in this season, in this end time war, warfare that is coming, we have said time and time again that every boot is going to be needed on the ground. Every boot on the ground. All boots are going to be needed on the ground, including this demographic. And who are they? The women. The women. This is the demographic in the church that is being undermined and being overlooked. This is not a cliché teaching. This is real life issue. And so tonight I am speaking on a subject that I have titled, where are the women? Where are the women? In the church, where are the women in God's end time agenda? Why are the women not allowed to take their place in the end time army of Almighty God? Why is it that even now there are churches who don't allow churches where women are prevented from teaching, they are prevented from preaching, they are relegated only to the choir because, you know, I guess, voices are needed? Why is it that in this dispensation where it is evident that the onslaught of the enemy is huge and that the kingdom of darkness is on a rampage, isn't it clear? Isn't it obvious that the devils we fight now, they are new and bigger and better and more advanced than the devils our ancestors had to fight. That's because the kingdom of darkness is getting sophisticated. They are getting more advanced. The kingdom of darkness doesn't have the problem that it seems like the church has. The kingdom of darkness isn't interested in gender. They are not trying to sideline one gender, preferring one to the other. But in the church, the church of the living God, we find that the women are being sidelined, being relegated, prevented from the platform that requires the demonstration of the gospel. The gospel that exhibits the demonstration of power. Why is this? We have two main scriptures, two main anchor scriptures. The first one is from the book of Judges. Judges chapter 5, we are going to read from verse 1 to 15. This is a story of Deborah. Deborah in the Bible, in the Old Testament, in the book of Judges, was a prophetess and a judge. She was a prophetess and a judge over the nation of Israel. Before there were kings in Israel, Deborah was a judge. She was a judge, judging over the people, ruling over the people, governing the nation of Israel, including men and boys, women like herself, and girls. So Deborah, a female, was prophetess and judge over Israel. Before there were kings. And God used her. God used her so powerfully that even men, men were in awe of Deborah. Barak was a general in the army of Israel. He was an army general. And Barak refused to go to battle unless Deborah went with him. Barak, a man, and an army general refused to go to battle unless Deborah, a woman, went with him. Such was the extent of her power. Such was the magnitude of the power God gave a woman in Israel before there were kings. This is the Old Testament. This is the Old Testament. We're going to read about Deborah now. But some people, you know, some people, they say, oh, that's the Old Testament. If it's in the Old Testament, then, you know, it's redundant. They think Jesus came and Jesus changed everything. But we're going to find that in the New Testament, there are also women who were powerful in the New Testament. But now, we're going to read the book of Judges, chapter 1, verses, chapter 5, verses 1 to 15. The Bible says, Then sang Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinom, on that day, saying, Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. Give ear, O ye kings! Give ear, O ye princes! I, even I, will sing unto the Lord. I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel. Lord, when you went out of fire, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped. The clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel. In the days of Shemga, the son of Anath, in the days of Jeal, the highways were unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways. The inhabitants of the villages ceased. They ceased in Israel, until that I, Deborah, arose. That I arose, a mother in Israel. They chose new gods. Then was war in the gates. Was there a shield of Spirithin among forty thousand in Israel? My heart is toward the governors of Israel. They offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord. Speak ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. They that are delivered from the noise of arches, in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel. Then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates. Awake, awake, Deborah, awake, awake. Utter a song. Arise, Barak, and leave your captivity captive, you son of Abinom. Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people. The Lord made me have dominion over the mighty. Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek. After thee, Benjamin, among thy people, out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handled the pen of the writer. Verse 16, our last verse. And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah, even Issachar, and also Barak. He was sent on foot into the valley for the divisions of Reuben. There were great thoughts of heart. Praise the Lord. In this very descriptive passage, we see the majesty of the power of Deborah. Deborah is recording here in a song about the glory of Almighty God revealed through her service to her country, Israel. She says, she says, the Lord used her to avenge, to avenge for Israel. And she said, she records about how when she moved in power for God in verse 4, she says, when the Lord moved through her, through the power God gave her, when the Lord moved, the earth trembled, the heavens dropped. And she says, she records in verse 7 how she, Deborah, arose a mother in Israel. So you see, even with all the power that God gave her, even with all her military prowess, she still remembered that she is a mother. She