The Word, Women and Authority

God bless you, sisters in the Lord. Because someone is a servant to another does not make them less valuable or important. On the contrary, Jesus said, the greatest among you shall be your servant (Mat.23:11). (Gen.2:18) And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him. The Hebrew words for “help meet” actually mean a “helper answering to” him. This qualifies the woman to be the servant Jesus wanted, who could be the greatest among us. To be great, we must obey even the least commandment. (Mat.5:19) Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Please study the following verses and decide that the Lord is right and not your reason or traditions. If these verses are not ruling you, then, in this, you do not abide in Christ. (1Jn.2:24) As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning.  If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. (26) These things have I written unto you concerning them that would lead you astray. Our doctrine must be that which we heard from the beginning, which was written in the Scriptures. If you add to the Word with the modern traditional doctrine of liberated women, you will fall under the curses of the Word (Revelation 22:18,19; Galatians 1:8,9). There are multitudes of sisters in this trap who are crying out to the Lord for someone with whom to share their life, not realizing that, if He answered, there would be two people in an unscriptural relationship that was unsuited to either one of them. What they seek as a blessing would be a curse because you cannot rebel against any point of God's Word and be blessed in it. (Heb.2:2) For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; (3) how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation?

What was fitting and proper 2000 years ago is still right. (Col.3:18) Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. This is not a question of interpretation. This is in black and white and a question of your obedience and respect for God and His Word. Even as babes in the Lord, my wife and I knew we must obey these verses and God confirmed this with a special word to her. He said, “You must decrease and he must increase.” I am sure that this is true in some of your lives, also. Some sisters have told me that their husband just will not take the lead, so they have to. I have said that two wrongs do not make a right. Back off, pray and believe, so that he has to make decisions and, soon enough, he will learn to take the lead.

(Eph.5:22) Wives, [be in subjection] unto your own husbands (not preachers or women's ministries), as unto the Lord. (23) For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, [being] himself the savior of the body. (24) But as the church is subject to Christ, so [let] the wives also [be] to their husbands in everything. (33) Nevertheless do ye also severally love each one his own wife even as himself; and [let] the wife [see] that she fear her husband. The relationship of obedience that the Church should have to Christ is the same for a woman to her husband. When the church takes the lead, as she has in this day, judgment always comes. This is also true when the wife takes the lead. She is not abiding in the safety and blessing of Christ because she is not abiding in “that which ye heard from the beginning.”

Many wives disobey their husbands with the excuse that he is unspiritual or does not obey the Word in some way. (1Pe.3:1) In like manner, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives. This clearly makes the wife disobedient to the Lord and, many times, ends in divorce, rather than winning the husband. A terrible thing is happening: Wives are being advised by false leaders to divorce their husbands for reasons other than fornication. Jesus gave only one ground for divorce: fornication (Matthew 5:32; 19:9). He also warned, (Mat.19:6) So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. (Rom.7:2) For the woman that hath a husband is bound by law to the husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is discharged from the law of the husband. (3) So then if, while the husband liveth, she be joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man. Notice that she shall be called an adulteress. She doesn't just commit adultery one time. From then on she will be known as an adulteress. Even being married to an unbeliever is not a good ground to leave them; only if they leave are you free. (1Co.7:12) But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother hath an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her. (13) And the woman that hath an unbelieving husband, and he is content to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband. (14) For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. (15) Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such [cases]: but God hath called us in peace.

(1Pe.3:1) In like manner, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives; (2) beholding your chaste behavior [coupled] with fear. This is the second time we have seen that the wife is commanded to fear her husband. The wife must fear the Lord and her husband, for he is the Lord's authority. (3) Whose [adorning] let it not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel; (4) but [let it be] the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible [apparel] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. Sisters who desire to be valuable and beautiful in the sight of God cannot be overbearing and domineering, as the spirit of this perverse age is. (5) For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands: (6) as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose children ye now are, if ye do well, and are not put in fear by any terror. Sisters, study the example of the great women of the Bible. If your husband is not your Lord, then the Lord is not either. Adorn yourselves with what pleases the Lord and your husband or don't be surprised if everything falls apart.

(Isa.3:12) As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. Since World War II, women have taken more and more authority in the Church and men have foolishly acquiesced. Proportionately, the Church and society around it has become more and more corrupt. It was a shame and rebuke to Israel for the wives to manipulate and domineer their husbands. A sister recently asked me, “Wasn't there a woman judge in the Old Testament?” I said to her, "First of all, sister, you are under the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was made with the Jews and God refused to make it with the Gentiles. Don't break your Covenant to go under one that was never made with you. Deborah was a prophetess, which is not an office of an elder or overseer in the New Testament. God prophesied, through Deborah, that a man, Barak, should take the lead to conquer the enemy. No male judge listed in the same chapters ever had to go find another man to take the lead; they conquered the enemy themselves. Neither Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Gideon nor Samson called anyone else to do the job – not even a woman.” She asked, “Didn’t the man she prophesied to insist that she go with him to war?” I said, “And he got rebuked and shamed for it. (Jdg.4:9) And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding, the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honor; for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. For a woman to have been given the honor of killing Sisera was not honoring to the man.”

Our God says to us in our Covenant, (1Ti.2:11) Let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection. (12) But I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness. (Notice the words “a man” are used here, not any word that means “husband.” This likely means that this submission to the man is meant to include society at large: business, secular government, etc. Anything a woman speaks to a man that he does not already know could be construed as teaching but we could not possibly interpret this so broadly. I haven't found another verse that says that a woman cannot witness to a lost man what God did for her and we cannot forbid what the Scriptures do not forbid. Anna, the prophetess, spake of him (Jesus) to all them that were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem (Luk.2:38). On the other hand, the woman is forbidden to hold the office of an evangelist just a few verses after this, as we shall see. (1Ti.2:13) For Adam was first formed, then Eve; (14) and Adam was not beguiled, but the woman being beguiled hath fallen into transgression. Notice that this is as valid a reason today as it was then. Satan knows that the woman can be more easily beguiled and the man can be more easily tempted to follow her, as with Adam. (Gen.3:12) And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. (13) And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this thou hast done?  And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. (16) To the woman He [the Lord] said, I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall bring forth children; Yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you (a command from the Lord). (17) And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake … Notice the first sin that brought the curse on humanity was the man submitting to his wife, instead of the Lord, and do you think it would not bring a curse today?

