I Will Restore to You….

Our Creator has plans for us. Beautiful and bountiful plans that sometimes, in our minds, take far too long in coming to fruition. Over forty years ago, the Spirit of the Lord promised me that he would restore to me all the years the locusts had eaten. Little did I know at the time, how very much more the locusts were going to eat before restoration would come. 

God made that same amazing promise to his wayward people Israel. They were suffering as a result of grievous sin against him, and yet, even in their sin, he had plans for a better future for them. In the midst of their rebellion against him, he looked on them with compassion and said… “I will restore to you all the years that the locust have eaten.” The locust represented sin. And everyone knows what a swarm of locusts can do. They fly by the millions into a lush and green landscape, and, within a few hours, strip it completely bare.

The locusts of sin had stripped bare the landscape of blessing in the lives of God’s people. The locusts of sin had caused untold misery and suffering, even in the lives of the faithful, because the sins of others had adversely affected them as well. Let’s focus on that for a moment.

Perhaps locusts brought in by parent’s or spouses devoured most or all the good stuff in our lives, leaving a bare and fearsome landscape not of our making. Those who grew up with abusive parents or married abusive spouses understand all too well what that landscape looks like. The locusts devour entire childhoods. The locusts devour happiness and relationships with spouses, family, and friends. The locusts devour finances, along with physical and mental health, and so much more.

But there is always good news for those who belong to Christ. When we don’t give in to bitterness or despair, when we trust in the Lord and do good, when we delight ourselves in him and commit our way to him, we have a loving Creator, who not only died for our sins before we ever knew or loved him but who promises to restore back to us all the years the locusts have eaten. I can’t speak for anyone else, but for me, that’s a LOT!

The Spirit of the Lord spoke that promise to my heart, in a moment when I was being petulant and unappreciative [I immediately repented]. He has been making good on it ever since. He continues to restore to me the years the locusts have eaten… All of them!

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say REJOICE!

Article by Jocelyn Andersen. Reprint from Adorning His Bride Magazine.

Quit Doubting, Trust God: Book Review

We are overcomers through the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Reading Christine's story of [often miraculous] answers to prayer is a faith-building experience and a great source of comfort. 

Hers is a powerful voice for faith and HOPE as she shares her life-changing story with the world. Miracles do happen and more often than we think! This really is a story that inspires me to quit doubting and trust God. 

CAVEAT: I don't think the author set out to do so, but she has written her book in such a way, it is easy to use as a daily devotional...which is what I am doing!  

Quit Doubting, Trust God: Young, Christine: 9781638741244: Amazon.com: Books

 

About the author: When God laid it on Christine Young's heart to write her story, she initially resisted. It was a hard story to tell, and she would have to relive it to write it. Sad and embarrassing things would have to come into the light, unflattering stories would have to be told, and old wounds would have to be ripped open. But the Spirit of the Lord persisted until she gave in, clicked on her computer, and typed “Chapter One."

Her hope is that we will find her story interesting and see that God is ever so faithful. He will never put on us more than we can bear, and He teaches us through the trials so they can become our greatest strengths.

1 Peter 3:1 Does not mandate female subordination or male headship

 

 Likewise the women yield to your own men that if any obey not the word they also may without The Word be won by the behavior of the wives [1]

---

[1] In 1 Peter 3:1, is the writer telling wives that they are basically slaves and should emulate the subjective behavior of slaves as instructed in 1 Peter 2:18? 

This writer does not believe so. Hebrew and Greek scholar, Bruce Fleming, does not believe so either. Fleming teaches that 1 Peter 3:1 is not connected at all with 1 Peter 2:18-25 but rather an entirely new subject. He speaks about this in season four of his Eden Podcast, and he makes some very good points.

Fleming’s interpretation is possible. But regardless, this writer believes there is no doubt [that in the mind of the biblical writer] 1 Peter 3:1 is a continuation of the subject introduced in the last eight verses of 1 Peter 2 [:18-25] about slaves enduring unjust harshness and violence from masters. Without chapter and verse breaks [which is how the Bible was originally written], the passage is clearly one unbroken conversation about one topic, that of slaves being subject to masters and the writer leads seamlessly into the subject of women subjecting themselves to men: QUOTE “Slaves [be] subject to [your] masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward For this [is] thankworthy if one for conscience toward God endure grief suffering wrongfully For what glory [is it] if when you be beaten for your faults you shall take it patiently But if when you do well and suffer [for it] you take it patiently this [is] acceptable with God For even to this were you called ^{we are all called to this} because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that you should follow his steps Who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth Who when he was reviled, reviled not again When He suffered he threatened not but committed [himself] to Him that judges righteously Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sins should live to righteousness by whose stripes you were healed For you were as sheep going astray but are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls Likewise women …[be] in subjection to your own men that if any obey not the Word they also may without the Word be won by the behavior of the women.” END QUOTE

