Jaynes Sharon - How Jesus Broke the Rules to Set You Free

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Verses marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Verses marked AMP are taken from The Amplified Bible, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Verses marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Verses marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Verses marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NEB are taken from The New English Bible, copyright Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press 1961, 1970. All rights reserved.

Verses marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible , Copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.

Italics in Scripture verses indicate author emphasis.

Cover photo Tabthipwatthana, borzywoj, spooh / iStock

Cover by Harvest House Publishers Inc., Eugene, Oregon

HOW JESUS BROKE THE RULES TO SET YOU FREE

Formerly titled What God Really Thinks About Women (with revised Bible Study Guide included)

Copyright 2010 / 2015 by Sharon Jaynes

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Jaynes, Sharon.

[What God really thinks about women]

How Jesus broke the rules to set you free / Sharon Jaynes.

pages cm

Originally published under title: What God really thinks about women, 2010

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-0-7369-5997-1 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-5999-5 (eBook)

1. Women in the Bible. 2. Jesus ChristRelations with women. 3. Bible. GospelsCriticism, interpretation, etc. 4. Christian womenReligious life I. Title.

BT590.W6J39 2015

226'.0922082dc23

2014048823

All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of authors and publishers rights is strictly prohibited.

This book is dedicated to the men and women of Campus Crusade for Christ who have worked so diligently to make the Magdalena project a reality. I pray that all who see the film, Magdalena: Through Her Eyes, will know just how much God loves and cherishes women.

Many men and women have influenced my life and challenged me to walk over to a fresh canvas and read the Gospels with new eyes:

Naomi Gingerich, who challenged me years ago to reconsider my own ideas about women in ministry.

Carolyn Custis James, who opened my eyes to Gods unique design for His female image bearers as ezers , and who broadened my understanding of just what a helper was meant to be.

Campus Crusade, whose mission is to reach out to women all around the world through the Magdalena project and subsequent film, Magdalena: Through Her Eyes. Specifically, Jenny Steinbach, Gail Ratzlaff, and Bill Sims, who caught the vision of how the Magdalena film and What God Really Thinks About Women manuscript could synergistically work to help women all around the world understand just how much God loves and cherishes His female image bearers.

My prayer team, who continually brings me before the Father.

My Girlfriends in God: Mary Southerland and Gwen Smith, who constantly cheer me on with encouraging words and lift me up with powerful prayer.

The Harvest House Publishers team: Bob Hawkins Jr., LaRae Weikert, Terry Glaspey, John Constance, and Barb Sherrill, who made the book possible; Shane White, Christianne Debysingh, and Abby Van Wormer, who made the book visible; Katie Lane, who made the book beautiful; and Betty Fletcher, who kept us all on schedule (no small feat). And my editor, Kim Moore, whose keen eye and kind heart made sure every word kept to the mission of helping women see themselves through Jesus eyes.

My heavenly Father, who gently, tenderly, and sometimes sternly kept pointing me back to His Son, Jesus Christ, when I asked the hard questions regarding how He really felt about women.

Jesus Christ, who continually invited me to take a closer look at how He treated women against the backdrop of societal, political, and religious prejudices of His day.

The Holy Spirit, who confronted me, convicted me, and finally convinced me.

My husband, Steve, who daily holds up the mirror of Gods Word for me to see myself as a dearly loved, cherished child of God, and encourages me to help other women see themselves as the same.

Contents

Freed from an Ordinary Life

Freed to Fulfill an Extraordinary Purpose

Freed from Spiritual Darkness

Freed to Share Gods Light to the World

Freed from Hopelessness

Freed to Share the Hope Within Her

Freed from Condemnation

Freed to Start Anew

Freed from Empty Pursuits

Freed to Overflowing Purpose

Freed from a Painful Past

Freed to Pour Out Praise

Freed from Others Expectations

Freed to Accept Gods Invitation

Freed from Worrisome Ways

Freed to Calm Confidence

Freed from a Crippled Spirit

Freed to Walk in Confidence

Freed from Feelings of Inferiority

Freed to Grasp Her Truth Worth

Freed from Worry About Tomorrow

Freed to Trust God for Today

S he was beautiful.

She was bright.

And she was mad at God.

I sat across the lunch table picking at a salad and trying to digest Jans words. Her startlingly teal eyes were tinted with frustration at God, primarily because of how she perceived He felt about women.

I dont understand God. It seems like He is against women. Hes set us up to fail. Even our bodies are weaker, and that just invites men to abuse us. All through the Bible I see how God used men in mighty ways. Abraham, Moses, Davidyou name it; it is always the men. And polygamy. How could God allow that? Today, theres so much abuse toward women. Wheres God in all that? There are so many inequalities and injustices between how men are treated and how women are treated. What kind of God does that? I think the bottom line is that God just doesnt like women.