WOMEN & MEN should be glad that christian teachings honor and respect women.

DEVOTIONAL READING
LAW OF LIBERTY FOR MANKIND 
James 1, Verse 25 - But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, [she] being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this [woman] shall be blessed in [her] deed.

CITIES AND NATIONS REFERRED TO AS FEMININE
Jeremiah 3, Verse 8 - And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also.
Amos 5, Verse 2 - She has fallen, she will not rise again--The virgin Israel. She lies neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up.
Lamentations 4, Verses 6 - 22
For the iniquity of the daughter of my people
Is greater than the sin of Sodom,
Which was overthrown as in a moment,
And no hands were turned toward her.
Her consecrated ones were purer than snow,
They were whiter than milk;
They were more ruddy in body than corals,
Their polishing was like lapis lazuli.
Their appearance is blacker than soot,
They are not recognized in the streets;
Their skin is shriveled on their bones,
It is withered, it has become like wood.
Better are those slain with the sword
Than those slain with hunger;
For they pine away, being stricken
For lack of the fruits of the field.
The hands of compassionate women
Boiled their own children;
They became food for them
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
The LORD has accomplished His wrath,
He has poured out His fierce anger;
And He has kindled a fire in Zion
Which has consumed its foundations.
The kings of the earth did not believe,
Nor did any of the inhabitants of the world,
That the adversary and the enemy
Could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
Because of the sins of her prophets
And the iniquities of her priests,
Who have shed in her midst
The blood of the righteous;
They wandered, blind, in the streets;
They were defiled with blood
So that no one could touch their garments.
“Depart! Unclean!” they cried of themselves.
“Depart, depart, do not touch!”
So they fled and wandered;
Men among the nations said,
“They shall not continue to dwell with us.”
The presence of the LORD has scattered them,
He will not continue to regard them;
They did not honor the priests,
They did not favor the elders.
Yet our eyes failed,
Looking for help was useless;
In our watching we have watched
For a nation that could not save.
They hunted our steps
So that we could not walk in our streets;
Our end drew near,
Our days were finished
For our end had come.
Our pursuers were swifter
Than the eagles of the sky;
They chased us on the mountains,
They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.
The breath of our nostrils, the LORD’S anointed,
Was captured in their pits,
Of whom we had said, “Under his shadow
We shall live among the nations.”Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
Who dwells in the land of Uz;
But the cup will come around to you as well,
You will become drunk and make yourself naked.The punishment of your iniquity has been completed, O daughter of Zion;
He will exile you no longer.
But He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom;
He will expose your sins!

THE CHURCH REFERRED TO AS FEMININE.
MEN HONOR AND CARE FOR THEIR WIVES.
Matthew 16,  Verses 18-19 - “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
Ephesians 5, Verses 25-33 - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

​WOMEN IN THE CHRISTIAN ORDER
1 Corinthians 11, Verses 3 - 12 - 3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. 5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9 for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. 10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.

CHRIST BORN OF MARY
Matthew 1, Verses 18-21 - Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

WOMEN WITH JESUS DURING HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.
Matthew 28, Verses 1-10 - 1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” 8 And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

THE GREAT HARLOT BABYLON, REFERRED TO AS A WOMAN
Revelations 17 - The Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet Beast: 1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” 3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. The Meaning of the Woman and the Beast: 7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. 12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” 15 Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

MORE ON BABYLON, THE HARLOT AND HER SONS/DAUGHTERS (PEOPLE)
Who are the Sons and Daughters Of Babylon?, a poem by Michelle Murphy
“The woman whom you saw,
Is the great city [Babylon], 
Which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
So says Revelations, chapter 17.

So who are the sons and daughters 
Of Babylon?
They have blood on their hands for sure,
But sit not in prison, 
So they are free.

Who are they?
Their names are synonymous 
With “shits & giggles” reasoning,
Obedience is authored
By a God they do not fear.

So who are the sons and daughters
Of Babylon?
They are dressed and adorned well,
They smell of perfume and wine,
Yet their ideas possess stench.

Sex-less and Sex-consumed, 
The sons and daughters of Babylon
Shake hands with one another, 
They ignore God,
And hold our Savior in contempt.

So who are the sons and daughters
Of Babylon?
I think we know already,
For the enemies of God, and anti-christs,
Are often Known.

