She is to keep silent!

“Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor” (1 Tim. 2:11).

Since the dawn of time – well, at least since the curse that God pronounced on women after the fall in the garden (see Genesis chapter 3), women have battled for what they feel is their “right” to power and authority – in particular, over men in authority over them… Whether that be in ministry, within their own churches, in society… but especially in their home.

This has never been so apparent as is now. My generation of women has become an utter disgrace. There are those women who are pure evil and then there are those women who do nothing to stop the evil of others in the name of “non-judgmental tolerant, led grace.”

Really? Nothing about that is biblical – nor is it loving, holy, or righteous. But more than anything it does not, in any way, shape, or form, bring glory to the Almighty, holy, righteous God we serve and who is deserving and worthy of all glory, honor, and praise.

But what sickens me the most is when I see it within the walls of our very own church home.

There is a power struggle going on in our midst.

Women who should be mentoring younger women to love their husbands and their children, (Titus 2:4-5) managing their household, being dignified and faithful in all things (1Tim 3:8) … Are nothing more than bitter, angry, slanderous gossips – most of whom have husbands that, like Adam, stand on the sidelines in silence.

These women have formed unions with one another (one group being the evil and the other allowing the evil to continue) and have taken to social media and even to the point of stating their case through ranting emails, declaring that their way is the way and anyone and everyone who does not adhere to their “way” must depart the church immediately….

The only flaw is the fact that their “way” is not in accordance with The Way. There is no truth and there is most certainly no life in their way.

“A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord… There are six things that he Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him; haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers” (Pr. 6:12-19).

Since the sixties we have seen women become more and more demanding of what they see as their “rights.” And as we, as a church, allow for these women to rise up and be “heard” (tolerated in the name of grace), we have watched as the men have simply laid down the “sword of the Spirit” and backed away – silently.

And the few righteous who do speak out are silenced by those who believe that God prefers grace to any form of justice, and we are to be “peace makers” yet deny that God sent many a righteous man into battle to literally kill for peace.

Scripture tells us that “When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD” (Pr. 19:3) and throughout the prophets, we are given an example as to what God thinks about that… Too bad, so sad… but gear up and get ready, because the wrath of God is soon to be upon you.

And I don’t mean judgement day. I mean now.

For decades we have seen men lay down their headship role in the name of keeping the peace, conforming to the evolving times, or whatever it may be justified by – But the fact is that as the family goes, so goes the church as the church falls down into this trap of deliberate delineation of Scriptural male and female roles within the family and in the church, so goes the nation.

Today we have undisciplined, unruly, children, domestic abuse, rampant substance abuse, sexual immorality, homosexuality to the point of calling it a legitimate union, and the murder of unborn children… again, another “right” women have fought for… and won.

We have taken the bold steps of teaching our daughters that sexual immorality isn’t really that bad… that “you’ll know when it is right…” and therefore 14-year-old little girls, filled with emotions and new – misunderstood hormones are telling themselves “now is the right time.”

Our young men are answering this “women’s right to sexual freedom” – as seen on TV – with a renewed (and sometimes violent) hunger to satisfy their fleshly desires – and when their religious appearance is confounded, they can meet their needs with the click of mouse… after all, “everybody does it…”

What we see going on in society is due to what is going on in the church – and that is a reflection as well, as what is going on – or allowed to go on – in our homes.

Apparently, the answer to the chaos in our particular congregation – which was created by this group of misfits, was a “church meeting” – full on mediator and all – Of course the resistance all sat together, back in farthest parts of the worship center – in the darkness.

I did not know who “these” people were – but looking at the group in the back of the church, it didn’t take long… Their arrogance superseded them.

Up to this point I had only heard the rumors that they were causing dissention and wanted the pastor ousted after he preached on Romans.

Go figure.

But one look – and yes, after we took our seat in the second row, up-front, center – I stood and looked at the crowd behind us.

My heart broke because I had heard that this was going on, but until that meeting I had no idea how bad things actually were.

After some initial ground rules, set by Mr. mediator – people who raised their hands were provided a microphone in which to speak… and this is what was said:

“I love my church,” was stated by the first 15 out of 17 people (I got tired of making hash tags)

“This is my second home,” says P.P.