Peter certainly made a seamless connection when writing about the subjection of slaves to masters and the subjection of women to their men. This is confirmed in 1 Peter 3:5-6 where he wrote that Sara called Abraham master. Nowhere do we read in scripture where Sarah called Abraham master, so this statement must be taken from the Jewish extra-scriptural writings. These writings are commentary and not inspired scripture, but Peter was obviously familiar with them.

19^th Century Greek and Hebrew scholar, Katherine Bushnell did not believe women are scripturally commanded to subject themselves to male dominance on any level. But she also believed that 1 Peter 3:1 was connected with 1 Peter 2:18 and she had this to say about it she began with the Hebrew and then show how the Greek [in 1 Peter] connected with it: QUOTE “The Old Testament sense in which "to be in subjection" is sometimes used, is highly suggestive and instructive. Psalm 62:1 reads in the English, "truly my soul waits upon God; from Him cometh my salvation.” At verse 5 of the same Psalm, we read: "My soul, wait thou only upon God.” In Psalm 37:7 we find the words: "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” The words "wait" in the first passages, and the word "rest" in the last are all three represented in the Greek version by the single word hupotasso, "be in subjection," while the literal sense of the Hebrew original word is "be silent unto.” Compare this with 1 Peter 3:1,2, where wives are exhorted to win unbelieving husbands by "subjection.” Surely Peter is not here exhorting wives to blindly obey unbelievers, for if heathen, they would at once remand them back to the worship of the gods; if Jews, back to Judaism. Rather, they are to win them away from these by their "manner of life,” “without The Word,"--actions speaking louder than words. "Coupled with fear,"—such fear of God as would cause these women, so gentle, quiet, and patient in daily life, to be as adamant in their truth to God; and the husbands so overawed by their quiet maintenance of principle, whereas they are so ready to yield to their husbands when principle is not involved, that the husbands dare not try to compel their wives to violate conscience, and thus are themselves gradually led into the Christian faith. Where “subjection” is spoken of as a woman’s duty, without further immediate specification, it has been too readily assumed that this means subjection to a husband. But many women even from Apostolic days, and certainly an increasing large proportion of women in latter days, have no husbands. In both 1 Corinthians 14:34, “let them be in subjection”; and in 1 Timothy 2:11, “learn in all subjection,” this O. T. idea of waiting on God, or the thought of a spirit of humility towards God, may be all that is intended.” END QUOTE

Another View

The biblical writer’s direction to slaves and women were not biblical condonements of institutionalized slavery or systemically-mandated female subjection to males, but this writer believes the instruction found 1 peter 2:18 and 1 Peter 3:1 stem from concern for the safety of both.

It was taught then that all Christians [slaves, women, and men] were spiritually free in Christ, and all Christians [then and now] are equal ^{Galatians 3:28,1 Peter 5:5}, but depending on geographic location and local and national laws, all were, and are, not entitled to the same legal autonomy. While earth-bound, Roman slaves and women were still confined by oppressive laws and cultural expectations. That is still the case in many parts of the world today. 1 Peter 2 & 3 was both instruction and encouragement that a godly lifestyle in freely subjecting oneself to an unfortunate legally-mandated lot would not only *keep slaves safer but also was not un-noticed by God and would not go unrewarded. Women were higher on the social and legal scales than slaves, but their autonomy was still greatly restricted, and they were maliciously written about by philosophers, playwrights, and poets of the day. Though enjoying more legal protections, by the first century, domestic violence was still a very real part of Roman and Jewish life and first century Christian women were certainly at risk.

*Throughout Roman history, slaves could be killed at will by masters with no repercussion. By the time of Christ, manus marriage, which entitled Roman husbands to arbitrarily kill wives was replaced by sine manu marriage, whereby married women remained under the protection of their pater-families or of a male guardian appointed by their pater-families. This made the murder wives [with little to no legal or social repercussion] much more difficult. But domestic violence and abuse was another subject altogether. The Romans from Augustus on, liked to appear fair and gentle in public by passing some very good laws favoring women, but one Greek/Roman historian lamented that literary writings on the subject of domestic abuse and domestic violence [in the late republic] is frustratingly quiet. In other words, domestic abuse was winked at and swept under the rug.

