What MommyMidwife didn’t mention is that the Quiverfull way is more than choosing to reject birth control and having as many children “as the Lord blesses” a couple with. It’s a patriarchal lifestyle of seclusion from modern society. The husband/father is the prime authority figure and the wife/mother/daughters must submit to his authority. They homeschool practically universally, for religious reasons, and usually birth at home. The father is typically self-employed, running a family business, and homesteading or living off the land is not uncommon especially if the family lives in a rural area. College education seems to be looked down upon, especially for the daughters. Daughters are expected to be married off soon after the completion of their basic education by a young “Godly” man who “asks her hand” in marriage and has the approval of her father. The females dress “modestly” which means no pants or shorts but long dresses or skirts, and they keep their hair long. A lot of these families do home church as well, probably because they have trouble fitting in a modern congregation, even if it’s Evangelical. Those that do attend a church seem to be of the Fundamentalist persuasion, though there are Quiverfull adherents that hail from across the board of Christianity. It is a backlash against feminism towards the other extreme, and seems like a lifestyle that is at odds with, and deliberately so, the “seven mountains” of (modern) culture: arts and entertainment, business, education, family, government, media, and religion.

Pioneers of the movement are authors Mary Pride (The Way Home: Beyond Feminism, Back to Reality), Nancy Campbell of the Above Rubies ministry (Be Fruitful and Multiply), and Rick and Jan Hess (A Full Quiver: Family Planning and the Lordship of Christ). Website resources for the movement are Above Rubies and David and Suzanne Bortel’s Quiverfull. If you read the articles on the Articles page and look at the offerings in the Books and Resources page of the Quiverfull site you’ll gain a good understanding of what the Quiverfull movement is about.

Of course the most well-known Quiverfull family is the Duggar family of Discovery Channel/TLC fame.

I’m really perplexed by the very Old-Testament-style legalism of this movement and its twisting of Scripture to justify its purpose. Yes, children are a blessing from the Lord, but they’re also a tremendous responsibility. The New Testament also teaches the virtues of not marrying (and hence not having children) for the sake of the Kingdom of God – as one can totally devote himself or herself to the Lord’s work. Some will be called to a life of celibacy. Jesus said in Matthew 19:12 (NKJV):

For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.

Here’s what 1 Corinthians 7 has to say (NLT):

1 Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life. 2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

3 The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. 4 The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.

5 Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. But God gives to some the gift of marriage, and to others the gift of singleness.

8 So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. 9 But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.

and…

25 Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are. 27 If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married. 28 But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems.

29 But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. 30 Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. 31 Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.

32 I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. 33 But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. 34 His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

36 But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin. 37 But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. 38 So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.

39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord. 40 But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.

I’m going to blog on this some more, but one post is too long so stay tuned. I’m going to address more of the Quiverfull movement’s sectarianism (some might call it cultishness), unbalanced views of patriarchy and female submissiveness, a strange take on growing the Kingdom of God and hints of racism, whether intended or not.

Linus Christmas Monologue

I believe I got a touch from God and that He gave me my joy back, because when I came out of church, I felt so happy like I didn’t have a care in the world! I had been dealing with depression off and on since my son was born in Aug. 2005. When he was only 4 weeks old all my joy and life energy drained right out of me and I had been struggling to get it back ever since. My family’s financial situation over the last year was also overwhelming me and I was filled with anxiety. But since I left church Sunday last week, the worry and frustration has been gone! I used to dread getting up every morning, but not anymore!

For the first time I really GET IT that GOD IS IN CONTROL AND HE KNOWS MY EVERY NEED. I actually wondered whether He truly cared or if was punishing me and my husband. I know that thought process was seeded by the enemy but when you’re depressed you entertain the worst thoughts. Today however I feel like I’m about to burst with joy and gratitude at what HE has already done. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is within me! This is another truth that I never really “got” until recently when Pastor Tim taught on this in a sermon, and I’ve been saved and spirit-filled for more than 25 years (since I was 13). PRAISE GOD AND AMEN!

Our income took a severe hit last April (David and I are self-employed). By August we barely had enough to buy groceries and gas. By September we lost the van and by October we had to leave the house. In October while we were clearing out the house I slipped and fell and broke my left ankle. God is good though and greatly to be praised; my ankle has healed up and we’ve been provided a house to stay in and a good vehicle while we work to get our income back up again to where it was in 2008. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas with my mother-in-law with plenty to eat and the kids made out like bandits. We learned who our real friends are and realized we have more than we thought. True friends are one of the greatest if not the greatest blessing you can receive from God.

In the midst of all this I realized my skills as a web designer and this year I’ve officially launched myself as a freelance web designer. My business website is www.melodielaylor.com.

I believe 2010 can only get better. My area just saw it’s first snowstorm in 9 years, and it’s the most snow we’ve seen in 20 years. I was used to seeing a few inches of snow every winter growing up and it was strange to have 9 years of sweater weather during what was supposed to be winter. This season has been a real winter. It was like everything had shifted out of balance. Now I feel like things are shifting back again. Praise the Lord!

