Shalom-shalom, Peace in the name of Yeshua. This is Crystal Sharpe and welcome to the Ancient Scrolls program. Today is the first day of the week, Sunday, May 13.
Today is Mother’s Day. I wish a Happy Mother’s Day to my mother-in-law, Earnestine McCallister; my Pastor Virginia Jefferson; Pam Williams; Karen Bennet; Judy Duncan; my sister-in-law, Donna Sharp; Donna Walker, Dr. Sandy Kelly; and Krystal Gunnoe; my daughter-in-law, Bethanie Booher; Sue Melton; and Francis Lesly; Leisa Baysinger; Rita Sharp; Sherry Conte; and to all mothers everywhere.
Let us go ahead and pray:
Father,
I ask You to cleanse us from all unrighteousness today so that our prayers will not be hindered. We desire our prayers to ascend before You as incense. I pray that we will learn to be kind, and merciful to one another as You are kind and merciful to each of us.
Thank You for mothers today; those who are pastors, and Sunday school teachers and youth leaders, CEO’s, and bankers, and doctors, those who sacrifice for their children, for those mothers who are nurses and soldiers, and teachers, those who work in department stores, as waitresses, those who are alone raising their children and still doing those things necessary to raise their children in the love of God. Thank You for mothers who will work in soup kitchens for the homeless, and will work as volunteers in organizations to help the disabled.
I have attended many churches and I have to say if it were not for women and mothers, most churches would close their doors forever. It is the presence of mothers and women in the pews and sometimes in the pulpits that keeps the church functioning. It is the sound of the mother’s prayer over her family, over her church, over her community and over the nation that has stopped destruction of the enemy in its tracks.
I ask You to help those mothers today who are trying so hard to make it and trust in You that You will work everything out in their lives. I pray for every exhausted and overwhelmed mother today that You will comfort them, strengthen them, that You would help them financially.
I pray for this nation of people today, that they would be pursuers and seekers of truth. I pray against the principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places. I pray against the witchcraft in this nation, against charismatic witchcraft that has infiltrated the church—the spirit of deception that weaseled itself in through the high ranks of the pulpits across the nation.
In the next few years this nation is going to be in distress and a few TV evangelists, those who work for the devil, will instruct people to not mention the name of Jesus anymore, and to not say anything about the blood of Jesus. I pray God that You will give this nation a spirit of discernment concerning these wolves in sheep’s clothing now, open their eyes to the deception that is being played out in front of them. Deliver us from evil, from the evil one.
We pray for President Trump, for his protection from every design and strategy that the devil wishes for harm. I pray You will place in Trump the desires of Your heart, and that he would become more vocal concerning the deaths of the innocent; that he would blast this barbaric holocaust of the unborn and rail against it to such a point that abortion would be overturned by our lawmakers. Our land, our nation, is polluted with the blood of the innocents. Our land is defiled by homosexuality. Deliver us from evil. I pray for conviction of the Holy Spirit to cover this nation like a tsunami.
I pray for Holy Spirit conviction in Israel and the Arab nations as well. Amen
Today is the 44th Day of the counting of the Omer. The Jews will celebrate Pentecost May 19, which is Friday evening to Saturday evening, and the Christians will celebrate Pentecost on May 20th.
Last week I had focused on Leviticus 23, where the Hebrews were instructed to bring from their dwellings at Shavuot/Pentecost, which is the wheat harvest, one offering of two loaves of bread; these loaves were symbolic of the Houses of Israel and Judah; and as some teach the House of Israel representing the Gentiles and the House of Judah coming together to form one new man from Ephesians 2:15.
And Galatians 3 is another passage that supports this concept of one new man, so we will take a look at that.
Since today is mother’s day, I am going to cover a few women in Romans 16. This chapter consists of about 24 people with 10 being women and 14 being men who are memorialized, or commemorated, for their tireless efforts in advancing the kingdom of God in Rome. These women are recognized for their specific spiritual abilities of equipping the saints, and some possessing spiritual authority by the Holy Spirit; and though some may still resist the apostleship and the status of these women teaching, the word is still truth and available to us if we would regard it more than the traditions of men. As it is, though, people at times prefer their foundational learning to be those traditional teachings of misinterpreted scriptures by men. We should be lovers of truth, and good Bereans and search a matter out.
Since I am always pressed for time let us go ahead and see how far we can make it on the program today.
