A Word through: Donna Chapell email:dchapell@juno.com Tuesday, September 28, 1999

One day over a month ago, I saw in the Spirit my telephone ringing off the hook. Many, many were calling and excitedly reporting that the men we had been praying for so many years had finally come to Christ! Call after call came, each bearing the same report. Prodigal fathers, uncles, grandfathers, sons, cousins, bosses, neighbors -- suddenly men were hurrying into the Kingdom! The prayers for their salvation were being answered quickly and all at once! I could hear the breathless excitement of the callers and they said, "I had almost decided it was never going to happen, but it has! He's saved! He's come home!"

WOMEN HAVE WEPT OCEANS OF TEARS

I held that vision and waited on the Lord. For too many years I have watched women weep oceans of tears calling out to the Father for their men. We have seen in the church generation after generation of boys grow up and lose out with God in their teens, many never returning. I have watched women carry a load they were never meant to bear, trying to be both submissive to their unredeemed husbands and be the spiritual covering for their homes. Many women have grown old and bitter, polluted by hopelessness, despair and resentment because of the weight they've carried. Yet many have valiantly dug in their heels and defied the wicked one on behalf of their men. They have faithfully spoken the Word of God over the matter and have not been persuaded by what they have seen -- a selfish, uncaring, detached male culture, spiritually, emotionally and physically abandoning their rightful place of headship.

The Lord has given me some insight for those women -- and men -- who have been standing a long time believing for wayward men. His Word is Life and He has not changed His mind. He is completely unwilling that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

A WORD TO THE WOMEN

To the women: the Lord is calling us to repent. Sounds funny, doesn't it? The men bail out and the Lord calls the women to repent? Yes. He showed me how we have silently stood by and allowed our Western culture to communicate to our men that they are irrelevant in the lives of women and children. We have agreed with the feminist lie that we do not need them: we are strong and independent, and we have schooled this into our daughters.

One day years ago, when things were out of order in my home, I was really complaining to the Lord about the lack of spiritual leadership in our family. The Lord was quite emphatic when He said, "Donna, if your husband did try to assert his authority in your home, he'd have to wrestle it away from you! You aren't willing to submit to his leadership -- why should he continue to exert himself? He knows you will challenge and defy him." What could I possibly say? The Lord was absolutely correct, and all I could do was agree with Him and repent.

IT WAS IN THE GARDEN

We find it in the garden. The serpent appealed to Eve's desire for superiority over her husband. YOU will be as the gods, was his promise to her. She bit. The serpent didn't need a pitch to bait Adam. Eve just offered the fruit, he willingly bit, then blamed his actions on her and God, "It was the woman You gave me!" Fast forward to the New Testament. All those years later, rebellion is still in the woman "Wives submit yourselves to your husbands..." and blame and denial is still in the man, "Husbands, be not bitter against your wives lest your prayers be hindered!" You'd think after 4000 years we'd be a little further along, but human politics remain exactly the same.

WHAT THEN, DO WE DO?

So what do we do? Repent, ladies. Confess to the Lord the root of rebellion that has been bred into every one of us. It's there. It wears a very individual face, but it's there. Confess our independent spirit as being carnal and dangerous. Confess that we have bought the lie that we don't need anybody -- we can do our own thing, and "Nobody has the right to make me feel guilty!"

IT'S THAT DOUBLEMINDED THING AGAIN

Confess that we need the covering God designed to protect and bless us. Confess that we have missed His plan and have paid a high price: our homes are out of order, our churches are out of order, we carry things that are not ours to bear, our children are fatherless -- spiritually and often literally; we have been rebellious toward God by not allowing righteous men to take their place in leadership for various reasons (Generally because we can do a better, more efficient job, we think! However, God is not impressed by our efficiency! He rewards obedience and honors those who submit to authority.) Confess our doublemindedness to the Lord: we want men to lead, but we don't want to give up the power that goes with leadership! We cannot continue to be double-minded. This is God's plan, it is a good plan because it is His, and it is the only plan that works!

DESTINY MUST BE CALLED FORTH!

The next thing we do is begin to call forth the destiny of God in the lives of men. Don't look at what they are now. Call forth what God has said about them: " My husband does not operate in a spirit of fear or timidity, but he is powerful, loving, and has a sound mind! He is the righteousness of God in Christ and God has created the two of us to walk in unity in order to raise up a righteous seed unto Himself." The key here is to PRAY THE WORD over the situation. God has obligated Himself to His Word. Nothing can withstand the power of His Word. He does all things well, and He diligently watches over His Word to perform it. He is waiting for us to make our agreement with His Word, get into agreement with one another on His Word, speak the Word, believe the Word, and watch for it to come forth!

BUT WHAT IF THINGS GET WORSE YET!?

What do we do when all the above has been done and nothing seems to change. It even seems to become worse!? We don't just stand...we stand FIRM! We cannot afford to lose even one more man to the enemy's camp. He can't take ground from us unless we hand it over to him. We stand watch over this in-gathering and refuse to tolerate the enemy or his mischief in the lives of our men. Then, having done all, STAND. To an American, standing equals doing nothing. But to those who are seasoned in battle, standing isn't idleness, it is IMPORTANT, HARD WORK! Are there any shortcuts? Not even one. Dig in your heels, plant your feet on the territory the Lord has given to you to stand watch over (the men your are lifting up in prayer), and make your declaration to the enemy: He IS coming to salvation in Christ! My feet are planted firmly on the promises of God's Word! To gain one inch of this ground, you must move the entire planet! I'll not give it up!"

GOD IS A FINISHER OF HIS WORK!

If God is God.. and HE IS!...and if His Word is true...and IT IS!...then He will surely complete what He has started! Put the telephone numbers of your praying friends on your speed dial so when this great, sudden in-gathering of men begins, you can noise the sound of triumph throughout the land!