ME TOO!
~BY: LISA MAKI~
At our women's gathering yesterday, October 27, 2018, I was led by the Holy Spirit to talk about a very controversial issue of women affecting the country: The ME TOO movement. What I will share with you here in this article is what the Holy Spirit imparted to me about the deeper issues that lie within.
If you are a Christian woman reading this article, know that everything here is founded on the Word of God and nothing is based on my own feelings or thoughts.
If you are not a Christian woman, know that I am a woman myself who have been hurt, betrayed, cheated on, sexually harassed; and therefore, I totally understand where women who are a part of this movement are coming from. All I am asking is for you to open your eyes to a deeper issue behind what is going on, and that there is an ENEMY who hates women, regardless of who we are.
The woman's greatest enemy
The history of women started in the Garden of Eden, a perfect world created by a perfect God. When the devil saw how beautiful the woman was and that she was created in God's image and likeness, he took all the risk to destroy her. By destroying her, he also destroys God's creation, and therefore defeat God. This is what he thought. He saw only two options if the woman sins: God will totally banish and destroy her; or God will allow her to stay in the garden with her sin, and therefore contaminate God's creation.
GENESIS 3
He (the devil) said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
The devil does not have the ability to read our thoughts but has the ability to read our facial expressions and our words. This is why he had to ENGAGE the woman in a conversation.
WOMAN, this is how the enemy gets us ... by engaging us in a conversation, sometimes in our minds, sometimes with others. his agenda is to KNOW OUR THOUGHTS so he can attack! he also starts by putting DOUBT in our minds. "Did God really say?" "Is it really true?" "Do you really deserve to be treated that way?"
he got Eve so quickly. Listen to her response.
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’
Eve added something to what God said, which exposed her thoughts to the enemy. God didn't say "do not touch". Eve added that, which exposed that she was thinking of touching the fruit, which further exposed her lust and desire for it. The enemy was so quick to respond to her. This was 'craftily' manufactured.
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
This is how crafty the enemy is. he knows our emotions so well. Because he already got the woman in his hands, he then began to maneuver by saying, "you will not surely die." It's like him saying to you, "nothing bad will happen to you." he then presents an alternative by saying, "you will be like God." This is where he began to put the control on Eve's hands.
The enemy is the god of control because he has always wanted to control even God Himself. God never controls, which is why He has given us the freewill. He wants to be worshiped and served out of our own volition, not because He says so. The enemy is the opposite. he wants to be served. he even told Jesus to bow down before him (Matthew 4:9).
The enemy's intention is to put control in our hands, so he can control us. By putting matters into our own hands, we will fail because it is the enemy's way of doing things. His M.O. is to destroy us.
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
Another intention of the enemy is to shame us, women ... to expose our nakedness so we can be the laughing stock of everyone. This has been his intention from the beginning. he whispers in our ears saying, "you know you have to expose what was done to you," not because he wants to give us justice, but to shame us.
While the enemy shames us, God covers us. God gave Adam and Eve garments. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
When God called Adam and Eve and asked them if they have eaten of the tree of which He commanded them not to eat, Adam blamed Eve (and God), and Eve blamed the serpent.
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Since this article is about women, we are not going to talk about Adam's response, but will focus on Eve.
The enemy wants us, women, to focus not only on what was done to us but who hurt us, so that WE WILL NOT HEAL.
Healing is internal. It starts by looking within, not outside. Looking outside buries us deeper into our hurts and pain, and solidifies the wall that has been built to protect our hearts from getting hurt again. This wall is the very wall that will block God's light and love from healing us. This is what the enemy wants to happen. he hates healing and restoration.
Now that we've talked about the enemy and his intentions, I want to focus on GOD and His intention.
The Woman's Defender and Restorer
"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
What the enemy did not know, anticipate, or even predicted was the ONLY OPTION God had for the woman. God did not totally cut her off or destroy her; nor did He allow her to stay in the garden contaminated by sin. God's only plan for the woman was to RESTORE her. And this restoration is through JESUS CHRIST. He is the LAMB OF GOD, the sacrificial lamb who carried the woman's sin so He can take it away.
This "restoration", however, is a process. Nobody restores anything without spending time on it. Jesus' job was to REPAIR THE DAMAGED RELATIONSHIP OF THE WOMAN WITH GOD.
