I do not believe that the Spirit needs to be "activated."  God works in us only as much as we allow Him to.  He can work through us despite us, but He works as much as we allow Him to.  Heidi, salvation occurs the moment we truly give our hearts to the Lord, but it continues throughout our life. It is called sanctification. As we give more and more of ourselves to Him, and know Him more and more intimately, He can and does do give us greater wisdom, power and insight to Him. We have to do some "work" as well. We need to get into the Word and have a daily walk with the Lord, deepen our prayer, become part of the body of Christ to be discipled, mentored, encouraged, and serve Him as He directs.  

There isnt a time when the Holy Spirit becomes "activated", but dwells in us from the time we are saved. We then begin a lifelong process of transformation from the inside out.

Heidi-

I believe that God calls to each of us throughout our lives. However, I believe that when you are saved, the Holy Spirit enters. That is what salvation is about. You can pray the prayer but it is a matter of our heart. When we desire to die to our own selfish nature and take on Christ, that is salvation.

Heidi -

I am a bit confused by your post. You say you invited Christ into your life but nothing happened. Are you saying you were saved at that point and the Holy Spirit "waited" to come to you?

Very well put Pilgrim.  Amen!

Jonah was in the belly of a great fish that God provided. That does not necessarily mean it was a whale. In fact, a whale is a mammal and not a fish.  I agree with you whitehorse in that there is no Scriptural basis that Jonah was dead and resurrected. He was buried in the belly of a great fish in the depths of the seas for 3 days and nights and miraculously lived through it to preach repentance to Ninevah.

I agree with you joyunending.  Paul spent time correcting those who were using the gift of tongues badly just as you said. But the gift is only one of the spiritual gifts.

That shows that you must be a believer to have the gift of tongues, and that this is a spritual gift, but it isnt necessary part of salvation.

It is sad to see a church where men and/or women are lax in their fire to serve each other in the Lord. It is also sad to see those who are seeking power and self glory in the name of God. It is wonderful to see a church working through the Holy Spirit commited to seeking the lost and discipling believers and rising up leaders and being all God calls us to be.

Petro-

Our conversation is finished, if you didnt get my message, until you can get yourself under control.

Or, are you just needing the last word?

Allinall-

It isnt about order as much as correct Biblical interpretation. You are implying that the Trinity is a Godhead of subordination. However, the Trinity is the epitomy of equality, mutuality and harmony. While Jesus took submission to the Father while in a temporary earthly role, He is not in permanent linear submission or subordination to the Father.

God never mandated one human in authority over another due to gender. Jesus and Paul began a process to restore the harmony and equality that God placed prior to man's fall.

I have not neglected this Scripture, I do not believe that you are interpreting it correctly. I have addressed this I believe in prior postings.

I completely understand the hierarchial position allinall, I probably know it as well as you. I have read extensively in regard to it. I do not agree with this interpretation, that is my point.

And the point is that you are taking out the calling, the giftedness, and God's will for persons and making it a matter of hierarchy, manmade authority, and cultural conditioning. These  are the very same issues that Paul and Jesus dealt with. The Scriptures tell us that there were women in leadership, teachers, and ministers of the Gospel. That God created marriage to be equality and mutuality. God alone desires to be authority of our homes, hearts, churches and marriages. This message is consistant throughout.

"Whatever...suzie,"...Yes, indeed Petro.

Maybe there will be a day we can come together and discuss this in a manner that would be God honoring. However, this is not the day. Blessings to you also Petro.

Petro-

Name calling and dismissing other believers who do not share in your views, and making false assumptions about them. Unfortunately, your insistance to use these tactics makes any type of discussion almost impossible, but then, that is one way to dominate--I would wonder what would motivate someone to do this?

It still remains that God did, has and will rise up women leaders, teachers and those called to ministry despite culture and tradition. God gives gifts in ministry in accordance to His Spirit for the building up of the body of believers regardless of gender. Whether you want to believe this or not does not change that.

When you have gained self control and wish to discuss the Scriptures and issue themselves, I will gladly accept to do so.

BTW-Geetam, I have visited this website a few times. I think it is great and thanks for posting it for others.

Petro-

Guess you just cant help yourself can you. You believe you can just label me as a heretic and that will make it right somehow.

As I have partaken of this study regarding women, I have at read from divergent viewpoints and interpretations of Scripture. I am sure you would label many of these "heretics" as well, because even of those who believe in the "traditional, or hierarchial" view, have variations of what exact role women "can play" within the context of church ministry.  

Even though you seem to think that those who support the egaltarian view of women in Scripture are "heretics", instead I have found they are learned scholars, Christian men and women who have spent great time and prayerful discernment in earnestly attempting to bring the most truthful meaning to these verses.

Culture and tradition can be deeply rooted and color our perception of Scripture. Often assumptions are made about these topics that are informed more from our society or traditions than by the Bible and the Gospel. We have witnessed this in the verses that were held up in regard to slavery as being a blessing both to master and slave. They earnestly believed that although negroes were created in the image of God, had souls, and could accept salvation, they were convinced the Bible divinely sanctioned slavery. They had verse and text to prove it. After much bloodshed and many, many years, we have come to the conclusion that those Christians who came before us, were on the wrong side of biblical interpretation.  However, those bible verses are still there that "promote" slavery. They were clearly seen by those who taught slavery as morally acceptable.

This produces dilemma. The Scriptures either approve of slavery and it isnt immoral to own slaves, or those verses that were interpretated as such are not to be taken as universal mandates and eternally binding.

This was to point to the fact that there can be believers who hold the Word as Truth, and can interpret passages differently. We see it all the time within these type of forums and even within our own Christian friends. The disagreement is in regard to application of hermeneutical principles, not inerrancy of the Word. However, I am sure you will not be in agreement with this either, since you seem to hold the "real truth" which is your interpretation of the Word and only that.

I believe Paul meant every word he wrote about women. I have held to Scripture for support of everything I have stated. This is not the only verse that supports women in ministry Petro. This is just one passage that we were focusing on.

You said:
"This is probaly one reason why the Lord found it fit, to comand women to be silent in the church nor to teach men, to begin with.." I think this gives insight into your mentality.

The diversity of gifts within the Church recognizes that the Spirit of God functions in different ways in different people. A person's task in the ministry of the Church is determined by the way the Spirit is manifested in that person's life and actions as in 1 Corinthians 12:11. Whether a woman or a man is given the privilege of serving the Church as a pastor, it is not based on that person's choice to do so, but on the recognition that the Spirit of God has led and empowered that person for pastoral ministry. The requirement for pastoral ministry is manifestation of the Spirit and not about being a male. Nowhere in the New Testament are the gifts of the Spirit determined by gender.

We give it all to the Lord joyfully, and He blesses us in abundance.