Mr. Burrell Part 2

The Outward Adornment of a Christian

Part 2

Hello to everyone in the name of our Lord. This is week two of the message on outward adornment. I pray that you have studied in your bible the passages that I left with you. If not, please read these again as we are going to get right into the study of God’s Word.

I left off last week covering only verse 8 of 1^st Timothy chapter 2. In this verse Paul tells us the things men should adorn themselves with. Let’s look at verse 9. Paul starts off saying “in like manner”. We know that this means “just like that” or “in the same way” and that he’s connecting two examples. Here he says that women should adorn themselves with modest apparel.

Now every culture through the ages has had distinct apparel. If you open a newspaper on any given Sunday you will find a sales paper in the middle with all the latest styles. Christians seldom think that these are bad but rather good to pick from. They often choose clothing that accentuates the positive, as the old song goes. They choose clothing that will “show off” their figures. They pick colors that will make them more attractive.

Once you’ve lived a few decades you’ve noticed that these styles always change and often are repeated. One thing that I’ve noticed is that one particular part of a woman’s body is generally highlighted above all others. Presently, the stomach is on display with the short midriff blouses. When I was younger I remember legs being exposed with short skirts. Other times I remember chests or shoulders being exposed.

Friends, our Lord gave us rules to live by that do not change. They are not dictated by style nor do they follow man’s design. We know that His ways are higher than our ways -Isaiah 55:9. In reading His word we must accept that some things may not follow our logical thinking. If you could figure it out without God, you’d be god (you are not, by the way). His Word is there to teach us how to live.

Now last week I stated that I was going to make a point in using another passage. In 1^st Peter chapter 3 we find almost identical scripture. Only this time we see it done from another person writing. I often hear people who say that Paul was a sexist and biased against women. I know that there are several books out explaining what Paul meant regarding women. People who don’t like what is being said often excuse it by saying that it was a man’s opinion and not God’s word.

Friends, either we accept the Bible as the Word of God without error or we can throw it away. These two passages were written by two different hands but have the same Author, God. Paul wrote his letter to Timothy, a leader in the church. Peter wrote his letter to the church. Both of these letters agree in context regarding dress.

Let’s turn to 1^st Peter 3 verse 3. Peter says that a woman’s adornment shouldn’t be with the putting on of apparel. Now, obviously he doesn’t mean that a woman shouldn’t get dressed. He is saying that her adornment should not be in the clothes that she wears. This agrees with Paul’s teaching to Timothy. Clothing should not be a woman’s adornment. That’s clear unless you mix in our flesh that likes clothing which is fancy, shiny, stylish, sexy or even ornate. If you really ask yourself one question, you will have the answer. That question is, “who am I pleasing with the clothes that I’m wearing”. You can please your flesh or you can please God.

Last week I covered the adornment that a man wears. His outward attitudes and manners show what is in his heart. Likewise, a woman’s dress indicates her heart condition. You can judge a book by its cover when the book picks the binding! We dress everyday looking in a mirror and all the while doing it so that it makes us attractive to the opposite sex. It’s our flesh doing it, not our spiritual man. We dress to get attention! Even the clothes industry markets sex. It’s in their slogans. They sell “sexiness”.

Paul uses the term “modest apparel” while Peter says the “putting on of apparel”. I am not going to tell you what is modest. When I studied the writings of the early church I found that they did not dictate exactly what style of dress to wear. They didn’t choose colors that could and couldn’t be worn. They didn’t pick patterns that were in or out. What they did talk about was the Roman culture and how ungodly the styles were. They all taught that outward decoration in the form of clothing was ungodly.

I was recently saddened by a letter from a Christian Home School group in which they stated the dress code for their Prom. In it they listed that the split in the dress could not extend more than 4 inches above the knee; spaghetti straps or backless was accepted but no cleavage could show; and it ended in “in other words, modest dress”! Friends, modest dress should never have splits in skirts and bare shoulders. Exposing more skin cannot be considered modest! Somehow, Christians now even let their daughters wear colored under-wear on the beaches for all the men to lust after and call it a bathing suit.