From the garden, I want to bring you to the restored world where God is bringing the woman back to.
REVELATIONS 21
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Isn't this the same situation back in the garden: no death, no crying, and no pain?
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
God is the beginning and the end. He is the same God in the garden, and the same God in Zion or New Jerusalem. Below is a beautiful description of this place where God is bringing the woman back to.
9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
God will dwell with us, women. This is the restored relationship God wants us to reach in Him.
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
What God says
While the enemy whispers in the woman's ears, telling her things like: "Shouldn't you be fighting for your rights?" ... "You should expose what was done to you." ... "You have to go out there and tell everybody how you were abused" -- listen to what God the Father Himself is saying:
ISAIAH 62
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. 2 The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give.
If I were to paraphrase the first verse above, it will read like this.
"For your sake, I will not keep silent until your righteousness goes forth as brightness and your salvation a burning torch."
The enemy incites the woman to do something for herself. God tells the woman what He will do for her.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you ...
CROWN OF BEAUTY ... this is what the Lord wants to give you, woman. He wants to make you a royal diadem in His hand.
11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth. Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” 12 And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out ..."
Woman, God is telling you that your reward is with Him. You don't have to take matters into your own hands because your power is limited. He wants to do it for you. The word recompense is defined as "compensation or reward given for loss or harm suffered or effort made." He says that your recompense is before Him. You will be called HOLY, meaning you will be cleansed from the dirt and shame done to you.
Challenge to women
Will you let God be the One to defend you? Will you trust Him to do what He promised He will do?
If you are a woman of God, I am challenging you right now to do your part in reaching out to other hurting women and deliver this message to them. Let the enemy steal no more. Now that his tactics are exposed, let's put a stop to all these lies and deceptions he has been feeding women. Together, let us all walk towards our journey BACK TO THE GARDEN.
If you are a Christian woman reading this article, know that everything here is founded on the Word of God and nothing is based on my own feelings or thoughts.
If you are not a Christian woman, know that I am a woman myself who have been hurt, betrayed, cheated on, sexually harassed; and therefore, I totally understand where women who are a part of this movement are coming from. All I am asking is for you to open your eyes to a deeper issue behind what is going on, and that there is an ENEMY who hates women, regardless of who we are.
The woman's greatest enemy
The history of women started in the Garden of Eden, a perfect world created by a perfect God. When the devil saw how beautiful the woman was and that she was created in God's image and likeness, he took all the risk to destroy her. By destroying her, he also destroys God's creation, and therefore defeat God. This is what he thought. He saw only two options if the woman sins: God will totally banish and destroy her; or God will allow her to stay in the garden with her sin, and therefore contaminate God's creation.
GENESIS 3
He (the devil) said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
The devil does not have the ability to read our thoughts but has the ability to read our facial expressions and our words. This is why he had to ENGAGE the woman in a conversation.
WOMAN, this is how the enemy gets us ... by engaging us in a conversation, sometimes in our minds, sometimes with others. his agenda is to KNOW OUR THOUGHTS so he can attack! he also starts by putting DOUBT in our minds. "Did God really say?" "Is it really true?" "Do you really deserve to be treated that way?"
he got Eve so quickly. Listen to her response.
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’
Eve added something to what God said, which exposed her thoughts to the enemy. God didn't say "do not touch". Eve added that, which exposed that she was thinking of touching the fruit, which further exposed her lust and desire for it. The enemy was so quick to respond to her. This was 'craftily' manufactured.
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
This is how crafty the enemy is. he knows our emotions so well. Because he already got the woman in his hands, he then began to maneuver by saying, "you will not surely die." It's like him saying to you, "nothing bad will happen to you." he then presents an alternative by saying, "you will be like God." This is where he began to put the control on Eve's hands.
The enemy is the god of control because he has always wanted to control even God Himself. God never controls, which is why He has given us the freewill. He wants to be worshiped and served out of our own volition, not because He says so. The enemy is the opposite. he wants to be served. he even told Jesus to bow down before him (Matthew 4:9).
The enemy's intention is to put control in our hands, so he can control us. By putting matters into our own hands, we will fail because it is the enemy's way of doing things. His M.O. is to destroy us.