The next five people felt that it was necessary to upstage those who “loved their church,” by stating how long they have been “actively involved” in the church – D.C. has been in attendance for 21 years, P.P. for 42, S.W. for 20, and Mr. S. for 30 years…

Finally, Mr. S., who seemed to be on the same level of confusion as my husband and I, after hearing people stand and state the fact that they “had a right to…” (apparently due to their duration in attendance) complain about the pastor’s reading material while on a vacation, the fact that some people decided to leave the church because of non-essential, non-salvific doctrinal opinions, and demanding to know what was the pastor going to do about “what he had caused.”

Mr. S. asked the most responsible and intelligent of all questions: “Why are we hear? … I thought this was over doctrine?”

So did we, Mr. S. … So did we…

So, after the run-down of people’s declaration of their personal superiority of holiness based on their commitment to church membership – The real animosity was exposed:

The pastor wasn’t liked because he speaks truth and they don’t like it – and even more juvenile, was the fact that the pastor has “meetings” with some men – but when those “meetings” occur, some of the deacons, staff, and elders weren’t invited nor were they even notified.

Boo. Hoo.

Seriously? Jealousy? Did you just go there Mr. A.?

As the pastor listened with more grace than I will possess in a lifetime…. and people spoke up in his defense, it was revealed that the pastor had not been charged with anything unbiblical, unholy, immoral, or even remotely worthy of disqualification….

Their failed plans, evil, bitter, hateful hearts and tactics were being revealed and just as Scripture promises… their hearts began to rage…

And then it happened…

She spoke.

The raging began, led by a woman (of course) whose husband has apparently pleaded the 5^th with regard to all things biblical.

Mrs. F. has led the charge in demanding private meetings, parent meetings, staff meetings, and now – meetings before the entire church – whereby the pastor is railed upon by her disciples.

“As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him. Knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned” Titus 3:10-11).

Which brings us to my earlier perspective – Why is she and her band of malcontents still here?

But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene” (2 Tim. 2:16-17).

There is a very good reason that God has written the passages throughout Scripture that tells women to SHUT IT – especially those who lack self-control when “teaching” men. Women have a tendency to want to rule over men in authority (Genesis 3). These women, who do not adhere to the commands of God will indeed pollute the entire structure that God has laid out in His word for family, marriage, the church administration, and the society in which we live – When the biblical teaching of younger women is disrupted by the outward actions of power-hungry women who challenge God’s ordinances by exercising authority over God’s ordained men in authority, then they lead these young women down a path of unrighteous indignation.

“As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear” (1 Tim. 5:20).

And the results have been decades of devastation.

But what is worse – is that it is allowed to continue for one more minute!

“But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”” (1 Cor. 5:11-13).

Where there is no church discipline – these people: these wolves in sheep’s clothing, with all the appearances of godliness… will not only grow and fester like a flesh-eating bacterium – but they will go forward infiltrating the belief system of the next (young) woman who comes their way.

Not only will they will utterly defile God’s precious bride – the church, but they will deface, demoralize, and destroy God’s holy precepts for womanhood in society. And we know that because we have seen it crumble since the women’s rights movement of the Sixties – all the way up to full-term abortions for the sexually immoral.

There is a process for disciplining church members – and requirement of this command is not optional – especially the last part:

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Jesus put His warriors on the battlefield right here, right now– not for the purpose of standing still, in full religious attire, waiting for Him to ride in on His great white horse and save the day – But for us to fight the good fight, for His glory, until the day of His return.

As my beloved stood to end the interrogation of the righteous man on trial, he said all that needed to be said – “Shame on us! This is not your church, my church, or the pastor’s church. This is God’s church, the bride of Christ! Shame on us!”

God is indeed a God of grace – But He is a God of justice as well. He demands and commands justice – There are decrees written for church discipline and when they are not enforced, evil will flourish, the church will be defiled, and God’s standards will diminish.

I have written on many occasions about men who are in leadership in churches across America that have defiled women and are left to quietly resign, only to be hired at another congregation and then do it again. That too needs to stop – it is unholy and unbiblical.

But this topic doesn’t get much attention – Especially these days with the #MeToo movement and all the hoopla about women’s rights and glass ceilings… blah, blah, blah….

But a conversation must be had! This is out of control!

Paul made it clear – that these people who cause dissention are to be removed not just from their leadership positions – which needs to be done IMMEDIATELY – but also from staff positions, and the church as a whole needs to be put on notice: The evil and wickedness of dissention will not live here – but we can only do that when we are obedient to God’s command for church discipline.