I am including just a few quotes from the early church writers at the end of this message. You may look at these now if you like. These are men who wrote down the common interpretation that the early church followed. I think it’s interesting that any of them could be written in modern times. The so called beauty treatments of yesterday are the same as today. All of them are condemned as being sinful and against the dress of Godly women.

Please note that there are preachers today that teach that there is nothing wrong with stylish clothes, jewelry, make-up and coiffures. There are even some preachers that have supermodel wives. However in the early church no one taught these doctrines. They all agreed that the outward appearance was important and that it should not be ornate. You will not find any other opinion when you research early church writings.

Going back to scripture we see that Paul says a woman should be adorned with shamefacedness and sobriety. 1^st Tim 2:9-For the word shamefacedness the Strong’s Concordance gives the Greek word aidos meaning a sense of shame or honour, modesty, bashfulness, reverence, regard for others, respect. For sobriety we see the Greek word sophrosune meaning self control. These are the adornments of a Christian woman. Paul then tells us what the adornments are not.

In verse 9 he says not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array. I see ornate and extravagant hairstyles being used by churchwomen today. Their heads are uncovered (another bible study) and they even use jewelry in their hair. I commonly see jewelry and expensive dresses worn to church. Somehow we’ve missed these scriptures as well as the common church doctrine for the last (almost) 2000 years. Yes, that’s right; the church followed these scriptures up until the 1800’s. Then little by little more churches taught that women should be outwardly women of style.

The last adornment of a woman is in verse 10. Good works are listed as something to be adorned with. This agrees with all other scripture. While we are not saved by works, they are the outward sign of inward transformation.

Now, last week in the discussion questions I asked why God spelled out different things for women and men. Let me say that these standards are for both men and women. Let me explain what I mean. If women are to not dress ornately and with jewelry and expensive clothes, neither are men. Today we see men who wear gold chains and designer clothes. These are just as un-godly and forbidden in scripture.

Likewise, if it’s ungodly for a man to be in wrath and doubting it is for the woman, also. The reason, I believe, that different things are spelled out for women and men is that they are the things the particular sex would have a weakness for. Think about it; would God have women to be dressed plainly and allow men to dress stylishly? Of course not. There is one more scripture that I had listed for the sermon today. It’s Isaiah 3:16-26. Here God is passing judgment on women who are haughty and there is much outward adornment in the way of jewelry mentioned. There seems to be a connection to a woman’s pride and her jewelry. This passage says the Lord will take those away, it appears, to humble her. I encourage you to study this passage thoroughly and let the Holy Spirit speak to you regarding your appearance.

I could extend this another week but I really prefer that you study on your own. Our family has chosen clothing that does not match the world. You will never see Calvin Klein’s name on a cape dress or broadfall pants. We do not set standards for others as being Godly. Rather, we set limits on skin exposure, gaudiness and modesty. Our women do not wear pants since even the world knows what that means. If I asked you who wears the pants in the family, you’d know exactly what I mean. Also, they do not wear pants because cross-dressing is forbidden for both sexes.

Let me conclude today in a more practical way. We hear from a lot of women who deeply desire to dress more modestly than they do. They explain that their husbands will not let them. Wives, you should be submissive to your own husbands. What he says is what you should follow, not me. Husbands, you are the leader in your homes. It’s your job as a Christian man to keep your family according to scripture. Don’t make your wives dress in outward apparel so that you may show her off as a trinket or trophy. I know what I am talking about. I lived this way once.

It made me feel good to go out in public with Angie “decked out”. She wore stylish clothes, hoop earrings, makeup and her waist length hair was frosted blonde. She drew the attention of men and women alike. Oh, how I wore her on my arm! I enjoyed having men look at us, feeling that they must envy me! But as I pursued scripture I had to realize that it was not scriptural. I have to say that she is more beautiful today than when we first met. Inward beauty is true. Inward beauty lasts. So husband, do what is right by your wife. Don’t forget that following the prayer there is a link to quotes from early church fathers regarding dress. May the Lord lead you as you study His Word.

Father God,

I thank you that you know my heart. You knew ahead of time, just what I would battle. You know our hearts and our desires. Today, I pray that you would bring them in conjunction with your Will. Let us this day put on the adornment of a Christian so that the world might see the humility and purity of our hearts. Let us put on what you say is right. Let us be satisfied with what you created. May we remove from our lives anything that would be against Your will.