Domestic violence and abuse are a given in any society that considers women as inferior or lesser than men. Virtually all the Church Fathers, considered women inferior and dangerous if given autonomy. They repeat this often in their writings. These same Church Fathers continue to be studied extensively today, as they should but with their anti-women rhetoric refuted in Christian seminaries, but it is not. It is simply ignored.

Gender-bias in Bible translation is rampant and creates a perceived scripture-bias against women where none exists. Holy Spirit inspired biblical writers do not exhibit such bias, but this is difficult to see when modern translators insist on holding to historical and traditional attitudes that are harmful to women. Even today, with progressive laws, three women a day [in the United States] die from domestic violence. A Methodist survey done in the 1970’s, found that one in six Christian women experienced violence at the hands of husbands or boyfriends. Domestic violence among professing Christians is just as rampant as among unbelievers. Why would anyone assume that First Century women were not at even greater risk when misogyny was the systemically legal order of the day and the norm for their culture?

Cultures exist today, where Christians are both legally enslaved and women are literally slaves of their husbands. Many of these women must hide their faith in Christ. They would not in any case be able to speak of Christ or share his Word with their husbands, who are literally and legally their masters. Many have zero legal recourse against abuse or potentially deadly domestic violence. They must, of necessity endure the harshness and danger, with seemingly no hope of escape. Just as 1 Peter 2:18 is not a message to Christian slaves that institutionalized slavery is God’s will, 1 Peter 3:2 is not a message to Christian women that God created them as inferiors to men or that it is his will for them tolerate violence and abuse. It was a message intended to protect [as much as possible] and encourage slaves and at-risk women of every era. 

 

... Woman this is WAR! Gender, Slavery & the Evangelical Caste System: Andersen, Jocelyn: 9780979429323: Amazon.com: Books

What readers are saying:

"This book is well written, well researched, and a real eye opener."

"Andersen is a gifted writer, and the book was easy to read even as it covers thoughtful and sometimes technical information. I am glad I read it. I’ve read a great deal about women in the church and home, and it is easy to think there is nothing new to be learned or considered – but this book has a unique approach and covers aspects overlooked by others. Everything is well documented with footnotes in case you have questions or want sources."

"The author is not only a gifted writer but clearly well-studied and informed."

" I was pleased that translation bias was covered in a chapter, an issue that needs to be addressed, and one that I find quite hard to bring up with lay people or everyday believers who lack knowledge about Bible translation. We can trust our Bibles, but we also need to acknowledge that certain passages are difficult to translate and bias can come into play."

"Andersen tackles most of the primary the teachings of complementarianism with an impressive exegesis"

 Author and speaker, Jocelyn Andersen, is an eclectic Christian writer. She is a Bible teacher who writes about many subjects including Bible prophecy and equality of the sexes. She is best known for her advocacy in domestic violence awareness. Her book, Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence, has been a staple in the library of resources on that subject.  

If the topic of God and Women interests you, join the conversation HERE.

To receive an announcement from Amazon whenever a new book is released by Jocelyn Andersen, subscribe to Her Amazon author's page.

To Contact Jocelyn: Use the contact form in the sidebar of her blog at www.jocelynandersen.com to leave comments on her books, to reach her with questions, or to request for her to come and speak at your group. 

My reason for getting up every day

I've never shared publicly what I'm about to write, but now seems to be the time. The Spirit of the LORD totally took me by surprise with this one. 

This week's broadcast was different than usual, more personal, a purely unintentional, on my part [but not God's], follow-up to a previous broadcast. 

I hope it blesses you with something of immediate and eternal value. 

The psalmist wrote, Thy word is lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Over the years, even through much heartache and abuse, God’s word literally gave me a reason to look forward to getting up every morning. 

Once, for almost whole year, while I was a backslidden Christian, walking in darkness, and living without acknowledging God, I was so filled with sorrow, so de-motivated, with so little purpose in life, that I stayed in bed until 1 P.M.,  every...single...day, because I had no reason to get up, until my favorite soap opera came on. 

This was in 1974. What a sad condition I was in! 

I had good reason to struggle at that early stage of my life. You see, I was a child-bride at the age of 16. 1974, was the year I turned 18. The previous year, when I was just 17, I had experienced two catastrophic losses. The first was the death of my firstborn son. He lived one day. After that, I miscarried a second child. 

I have two children in Heaven. And I so look forward to seeing the one again and meeting the other for the first time! 

Unless one has been through it, it is difficult to comprehend the terrible loss a mother feels when she miscarries early in a pregnancy. Losing a newborn is also a frequently misunderstood and mistreated loss. 