Galatians 3:26-29 One New Man Bible
For you are all the children of God through faith in Yeshua the Messiah, for as many as you were immersed into Messiah you have been clothed with Messiah. For there is not one Jewish or Greek, not one slave or free, there is not one male or female. For you are all one in Messiah Yeshua. And if you are of Messiah, then you are the seed of Abraham, heirs according to the promise. One New Man Bible
Paul in keeping this concept of “one new man” included women within the parameters of it as well, as I had just read it from Galatians 3
I have a book by George Gates called “Women are Called to Minister and Preach” and I will use some of his research to make certain points here and there as we go through some passages.
The KJV reads Romans 16:1 as: I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea. That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints and that ye assist her whatsoever business she hath need of you; for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
So, we are going to focus on two words: servant and succourer. Sometimes when we think of a servant we imagine a person of no real significance. These would be people who services by being house cleaners, cooks, and part-time nannies. Phoebe is not a servant in that manner. She is not on a mission to go to the congregation in Rome to clean and cook for men there. However, it can be misinterpreted and taught that way.
Servant in this passage in the KJV is from the Greek word diakonon. It is variously translated according to the liberties taken by the translators as servant, minister, or deaconess. Even Paul called himself a diakonos (deacon) in Colossians 1:23 which is then translated minister and Paul refers to Jesus as a diakonos (Romans 15:8) but there it is also translated minister.
Now we will examine the word succourer in the KJV: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints and that ye assist her whatsoever business she hath need of you; for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
Succourer in the Greek is the word prostatis (pros-tat-ees). Succourer should be the word Patroness which means “a woman set over others,” or better yet, a ruler. So, Paul is saying Phoebe is even set over him.
I am going to read Romans 16:1 from the One New Man Bible.
And I am introducing our sister Phoebe to you, since she is also a minister of the congregation in Cenchrea. So that you would welcome her in the Lord as befitting the saints, and you would stand by her whatever matter she would have need of you; for she has also become a patroness of many, even me.
Okay, Let us look Romans 16:7 KJV
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Andronicus and Junia (possible husband and wife team) were apostles before Paul was an apostle
There has been some debate on the whether Junia was male or female. In the Greek Junia is feminine. Historians have also rendered Junia as female. I am going to read something from George Gates book “Women are called to Minister and Preach” under the topic “The Case for Junia and Other Apostles”. He has a quote from a credible source named Saint John Chrysostom, an early church patriarch who lived in the 4th century speaking of Andronicus and Junia: “Who are of note (12) among the Apostles.” And indeed to be apostles at all is a great thing. But to be even amongst these of note, just consider what a great encomium this is! But they were of note owing to their works, to their achievements. Oh! How great is the devotion of this woman that she should be even counted worthy of the appellation of apostle! Who were also in Christ before me.”
One New Man has it written this way: You must greet Andronicus and Junia my kin and my fellow prisoners, who are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Messiah before me.
This can bring all sorts of debates as well, considering– those who thought there were only 12 apostles period and Paul being a later addition to the apostleship.
And there are other church teachings besides that supported the view that the ministry of the apostle died with Paul. But the word is plain to us . . .
Ephesians 4:11-12
And He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting (equipping) of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ . . .
These are all speaking gifts or ministries called the five-fold ministry. These five should be active in every church to equip the rest of the body to perform the work of ministry.
Let us move on to the next one–verse 12 (we are still in Romans 16): Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis (Persia which is a woman), which labored much in the Lord.
What does it mean in the KJV to labor in the Lord? Kopiao is a Greek word for labor “growing weary” “toiling” and akin to “kopto” “to strike, cut, toil” resulting in weariness laborious toil, trouble.
What this means is that these 10 women and 14 men were under the stress of persecution from the Jews, the pagans, and city authorities. They labored enduring long hours of teaching, instructing, ministering; putting down vain philosophies, debating the Jews, all the while trying to equip the saints to minister in the midst of attractive and glamorous vices.
The One New Man reads verse 12 as: “You must greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who are laboring much in teaching in the Lord.”
The first century body of messiah had already allowed the ministry of the gifts of God to be utilized by worthy vessels of women. God created women to minister to Him and to others, as well.
Acts 2:17
I am at the end of the program. If it be God’s will I will have a teaching on Shavuot next Sunday. So, have a good week, remember to walk by faith and not by sight; keep your spiritual garments clean from blemishes, spots and wrinkles, ask God to cleanse you of all unrighteousness every day, remain in His service, Love God and love your neighbor