(1Co.14:33) … As in all the churches of the saints, (34) let the women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as also saith the law. Notice that this is not just an outdated Jewish custom, as some say, because God was speaking to the Gentiles in Corinthians. Notice that “all the churches” obeyed this and both the Law and the New Testament gave this as a “commandment of the Lord.” (37) If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord. One sister wrote me, saying, “I can’t find any law in the scriptures stating this. Perhaps it was the law in the synagogue, being a Roman law.” I replied, “The law of the Lord says, (Gen.3:16) … and he shall rule over thee. (17) And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife … cursed is the ground for thy sake. Notice that it was a law, with the curse as a consequence. The law of the Lord was before the law of Moses and is differentiated in Scripture. (Luk.2:22) And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord (23) (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord), (24) and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. The law of the Lord here was quoted from Exodus 13:2,12, while the law of Moses was not until Exodus 20. The law of the Lord was even in Psalms. (Joh.10:34) Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods (Psalm 82:6)? Here is another. (15:25) But [this cometh to pass], that the word may be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause (Psalm 69:4). The law of the Lord was given to Adam before the law of Moses. (Gen.2:17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. In Numbers 30, under the law of Moses, a woman was under the authority of her father or, later, her husband, even to the extent of binding or loosing her very words.”

(1Co.14:35) And if they would learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home (The husband is spiritual leader of the wife, not pastors or women’s ministries.): for it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church.  (36) What? was it from you that the word of God went forth? or came it unto you alone? (37) If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord. Obviously, God knew that many calling themselves “prophet” or “spiritual” would come along, thinking that they know more than the Word. (38) But if any man is ignorant, let him be ignorant.

(33) … As in all the churches of the saints, (34) let the women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak … The silence here is prohibiting teaching and taking authority, as we see in Timothy. (1Ti.2:12) But I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness. Paul said the women can pray or prophesy. (1Co.11:5) But every woman praying or prophesying … So this silence or quietness does not include praying because that is to God and not to men. Neither does this include prophesying because that is from God and not the woman. A prophetess has the gift of prophecy but is not a prophet, which is an office of an overseer, having authority to teach and command in the Church. Women can have many ministries but not the five-fold ministries. Only men are permitted to be bishops or overseers, which include the offices of the five-fold ministries of apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher and evangelist. (1Ti.3:1) Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop (overseer), he desireth a good work. (2) The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach; (3) no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money; (4) one that ruleth well his own house, having [his] children in subjection with all gravity; (5) (but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) (6) not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil. (7) moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

(1) Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop (overseer), he desireth a good work. (2) The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband (Greek: “male, man”). One man pointed out to me that the word “man” in 1 Timothy 3:1 is anthropos, meaning “one,” which is true. Then I pointed out to him that verse two says that a bishop must be a man of one wife and he could not accept it. Then I pointed out that this is in agreement with the verses which are just above this. (2:11) Let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection. (12) But I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness. Here he said that this only spoke of wives submitting to their husbands. I pointed out that the Greek, gune, here is used all over the New Testament of both married and unmarried women, so the word means “women.” Also, I pointed out that women were commonly married as young teenagers in pre-arranged agreements and, so, most all women were married unless widowed. So this would mean that the young teenagers could teach and exercise authority over the men but the elder, wiser women could not. This simple Bible reasoning did not phase him, for he was raised with the woman in authority in his house and in his church and he had a Jezebel spirit. I told him that since he had done so much research to prove me wrong and had only come up with these desperate twistings of the Word, he had proven my point.

I also pointed out that all elders, bishops, pastors, etc., had to be men. (3:2) The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband … (Greek: “male, man”). Since the bishops must be men and the elders were called bishops in the Word, then all elders must be men. (Act.20:17) And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to him the elders of the church. Here he said unto them, (28) Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. Elders in the early church were not assistants to the pastors but held the offices of the five-fold ministries of apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher and evangelist. Now you see that these must all be men. Also notice the word “feed” here.  It is the Greek word poimaino, which means to act as shepherd or pastor. Now you see that pastors, whether in the wider sense of the five-fold ministries or in the narrower sense of the individual pastor’s position among the five-fold ministries, cannot be women.

The Lord clearly separates the office of bishops from the service of deacons, which is the Greek word diakonos, meaning “a servant.” Paul separated these, too, in order to point out that the bishops have spiritual headship while the deacons are other ministries or services that do not have this office. (Php.1:1) Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus that are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. (1Ti.3:8) Deacons in like manner [must be] grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; (9) holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. (10) And let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, if they be blameless. (11) Women (Greek: gune, is used of both married and unmarried; hence, the word means “women”) in like manner [must be] grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. (12) Let deacons be husbands of one wife (Greek: gune; woman) ruling [their] children and their own houses well. Notice the command in both cases is to the women of the deacon, who is the husband. (13) For they that have served well as deacons gain to themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. Deacons are not described as an office in any Greek manuscript. Only the KJV mistranslates this as “used the office,” rather than the original meaning, “served well.” The word “deacon” just means “to serve.” This word is used in the New Testament in a church capacity all the way down to a household servant.

In this text, the deacons are those who have been given an administration that could necessitate taking authority over men, as in Acts. (Act.6:1) Now in these days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. (2) And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not fit that we should forsake the word of God, and serve (Greek: diakoneo; i.e. “serve”) tables. (3) Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. In this case, only a man could be placed in an administrative capacity because it was over men, too, who were concerned with their widows. In a case where authority over men is not involved, women can be deacons. (Joh.12:2) So they made him a supper there: and Martha served (Greek: diakoneo; i.e. “serve”); but Lazarus was one of them that sat at meat with him. In a larger sense, we are all called to be deacons. (26) If any man serve (Greek: diakoneo; i.e. “serve”) me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant (Greek: diakoneo; i.e. “serve”) be: if any man serve (Greek: "Diakoneo" i.e. serve) me, him will the Father honor. From physical laborers (John 2:5,9) to our Lord Himself, Who said, I am in the midst of you as he that serveth (Greek: diakoneo; i.e. “serve”) (Luk.22:27); one who serves or ministers is a deacon.

Some say that women can be elders in the Church because the Word mentions “elder women.” (1Ti.5:1) Rebuke not an elder, but exhort him as a father; the younger men as brethren: (2) the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, in all purity. Both the Greek word for “elder,” (presbuteros) and the English word “elder” are used for both the physically older and the spiritually older. In this text, God is clearly speaking of the physically older because the opposite is mentioned, too: the younger men and younger sisters. Since the spiritual elders were ordained in the early Church as five-fold ministers and a woman is not permitted to teach or take authority over the man or be an overseer, we know that this verse cannot be used in that way. Both Peter and John, who were apostles, called themselves elders (1 Peter 5:1; 1 John 1; 3 John 1). Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says of this verse: “The feminine of the adjective is used of elder women in the churches, 1 Tim.5:2, not in respect of position but in seniority of age.”