Our all-knowing, omni-present God,
Certainly knows,
And the harlot Babylon and her scarlet beast,
And her sons and daughters 
Will be consumed. 

So who are the sons and daughters
Of Babylon?
Now, we do know,
For they are being consumed
For holding our Savior in contempt.

Silence and awe.
Amen.

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
Men and women have natural differences, both in their roles and in their perspectives. The reasonable joke from the book, "Men are from Mars, women are from Venus" is that the phenomenon that occurs between men and women makes you really wonder, "Am I from Venus?" or "Am I from Mars?" God created man with dust, and woman from man - we are different in our origins. Christian teachings honor and respect women; God loves women as He loves His creation and all His children. There are plenty of female references in the Bible. For example, from the womb people are born, and interesting devoted women gave birth to some historical children in Old and New Testament times - they were children of God. When Jesus rose from the dead, several of His followers, all women, were there as witnesses. They spoke with and worshipped Jesus, which demonstrates the tight bond and respect the Son of God has for his female disciples. Women were prophets in both the Old and New Testaments. They hosted church assemblies, evangelized to the lost, raised the next generation, gave to charity, and were edified together with the men on the mysterious spiritual truths about God. They confessed their sins and either strived towards the Law from Moses, or began good works as a faithful disciple of Christ.

Women are under the same "law of liberty" as men. They are regarded equal to men in worth by God. The feminine expressions for key places, nations or peoples, and the church itself, leaves one overwhelmed with the power one possesses being a woman. God is both for and against the members of these she-bodies, for they perform good works of the Spirit, or alternatively devilish work sourced by sin. Eve was fashioned from the rib of Adam, while Adam came first from the dust. Each was fashioned by the same God and wonderfully made for the Garden. When Eve and Adam sin, God finds them naked. He punishes them both directly & individually & together, and the responsibility over the Fall of Man is shared by this couple. Excuses about the serpent's sneaky ways, or the other spouse's tempting nature, were attributed to hog-wash by God. Women should be glad the Bible reflects value and stature onto both men and women, and that they have equal responsibility before God. Having a direct relationship with God, the Father, and Jesus, the Christ, the Son, is a high honor. These relationships shall not be taken lightly by us - if they are, then rest-assured the Lord will not forget. Ah... fear and trembling!

The city of Babylon in Revelations can be viewed as in part symbolic of the world-wide epidemic we face under elitist regimes today. The harlot has been riding her beast. The comparison of Babylon to a grown woman makes Revelations 17 a riveting read. "The promiscuous woman" is leading symbology for nations or cities in trouble throughout the Bible. Israel is called out as a virgin AND a faithless prostitute in the Bible. As real Women we also are unclean - we are dirty before the divine. There is one way to be clean before God, and that way is defined by His law. Again, the law of liberty was brought to us through the sacrifice made by Jesus, the Son of God. The blood he shed on the cross cleanses us, because the sacrifice he made for the forgiveness of sins, was of a magnitude off-the-charts on the Richter scale. Behold the sacrifice of Jesus, and His mother's womb! Behold the mysteries of God that were revealed in His time! Behold the forgiveness of our sins! Can you behold these things, or do you not see what we are when naked? We sit, yawn and laugh at the world and others; for we feel we have nothing to stand up for, and we tire of the small things and regular going-ons, and we have a joke ready for every uncomfortable event. We need to stand up for God, never tire of the small and normal things, and take life seriously when it should be.

DEVOTIONAL PRAYER
Dear God, Thank you for the sacrifice that Jesus made for the forgiveness of sins. Just thinking of the magnitude of His life and Your saving grace, makes me rejoice that the Light came into the world and prevailed. It reminds me of the darkness as well, for we have our Babylon, our harlot and the beast. I pray for what is ahead. Christianity has birthed so much freedom over thousands of years for women and others, and invites diversity in its core teaching - that Your children are all deserving of love by You. I am thankful for your love and watchful eye. I am coming to understand a bit more Your Fatherly nature, and my womanly nature. It is an honor to be Your daughter. Thank you for creating me as a woman, as I have deeply enjoyed the emotional, creative and intellectual exercises that come with my feminine nature. Thank you Jesus for your respect of female disciples - I am trying my best to be one of Yours. Praise God! Amen.