Women Beyond The Cave

by Melody Green

I can't shake it. In my spirit I keep hearing God say,

"Women arise! Women arise! With open hands lifted up to heaven. With lips ready to give praise and speak truth. With hearts soft and open, ready to receive My message. It's time to receive your spiritual inheritance. To receive your personal marching orders for this important hour."

As women we should be very encouraged. We may be soft on the outside, but we're strong and mighty in spirit. We are God's secret weapons and the enemy knows it. He takes us seriously, even when others don't. The enemy's strategy has been to keep us quiet and in hiding. But God is doing an end run. He is going to release so many of us at once that the enemy is not going to know what hit him!

I believe in this hour the Lord is saying to His women:

"Now is the moment when I Myself am coming to release you. Too many of my people have turned a deaf ear to you. Only those who understand the big picture and full spectrum of My heart can hear the words, Women Arise! I am going to lay such an incredible anointing on women who are willing to step out. I am tired of fighting the war with only half of My army.

Where are My women? Where are the ones I called to teach, to preach... To blaze those trails even the bravest of men shudder to go. Where are my women? Where are they? Have they not heard My call?"

After hearing this from the Lord, in my minds eye I saw a cave. I looked closer and many women were in it, too many. And they were afraid to come out.

Some felt the cave was a safe place to stay—that only men were equipped to venture out and fight the battles beyond. Some felt content to stay, because the cave was indeed, their place of service. But many felt restless, unsettled Many felt called out but some of them had been told those feelings were wrong—so they stifled them… Stuffed them down. Poured guilt upon themselves. But for some, those feelings could not be ignored And this was right... because for some Their call could only be fulfilled beyond the cave.

Lets take a quick look at just of a few of the better known women who ventured out beyond the cave.

Think of Deborah. She was a prophetess and a judge. She was a married woman who had a day job outside her home. Deborah judged a nation. I don't know what kind of job her husband had, but the nation came to his wife for rulings. Deborah carried a governmental mantle and we could safely assume she also had the gift of wisdom and discernment. She was trusted to disperse wisdom for the whole nation. When she called for the army commander, Barak, and told him it was time to go to war, Barak wouldn't go to battle unless Deborah went with him. Everyone knew that Deborah heard from God.

Then there was Esther. She was an orphan being raised by her uncle. When her story began she was much younger than Deborah... and still single. But she knew how to hear from God. She was abducted with many other beautiful young girls—and taken to the castle of a heathen King who was having a contest for a new wife. Even there, the Lord spoke to Esther. God told her to listen to her uncle and take the advice of the man in charge of the girls. Esther hid the fact that she was Jewish, and God gave her a strategy to become the queen. But that was only the beginning, she also won the Kings heart.

But little did Esther know all the Lord had in mind. When the whole Jewish nation was in line for extermination Esther fasted and prayed and God gave her intricate, day by day, wisdom with split second timing. I believe God gave her wisdom as she went, and that she moved very prophetically—giving time for the King to have a sleepless night and time for Haman's gallows to be built.

Only God could have orchestrated such an incredible deliverance for the Jewish nation, and such a fascinating turn of events to judge the bad guys. But it was a young Jewish orphan girl who listened, heard, and followed God's plan.

We should be encouraged. If these women can lead prophetically, judge nations, and save whole people groups—why can't God can use us too?

Esther and Deborah were on the front lines. One of the things I really like about their stories is the incredible teamwork that happened between them and the men God put in their lives. Mordecai was behind the scenes praying and sharing wisdom to Esther. And I would imagine Deborah's husband [along with the whole nation] prayed when she and Barak went off to war.

Many years later Jesus rose to prominence—and a young girl named Mary poured ointment His feet. Her act of worship was despised by the men around her. They thought it was wasteful. But Jesus pointed to her extravagant adoration as an example every believer should follow. The example of a simple, worshipping woman.

And still many years after that, Joan of Arc, a young girl from a poor village in France began to hear God speaking to her. Her faith and her visions took her before her government, with a strategy and a plan. Joan of Arc became the only teenager in all of history ever to lead the army of a nation. She was betrayed and became a martyr—and she is still an inspiration to people around the world today.

Hundreds of years later, four teenaged girls were sent to America from England on a mission. The Salvation Army was flourishing in England, but was unknown in America. Within months these teenagers started a movement in America that is still going strong today. Most people don't realize that it was teenage girls that launched the Salvation Army in America.