Some will destroy every other verse on the subject by making this verse say that Junias was a woman apostle: (Rom.16:7) Salute Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also have been in Christ before me. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible says, "Whether the name here is masculine or feminine is uncertain." If it is saying Junias, or Junia, as is sometimes translated, is an apostle, then Junias must be a man by every other text on the subject. God's Word does not contradict. If Junias is a woman, then the verse is not saying she is an apostle but only noted by them. This is the only way that this verse fits with every other verse.

Older women (in the Lord) are called to teach the younger women things concerning the home, children and right relationships to the husbands, but not doctrine. (Tit.2:1) But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine: (3) that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good; (4) that they may train the young women to love their husbands (Christ, our husband, tells us that the only way we can love Him is to keep His commandments and so it is with the woman and her husband.), to love their children, (5) [to be] sober-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. In God's ideal society, the women should be “workers at home,” not competing with men as the breadwinners, unless, of course, they are the only breadwinners. If the world would obey this, there would be many more jobs for men and far fewer homes that had no breadwinner at all. This would distribute the wealth more and have less people on welfare. The woman has authority under the husband and over the household and the children. (Eph.6:1) Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. (2) Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise).  (1Ti.5:14) I desire therefore that the younger [widows] marry, bear children, rule the household, give no occasion to the adversary for reviling.

When I was young, there was a woman who I thought taught very well in our denomination. When I read these verses, I was confused. I felt that the Lord told me that He would use for good anyone who put themselves in the position of authority. All vessels of honor or dishonor are God's (Romans 9). We prayed for a man in a mental institution to be saved. The next day, two mentally deranged people came up to him and were suddenly in their right mind. One man said, “Take this Bible and read it.” The other one brought him about 20 scriptures to read and told him she didn't know why she was to give him this message. As soon as they did this, they went right back to being crazy by hugging the wall or cringing in the corner. That man was saved. He went to thank them for their kindness but they didn't know what he was talking about. The man said he didn't own a Bible. The lady said she had never spoken to him. There was no sign that they were even believers. That God uses people does not mean that they are in His will, nor does it mean that they will even be saved, if they are in personal disobedience. (Mat.7:21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. (22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? (23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. We can preach, teach, cast out demons and prophesy, but if we are not sent by God and just doing our own egotistical will, we are building our house on sand. Paul said that if he didn't keep his body in submission he would be reprobated. (1Co.9:27) but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected (Greek: adokimos; i.e. “reprobated”). God's people need help and He will use whomever they submit to but that does not mean these ministers are personally submitted to God. (Mat.7:26) And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: (27) and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. Some say, “Wouldn’t God speak to these women to warn them against exercising authority over men?” He has many times. The rich man wanted Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his family. (Luk.16:29) But Abraham saith, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. In other words, they have the Word with all these commands and they are responsible to obey them. (30) And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one go to them from the dead, they will repent. (31) And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from the dead (as Jesus did). Those who hear God’s Word and willfully rebel will have judgment. Their house will fall. (Heb.10:26) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. Warn these women so that they repent while there is time. I am not saying all who are ignorant of these verses or their true application for our day will be lost but they certainly may not be as great in the Kingdom as they were thought to be on earth. (Mat.5:19) Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

It appears that both Pricilla and Aquila were instructing Apollos concerning “the way.” (Act.18:26) and he (Apollos) began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more accurately. As I said, ignorance is an excuse. It only says they expounded unto him “more accurately,” not perfectly. Even the apostle Paul was receiving Words of Knowledge and Wisdom concerning correct doctrine during these days and after, when he was writing his epistles. We have the benefit of all this to study and restudy but most of his contemporaries did not. The Scriptures teach that the responsibility of sin is not imputed until after one receives knowledge of the truth. (Jas.4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (Rom.4:15) for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. (5:13) for until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.  (7:8) but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin [is] dead. (Heb.10:26) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain fearful expectation of Judgment … Jesus even said of the Pharisees, If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin (Joh.15:22). We really shouldn’t condemn individuals for disobeying the command, “I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness” until we have explained from Scripture that their actions are wrong. However, this clear command and all the others cannot be overthrown by any testimony of what Priscilla did. The Scriptures testify of both good and evil things that people did but the commands must be obeyed.

Some use this verse given through Paul to say that all these other verses restraining women do not apply. (Gal.3:28) There can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female, for ye are all one (man) in Christ Jesus. This is not saying that we are not distinct but that we are not divided and are all one in Christ. This does not mean that the woman need not obey the man any more than it means that the children need not obey the woman (Ephesians 6:1) or bond-servants their free-masters (Colossians 3:22). Paul, by the Lord, wrote these other verses, too. Do you think the Lord and/or Paul was schizophrenic? The Lord, through Paul, made it plain that even though they are one, there is a difference between a man and a woman. (1Co.11:3) But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God … Those who would destroy this distinction would destroy society and bring us under the curse. (9) for neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. Notice the word “man” is used here, not “husband,” meaning that this submission carries over to the work place, church government and secular government. Also, the woman is still “for the man” today, so this is still in effect.

I am only asking you to believe the Word so you don’t get deceived by this perverted society. Not one elder in our New Covenant was a woman. None of the 12 or the 70 or those who followed after them were women. God just corrected me. He said, “Except Jezebel.” That is one I had not thought of. Jezebel illegally exercised authority in the church. (Rev.2:20) But I have [this] against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication (To receive the seed or word of the world, in this matter, is fornication for a Christian.), and to eat things sacrificed to idols. (Spiritually, it is idolatry to obey a Harlot religious system, rather than the Word, on this matter.) (21) And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication. (22) Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of her works. (23) And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works. Do you think it is an accident that this rebellious woman elder was threatened, along with those who submitted to her, with great tribulation? Ahab was destroyed because he followed his wife, Jezebel. She was the leader who represented the Harlot, who was destroyed by the Beast. (1Ki.21:23) And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel. (24) Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the birds of the heavens eat. (25) (But there was none like unto Ahab, who did sell himself to do that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. In a perfect parallel to this, the Beast (dog), in Revelation 17:16, devours the corporate Harlot; and the birds (Revelation 19:17) devoured the corporate Beast that she rode (17:3). (Rev.18:4) And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Notice that both Jezebels were women who illegally took authority over men.