In Jesus Name—Amen

http://www.bibletopics.com/biblestudy/141.htm

Paul Burrell again . . .

Thank you Mr. Burrell. I agree that what we are on the outside reflects the inside. That reflection either draws people to Christ or drives them away.

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The Outward Adornment of a Christian

Greetings to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that the week has been safe and you are all well today. I am re-running a couple of messages due to some events in which are family are busy with. I hope you find them relevant!

I’ve been asked by several to cover the area of dress and outward appearance. I’m going to cover three main passages of scripture. Two are common. One is less common but quite long so I felt the need to include it. This message will be in at least two parts as I want to cover it thoroughly.

It is a common belief in many churches that everybody should be accepted just as they are. Not just in dress but also if there is sin in their lives. We have denominations now who are ordaining men and women against scriptural basics. Also, if the outward appearance is immodest, “so what”, they say. Dress is no longer talked about from the pulpit as it once was. We have higher dress codes in restaurants than we do in church. I remember a preacher asking a row of young ladies to not come back the way that they were dressed. They sat in front of him with short dresses on. This was not a one time thing but week after week. After his rebuke they continued to come and began to dress more modestly.

Preachers everywhere are looking for numbers now. They use the old phrase, “at least they are in church”. The truth is that they feel like more people will only bring in more finances. They’ve dropped standards everywhere just to get people into the church. Indeed, I heard a talk show this week on a radio station in Birmingham where a person said the church should be more like a bar. In a bar everyone is accepted. Everyone comes in and it doesn’t matter about your past or beliefs or what you look like. You are accepted just as you are.

This person said that church people were too judgmental and he felt like it should be more open to anyone. Now, stop and think about why everyone is accepted in a bar! If you have money, they will serve you a drink. You are a customer there. The music is loud and upbeat. Your comfort and entertainment are their number one priority. Nothing is expected of you. (You know, now that I think about it, some of the modern churches do sound like a bar!…J) No one has ever had their life improved from a bar.

Well, the truth is that the church IS open to anyone. All of us have sinned. It doesn’t matter what someone has done wrong in their past, there is someone on the inside of the church that has done something worse. The problem is that people want to come in and stay as they are. I really think that this is caused by the miss-belief that being a member of a local church will get you into heaven. They don’t want to change. They just want some assurance of salvation.

The church should be like a hospital. We know that the sick go there. We shouldn’t expect them to get better before they are allowed in. However, once they come in, we should do everything within our power to see that they are changed according to God’s Word.

Suppose a man goes to a hospital and the doctor sees a tumor. He is obligated to tell him. Do we think he would tell him nothing just to keep the money coming in? That man is probably there because he has pain in his life anyway! The doctor owes it to him to say something about it.

I saw a headline on a church sign the other day that said it correctly. It said “Come as you are, but leave changed”. That is how the church should be. People should be accepted when they come into the church, but with the understanding that once your life has been touched by the Hand of Jesus you will want to change and you need to change. Yet people that have been in the church for years are still the same as when they started.

Actually, the hospital is a much better illustration of how the church should function than a bar. If you go to the emergency room today you will receive information as to the expectations between you and the hospital. They will give you a list of things that they will help you with and will give a paper with what is expected of you. Before you leave the doctor will hand you a paper with the prescription that you should take and any therapy that you should do to get better. These things are your responsibility. No doctor can make you do them. If you don’t follow the recommendation you won’t get better.

In churches, we call this the doctrine or statement of faith. They spell out what that particular church requires. They tell of your responsibility when you are away. I’ve noticed that many denominations are getting more vague every year. Many churches don’t even have a printed paper available to let you know what that particular body believes.

I realize that I seem to be wandering from the topic, but I am getting there! Let’s look at the scripture in 1^st Timothy 2:8-15. Here Paul is writing to Timothy, a young pastor. This is an important point, as to who is writing. I’m going to make a point on this in next week’s sermon. Paul is instructing Timothy in matters of the Body of Christ, especially those regarding order in the church. Rules for bishops and conduct are given in his letter. In this passage we find the area of appearance of men and women. Verse 8 says that men should pray everywhere lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubting. This doesn’t sound like he’s talking about a man’s appearance at first. It just sounds like he wants men to pray. But the next line gives us deeper truth. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel…

Now, go back to verse 8 and let’s look at it in the context of a man’s adornment. We often forget that men have an adornment that they wear. More so than with clothes, we as men adorn ourselves with our outward actions. People can tell a lot about us by our body language. If I approach someone on the street and have my arms folded I will appear as one that is angry or hiding something. If a father approaches a child and towers over them or gets very close he will frighten the child. Squatting down or bending over is less frightful.