arose a mother in Israel. So she arose her function, primary function, was not to become a man, was not to usurp the authority of the man, but to be a mother for a nation and deliver a nation and watch over a nation as a mother would her child. So this tells us that when God uses women in the church, God's intention is not for the women to replace the men. God has a special place for His men in the church to cover the church, to cover the women, to cover the children, the man will always be the head, but there is also a place for the woman in God's military agenda as a mother in Israel. Meanwhile, there are certain gifts, certain spiritual powers that God has given to the women to wage war. In the days of Deborah, the requirements at that time was military prowess, was military power, and the gift of prophecy. And God gave that to Deborah. Barack was with Deborah. Barack wasn't chosen for this assignment, even though God didn't expect Deborah to replace Barack. But my point is, God saw Barack. God saw Deborah. God chose Deborah because the assignment for that season was for a mother. What was required in that season was for a woman, someone, a mother to arise and nurture Israel and fight for Israel as a mother would her child. So Deborah was chosen because of the need of the moment. A mother was needed. So there are times, and even now, that God equips the women to rise up as a mother over His people, fight for His people. And the men recognized this. The men recognized this and they were in full support. Because we find all the way in verse 15, verse 15 the first line says, And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah. Even Issachar and also Barack. They backed her up. Because it was evident to them that God had an assignment for her. God had elected her for that purpose, for that season, and their assignment was to back her up so that God's purposes would be fulfilled for everybody together. You don't find the princes of Issachar trying to tear Deborah into pieces. You don't find the princes. You don't find Barack trying to sabotage her authority. The Bible says they were with her. Barack was with her because they all had a common goal which was the deliverance of Israel. So everybody teamed up behind Deborah to fulfill God's purpose. Today, what do we find in the church? What do we find in the church? First of all, the women are being silenced in the church. Their voices are being muzzled. The women are being muted in the church. And for the few that find their place to exercise the God-given authority that they have, there is sabotage. There is division. There is competition. They're pulling them down. Even women are pulling women down in the church because of envy. And woe betides the woman who happens not to have a husband and there is a call on her life in the church. She's going to need some princes of Issachar. She's going to need a Barack to back her up because it's not going to be easy. It is not going to be easy. In the book of Joel, the Bible says that God poured His Spirit on the women. Joel... let me see. Let's find this word because it's always good to get in the Word and read it. Joel... God poured His Spirit on the women. This is why the women can pray. This is why the women can pray. This is why the women can intercede. This is why the women, long after the men are worn out, the men are tired, the women are still there in the place of prayer. Actually, we can find this word in Acts 2 verse 17. Acts 2 verse 17. The Bible says, And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall see dreams. Okay, we're going to have to look into that another day. But basically, my point being that the women have a special place. They have a special place in God's army. And until the church today recognizes that if the women are being prevented from taking their place in the battleground, in the army, the church is weaker for that. Because the church is weaker. So let's imagine, in a military formation, there is a requirement for maybe a thousand soldiers. And you have, actually you do have a thousand soldiers, but 600 are men, 400 are women. But you as a general, you think the women shouldn't go to battle, the women need to stay behind the desk. And then you send 600 men, soldiers, to the battle, when you need a thousand soldiers. And you actually have a thousand soldiers, only you have 400 men. You are going to have a weak army. You are going to have a weak army, because you need a thousand soldiers. You have a thousand soldiers. But you, being a general who thinks that the women don't have the same or they don't have the youth, they don't bring the value that you need to defeat the enemy, you think you should assign them to a task that is lesser. Meanwhile, you need a thousand soldiers. Why don't you find out the strengths of your women soldiers? Why don't you find out what they can do? What are they strong in doing? Are they strong in the word? I'm talking to you now, preacher, pastor, apostle, general overseer, bishop, I'm talking to you now. Why don't you look into the strengths of your army, your women in the army? What are the gifts that God has given them? Do they have the gifts to teach? Let them teach. Do they have the gift of intercession? Let them pray. Do they have the gift of preaching? Let them preach. What gift do they have? Do they have the gift of organization? Let them do what God has given them the ability to do. You, as a man, can't now relegate God's creation whom God has empowered to work in His army. You can't superimpose your whims and caprices on God. God has ordained it. God has equipped His women. There are women in this dispensation right here, right now, as we speak, that when they preach, millions will give their lives to God. But they don't have the platform. They don't have the platform. And if