I woke up about 2:00 one morning and began talking to the Lord about some things. One of them was the scriptural foundation for what we call women’s ministries. I had noticed some women getting more self-willed and rebellious against their husbands after associating with a women’s ministry. He told me that there were a lot of independent and/or divorced women in these ministries and, if the commands to women are not taught to them, they would leaven the whole body. He said that if the elder women did not teach these commands, all would be in rebellion. (Peter said that if any man speaks, he should speak as an oracle of God [1 Peter 4:11], meaning we should teach what God teaches in His Word.) He said that if they were teaching other doctrines than those covered by those commands, they were out of order. These other doctrines were to be taught by His elders or the husbands at home (1 Corinthians 14:33). (This is probably because the woman was beguiled [1 Timothy 2:14]). Then He told me to take my concordance and to survey the direct commands given to women in the New Testament.

I did a quick survey and was shocked. Under the word “wife,” there were six commands, all of them concerning submission to the man. Under the word “wives,” there were six commands.  Five were clearly concerning submission to the man and one was commanding her to be “faithful in all things” (3:11), which has to include submission. Under the word “woman,” there were 12 commands, all of them concerning submission to the man. One more command was given to Timothy to tell the woman to take care of their widows. Under the word “women,” there were seven commands – six concerning submission to the man and one was concerning modesty, so that she would not tempt the man (2:9).

I was surprised at these results and went back to the Lord in prayer. I said, “Lord, all of these commands are concerning the woman’s submission to the man or not tempting the man by dressing modestly.” He said, “The reason that I gave the woman no other commands than these is because all other commands were to be given through the man. Even these scriptural commands were given through men. The woman is under the man’s authority; he is her head. I will not go around him. I have not done so, even in the Scriptures.” God showed me that He was being careful to not undermine the authority of men. (1Co.11:3) But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man … Single women, scripturally, are under the authority of their father when younger (1 Corinthians 7:34-38) or the elders, if they are widowed or probably divorced (1 Timothy 5:1-16). However, it is only proper that elders counsel single women in other company (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Widowed or divorced women are responsible for their own words and actions but the married and younger women have a covering, as Moses taught. (Num.30:3) Also when a woman voweth a vow unto the Lord, and bindeth herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth, (4) and her father heareth her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father holdeth his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand. (5) But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth, none of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the Lord will forgive her, because her father disallowed her. (6) And if she be [married] to a husband, while her vows are upon her, or the rash utterance of her lips, wherewith she hath bound her soul, (7) and her husband hear it, and hold his peace at her in the day that he heareth it; then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand. (8) But if her husband disallow her in the day that he heareth it, then he shall make void her vow which is upon her, and the rash utterance of her lips, wherewith she hath bound her soul: and the Lord will forgive her. (9) But the vow of a widow, or of her that is divorced, [even] everything wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand against her. We were taught by the Word not to make vows or promises but  I have disallowed my wife or daughters when they have made rash statements that were against the promises or that would bring a curse, if they were not disallowed.

In the following vision consider what will happen in the tribulation to come to the women who rule and the men who submit.  God said He would not protect them from death.  (Please also read Hearken and Escape.)

The following is a powerful prophecy given through Steven Crowder which points out the rebellion of the corporate woman America and a general rebellion of women in the church, government and home, leading to destruction.

Prior to the Destruction: The Spirit That Strengthens All Things Feminine
Through Steven Crowder

“A spirit has arisen in your country, My son,—a spirit that was put in place, according to My will, decades ago.  It is growing in strength and influence, and no one shall be able to stop its progress, says the Lord.  Those who attempt to do so shall proceed forth in vain—it will be as futile as attempting to stop the rain from falling in Noah’s day.  This is the great judgment upon your country, and no one will be able to stop it.  I will cause it to run its course in your nation, and when things are in their proper place, it is then I will cause the foretold catastrophic events to take place that will crush this modern day harlot known as the United States of America.”

“The spirit of the strong woman riding atop the devil’s beast has been going forth and conquering with great subtlety and deception for scores of years in your country, and the purpose in this is to bring forth My desired results as a judgment upon your nation—My great judgment that will lead to her fall, says the Lord.  Therefore, make your ear attentive to My words that I shall speak to you here, and then go forth and warn those of My people who will listen so that they will understand that it is the hand of the Lord at work in this matter concerning your country.  You must warn them not to intervene in this matter with their prayers, for in this they can only attempt to hinder My purposes, for these things shall come to pass, and they must come to pass, for it is the judgment that I have chosen for her [the United States of America] and set into motion years ago.” 

“I have shown other watchmen of Mine the horrendous judgments that will come upon your nation, the stars falling from heaven, and the mists and vapors that will fall upon her, leaving countless dead in their wake.  What I am showing you here is what will occur just prior to and leading up to these horrific events, for many have cried out to Me, ‘Lord, when will these things come to pass, and what will be the sign of their coming?’  Have I not said that I will do nothing, unless first I reveal it to My servants the prophets?”  [Amos 3:7] 

There are many of My watchmen scattered about, warning My people that danger looms upon the horizon, but sadly, the great majority of those who call themselves My people only listen to them in order to placate their itching ears.  To put it more simply, their hearts can not truly comprehend what the Lord is saying to His people, for so many have chosen beforehand that they will only hear what they want to hear and then discard the rest, lest it become bitter within them.  My son, when I told other servants of Mine; those who would actually do all that I told them, to eat of the book or to eat of the scroll, was it not sweet in their mouth, yet it made their stomachs bitter?  And yet these blessed ones of Mine partook of this bitter meal out of their obedience and out of their love and devotion to Me.  It is this type of compliance that is pleasing to your Lord, and yet the great majority of those who call themselves by My name have never learned to walk in this type of obedience.  Instead, they have deceived themselves into thinking that if something becomes bitter to them it must not be of Me—this is the lie that they’ve chosen to believe in order to keep them from suffering!  And sadly enough, this is the great lie that so very many have been given over to—so many in fact, that if you saw it, your heart simply would not be able to endure it or even to comprehend it!  This is how great the deception has become in these last days, for sadly the great majority has chosen to deceive themselves into believing only in part that which I have tried to show them, discarding the rest as though it is of no use to them.  My pearls have truly been cast before them, and yet they have foolishly trampled them underfoot!   I am not speaking of the world here My son, but of those who call themselves My people!    Let it be known that those who have chosen to follow this course will receive a much greater judgment in the coming days than those who have willingly bore their crosses and who have chosen to suffer rather than to only obey Me in the parts that they have chosen.  Those who have chosen suffering rather than the fleeting pleasures of this world are the ones who have produced their fruit in the great furnace of affliction, and this fruit can never be taken away from them—it has been stored where moth and rust can never touch it, and where the thief can never take it away.  Soon, the wheat [those of Mine who have produced true fruit of the Holy Spirit] shall be safely set aside into the barns of My choosing—the safe places that I have reserved for them, while the tares [those who resemble the wheat and grow in the same field, yet who did not bare the fruit of the Holy Spirit] shall be bundled up together to be burned in a very hot oven.  And it is in this oven that the last chances will be given to them to produce fruit meet for repentance—the same fruit as the thief upon the cross brought forth in his last hours upon the earth.  Although his life was indeed over, yet he was spared an eternal punishment and was granted a place in the eternal Kingdom and the Paradise of God.  This shall serve as an example for the many who will be thrown into the great furnace of affliction in the days to come.  Selah.”

