Sisters' Training

A brother came to visit us in the church inGurugram. A service was assigned to me to drive him to New Delhi for sisters' training. As such, I was given the opportunity to participate in his fellowship with the sisters. I was so supplied and learned a lot from our brother's ministry to the sisters. The highlight of this speaking to the sisters is below.

Sisters are very important in the church life. Generally speaking, two-third of the saints in local churches are sisters. Sisters being the majority, as per church history, most of the church problems also stems from them directly or indirectly. Therefore, it is imperative to shepherd sisters that they become channels of blessing. If so, the church life will be full of blessing. They can change the tide of the church towards blessing.

God created man, and women was built out of man to be a counter to man and also that man and woman may multiply.

“And Jehovah God built the rib, which He had taken from the man, into a woman and brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:22, RecVer)

Rib protects the lungs and heart. Women being built out of rib signifies the sisters' function in taking care of her husband's heart and lungs. The heart of man is vital for his living and the lung is for breathing without which man cannot live. Therefore, the sisters' function is to take care of her husband's "breathing and heart" so that he can be healthy and be useful to the Lord. 

“And Jehovah God said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper as his counterpart.” (Genesis 2:18, RecVer)

“And God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:27-28, RecVer)

Despite this wonderful purpose of God in making man and his counterpart, woman, man fell due to his wife's insubordination to her husband.

There are four categories of family:

1. Man and Woman functions as women: Husband is not functioning like a man making decision nor his wife. This is abnormal.
2. Man and Woman functions as men: Husband and wife tries to take the headship for the family. This is also abnormal.
3. Woman functions like Man, her husband, and Husband functions like Woman, his wife: Woman as the head is improper and husband not functioning as the head is also abnormal.
4. Man as husband, woman as wife: This is normal.

The teaching of the pure of God concerning husbands and wives.

Husbands must love his own wife

“Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, That He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish. In the same way the husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his own wife loves himself.” (Ephesians 5:25-28, RecVer)

Husbands must care for his wife as a weaker vessel

“Husbands, in like manner dwell together with them according to knowledge, as with the weaker, female vessel, assigning honor to them as also to fellow heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7, RecVer)

Wife must take care of the following towards her husband

1. Subject to her own husband
2. Pure manner of life, holy, not worldly, but excellent 
3. Adorning with the hidden man of the heart with meek and quite spirit;  No outward plaiting of hair;  Ornaments of gold;    Fashionable garment. True beauty is in the hidden man of the heart, a life living in the spirit
4. Called her husband Lord
5. Weaker vessel relying on her husband

“In like manner, wives, be subject to your own husbands, that even if any disobey the word, they will be gained without the word through the manner of life of their wives, Seeing with their own eyes your pure manner of life in fear. Let your adorning not be the outward plaiting of hair and putting on of gold or clothing with garments, But the hidden man of the heart in the incorruptible adornment of a meek and quiet spirit, which is very costly in the sight of God. For in this manner formerly the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being subject to their own husbands, As Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose children you have become, if you do good and do not fear any terror.”  (1 Peter 3:1-6, RecVer)

Take care of children meeting, especially caring for neighbourhood children for the sake of the gospel.

Husbands are like elders, sisters are like deacons, and children like saints. Enjoy sweet family group meeting. Eat together as a family. Husband and wife are one flesh and one vessel.

For single saints, brothers should be in "deep sleep" like Adam trusting in the Lord.

“And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place.” (Genesis 2:21, RecVer)

Sisters should be like Rebecca, diligent and acting for others.

“And she hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder and said, Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink. So I drank, and she also gave the camels a drink.” (Genesis 24:46, RecVer)

Additional points I learned from another brother's speaking concerning wive are:

1. Love their husbands
2. Love their children
3. Be of a sober mind
4. Pure
5. Workers at home
6. Good
7. Subject to their own husbands

“Older women likewise to be in demeanor as befits those who engage in sacred things, not slanderers, nor enslaved by much wine, teachers of what is good, That they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, To be of a sober mind, pure, workers at home, good, subject to their own husbands, that the word of God would not be blasphemed.” (Titus 2:3-5, RecVer)

It was my first time attending sisters' training. The Lord supplied me richly with his fresh speaking. Though it was for sisters, I learned many new things for myself as a husband too.

May the Lord bless all the sisters to be proper godly sisters in their homes for the church life.