If a husband and wife get into an argument and the man gets really close, especially leaning toward her, he is in a threatening position. Even if he doesn’t realize it, he will be frightening his wife. Men, our outward adornments tell others what we are like on the inside! Now, look again at that verse. Paul says that men should pray everywhere. What would you think of a man that prayed everywhere? Have you ever seen men that prayed at work? Perhaps you’ve known someone who prayed outside the doors of the church. What did you think of them? I can tell you that that man has his life more in order than a man who doesn’t. When a man prays with his family at a restaurant I always notice!

The next line is important also. Lifting up holy hands is a strange expression to some. I remember years ago when only the Pentecostal churches had people raising their hands in worship. If you raised your hands in a Baptist church you would get sideways looks! Now more denominations are realizing that it’s scriptural and they think nothing of it.

You may have even noticed people doing this other than Christians. Think about other religions. I have seen Muslim and Buddhists worshipping this way. But there is one more group that comes to mind. Have you ever seen young people at a rock concert doing it? I have. They raise their hands when their god comes on stage or sings their favorite song. It’s all about worship.

My pastor as a youth, pointed out that it’s the international sign of surrender. If someone is giving up they always put their hands up. So along with prayer, the second adornment of a godly man is total surrender to God.

The third adornment I see here is “without wrath”. Christian men should not pray in retaliation. If someone does you wrong, you are not supposed to get vengeance for it. I have had some people in my past who would probably claim that I “got them back”. But keeping silent when someone else rants and raves isn’t wrath! You’ll find it hard to pray for your enemies yet it’s always the right thing to do. If you look at the tragedy that happened to our brethren in Lancaster County a few years ago, you can see the impact of men who had every right in the flesh to be angry. Yet, those godly men went to the funeral of the murderer of their children. It’s hard to do, but it’s right.

We, as men, have a responsibility to be peaceful. Just last week my family was put in a very difficult situation where we could have started a big argument. We left as peacefully as we could without much fanfare. If you want to see real grace under pressure, just look at our Lord. When the accusers stood before Him and told lies to Pilate, He was silent. He was a completely innocent man. If anyone had cause to speak back, Jesus did. Yet he spoke not a word. Men, let us learn to handle aggression! His prayer later for His accusers was one of forgiveness.

The last adornment that I see in this verse speaks of “without doubting”. Now, let’s put that in context with praying. When we pray it should be with the belief that our prayer will be answered. As my sweet wife always reminds our family, “Pray the prayer that never fails. Pray for God’s Will to be done”. If we walk in holiness, we will never worry that His Will is done. If our hearts are right, we should have no doubt that He hears us.

Now, don’t get ahead of me in all this! I know that most want to hear what the scripture says about a woman’s adornment. That will be for next week. I will keep going as far as the Spirit gives. For now I would encourage you to study ahead. Our passages to look at are 1^st Timothy 2:8-15; 1^st Peter 3:1-7 and Isaiah 3:16-26.

Let me say that everyone has a uniform that they wear. It identifies them with the group that they belong to. You may not consciously do it but you will always dress like those that you want to identify with. If I see a man dressed in black leather with a bandana around his head; if this man has black leather chaps on, I know that he rides a motorcycle. If I see a man in three piece suit and he has a briefcase, I know he’s a businessman. If there is a fellow with camouflage on and an orange cap, I can pretty much tell you that he’s a hunter.

Christians have a dress too. This time we’ve looked at just a few things that the scripture lists for men. Next time I will proceed and cover things spelled out for women. Until then, I encourage you to study the Word. Go ahead and see what it says to you! May the Lord Bless you this week.

Prayer

Father God,

As we arise each day help us to remember that we are dressing in a manner that tells others about us. Let your Holy Spirit help us to put on the whole armor of God so that we may be properly adorned. If there is something that we have worn that is not pleasing to you, reveal it to us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

I'm OK . . . Really!