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
Another intention of the enemy is to shame us, women ... to expose our nakedness so we can be the laughing stock of everyone. This has been his intention from the beginning. he whispers in our ears saying, "you know you have to expose what was done to you," not because he wants to give us justice, but to shame us.
While the enemy shames us, God covers us. God gave Adam and Eve garments. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
When God called Adam and Eve and asked them if they have eaten of the tree of which He commanded them not to eat, Adam blamed Eve (and God), and Eve blamed the serpent.
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Since this article is about women, we are not going to talk about Adam's response, but will focus on Eve.
The enemy wants us, women, to focus not only on what was done to us but who hurt us, so that WE WILL NOT HEAL.
Healing is internal. It starts by looking within, not outside. Looking outside buries us deeper into our hurts and pain, and solidifies the wall that has been built to protect our hearts from getting hurt again. This wall is the very wall that will block God's light and love from healing us. This is what the enemy wants to happen. he hates healing and restoration.
Now that we've talked about the enemy and his intentions, I want to focus on GOD and His intention.
The Woman's Defender and Restorer
"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
What the enemy did not know, anticipate, or even predicted was the ONLY OPTION God had for the woman. God did not totally cut her off or destroy her; nor did He allow her to stay in the garden contaminated by sin. God's only plan for the woman was to RESTORE her. And this restoration is through JESUS CHRIST. He is the LAMB OF GOD, the sacrificial lamb who carried the woman's sin so He can take it away.
This "restoration", however, is a process. Nobody restores anything without spending time on it. Jesus' job was to REPAIR THE DAMAGED RELATIONSHIP OF THE WOMAN WITH GOD.
From the garden, I want to bring you to the restored world where God is bringing the woman back to.
REVELATIONS 21
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Isn't this the same situation back in the garden: no death, no crying, and no pain?
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
God is the beginning and the end. He is the same God in the garden, and the same God in Zion or New Jerusalem. Below is a beautiful description of this place where God is bringing the woman back to.
9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
God will dwell with us, women. This is the restored relationship God wants us to reach in Him.
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
What God says
While the enemy whispers in the woman's ears, telling her things like: "Shouldn't you be fighting for your rights?" ... "You should expose what was done to you." ... "You have to go out there and tell everybody how you were abused" -- listen to what God the Father Himself is saying:
ISAIAH 62
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. 2 The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give.
If I were to paraphrase the first verse above, it will read like this.
"For your sake, I will not keep silent until your righteousness goes forth as brightness and your salvation a burning torch."
The enemy incites the woman to do something for herself. God tells the woman what He will do for her.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you ...
CROWN OF BEAUTY ... this is what the Lord wants to give you, woman. He wants to make you a royal diadem in His hand.
11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth. Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” 12 And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out ..."
Woman, God is telling you that your reward is with Him. You don't have to take matters into your own hands because your power is limited. He wants to do it for you. The word recompense is defined as "compensation or reward given for loss or harm suffered or effort made." He says that your recompense is before Him. You will be called HOLY, meaning you will be cleansed from the dirt and shame done to you.
Challenge to women
Will you let God be the One to defend you? Will you trust Him to do what He promised He will do?
If you are a woman of God, I am challenging you right now to do your part in reaching out to other hurting women and deliver this message to them. Let the enemy steal no more. Now that his tactics are exposed, let's put a stop to all these lies and deceptions he has been feeding women. Together, let us all walk towards our journey BACK TO THE GARDEN.
Lisa Maki is the Founder and Publisher of God'z Gurlz web magazine, a Bible-based online magazine for women. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of Step Out Ministries International, a faith-based non-profit organization whose main thrust is to bring about true healing towards the fulfillment of one's purpose and building one's integrity.
A Professional Development Coach, Lisa specializes in motivational workshops, coaching, consulting, and Professional Writing. Her signature coaching program, STEP OUT, STEP IN is designed to help women overcome internal and external barriers to their professional dreams as they step in successfully to the fulfillment of their purpose.
A Professional Development Coach, Lisa specializes in motivational workshops, coaching, consulting, and Professional Writing. Her signature coaching program, STEP OUT, STEP IN is designed to help women overcome internal and external barriers to their professional dreams as they step in successfully to the fulfillment of their purpose.