they, peradventure, even have some form of visibility, you are going to find immediately, from within, there is sabotage. There is sabotage. You find, from within the body, within the church, you find Achins in the camp, trying to pull down the woman whom God has empowered to be visible for Him, to bring Him glory. This is a problem. And it needs to be addressed now. Because God's army is weakened by the void created by women not taking their place in this end-time army. Train them, if they need to be trained. But first, do your spiritual mapping, spiritual reconnaissance. Find out from God, who is this woman in this spirit? What are her strengths and her weaknesses? What have you sent her into your vineyard to do? Then empower her to do it. Because otherwise, your ministry is that much weaker. You have a gap in your wall that a woman has been assigned to fill, but you won't let her do it. Now, the New Testament. We are going to find two wonderful women. Two wonderful women who also have been empowered by God to do something interesting. This is in the book of Acts. Acts chapter 18, from verse 24. Acts 18, 24. The Bible says, And a certain Jew, named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in the Spirit, he spoke and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. Verse 26. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, whom when Achilla and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. I love this Scripture. The reason I love this Scripture is that we see two things happening here. We see a man who is on fire for God. He is on fire for the things of God. On fire for the Word of God. But his knowledge of God, of the things of God, his knowledge of the Word of God, is limited. And he is teaching boldly, and speaking boldly, but in limitation. Even now, there are many of us who are so fervent for God, who are so on fire for God, but our knowledge of the things of God, our knowledge is limited. And so sometimes, in our passion, we are teaching error. We are teaching a half. We are not rightly dividing the Word of Truth, because we don't have adequate knowledge. So because God sees our heart and sees our passion, He does what? He brings into our lives Priscilla and Achilla, to do what? To pull us aside, and to expound unto us more perfectly the way of God. Teach us the whole concept of God. And if we are humble enough to accept that we don't know everything we are supposed to know, that we have much more to learn, we will listen to Achilla, we will listen to Priscilla, and we will grow and be able to do even more for God. Achilla, Priscilla, Achilla, Priscilla were women in the New Testament. Achilla, Priscilla were women in the New Testament. Now let's look at the description of this man whom Achilla and Priscilla had the boldness and confidence to take him aside and expound more perfectly the way of God. This man, the Bible describes this Jew. He was a Jew. He was a Jew, the Bible says in verse 24, he was an eloquent man. 1. He was a mighty man. 2. He was a mighty man in the Scriptures. 3. Then he was a man who had access. Yes, he came to Ephesus. He was coming from somewhere. And he came to Ephesus probably on invitation. Why? Because he was a Jew. Because he was an eloquent man. Because he was a mighty man. Because he was mighty in the Scriptures and could travel. This man, the Bible says, was instructed in the way of the Lord. Not only that, he was fervent in the Spirit. He was fervent in the Spirit. This is the quality. This man was not just any man on the roadside talking. This man was a man with pedigree. And he, the Bible says, we are in verse 25 still, the Bible says, he spoke and taught diligently the things of God, but he knew only the baptism of John. Now, with all of this, he knew only the baptism of John. The Bible says he was instructed in the way of the Lord. He was fervent in Spirit. He was eloquent. He was diligent. But, with all this, he had a limitation. He only knew the baptism of God, of John. With this limitation, he began to do what? To speak boldly. How many of us are limited, but we speak so boldly with our limitation? And there are people who are swallowing our teachings with the limitation. They swallow that teaching as the full gospel. Meanwhile, we are limited in our knowledge, but the Bible says he spoke boldly where? In the synagogue. He had a platform. He had a platform. Now, look at this people of God. This man, verse 26, the Bible says, and he began to speak. So he came from Ephesus to speak in the synagogue boldly. He came. This is a man. He probably was invited. He was a keynote speaker. He was invited to speak in the synagogue boldly. The Bible says, when Aquila and Thucydides had heard where? The synagogue. That's to tell you that the women were also in the synagogue, but we do not see them speaking boldly. They were there, but it was this man with the limitation who had the platform. The women didn't have the platform. They were present, but didn't have the platform. So they heard him speaking so boldly with a limitation. So the Bible says, they took him unto them and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. They had the knowledge. They had a full knowledge. They had enough knowledge to know that there is a limitation here. They had enough boldness to take this man to themselves and teach him more perfectly. The women had more knowledge than this man who had the platform, but they didn't have access to the platform. Now let's imagine for one moment that the women weren't there in the synagogue. The women never heard the man. This man would have carried on teaching with boldness and power and fervency only the baptism of John. He would have carried on teaching the limitation everywhere he went. He must have been teaching that limitation everywhere he went before he came to