“Do not be surprised or discouraged My son when this message is only received in part by some who hear it.  There will be those who will attempt to lift you up with great flatteries, and those who will outright despise you for speaking as My mouthpiece, saying in their hearts, ‘Who is he that he should speak the words of the Lord?’  There will be those who will truly be blessed by this message, while others will be blessed only in part, seeing that they’ve chosen to believe only the parts that they desire, while forgetting the rest.  Do not let your heart be heavy or troubled by the rejection that you will see, for they are not rejecting you, but they are actually rejecting Me and casting aside My words, and I the Lord will deal with them accordingly.  As for you My son, go forth into that which I have allotted for you, and be careful to guard your heart from the snare of pride, for in that which you have proven yourself faithful in, more shall be given.  And think not that My hand is not upon you anymore when there are periods of peace and silence, for the Lord knows of your endurance and He will place you in restful places as He sees fit.”

“The spirit of the strong woman riding atop the devil’s beast has been at work in your country for decades now.  She is haughty and proud, yet reserved and cunning.  The spirit of theatre has been upon her, causing her to act out her part with great deception.  Although she smiles widely in her heart while inflicting cruelty, she will not allow her facial features or her body language to disclose this.  It takes great spiritual discernment in order to see this, for its veil is very deceptive and very convincing.  This is why I sent you to the stable, and why I kept you there for many days.  What was it that you saw while you were there, My son?”

I said, “Lord, I saw a beautiful woman who lived solely for the purpose of controlling the great beasts that she rode upon.  This woman possessed exceptional strength and poise, and she was very influential.  She received great adulation and many prizes for her mastery of the horses she rode upon.  As I watched her, I began to discern many things in my spirit, things that troubled me.”

And the Lord said to me, “What were these things that you saw?”

I said, “Lord, there were many things out of place in this woman’s life, as she truly lived to master her control over the horses she owned.  Her marriage was one that was based out of convenience rather than love, and I saw very little affection between her and her husband.  Rather than seeing two lovers, I saw a man who was used for the talents he possessed.  He was used to build things and to fix things in this woman’s quest for more, more and yet still more.  And although she was married to this man whose name means the rock, she refused to take his name, continuing to go by a name that she was not even given by her own father.  This prideful thing caused me to shake my head and to ponder why it was this way.  And sadly, Lord, I saw that the union of this couple brought forth a child whom she’s orphaned due to her dedication toward mastering the control of these great beasts that she sits upon.  I was appalled to see that in her quest to master these horses, it was really the beast itself that was controlling her.”

And the Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly in this.  What is the name of the child that this woman has brought forth?”

I said, “The boy’s name is Travis.”

And the Lord said to me, “What you have seen here is very symbolic, and a foreshadow of what is happening in the spirit realm.  The boy’s name means ‘Travesty.’  The woman goes by the name of her own choosing, although she is married to a man named Rocky—the name that means ‘the Rock.’  This is what has become of many of My people in your country.  Pay close attention to Me as I explain this.” 

“Claiming to be married to and reserved for Me; the great Rock of their salvation, many of My people have chosen to go their own way, choosing to go by the names of their own choosing and bringing forth children in a great travesty–children that eventually become orphaned, this being due to their parents being controlled by the beast.   These children that they bring forth are an easy prey for the enemy, seeing that they have absolutely no influence from the one that bore them, and in many ways they’re abandoned and must fend for themselves during their lifetime.”

And the Lord said to me, “What is it that you have observed concerning the heart and the influence of this woman who sits upon the beast?  I placed you for many months as a fly upon the wall so that you could observe her and learn.  Tell me now, what is it that you have seen?”

I said, “Lord, I saw a great disdain that was brought forth toward all men, although it was veiled with a smile and a type of feminine pose that I was able to see through.  What I saw was actually more masculine than it was feminine, and it was concealed by a front that was very beguiling.  I saw a great disdain for men that poured forth from this woman, and it affected all of the women around her and within her sphere of influence.  And once in the spirit I actually saw this woman standing with other women of like-spirit.  She was boasting and saying, ‘The actual purpose of men is to serve us and to kiss our backsides.’  Lord, I feel badly saying this, but that’s exactly what was shown.”

And the Lord said, “You have seen correctly in this.”

I said, “Lord, this woman was rich, and she was married to a man who was also rich, and through her wealth she was able to control people with a cruelty that was also masked behind a beautiful smile.  While buying herself many expensive things, she stated that she simply could not afford to pay her servants any more than the meager wages she offered them.  And what shocked me the most is that I saw other women coming to her and paying her to teach them how to be just like her!  And these women also had a great disdain for men, saying in their hearts, ‘You may clean up after our animals, but you can never be our friend.’  And it was common to hear them say things such as, ‘Typical male reasoning,’ and ‘Typical male response,’ as their prideful boasting poured out of their lips.  At this I wanted to become violent, but I was restrained from doing so.  Lord, what does all of this mean?”

And the Lord said to me, “My son, I have placed you within the confines of the stable in order to show you the heart of the spirit that is sweeping your nation.  It is cruel and cunning, using the wiles of a woman who has patiently waited for her chance to control things.  The beast she is riding upon is none other than your adversary the devil, and although she attempts to control him, it is actually he that is controlling her.  This is a spirit, and it is going to run its course in your country, using its influence to bring forth My desired results, and then her end will come before the whole world.”

“I am raising up the spirit of the strong woman in your country, and in her quest for power she will act very cruelly, although her feminine wiles will cause her to appear beautiful.  She will have a great disdain for men, and will treat them as mere servants to fulfill her needs, although she will claim to be submissive.  This spirit is going to affect every facet of your society, including politics, religion and especially the entertainment industry.”

I said, “Lord, just how will this affect our country, and how will it manifest itself?”

