Liberty to the Captives by Victoria Boyson

www.victoriaboyson.com

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" Matthew 6:9-10 NIV.

THE CROSS SETS things right.

The cross bore the shame and sin of the fall of mankind and revealed the kingdom of heaven to the human race. God's heavenly kingdom would not dominate or cast aside any human, regardless of race, gender or position (Galatians 3:28). Indeed, God will pour out His Spirit on every human being who will receive Him. Jesus emancipated humanity and declared to the Earth, "The kingdom of God is already among you" (Luke 17:21 NIV).

Christ presented us with a new way of thinking: the mindset of heaven. He taught us to pray to the Father, "May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10 NLT), literally calling down the mindset of the kingdom to invade and overtake the earth.

When we ask the Father to manifest the reality of heaven on earth, we are asking for the love and acceptance that heaven enjoys to come and invade the church, the world and our hearts. We are asking for the traditions of man, the lies of history and the hatred and fear of generations to be washed away by the cross of Christ. This prayer, the Father's prayer, reveals a new existence and a new way of thinking and living to the earth.

Indeed, that includes the lies told against women, which must be exposed and God's truth about women be instituted in our hearts and minds. So, we should then be asking ourselves, "How does heaven treat women?" The nearest example we have is the life of Christ.

What did Jesus say about women when He lived on the earth? How did Jesus treat women? Or better yet, what didn't Jesus teach us about ourselves?

Jesus challenged the world He lived in with the truth. He foresaw His sacrifice on the cross and knew it would bring liberty to men and women alike! He knew the cross would send the world reeling, but would bring about the ultimate liberation of an entire gender - that 50% of His bride would ultimately be set free from the bonds and chains of tradition's lies against them.

Jesus, our Savior, died to liberate you and me. He died to liberate both men and women - it was a part of the package, an essential element to equip the church. So, why do women continue to allow their liberty to be stripped away from them?

Think about it. Paul was speaking to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 11:19-20, but he was talking to women and men both when he said, "After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools! You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face" (NLT emphasis mine).

For centuries, many women have allowed themselves to be devalued and believed they were serving God by doing so.

The enemy will try any contemptible lie he can to keep you from doing what you are called to do. He will wrap a morsel of truth around a bundle of lies and call it wisdom and try to make it law.

Should we let him stop us?

Would you let Satan stop you from defending your children if they were in danger or your church if it needed your help? Why let him limit you? Why allow him to take up space in your mind with his debunked theories of womanhood when the Word of God clearly states that you were called for such a time as this. "I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and DAUGHTERS will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants - both men and women alike!" Joel 2:28 NLT (emphasis mine).

Christ died to set women free from the intolerable burdens they were never meant to bear so they could take their place in His kingdom on earth without reservation or excuse. Why, then, would we ever allow ourselves to become enslaved again by the traditions of mankind and reproach ourselves for our lack of compliance to the indoctrination the church has handed out to us as spiritual food?

Why would we disregard the freedom Christ died to give us? Why would we throw away the humanity He handed us? It is His gift to us; our freedom through Christ is our inheritance from Him. He came to set women free.

God, our Father, has designed and planned for you to take your place in the battle for the kingdom - to do the greater works of the kingdom! When you embrace the work of the cross, you are no longer a marginalized female, but you are one in Christ with His kingdom. Remember: when God looks at you, He sees Jesus! (Galatians 3:28).

When you triumph over mankind's opinion of you, you triumph for the kingdom of heaven.

Half-built House
The Holy Spirit showed me a vision years ago of a great, towering building. The structure had a foundation and floors on every level, but had completed walls on only two sides and no roof. In the building, there was a great multitude of men and women working as if they were oblivious to the conditions of the building they were in. They were simply unaware of their terrible lack and the vulnerable situation it put them in.

I asked God about the vision. He said, "My house is not yet finished and it will remain unfinished and vulnerable to the enemy until the women take their rightful place in My house."

I found it peculiar He did not say the women should be given their rightful place, but He said they must take their place. Unfortunately, there is still a great deal of misogynist thinking in the church and amongst women against themselves. Indeed, God never said it would be easy and truly, the difficulties we face build us into the strong women we need to be to rally for our King.

And we, as a church, must stand vehemently against any and all opposition against the whole kingdom of heaven coming to the earth.  It must be released through all of us - men and women alike!

The preceeding message was taken from my newest book just released:

God's Magnum Opus - The Value of a Woman