My pastor is teaching a series on the anointing of the Holy Spirit. He defined the anointing as “the power of God to get results.” I realized something after meditating on that statement over and over. I realized that without “the power of God to get results” one is striving. Striving is working hard without results. To strive means to try (hard) in one’s own strength; to struggle or contend. I realized we’ve been doing things in our own strength, trying to make it on our own, doing things our way and not trusting in the Lord and seeking HIS way.

Some Scriptures to think about:

“And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18 KJV)

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.” (Isaiah 10:27 KJV)

“Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6 KJV)

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5 KJV)

Speaking for myself, I must confess that I have serious trust/control issues. It’s in my nature to be suspicious of everyone until they have EARNED my trust. I also want to be in control, even when I have things totally out of control. But I hate to be in charge! Am I mixed up or what? My motto was “Never put your trust in man but in the Lord only.” Only I haven’t been trusting the Lord either, though I thought I was. This year I’ll be working on my inner self a LOT. I forgot what it’s like to walk in the Spirit and spent several years in the flesh (or what some might call the soulish realm). I was focusing inward and on my problems instead of upward towards heaven.

I could keep going on but I’ll just conclude this post by saying that I need the anointing in every aspect of my life. Not just to be an effective Christian witness, but to be effective in my business and in my relationships as wife, mother and friend. I need the Holy Spirit by my side and filling me every day, else my spiritual tank gets empty as it had been for several years.

Now let’s get to the part where God really showed up in a big way. This past Sunday they held the first class of a leadership university at the church. It’s basically a video school; the lectures/classes are on DVD. David is attending the classes but I’m not at this time. One of the lessons Sunday was “The Holy Spirit” by Dr. A.L. Gill. His lesson included teaching on the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and concluded with a chance to pray to receive the baptism. David prayed and received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and began speaking in an unknown tongue! He’s been a Christian since 1996 and he’s 45 years old. He prayed in the Spirit (in tongues) on the way home from church that night. I wish I had been there to see it.

In an earlier post, What shall I blog about? My Christian walk part 1, I mentioned that I got saved when I was 11, and I rededicated my life to the Lord when I was 13. Shortly after that I also received the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. That milestone revolutionized my walk with the Lord and all the rest of the way through school I was a Jesus freak. I deliberately avoided being “just like everyone else;” I did not want to be a part of the world’s system.

DC Talk – Jesus Freak

I never spoke in tongues around my husband, nor did I talk with him about being baptized in the Holy Spirit, basically because I didn’t know how to approach him with it. I got the idea he thought there was a big hype factor in it, and that the best way for him to come around was to have a spiritual epiphany and experience it for himself. And it happened, and I am in awe and can’t thank the Lord enough. Now I feel we can move forward hand-in-hand together in our Christian walk, as we are both filled with and led by the Spirit.

My mom and I accepted Jesus as our personal savior at a large evangelistic crusade when I was 11, back in 1983. That crusade was like nothing either my mom or I had ever seen before. It ran Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon. Mom and I went on Sat. and Sun. People were clapping and swaying to very lively music, raising their hands in the air, shouting, crying, some even spoke in tongues (now that was the strangest thing of all). There was a full band on the platform with singers. It was called praise and worship. After the praise and worship everyone was told to greet each other and total strangers would turn around and give us bear hugs while more music was being played. Then we’d sit down, an offering was taken and there was another song or two with a solo vocalist. By this time at least an hour had passed. Then there came the preaching, which was powerful, often loud, and lasted for about another hour. That was followed by an altar call for people to come forward and accept Jesus as their Savior. Afterwards in the Sunday service there was a call for those who were already saved to come forward and receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit (with the evidence of speaking in other tongues).

When I entered 7th grade (junior high) and turned 12, I “backslid”. I wanted so much to be liked by everyone and have friends that I even said to my peers “No, I’m not a Christian!” However, I never really fit in with my classmates anyway because many of them (girls in particular) were already established in a clique and being “cool” by wearing certain brand names and styles and listening to rock music if you were white (or Michael Jackson and Prince if you were black) was essential to acceptance by one’s peers. My parents didn’t have much money – my dad was on disability and my mom got injured on the job and subsequently lost her job when I was in 6th grade. I wore thrift store and Kmart clothes, not Jordache, Calvin Klein, Members Only and Nike. My teeth were crooked and my parents could not afford braces for me. My mom was very strict and old-fashioned and didn’t let me go hang out at the mall or at other kids’ houses. Both years of junior high were emotionally painful for me, but 7th grade was perhaps the worst year of my life. I was made fun of and called names almost daily. I ate lunch alone most of the time.