And the Lord answered my request and said, “In the entertainment industry, women and men are going to change positions.  You will more and more see women becoming the heroines, with the men serving them and being made to look foolish.  You will more and more see women leading the way as hunting and fishing guides and carpenters and supposed ‘experts’ in the fields that men once dominated.  You will see more women in professional sports, and women dominating the music industry.  Many of the songs that they will bring to great popularity will speak in demeaning ways about men, and this will influence many.  And; as is presently the case, the most popular music will be about sex and love, as this theme will continue in its ever-seeking quest to deceive people that sexual lust is to be equated with true love. Some of the worst examples that you will see will come from the television, as beautiful women will be used to seduce many, this being due to their physical attractiveness and their talents in being able to act.  They will be like so many beautiful puppets on the stage, spitting out lines that have been created by those who are completely given over to doing evil—people called ‘screenwriters’ and ‘songwriters’ who abhor the Lord and desire to play out this hatred by flaunting their well-conceived words and scenarios in front of all people.  Increasingly, the good versus evil theme will be artfully projected as woman versus man; with man being the evil character and this will seduce many into siding with this way of thinking and acting.  When you hear them singing the words, ‘I am woman, hear me roar,’ know that the time of the end is drawing very near for your country, and that her judgment will soon come quickly and without mercy.”

“You will see women rising in power and influence within the world of religion, with an ever-increasing abundance of them pastoring churches and teaching My Word from the pulpit.  Is it not written in My Word by the apostle Paul that “I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain silent”? [1 Timothy 2:12] And was it the apostle Paul speaking, or was it the Lord?  Paul was merely a messenger, a chosen vessel as it were, to speak My words.  There is nothing wrong with a woman sharing with the brethren that which the Lord has given her, but that is a completely different thing than it is for her to stand up in front of all and teach!  In your country you are going to see more and more women standing before all and teaching from My Word, and the people will love to have it so, says the Lord.  For it is easy to teach from the well of knowledge, and there shall be many brilliant ones that will stand up and boldly proclaim the Word of God, all the while not knowing that they are only a small part of the overall plan that the Lord has in order to bring this spirit of the rebellious woman into its final place of power before the great hammer falls.  These women will be greatly influential, speaking of the great things that your Lord has done, but this will not be the type of preaching that comes from being led by the Holy Spirit.  At best it will be earthly, speaking to the natural man to come and get ‘saved’ by Jesus in order to prevent an eternity in hell.  And this type of preaching will be very common in the days to come, and there will be those who will come forth in order to receive Me into their lives.  But, there will be those who will go on from there and who will make Me not only their Savior; but more importantly their Lord and Master, and they will see the need to forsake man’s systems and they will gather only unto Me and will not attach themselves to the systems of man any more.  These will indeed be the blessed ones of My flock, says the Lord.”

“Within the world of religion, you are going to see the powerful woman growing in strength and influence, and the feminine things that reside in the area of the soul shall become more and more manifest.  There will be movements coming that will operate completely within the emotions, with great deceptive fits of crying and wailing—and these will be called manifestations of the Holy Spirit.  No more laughing and barking like dogs, but weeping and wailing and crying—all in the name of the Lord.  It shall be said in that day; and rightly so, that the time of great sorrows is soon to be upon us, therefore the great bouts of weeping.  This too shall be a great deception, for it shall be wailing from the soul and not out of conviction brought forth from the Holy Spirit, and all the while the people will say, ‘We are weeping due to the time of great sorrows—behold how the Lord will bottle our tears and pour them back down upon us as a great blessing!’  I say to you that you will see manifestations in that day that will absolutely stun you due to their completely carnal nature, and yet the people will continue to say that it is the ‘sweet anointing of the Holy Spirit upon them.’  This too will be the fruit that will come forth from the emotions of men and women, due to the strength and influence of the spirit that shall strengthen all things feminine.”

“It shall be not only women who will be affected by this spirit, says the Lord, but men also who shall open up to it and become affected.  The evidence of this will be in them bowing down to and serving these strong women in an undue manner.  This manner shall go way past that of normal servitude, as it shall be geared at lifting women up to a highly elevated place, and submitting to them with great zeal.  Men who are affected by this spirit will also become much more emotional, even to the point of acting effeminate as part of their walk.  There will be men who are infected by this spirit who will have great ministries that will become geared more and more toward the ‘emotional’ side of things, and they too will become highly influential in the days to come.  Sadly though, what they will equate with the blessings of the Lord in that day will be no more than great emotional outpourings that are a direct result of the leavening of this spirit.  It is written in My Word ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts.’ [Zechariah 4:6] and that which you shall see in that day shall not be done by the power of My Spirit, but by the power of the spirit that I shall allow to rise in power and that people shall be given over to in that day, says the Lord.”

“In the political arena, you are going to see women rising into more and higher positions of authority, says the Lord.  This spirit that is at work in your country will empower them to boldly enter into places that have in the past been dominated by men.  Ultimately, you will see a woman attain to the highest office in the land, being swept into office by those who are under the influence of this spirit.  As part of the political campaigning, you will see evidence of this powerful spirit at work if you’re looking for it—it will be very obvious to you in that day.  Whether this woman will attain to the highest executive office in the land due to running as number one or number two on the campaign ticket does not matter—she will attain to the highest position at My appointed time, whether it be due to winning by attrition or winning by election.  And, at that time, you shall see the great many rejoicing in this so-called victory, not knowing all the while that it is the Lord who has set their table before them and they shall eat a very bitter harvest.  Of this new leader, it has been said decades before that she shall be ‘Well-dressed and beautiful, but cruel in heart.’  Her heart shall be as far from  the Lord as north is from south, and she shall lead the country into its final ruin.  Again, when you hear the words ‘I am woman, hear me roar,’ take great heed, for the time of the end in your country is soon to be upon you, and you will stand absolutely shocked at what you will see happening in the days to come, says the Lord.

“When I cursed the woman in the Garden of Eden, part of that curse was that her desire would be for the man’s position of authority, for it is written, ‘your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.’  And so it is in your country My son, for women are now heading into the final phase of the great takeover that has been ordained years ago, and what the people shall call a great blessing shall in fact be a great curse—a terrible judgment that will mark the end of the United States of America—a country that had; years before, sold itself out to do evil.”

It is written in My Word that ‘a house divided against itself can not stand,’ and in this case the house is your country My son—the United States of America.  I have and I will cause the men and women of this country to be divided against one another, and then her end will come.  Do not pray against what your Lord has already ordained, but warn the people of this coming judgment and tell them to get their hearts right before the Lord, to hold on steadfastly to what is right, even though everything around them may be going completely off course and contrary to the Lord’s will.  I am the Lord, and I will protect My own in that day.  Although they will walk through the valley of death, they will not fear, for I will be with them.  There will be great mourning in that day, for the slain of the Lord will be many, and this will include friends and family as well as those who have persecuted you.  In that day, says the Lord, fear will be far from you, although you will lament those who have fallen by the sword and by the multitude of pestilence about you.  And in that day, says the Lord, you will know without a doubt that it was by My hand that you stood, and that you are My people—and blessed will you be in that day!  This is the word of the Lord.”

