Magdalena Today Newsletter Issue 11

7/23/2019 Magdalena Today Newsletter Issue 11

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... making a difference

by Sharon Jaynes

What Will We Tell Our Daughters?What Do We Tell Ourselves?

She was beautiful. She was bright. And she was mad at God.

I sat across the table picking at a salad and trying to digest Jan’s words. Herstartlingly teal eyes were tinted with frustration at God, primarily because of howshe perceived He felt about women.

“I don’t understand God. It seems like He is against women. He’s set us up to fail.Even our bodies are weaker, and that just invites men to abuse us. Today, there’s somuch abuse toward women,” she continued. “Where’s God in all that? There are somany inequalities and injustices between how men are treated and how women aretreated. What kind of God does that? I think the bottom line is that God just doesn’tlike women.”

Jan knew her Bible. She grew up in the church, had loving Christian parents, and accepted Christ when shewas 8 years old. But she always felt her parents preferred her brother...because he was a boy.

Jan truly had a heart for the things of God...but the niggling feeling that she was “less than” just wouldn’t go away.

“When I got to seminary,” Jan went on to say, “and started reading about some of the ancient philosopher’s

opinions of women, as well as some of the early church fathers, and even some modern-day theologians, I justgot mad. The more I read, the madder I got. Is it true? Are women ‘less than?’ Does God favor one genderover the other?”

Jan was frustrated, confused, and as I mentioned earlier, just plain mad. It was a tough day...for both of us.

But Jan was brave...brave enough to voice the questions that many women ponder...musings that many ofour daughters fear. What will we tell them? What do we tell ourselves? What do we tell our sisters all aroundthe world who live under unimaginable oppression? How does Jesus really feel about them?

We tell them about the real Jesus—the God-made-man who broke the man-made rules of His day to honorwomen...to call them out of the shadows of an oppressive society and onto center stage to play leading rolesin the gospel story.

See, by the time Jesus entered the world on that starry night in Bethlehem, His first cry echoed the heart-cries of women who had been misused and abused for centuries.

By the time Jesus took His first steps onto the dusty ground of Galilee, women were not allowed to speakto men in public, sit under a rabbi’s teaching to learn, or eat with men in social gatherings. Women wereconsidered property and not even counted as people. They were seen as unreliable and not allowed to testifyin court, kept on a separate level in Solomon’s Temple and behind a partition in the local synagogues. Womenlived in the shadows of society...rarely seen and seldom heard. But Jesus came to change all that. Simply put,He rocked the house.

Every time Jesus interacted with a woman in the gospels—the God-made-man broke the man-made rules ofHis culture to honor women, to welcome women, to elevate women. Every time. (continued on page 4)

Issue 11 www.MagdalenaToday.co



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Hungry for More What does Jesus think about women? Karen, program coordinator in a Central Arkansaspregnancy center, has found an effective way to answer this question and many more forher clients. She uses the film, Magdalena: Through Her Eyes, and its companion Bible study, Reflections of Hope.

In this setting, the film is shown to a group of women. Afterward, Karen’s small staff ofmentor volunteers leads the mostly young pregnant women, one-to-one, through the study.

Karen’s job as program coordinator is made easier because the study is simple to use and so

well received by her clients—even by those never before in a Bible study. They are learningabout the love of Jesus in a way they understand and appreciate. They relate to the womenin the film and are astonished at Jesus’ responsiveness to them. Some are trusting Christwith their life and growing spiritually, and they hunger to study more.

Seventy Lives Touched Nancy leads a non-profit, faith-based ministry whose goal is to improve the quality of life for women in herMaryland community. She welcomes clients with almost every need imaginable—from tangible items like food,clothing and shelter, to counseling, training, compassionate support and referrals. Most importantly, she pointsthem to Jesus.

One way Nancy does this is by hosting movie showings of Magdalena: Through Her Eyes.With an eye for a tool with great ministry potential for women, she uses this film whereverand whenever she can.

Her most recent showing was at Greater Brookville Church, opening it to anyone wanting tcome. In all, 70 attended, including 13 men and several children. Everyone was responsive,and men as well as women wept as they saw Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for their sins.Nancy was particularly touched by the response of a 10-year-old, who invited Jesus to be heSavior: “ Magdalena touched me to the top of my heart!”