While I was in 7th grade my mom and I started going to a local Assemblies of God (Pentecostal) church. From the time I started seeking acceptance by my peers in 7th grade the guilt settled in because I wasn’t abiding in Christ. The truth is, I came forward to accept Jesus mostly because the “fear of God” was preached into me, i.e. I was afraid either the Rapture would occur and I’d be left behind, or I’d die in an accident and end up in Hell. Afterwards, when I started hearing the Gospel message regularly on TV and in church, I had trouble sleeping at night because I was still afraid the Rapture was going to occur and I’d miss it. Probably a lot of people, particularly in those days, accepted Christ for that reason, neither having counted the cost, nor understood what repentance truly is, nor come to know the depth of Jesus’ love for all of us (and can we ever fully grasp it this side of Heaven?) That evangelistic crusade was actually the FIRST TIME EVER I had heard the Gospel. I had only been to church a handful of times in my life, and that message was not preached in any service I had ever attended before. I actually count the beginning of my Christian walk starting at age 13. That’s when I really dedicated my life to the Lord. But I’ll get to that in my next post.

So where was my dad in all this? He wasn’t interested. He grew up in the 1930s and 1940s going to an old-time Pentecostal Holiness church and had enough. That was back in the days of big hair buns, no makeup, long sleeves and dresses, etc. He couldn’t help but hear when my mom had televangelists like Jimmy Swaggart on TV in the house, but he wouldn’t go to church with mom and me. My dad *did* go with us Saturday to the crusade, and he spent much of the time outside the auditorium in the lobby of the coliseum smoking cigarettes. He said when we got out that night that the whole place was rocking and swaying to the music, LOL.

(stay tuned for part 2)

John 12:23-28 (from the New King James Version)

23 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

The verse that stands out in this passage is John 12:24: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” Jesus, the Son of God, came to this earth so He could die. Likewise, whenever someone dies, they have a legacy that follows them. The seeds they’ve sown in their lifetime bear fruit on and on long after their gone. I mentioned Keith Green and shared a song of his in my last post. Keith Green’s headstone at his burial site has this verse engraved upon it. His legacy certainly lives on and continues, 27 yrs after his death, to stir up the fire within people’s hearts to serve God with their whole being. I feel this was not a coincidence that I was reminded again of Keith Green’s music, tragic death, and legacy just within the last 2-3 weeks. Last night a young man my husband and I knew got shot in the head during a robbery attempt. He died this morning. He was a Christian, and he was only 22 years old. He touched the lives of a lot of people, sowing seeds so to speak. Pray that those seeds will grow and bring forth much fruit (grain), and that what the enemy meant for evil, God will use for good.

I’m going to end this post with these passages:

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:35-39

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

“ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I’ve been weary with daily life and the things of this world for several years, I’ve even dealt with depression, but over the last few days I’ve been listening to the music of Keith Green again for the first time in about 6 or 7 years. Once again I felt the Holy Spirit literally pouring out of the speakers, and the tough layers of skin, like bark, are starting to peel away from my heart. I will post more about what I’ve been going through in recent years when I feel ready, but for now, be blessed with this song. Keith Green made this demo shortly before his very untimely death in 1982 and it was never recorded in the studio. It made its way onto a video called First Love: A Historic Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers that was a reunion of 1970s Jesus Music artists – they were the earliest players of contemporary Christian music.

There have been several national days of prayer in the U.S. before the day was made official in 1952. The Continental Congress issued a day of prayer in 1775 to designate “a time for prayer in forming a new nation”. During the Quasi-War with France, President John Adams declared May 9, 1798 as “a day of solemn humiliation, fasting, and prayer,” during which citizens of all faiths were asked to pray “that our country may be protected from all the dangers which threaten it”.^[1] The words prayer and day have been used together in speeches by every U.S. president since the founding of the nation.

On April 17, 1952, President Harry S. Truman signed a bill proclaiming a National Day of Prayer must be declared by each following president at an appropriate date of his choice. In 1982 a National Prayer Committee formed to coordinate and implement a fixed commemorated day of prayer. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan amended the law decreeing that the National Day of Prayer should be held on the first Thursday of May. A claimed intention of the National Day of Prayer was that it would be a day when members of all faiths could pray together in their own way.^{[citation needed]}

President George W. Bush held an annual event at the White House on NDP, but this year, President Obama intends to issue a paper proclamation but is holding no event at the White House:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/06/obamas-decision-observe-prayer-day-privately-draws-public-criticism/

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/06/prayer-day-no-show/

I suppose I should not be surprised since Obama, while visting a Muslim nation (Turkey), seemed to apologize for the U.S. coming across as a Christian nation and tried to characterize the U.S. as a secular, civil society not unlike modern-day Turkey (huh?!)  Here’s a clip of Obama speaking in Anakara:

Christians in America need to pray for our nation and for Mr. Obama.  We should be praying daily, but it’s also important on this upcoming special day that we pray together and stand in the gap for this nation.  So I urge every believer reading this to find and attend a National Day of Prayer gathering in their area, or if you’re not able to make such a meeting, to take some time wherever you can to pray.  If you can get at least one other believer to join you, then that’s even better.

¹⁹ “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19-20 (New King James Version)

¹⁴ if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (New King James Version)

Isaiah 53:5 (New King James Version)

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

1 Peter 2:24 (New King James Version)

24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Matthew 28 (New King James Version)

1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.