I received this word in 2001--sometime between January and July.  The Lord was saying that the saying "I am woman, hear me roar" would be one of the earmarks that would become popular when this spirit really got going, succeeding in elevating a woman to great political power.  The Spirit of God said that a woman would ascend to the highest office in the land, and said that she would attain that position either by election or attrition.  My thinking in this is that there could possibly be a woman running on the ticket as the Vice-Presidential candidate, only to become President at a later time.  It is said that this woman; once she gets into office, will be the last President.  Interestingly enough, I heard that song being sung as an advertisement for a network on TV called "The Oxygen Network" recently--I was surprised to hear it.

Your Brother,
Steven Crowder

As you can see, in church, home, and government, women are to be subject unto the man.  This is the only way both will be happy.  God bless you to be humble to this word.  Pray for women’s ministries that they will be part of the solution and not part of the problem.  Pray for me if you think me wrong.  At least give me credit for being convinced by Scriptures.  God bless you.

Your servant in Christ,  
David Eells
 

Here is a letter from a dear sister who was moved by this article and passed it around.

"I am SO glad to hear you are teaching The Word, Women and Authority!  It has made me understand that I was living in TERRIBLE sin and has impacted my life greatly!  It is a very difficult change that is occurring in me but one my Father has promised to finish in me!  In fact I have begun to share the message with some of my girlfriends and other women.  I expect eventually to have egg thrown in my face for it….but so far, the Lord has truly blessed everyone with this message….it is making a HUGE impact in their lives also…albeit very slow progress (I have 42 years of wrong thinking to undo).  But I praise God for your diligence and obedience in sharing this word…and I praise Him from whom all blessings flow…I know He will finish the work He has begun in me!  God bless you and your family!"
 

Respect
Ben Lucas

We are talking about love and this is another, “How To.”

A special note to ladies---- this is a scriptural and common sense way to keep your husband loving you and only you, including in the romantic sense, forever! And a way, to protect him, from, and/or to reclaim him from any midlife crisis or other relationship crisis.  This principle has worked for centuries, and will always work for those ladies who will live it.  Please understand no one who has tried it has ever said it was easy and there is a world of difference between believing it and living it.  For proof, remember the many times some of you have seen "The Hunk" who has eyes only for the fat lady that you think he must have picked up at the circus, or for some other ugly (looking, to you) lady.

Another point that must be mentioned is many men are influenced and some are owned by the devil. It is impossible for a rational person, male or female, to respect the devil. If you think you or someone you love is in this situation write for more information.

Here is the verse---

(Eph 5:31 AMP) However, let each man of you (without exception) love his wife as (being in a sense) his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband—that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly. (Webster's list of English words with the same or nearly the same essential meaning as "Respect" and "Reverence." The latter includes the word "Adore" in the sense that does not apply to deity. From the notes from the Amplified Bible)   

I know that for most American women the response to this will be, "Impossible!" "I can't do that!" “Why would I want to do that?” But when you understand the nature of the beast, you will be enabled to use this scriptural principle, to help him become the “Man,” he is supposed to be. (Man is capitalized on purpose for emphasis.) You can, by reading this and living it, improve, enhance, shape, complete and even over time, enable him to be less of a beast, at least to you.

The reason the Scripture orders the wife to respect her husband is because he needs it.  He needs it to become the Man our Father designed him to be. Remember the scripture "it is not good for the man to be alone," and " I will make a help meet for him, (KJV). Helper-- counterpart (Young’s Literal Translation).  Suitable-- adapted-- completing-- (Amp).

Many, if not most, mid-life crisis’s are not really about sex. And very few adulterous relationships are about sex. They are about, "look at me," "pay attention to me," "listen to me." And if you could hear his true heart's cry it would be "Please listen," "I need for you to pay attention to me, please!" Rejection, especially continued rejection, hurts a man as bad or worse than a bullet wound.  Most boys and men have not asked girls and women for dates because of their fear of rejection.  A long continued "Leave me alone" and/or "the silent treatment" is the worst possible thing that can be done to a man (or woman). In real life, "leave me alone" carried to its logical conclusion is outer darkness. Solitary confinement is the worst punishment ever devised. Briefly the mid-life crisis or other illegal relationship usually develops, when you won't and she will, pay attention to him. Ladies, I know better than most that there are many exceptions, but in counseling men I find FAR fewer exceptions than women are willing to believe.

To illustrate how desperately the man needs your respect, in the sense of the definition above.  Let's look at Jesus prayer, and use it to show that even Jesus wants and I believe needs (at least to some degree) the type of respect that we're talking about. (John 17:24 KJV)  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. Jesus wants His bride to pay attention to Him and to truly see His glory and excellence, His very self.  Is He male? You bet He is!  His prayer makes His maleness unmistakable.  So, is it wrong for the man to want and even need your attention, your respect? No it's simply the nature of the beast. It's the way God made him, the male half of mankind.

If you will think about it, this definition of respect is love in action.  And if you will think about it a minute more, you will realize that you need and want to respect him. In fact, women were created by God, Himself to respect their husbands.  How many times have I heard, (and you have heard) "I love him, but I just can't respect him."  This complaint is a woman simply stating her built-in nature and need to respect her husband.  And how desperately deprived and hurt and neglected and betrayed she (rightly!) feels when he does and/or says things in such a way that she cannot respect him.  In reality, a woman is truly a woman, when she recognizes that the man is her other half, just as truly as she is his other half. We complete and complement and help each other, or we're supposed to, by God's command.  Instead of, "Adam and Eve," think Adam one and Adam two, and when they are properly together/completed, they are mankind.

Notice, God said this part of His creation was not good, because the man alone was incomplete.  Interestingly this is the only part of God's creation that He didn't approve, but thankfully (at least I am thankful) He did fix this part. Because man alone is still incomplete. 

Bible believing, and obeying ladies are ordered to respect their husbands.  Or, if you want to be treated like a queen, treat him like a king.  Or the basic golden rule, "Do unto others what you would want done to you"" and I always add, "If you were in their situation." A man has a built-in craving for attention.  Remember the one who squealed his tires, fell off of, or didn't fall off of, his bicycle or some other silly thing(s) just trying to get your attention?

He needs your respect, your attention, and your admiration, to be complete in his own eyes and in God's eyes.  And yes, your completeness depends upon you being able to respect your husband. 

I'm really sorry to have to add this ladies.  I know the husband is supposed to LOVE, lead, to nurture, to supply, and to praise and respect his wife.  But something horrible has happened in America.  Men don't lead, don't know how to lead, and are afraid to lead. So you will probably have to start this as a do it yourself (with God's help) project. But if you will respect him, he will love you and pay attention to you. And thus he will learn to love properly and to become the Man our Father planed and you expected (Rightly!) him to be/become.