MAGDALENA in Action



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Share the Journey

Last night I was tired as I headed to the prison, and I struggled with going.While driving I surrendered my desires to the Lord and asked him to workin my heart. I thought about how important this was to the women, andby the time I arrived I was more spiritually prepared. I cleared securityand had enough time to set up chairs and test the DVD player. Everythingwent smoothly, and I was prepared when the women started to arrive. Wereached our allowed capacity of 30 women.

I showed the Magdalena movie, which is a film that clearly shows theheart of the Lord toward women. When the movie was over, I gave aclear presentation of the gospel. I never leave without giving them thatopportunity to make a decision to accept the Lord as their Savior.

The response was amazing.

Needless to say, I did not leave the prison feeling tired. When I got home [and looked at the list of indicateddecisions], I counted 12 women who had accepted the Lord last night. I am still amazed that the Lord allows usto participate with Him in eternal affairs. I am so grateful for the Spirit that lives within us and enables us to walkin obedience. If it was up to me, I know at times that I’d rather sit on the couch and eat popcorn.

~Veronica, Cru prison ministr

You can help set women free.During January—Human Trafficking Awareness Month—

Magdalena: Through Her Eyes 1-hour-edition DVDs are offeredat the special price of just $2 each while supplies last.

Purchase Magdalena DVDs for your friends, family orchurch outreach.

You can also donate DVDs to our partnering organizations thatbring healing and restoration to human trafficking victims andsurvivors. Donate 10 or more DVDs and receive a free copy ofSharon Jaynes’ just-released book, How Jesus Broke the Rules

to Set You Free . (See page 4.)

For details go to www.MagdalenaToday.com/offer.

Souls Set Free


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/magdalena-today-newsletter-issue-11 4/4100 Lake Hart Drive, #3100, Orlando, FL 32832

www.MagdalenaToday.com The JESUS Film Project®

A Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ

Jesus welcomed the worshipful anointing by the woman with the sinfulpast, even though the religious leader thought it scandalous.

Jesus called the woman with the crippled back to come forward into themen’s area of the temple, even though the synagogue ruler thought itinappropriate.

Rabbi Jesus welcomed Mary of Bethany to sit at His feet to learn, eventhough women were forbidden to do so.

He ignored cultural taboos and associated freely and openly with women.He spoke with women in broad daylight, even though the disciplesdisapproved.

Jesus revealed His true identity for the first time, that He was theMessiah, to a woman.

Jesus’ longest recorded conversation was with a woman.

Jesus entrusted the most important message in all of human history—thatHe had risen from the dead—to a woman. And then He told her to “go

and tell.” Jesus restored women to their rightful place of dignity as one-half of awhole, as co-heirs and co-workers with their male counterparts. Hisradical counter-cultural attitude toward women flew in the face of aculture that considered women “less than” in all regards. Jesus was aradical reformer who showed the world just what God thinks aboutwomen.

When it came to women...Jesus risked His reputation to save theirs. Tosave yours. To save mine.

From Mary of Nazareth to Mary of Magdala, God used women toaccomplish His divine purposes. Brave women stepped forward.

Courageous women spoke up. Committed women joined hands. Not onlydid He accept them as they were, He challenged them to become more.

Jesus noticed the unnoticeable silent sufferers who moved about as littlegray shadows...and He still does. He notices you. He notices your sistersin parts of the world who continue to move about in the shadows—theones who will watch the Magdalena DVD and be amazed.

Jesus took the fearful and forgotten and transformed them into the faithfuland forever remembered. “I tell you the truth,” He said, “wherever thisgospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also betold, in memory of her.”

Jan and I closed The Book. We took a deep breath. It was all right there inblack and white and some in red. Grace upon Grace. Heaped high.

We both felt loved. Cherished. Worth fighting for.

This is what we tell our daughters.

This is what we tell ourselves.

What Will We Tell Our Daughters? (cont. from page 1)

Sharon Jaynes is an international conference speaker, Bible teacher and author.

Do you believe Jesus thinks yoare valuable and worthy of H

attention, love and devotion?

Do you believe He can set yofree from anything holdingyou back?

In How Jesus Broke the Rulesto Set You Free, you’ll see how Jesus crossed cultural andgender boundaries to honorwomen, to include women, a

to write their names into thegospel story.

Find out just how valued andloved women are to God…how valued and loved YOU arto God.

To order, go to:www.SharonJaynes.com

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Magdalena Today Newsletter Issue 11