I have been sick but not dying. I've also been working full time and homeschooling my girls.

Just BUSY!!!

Hope to be more verbal and creative soon.

Sock knitting

Stuff I don't want to lose.

http://www.knitwerk.com/archives/2005/10/28/short-rows-links-and-tutorials

Is this all there is? . . .

Is this what we were dreaming of when we were eight?!! My friend and I exchanged these very thoughts as newly weds before we both had children. Get up, go to work, housework, laundry, go to bed, get up and do it all again.

Well, Mr. Burrell has made a good point again. It is all in your perspective and attitude. You can be so entrenched in your routine that you don't realize that only you have the power to change it. God will give you suggestions along the way.

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Taking the Blue Line

Welcome back to the Shepherd’s Hill Homechurch message. We are glad that you stopped in today. Angie asked me what the title was for the message this week and when I told her she wanted an explanation. I am always trying to keep things fresh for the Sunday morning group so I made her wait. As many of you know, I get the message sometime during my week as the Holy Spirit gives me one word, one thought or one experience to write on. Of course, this week was no different.
What happened this week was that I was in the doldrums. Have you ever felt like you were in a rut? Now, don’t get me wrong. We have so many changes happening here at Shepherd’s Hill that there is never a dull moment. Right now, we are planning for our Fall Homesteading Classes. Angie is doing her weekly bake sale. Two of our daughters have big events taking place and there is much going on with that. Our grand-children are growing like weeds and every time we see them they look bigger. We still plan on opening our store soon and there is much to do there. And yet, I had the doldrums.
Our passage this week comes from Luke chapter eighteen. Go ahead and find that chapter because we will look at three verses here. As I mentioned, I have been feeling like life was pretty much the same old grind, day after day. I can’t complain, mind you. God is supplying our needs and everyone is in health. My job is pretty much the same as it has been for the past thirty years. But then again, life can seem the same everyday.
I started home a few days ago and my trip was to be the same as it always was. As I leave work every day I call Angie and let her know that I’m on the way. I drive through the town I work in and hit the Interstate Highway for a few miles. Then, I drive down a long, straight two-lane highway with very little traffic for about twenty-five miles. I then come into our little two red-light town and go south for about seven miles. In the mornings, it’s just reversed. It’s about an hour drive and very peaceful. I don’t listen to the radio and my cell phone loses signal so no one can get me; only God. As I said, I can’t complain.
But on the particular day this week God spoke to me as I left work. I had already talked to Angie and was set in to drive slow and steady. I started praying and talking to God. Don’t you feel bad for those who never have conversations with the Almighty? So many people are missing out on a relationship with their Creator because they are still looking for scientific evidence that He exists! How sad!
So, as I began my trip I began to relate to the Father that I needed something different. I learned many years ago to be careful what you ask for. Our children learned to never say they were bored because Mom and Dad quickly found something for them to do. While I wasn’t complaining, I just humbly asked God for a little change. As I approached my turn for the interstate God showed me a map of the area. You see, the route I take home is the smoothest and straightest. But, it’s also the longest and there are several other routes to travel. In my mind He reminded me of some other roads that I have been on. I saw the area as a road map. The main highways were there, but also the secondary roads. As I visualized these in my spirit God said, “Take the blue line, Paul”.
The blue lines on the map are the secondary roads. You’ve seen them on road maps, I’m sure. I was at a point where I was about to go the same way that I had been for years. God wanted me to take a road that I used to take and stopped using for comfort’s sake. So, off I went.
As I started down this old path everything seemed new again. The farther I went the more relaxed I felt. It was amazing at how enjoyable it was to take these curvy, twisty roads. My younger days of motorcycle riding flashed before my eyes. The miles melted away and before I was half way home I was singing and crying in praises to God. It was as if I had a burden taken off of my shoulders.
How does the blue line relate to scripture? Well, in Luke eighteen there were children brought to Jesus in verse fifteen. I often see Jesus painted as a harsh figure that many children would be afraid of. Every once in a while you see Jesus portrayed as smiling and holding children. Here is the passage that those pictures come from. His disciples began to turn away the people as if the children were a burden to the Lord. But, as always Jesus corrected wrong attitudes and told them to allow the children to come to Him.
The last line of verse sixteen is important. The Kingdom of God is of such as the children. What does that mean? Does it mean that when we get to Heaven we will all be children? Does it mean that if we work hard we can renew our youth? Read further, friend. Jesus explains it in the next verse.
In verse seventeen Jesus said that we must receive His kingdom as a child or we can never get there. Where is “there” exactly? What is it that we do not receive unless we receive it as a child? His Kingdom is more than what we think of as Heaven. The un-saved see the Christian’s view of Heaven and believe that it is saints sitting on clouds and playing harps. They think we will all be surrounded by winged babies with glitter on their faces. They imagine that if there is a heaven then it is a boring place for eternity and they don’t want to be there. On the contrary, the Bible never teaches such.
We have begun our latest mid-week Bible study and we are looking at Revelations. We spent last night in awe at the way God’s throne was described by John and Ezekiel. It was exactly the same. Both men saw a consistent picture of God. It was mysterious to be sure. But boring? Never! The heaven that awaits us is going to be an eternity of new. I’m speaking about everything being new. Nothing will ever be bad again. You might think that eternity could get old if everything is always the same. Don’t worry; it won’t be. You will not be stuck on a cloud playing a harp. You will reign with Jesus (2 Tim. 2:12) Why do you think the heavens are eternal when scientists look out to try and find the end? That’s right; we have a great life ahead of us.
As I drove down the “blue line” highway I was reminded again that life is what you make of it. When we get older we tend to lose interest in anything enjoyable. We decide that life is serious and hard and we’d just better make the best of it. God intended for us to never lose hope in this life. While we suffer in this life some become so serious that they get suicidal. If all we do is dwell on the way things are and think that all eternity isn’t going to be much better we will lose hope. But you can take hope, my friend.
Jesus said that we had to receive His Kingdom as a child. Why do you think educated people have such a hard time finding The Way? They seek for physical evidence. I have a telescope and occasionally look at the stars and planets. I get a magazine with articles in it about space. Most of these articles are written by people who are seeking the origin of the universe. How sad! Not only can they know the origin but they can also meet the Creator!
They sometimes mention the “theory” of creation as if it were a fairy tale. They see those of us who believe in the Almighty as children. Well, guess what? We are. We who find God have become children and accept Him and what He said. They may laugh at us but we are the ones who have peace, joy and hope. They will die hopeless and miserable. Their lives will only be the short years they spend on this Earth. We shall reign for eternity with God!
Is your life enjoyable and exciting friend? Do you look forward to the days ahead and what they bring? Or perhaps you dread leaving the same house to go to another day of the same job and see the same people as every other day. Your life has become rigid and in a rut. You don’t have to stay there. You have a choice today.
Take the blue line home…..