My miscarriage was almost completely ignored, and the death of my newborn received similar treatment. I understand that people are often at a loss to know what to say, but aside from a few well-meaning, unintentionally heartless, comments such as, “Just be glad you didn’t have him longer than you did, it would have been so much more difficult," there was mostly just silence. 

The short life and death of my son was largely ignored by family and friends, but for me, the loss was horrendous. I grieved it deeply. I had nightmares about it for years. Now, 48 years later, though the worst of the grief has eased, I still feel the loss of my baby boy and long to hold him in my arms. 

The Bible tells us to rejoice with them that rejoice and weep with them that weep. It does not tell us to categorize and marginalize their losses, and definitely not to assure them that it’s not as bad as they think. 

So, in addition to the marital struggles most teenage couples experience, I was also dealing with the death and loss of children. I suffered from depression related to it and was in great need of comfort, hope, and purpose. 

God reached out to me during that time. He shone a beautiful light in my personal darkness, by sending one of his servants to knock on my door and remind me about his Son who died. 

Her name was Mrs. Rock. No kidding. She was one of those door-knocking Christians that people like I was then, dreaded to see coming. But I opened the door and invited her in. While she was there, she prayed with me, and after that, I went to church with her...one time. Then I slid back into my self-absorbed world. 

The second time she came to pick me up for church, I did not answer her knock. She stopped knocking, got back in her car and drove away. But she came back a third time. A follow-up visit. I did not answer her knock that time either. 

But I will never forget that woman. I don’t remember anything about the church service I attended with her, but I vividly remember Mrs. Rock. 

That is because our meeting was divinely appointed. It was a divine watering of a long dormant divine seed. It was also because our walk with God is relational, and not organizational. 

Organizing can be a good thing, but without genuine and relevant relationships with God and with each other, all we have are hierarchical church clubs. I call them church clubs, because we are the church—not the 501c3 organizations and brick and mortar buildings Christians use to meet in. 

Many church clubs I have attended, promote the interests of the club over the interests of, and relationships among, the members. I have even heard pastors say they avoid promoting relationships among their church-members, because it causes problems for the leadership when members get to close. If your pastor has this attitude, get out of that church club. 

The Bible says we are the Body of Christ [collectively] but members individually. The Bible also says that our relationships with each other affect our relationship with God. Suffice it to say, that my encounter with Mrs. Rock, had an eternally significant impact on my life. She was not the one to plant the seed of the gospel into my heart, but God sent her to water it. To my knowledge, she never saw that seed come to fruition. 

If she is, by some miracle, still alive today, I estimate she will be over 100-years-old. But one day, after the Resurrection of the Dead [in Christ] and the Snatching [up, of the Living—which the Bible says will happen during the same event], Mrs. Rock will stand before Judgment Seat of Christ, and be rewarded or what she did for me. She will enter into the labors of those who planted that seed long before she watered it. She will also enter into the labors of those who reeled me in (when I got saved and when I was powerfully converted after my back-sliding). 

My salvation and powerful conversion, along with any and all fruit that I bear, will ultimately abound her account and to the accounts of those who participated in her own salvation and powerful conversion. 

I spoke at length on the topic of the first being last and the last first, in the broadcast entitled “God’s Workforce and Compensation Plan.” NOTHING beats GOD'S Compensation Plan. Eye has not seen nor ear heard.... Give it a listen. 

Mrs. Rock's prayer[s] began taking effect. Sometime before the end of 1974, though my struggle continued with lack of purpose and motivation, I stopped sleeping till afternoon. 

It wasn’t drugs, alcohol, or anti-depressants that ultimately gave me a reason to actually look forward to getting up every morning. It was the inspiration, hope, and refreshing I got from my Bible, the Word of God. 

In 1981, after another divine appointment, The Holy Spirit of God powerfully converted me, radically and instantly changing my entire perspective on life. But it was the Word of God, the Bible, that kept me walking in that newness of life. 

Like everyone, I have my moments, my doubts, my fears. Hard times come. I have endured marital abuse and almost deadly violence, as a Christian. But that sense of inspiration, hope, and refreshing has persisted for almost 40 years now. That is nothing less than a God thing. 

The thoughts of this introvert, now often turn upward and outward. By the Spirit of the Living God and the washing of the water of THE WORD, I am infused, daily, with a renewed sense of hope and purpose 

Since 1981, I have reached for my Bible right along with my morning coffee, and I enjoy a pleasant [sometimes intense] visit with my Creator, as I greet every new day!