Ladies, this chapter was an article in an E-zine series on love. In case you think I missed it, you might be interested that, I did not get, and have not received since even one letter, attacking these conclusions, from a man.
 

Husbands, Love Your Wives

We are still discussing LOVE. We, Christian husbands, have orders (they are not suggestions!) to love our wives. We will highlight the ways and reasons to love her, and explain “How to” Biblically, love your wife. Please know. no one who has ever tried to really love his wife over time, without regard to personal cost, (there is a cost!) would ever suggest that it was easy or cheap. Words alone or from the teeth out are not really loving. But you can, if you WILL, love your wife. Jesus Christ is our King, and HE is also our ever living and continuing example.

It is VERY important to realize that it is impossible for a rational person to continue to love a devil. I know it’s a big joke to some, but many women are influenced and some are owned by the devil. If you or someone you love is in this situation write for more information. 

(Eph 5:33 KJV)  Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

1. Notice there are no exceptions! Every husband is ordered to love his own wife, and to love her, as he loves himself. Let’s take a moment and comment on the different culture we are living in today. In Paul’s day a man who hated himself was so rare that Paul, Jesus and others used this expression to talk about love. Those who hate themselves are, unfortunately, not rare today. And so I note, “A person who hates himself, consciously or unconsciously, has nothing with which to love his wife or his neighbor.” Or, ---- even the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. (Prov.12:10)

Briefly scriptural Love is: (Mat 22:37 KJV)  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (Mat 22:38 KJV)  This is the first and great commandment. (Mat 22:39 KJV)  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Mat 22:40 KJV)  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Mat 7:12 KJV)  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. That is, to love others as you love yourself, you do unto others what you would want them to do for you if you were in their situation. Thus Paul tells us to do the golden rule to our wives, which is, doing to and for them what we would want done to and for ourselves, if we were in their situation. Here is a hint---The most common complaint of wives is “He won’t talk to me.” The most common complaint among husbands is “She won’t listen and pay attention to me.” There are some causes and reasons that are not the husband’s or the wife’s fault and most of these problems are relatively easily fixed by learning how.

The reason we can say for certain that the two, “do unto others” and “love your neighbor as yourself” are the same, is the phrase Jesus gives with both, “for this is the law and the prophets.” Or, The Old Testament command is “Love God and your Neighbor” and the New Testament command is the same. Gentlemen, may I suggest, with Paul, that your wife is the closest neighbor you have, Love her!

But there is more, it is not enough to love her as you love yourself. (Eph 5:25 KJV)  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; The Holy Spirit through Paul the Apostle says; Husbands, (Every one of YOU!) love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church! Love her in the same way, to the same degree, and with the same faithfulness, intensity, and passion that He loved the church. Always remembering Jesus gave Himself for her, dying a criminal’s death in her place and for her. Since I do a lot of counseling, I would like to suggest that a least a few American Christian husbands might want to consider thinking about the above, with the idea that personal improvement just might be possible. In my experience most Christian wives are ecstatic when their husbands are even willing to think about changing for the better.

Oh, by the way. It is interesting to note that Jesus continues loving us when we mess up and even when we disobey. Thus we must continue, like Jesus, to love our wives as long as she obeys us as well as the church (I mean in real life, not religious words) including you, obey Christ.  

I know a man is never happier with his wife as when she understands that he is so involved or committed to the current project that he doesn’t have time for her right now. But this should be VERY rare in Christian marriage! How many times has Christ been too busy to pay attention to you and your earnest prayers? Football games, unless you are actually in the game personally, do not qualify for the above. But sadly it has become a standing joke in America, even for Christians.

(Mat 19:5 KJV)  And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? (Mat 19:6 KJV)  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Jesus is quoting Genesis here and He is saying leave your father and mother in favor of your wife. Stick to (Cleave to) your wife more than the culture, more even than the TV. The culture we are a part of is described in; (Isa 3:9 KJV)  The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. And; (Jer 6:15 KJV)  Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

Yes, our American culture is anti-Christian and anti-genuine love! This culture, fed by the media, constantly characterizes Christianity as dumb and sex as love. But the sex act without love is only that, just an act, without any lasting meaning to the parties involved. And about Christians being dumb, ignorant, etc. please consider what happens to God’s people, God’s own people who forget and/or in an effort to fit in, refuse to learn God, His ways, will and commandments. (Hosea 4:6 KJV)  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. The only explanation I can offer for America’s present condition is, “God has forgotten our children.” Thank God for the exceptions!!

Jesus left heaven for His bride and He suffered for her and not just, on the cross. (Heb 5:8 KJV)  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;  We must as Christians (or just as true men! So unlike the large males so evident in today’s culture.) grow up out of our culture, leaving it, and our ignorance of God’s true will and love, along with our father and mother. And then with our own true love and God’s love, love our wives truly, transparently, and obviously in front of God, the children, and this twisted culture! Yes, they will laugh at you, exclude you, and may kill you for it. The devil can’t afford for that kind of light to be in this world, it exposes the irrationality of Sin.

Apparently few Christian American husbands know there are big teeth in this commandment to love your wife, including, among others, “if you don’t love your wife your prayers will be hindered.” (1 Pet 3:7)  Or in plain English, God is obligated to treat you in the same way you treat your wife. How long since you have had a direct and obviously supernatural Word from the Almighty? Other scriptures with teeth include, “inheriting what the unbelievers inherit” and “Depart from me all of you who continue in your sin.” There is also Matt 25:45-46, which continues to apply even if you consider your wife and/or mother in law to be the VERY least of His sisters. How are you treating your wife like Christ today?

For starters, you might want to consider the famous Proverbs 31 woman. Have you ever considered seriously what her husband did to help make and shape her into the Proverbs 31 woman? Maybe you could do it too, Just a hint this principle works in all but fatally dysfunctional marriages. The Bible says, her husband continually praised her. (Pro 31:28)

A special note, to husbands; an insincere and/or lying praise, and/or a constantly repeated praise, or complement, is worse than none! If you won’t take time for her and won’t take time to think about the many ways you can let her know you appreciate and approve her efforts, it will not work! Women aren’t dumb, especially when it comes to relationships. Make sure your attempts to praise and approve her are not, and do not appear to be, contrived or insincere to her.

Gentlemen LOVE your wives! Because some may think the above only applies later in eternity, let me share a more immediate reason. Someone has said, correctly, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!” If you are, not loving your wife, believe me, you and God are not the only ones who know. She knows! And the above applies and may have some bearing upon your present situation. I say again Christian Gentlemen, “LOVE your wives!”