Flabbergasted . . .

no, AWESTRUCK is the word.

Seventy (yes 70!) campers got the HOLY GHOST this past week. Needless to say, we had a great week!

Can't wait to hear what happens the rest of the summer!

It got me to thinking . . .

Mr. Burrell's post on their site, Shepherd's Hill, changes weekly. He often has things that are insightful and meant to make you think and dig into the Word for yourself.

In the previous post, he made several good points. We need to understand why we do what we do for Jesus. We need to be able to put it in very simple terms for others to understand when they ask.

Some people think that Christians need to be perfect. What they don't understand is that our mistakes and mis-steps are covered by grace. We need to make sure that they understand that we screw up daily and need to ask for forgiveness (theirs' and God's) for the foibles and flaws in our lives.

We also need to be sure that we truly treat others as Jesus would have. We need to be sure that we don't come off as holier than thou and judgemental. There are things that people say that still shock me about their personal lives but I try not to raise an eyebrow. They deserve the same grace that God has afforded to me. It is not my place to point out things that they already are convicted about.

My job here is to be the best reflection of my savoir as HUMANLY possible. I need to make sure that others see HIM through me; even if it is just glimpses. As I mature in HIM, it should be a more accurate reflection as HE opens my understanding.

I may not agree with Mr. Burrell all the time but have found him to be a knowledgeable man of God and I enjoy his family's site immensely.