Then there was that young Albanian woman who went to India as a schoolteacher. While she was there she felt a call from God to help the poorest of the poor. She walked out into the streets of India without any money in her pocket and simply began to pick up the dying from the gutters and take care of them. She lived in poverty and did menial tasks even when her name became known worldwide as the byword for the embodiment of Christian love and compassion. She was Mother Teresa. And she did all of her kindness in the name of Jesus, and as a pauper and a servant, she received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Jackie Pullinger left the UK on a freighter, believing God would tell her when to get off. When the ship docked in Hong Kong she disembarked. Knowing no one, she wandered into the "walled city" filled with heroin addicts, prostitutes, and violent gangs. It was so terrible in there that the police wouldn't even go in. But God found a young English girl who was willing to go and show the love of Jesus to these forgotten ones. Jackie, on her own, quietly and sacrificially won the trust of the worst of the worst. She learned God's secrets about the poor, she learned Chinese, and she learned the keys to praying people off of heroin addiction. Jackie is still in Hong Kong today, and because of her continued sacrifice there is a flourishing Chinese church filled with ex-addicts and countless people with new lives.

Today the mission field is filled women who are leading churches and pioneering works in remote tribes and villages. They are teaching, training, and raising up native pastors so God's work can grow.

There are also women serving God in the suburbs and the inner cities—in the pulpit, on their knees, and in the streets. Some are prominent Bible teachers and others are serving in relative obscurity.

I've told just a few very brief stories. I obviously didn't do justice in telling the stories of the women I spoke about, but their lives in greater detail, along with many others will be profiled in this site. And so will the encouraging words of many many men who support and encourage the release of women into ministry.

Have you been encouraged? Maybe it's time for you to venture out of the safety of your cave and see how God wants to use you.

There's always room for one more out there.

Melody Green, 2/22/2007

Feedback:

	(Guest)	11/09/2007 16:52
i like this one.
	natalie kim (Guest)	05/24/2008 08:58
Dear Melody, I am in a hotel this morning and for some reason, I woke up wondering what the heck ever happened to meldoay green? We saw you in Virginia in 1985 or so and were immersed in the music and ministry of LDM for many years I cant begin to tell you the changes that have taken place in my life. But I am glad to hear you are still rockin' and I absolutely am touched and in some ways renewed by this article. I havent read an ldm article in a decade or more, tho I have copies of them from the 80's that I never could bring myself to throw away. (at one time we ordered and distributed them.) From some people's point of view, I have deviated from a straightforward walk with God, but I dont beleive so. What your article has done for me this funny shabbat morning in a hotel in Texas is remind me to listen to the voice of God. He has bathed me in his love and forgiveness for many years, but you reminded me that "for such a time as this," He often speaks loud and clear. I am encouraged to listen. Thank you.
	esbee (Guest)	10/09/2008 19:18
My apologies to Melody for this email but I think it goes along with God using woman to tell His message. I told God about in Jan 2006, “Whatever You want for my life…” The next day I tripped over nothing and broke my back. I was immobilized enough to read an email from a stranger about something called NAIS. My life has changed dramatically as I have been put on the front lines of seeing our country change as we are facing losing our freedoms, both religious and constitutional and I am fighting it. (The Amish will certainly get pummeled by this program and they and everyone who owns any livestock will need our prayer and help. Many Christians who homeschool and raise their own meat animals will certainly feel the effects of this costly, needless program.) Most of you have not heard of NAIS, in fact most livestock owners have not heard about this program, and many have been signed up without their knowledge or permission. (NAIS-national animal id system)-is a business plan to benefit corporate agriculture on the global level. But it is being pushed as an animal disease tracking program (there are already proven disease tracking programs in place!!!) But while agri-biz gets the benefits and profits from the program, those who own even one farm animal, even as a pet will have to bear the burden and costs of working it. So far, over $100 million of your tax dollars has gone to push the lies of this program. Corporate ag gets one lot number per groups of factory farmed animals and the rest of will have to… 1. register our premises with the govt (which messes with property rights) 2. microchip every animal we own (we pay) 3. file reports to the govt on all births, deaths and off property movements (who has the time?) 4. face depopulation of all animals in a 6 mile radius should animal disease be suspected. (disease can be controlled by vaccination, meds and prevention!) All this so corporate ag can tell Japan they are buying safe beef! But how does my telling the govt everywhere I ride my horse insure Japan will have safe beef? How are granny’s few backyard hens the same as thousands of factory farmed chickens? They are certainly not on the same playing field. That is like me having a disease but forcing you to take/pay for the meds, then I go tell the world I am healthy so I can travel the world. Makes absolutely no sense, benefits neither one of us, but that is how NAIS will work. NAIS will affect everyone who eats, and not in a good way. See nonais.org for more info on this program that will affect everyone who eats. And please keep the Amish in prayer. They farm the old fashioned way and have no electricity. They refuse to do this program because in the Bible it says not to number the animals. Their way of life will be threatened, as will those who own horses, cattle, pigs, chickens or other livestock.
	shaz (Guest)	08/21/2009 21:27
Thank you for sharing God's words to His women. God bless you Melody.
	Derika (Guest)	04/05/2010 10:39
Hi Melody, I thank God for your courage and faith and the opportunity to read you article about Godly women taking courage to come out of their cave to do the work of God. Thank you for not givng up or throwing in the towel. I am so blessed to discover that you have carried on God's ministry all these years and did not allow tragedy to turn your heart away from the Lord. I take courage in your story and encouraging words. I love you! Derika
	Jerri Tuck (Guest)	04/07/2010 05:21
Hi Melody...I've been reading a few of Keiths devotional books that were recently given to me. I decided to check out your website and was blessed by your 'cave' article. I was earnestly praying for a message from the Lord for tomorrow morning as I have to give a COMMENCEMENT SPEECH at a local women's prison. 19 women have just finished the Faith Based program. It's a years program about FAITH and how to reenter society. I believe your 'cave' message is STRAIGHT FROM THE LORD for this hour. Please pray for me as I share YOUR message from GOD. These 19 women will soon be released from Pulaski State Prison in Hawkinsville, GA. Bless you dear sister!
	Debra (Guest)	04/22/2010 08:36
(Playing Keith's music) Melody, Read in your bio about the beginnings of your Christian community in the 70's. Last August God gave me charge, after telling me to become unencumbered, of 3 houses on 2+ acres in inner city, crime ridden Orlando. I was told to do something with it. And He gave me a vision. I am reaching out to our neighbors in the name of Christ and believe that more would know Jesus if all Christians lived simply in Intentional Christian Community. You give me much encouragement as today I am praying and fasting for decisions about the next step in the ministry, partnering to planting a church. We have music, tutoring and discipleship and are so excited about our community fruit and vegetable garden, "growing fresh food with our neighbors." I am praying for The Lord to send more laborers who want to join our community and receive the unspeakable joy of reaping the harvest of souls and food. The Lord has challenged this women to serve the Lord in a garden in the midst of crime, drugs and prostitution, Lemon Tree Community Gardens. Bless You. Love the Orphanage. If I were not here, I would be in Mexico.
	Beth Childers (Guest)	07/14/2010 12:34
Hi Melody, My ex-husband and I were faithful subscribers and supporters of LDM. When I heard the ministry was closing I didn't realize there would still be articles...You can imagine my joy when I "happened" on this site. I am sorry to hear of your divorce, I too went through a divorce after 25 years of marriage. Regardless of the reasons and "rightness" of the choice, it is still an experience I personally wish non should experience. However, I do believe God uses all things and will redeem the situation somehow. Perhaps your situation occurred so others who might not assimilate with the messages written,would find someone who understands their pain, making them open to listening.... I passionately endorse your article. I am a part time instructor at a state university, finding a wheat harvest ready to be picked.....I have had the wonderful opportunity to have nearly 2,000 students in my classes over the years and simply having Jesus live in me has allowed me to witness miracles... Is it possible to receive your newletters again? If not, I will continue to look on this site....I appreciate your faithfulness and passion over the years...Blessings to you...Beth
	peggy (Guest)	07/28/2010 23:18
WOW this post is great. How encouraging for all of us women. We live in very trouble times and I was throwing in the towel but now i feel a little light has come in please pray with me my sisters in the Lord for strength and wisdom. May we all pray for each other and fellowship too some how. thank you Melody for continuing this ministry