Ephesus, before he came to the synagogue. He must have been teaching this limitation. Now let's imagine for a moment with our righteous imagination that the women heard him speak boldly. The women had no confidence to take him aside. The women thought to themselves, oh well, we're women, he's a man, we can't say nothing. And then he carries on preaching, teaching, boldly, fervent, only the baptism of God. This is my point. Women of God, be bold! Be respectful! Honor the men, but be bold! Because there is some knowledge that only you have by the Spirit of God. And there are people who right now have platforms that you don't have. But you have knowledge that they don't have. Be bold! Find a way to get that knowledge to them. Why? Because the Word of God needs to be expounded more perfectly even now. Especially now! Especially now! God is so wise and so awesome. In this generation, in our dispensation, there are so many ways to send messages to bold, fervent preachers who are only teaching the baptism of John, who are teaching wrong doctrines, who are breaking up God's Word in half. Send them an email. Send them a message. Do it anonymously if you're afraid. But send them the correction. Take them aside. Expound unto them the way of God more perfectly. This isn't even an issue of age. Because there are some young women now who are so elevated in the Spirit that they hear their frequencies so high and so wide and so open, that they hear from God mouth to mouth. And God is downloading secrets, mysteries of the Kingdom to these women. And these women are quiet. The women are quiet women. Where are the women? Where are the voices of the women? Where are the Deborahs, the prophetesses? Where are the judges, the governors? Where are the generals in the Spirit whom God has equipped with the anointing to fight in His army in these end times? Where are the women? There are women listening to me right now who have such a great anointing, such an overflowing grace that in this generation it's unusual. Yet, you are in hiding. Yet, your voice is quiet. You are doing the Body of Christ an injustice. Because there are people out there teaching heresy, teaching half-truths, teaching cracking up the doctrines and teaching them as the whole truth. Not only the baptism of John, teach them, take them aside, expound to them more perfectly the ways of God. Many of them wouldn't listen to you if they knew you were a woman. Many of them wouldn't listen to you face to face. But like I said, there are now ways in which you, woman, you can get the message across for God. Amen? Catherine Coleman was a prophetess, was a judge, a governor, a giant in her time. She came and she conquered for God. Imagine if someone tried to mute her voice. Imagine if someone tried to deprive God's army of her gifts and her strengths and her abilities in the Spirit. Joyce Meyer is a voice for God in this generation. Sarah Jakes Roberts is a voice for God in this generation. Imagine if someone tried to remove these voices from the airwaves. Imagine if someone tried to eliminate these generals from God's army. Imagine how much weaker the army of God will be. Even then, there are women right now who are so empowered by God to fight in His army in this end times, but they have no platform. It's a problem and it must be solved. It must be solved by whom? By the princes of Issachar, by the barracks of this generation, by the bishops with the large platforms, by the pastors, by the general overseers. You must recognize that your church, your church which God has placed you in as an overseer is that much weaker without the power, the strength, the giftings of the women. Where are the women in the church? Where are the women? Women, we need to rise up. We need to rise up. Truth of the matter is, it's our responsibility to take our stand on our watch. We are watchmen, mothers in Israel, assigned by God to birth a new church, to birth nations, to birth the new kingdom that the Lord God of hosts is raising. We are mothers and generals in the army of God. Arise, take your place, women. Let your voices not be silenced, let your voices not be muzzled, let your voices not be muted. A man, there are many women right now who are so powerful in revelation and before the Lord moves, before the Lord does a thing, He tells you, but you are quiet because you are a woman. You don't want the men to hear your voice. You don't want them to think you're forward. You don't want them to think that you're cantankerous. You don't want them to think that you think too highly of yourself, you know, you should be in a corner with a scarf on your head and be quiet and tilt your head to one side. You have an assignment from God. Do it with humility, with submission, but do it. Amen? Hallelujah. Well, that's where we're going to end today's conversation. It's been, again, a powerful, powerful meeting. And as usual, Holy Spirit has done what He always does, fresh breath, fresh word. I am blessed and I'm going to go back and I'm going to listen to this message for myself. I am a Deborah in my generation. Amen? Hallelujah. I need to take my place also. I need to get myself out of that box. I need to take a stand for God and apply myself to the ministry that God has placed in my hand without fear, but with submission. Amen? Praise the Lord. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your presence as always, for your fresh breath, for your word. We thank you that every Sunday, faithfully, you meet with us and you dispense wisdom. We are grateful what we would do without you. Blessed be your name, O Lord God. Till next Sunday, watch over us. Watch over our families, our ministries. Keep us alive. Keep us well. Keep us filled and keep us powerful. In Jesus' name, amen. People of God, thank you for listening. Till next Sunday, take care. Bye.