We should all be working through the Foundations of the True Woman Manifesto by now and I am excited to hear what you have learned and what truths have perhaps pricked your heart for your times of reflection this month. I am going to share my notes in regards to the opening statement and why we need a "manifesto". I invite you to share your comments as well. This is a blog for us to initiate conversation and thoughts but we want to hear from you also.
Opening Statement: "a personal and corporate declaration of belief, consecration, and prayerful intent".
Are You Displaying God's Glory?
1) The world says
"You can believe whatever you want as a believer as long as you do not "declare" it to others"
True Woman:
We believe strongly; We declare; We are not afraid to declare what we believe
2) We have a need for boldness today:
as women of God we want others to know where we stand - we need to declare graciously and winsomely.
3) It is a Personal Declaration
Each point of the manifesto applies personally
- it is a call to: affirm each point in my heart and to live each one out in my life
4) It is a Corporate Declaration
- linking arms with other women - to be like-minded and like hearted
- to move forth - on our knees to achieve God's Purposes for His Kingdom Not our own purposes of this world
5) The Manifesto states things we hold to be absolute truth
- it is a contrast to post-modernism which implies everyone has his own truth - there is no such thing as absolute truth (world)
- What we believe is vital - we want to be clear because it determines HOW WE LIVE
- We want to be sure we have the RIGHT CREED - the right beliefs so that we base our lives on the Firm Foundation of the Truth of God's Word
6) A declaration of our consecration and prayerful intent
- requires a response - it is not enough to "affirm:
- it is intended to affect the way I live
- it calls for personal commitment and consecration of my life to the truths I say I believe
7) Challenge
- Read it and agree with it
- Prayerfully act upon it
- Let it change others through me
It will lead others to know the gospel and to be drawn to Christ through my life
8) Ultimate Purpose / goal of the declaration
- Christ be exalted
- Redeeming love of Christ displayed through-out the earth
- It is not about me
- It is not about women
- IT IS about Christ being exalted to His rightful place as LORD in our hearts, our churches, and our world
Are we displaying God's Glory?
- We have to display the Gospel - not keeping to our self
- we have been blessed with Christ & His Glory - His redeeming love
SO THAT:
we can be a blessing to others
SO THAT:
the glory and redeeming love of God can be displayed, felt, realized, experienced throughout the world!
I had not thought about the fact that "everyone has a creed" and that we are all living by one. "The Need for a Creed: Reflections on Creeds, Confessions and Manifestos" by Mary
Kassian stated:
History demonstrates that creeds are profoundly important. They are documents that challenge people to change, counter, or correct a current trend of thought - or at the very least, to reconsider it. Creeds clarify beliefs. Creeds set direction. Creeds create movements. Creeds are like signposts at a junction. They require travelers to choose and commit to one path or another. Ultimately, this choice determines whether the traveler and those who follow will arrive at one destination, or at a different one, miles apart from the first.
The True Woman Manifesto is merely a signpost highlighting some major points about what we believe the Bible says to women, and declaring our conviction that even if its teachings are unpopular in this day and age, the Bible provides the best (and wholly authoritative) instruction with regards to what we believe and how we live as women.
Today many women are unwittingly living by creeds set forth by the secular woman's movement
My prayer and challenge to all of us is to strive to swim upstream against the culture - to re-evaluate how we are living - does it reflect what we SAY we believe and more importantly, according to what God's Word calls us to? We are not perfect, and we have all gotten off tract in many ways, but together we can link arms in this journey and help each other to get on and stay on the path in this journey of Becoming God's True Woman. Let's all strive to Display God's Glory as True Woman and radiate that Glory to others as we travel!
Now, one last thing before I close...if you have a daughter or granddaughter this is very important! Go to the "Secret Keeper" below(June 7th post) link and check out what
Miley Cyrus is up to and how we as True Women can stand against the ungodly influences that come into our girls lives. Remember, we will have to go against the culture and stand firm - even when i is not popular!
Donna
