What People Are NOT saying

I personally know a family who went from mainstream dress to headcoverings and skirts. I also know this, no woman who was accustomed to wearing jeans and T-shirts and thinking it was alright ever changed to headcoverings and skirts because it was her personal preference.

She saw something in the Scriptures that said something, and even heard some preaching on it. Right or wrong she said to herself, "This is what God wants for women," and after a battle with pride and self-will submitted.

Naturally when they present their views they are not going to say, "I felt this is what God wants for only me." They are going to say, "This is what God wants for all women."

Much like Murphy's excellent statement about alcohol. He doesn't think God just wants him to abstain. He thinks God wants all Christians to abstain. Why aren't we all over him about that? Doesn't that imply that those who drink moderately are not in God's will? Indeed it does. So what?

I make posts in the Music Ministry Forum all the time that those who indulge in CCM are not in God's will. I don't only imply it. I come right out and say it. A lot of people argue with me.

But these ladies come out and say that God wants all women to wear headcoverings and skirts. They believe that's what the Bible says, and suddenly they're accused of everything from conspiracy to cultism, and they are threatened with thread-closing.

This is arbitrary censorship at its worst.

If you are uncomfortable or feel guilty about it, why do you make sound like it's their problem?

 

Dear Bro.Aaron~I must say, the granny has never seen such a thing that transpired on the BB these past many days over these issues.

It has truly grieved me. I've heard that the greater the darkness, the greater the light...that is what your post has meant to me this morning. [A light].

We can be saved and forever secure by our position "in Christ", but unless we daily "walk in His ways" as revealed in His Word, then we are virtually of no use to God and can even do more harm to the cause of Christ than can the unsaved scorner. ***Attention: I am NOT saying ANYONE is unsaved here.

 

I know you think that I and my family are not walking in His ways according to dress.

I disagree.

But I also understand that there is no other way you could think about it.

I also know that I probably would not have been as open-minded about it had I not seen something come about in a church I was attending about 11 years ago.

One family (they have nine children now!) simply came in one day and what a shock. No jewelry, no braided hair (their girls had beautiful long braids) and *gasp* mennonite style bonnets!

Almost split the the church, but it didn't. They were attacked behind their backs, ridiculed and otherwise bitten and devoured. I know this because I was among the ones biting and devouring. The animosity!!

(Give me dripping piety over animosity any day.)

It made me angry to think that these people were "judging" me and my family for not conforming to the Scriptures. (They weren't really, but I sure felt that way because they wouldn't admit that I was conforming to the Scriptures in my own way.) So my wife and I reacted by flaunting our liberty. She had not had pierced ears to this point, but she got them pierced and I charged brilliant, sparkling earrings to my credit card, and she began to wear them to church. We bought brilliantly colored clothes. We made snide, cutting remarks.

Finally at one of our hate-the-bonnet-wearers feasts, which always occured behind their backs anytime I was around my brothers and sisters-in-law, my wonderful mother-in-law, who never partook herself, finally said, "If you really feel that these people are in the wrong, then we need to pray for them." Then she took all her children and sons-in-laws, with the blood still staining our lips, and led us in a prayer for this family. Suddenly all the animosity simply melted away, and I repented of my sin in despising this family, and for not walking in love.

We put the earrings and bright colored clothes (that I had gone into debt for) away, but our love is not perfect. We just couldn't don the coverings, but my wife wore skirts to church.

We approached that family and asked their forgiveness for our un-Christlike attitudes toward them.

The church did not split because of the gracious heart of the pastor (my wife's grandfather). If you cut that man he bled love. Couldn't preach worth a darn, but the spirit, or should I say Spirit! He never from the pulpit said a thing to make this family feel uncomfortable, or changed his interaction with them at all.

A wonderfully consistent man of God. A giant, who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.

When God smote the shepherd and took him home, the sheep scattered.

[ December 04, 2002, 09:44 AM: Message edited by: Aaron ]

 

I know you think that me and my family are not walking in His ways according to dress.[Aaron]

"Now you see, that's why I hesitated before I wrote anything...I was afraid someone would take it the wrong way. That is NOT what I think at all! What I DO think is, that you got it right about the Music! +God Bless+

 

Sue, I have only been an Edwards for nearly 11 months now, so I am still working on being as good as the Edwards'

Thanks for the kind words.

 

Katie, I knew we had a lot in common...same last name, too

 

Of course I'm right about the music!

I will ask a yes or no question. Please answer yes or no. Don't worry, I'm not threatened (and neither is my wife). And we won't feel like you are condemning us. Just be honest about your feeling.

Do the Scriptures reveal that it is God's desire for women in America to be attired with bonnets and skirts in corporate worship?

Don't justify your answer. Just answer. Yes or no?

I'm just talking about in church, now. You may feel they must dress that way all the time. I don't care about that. I mean in church. And if all the time then the answer would still be yes.

[ December 04, 2002, 11:14 AM: Message edited by: Aaron ]

 

No, but they have been accused of being drunkards.

 

So was Christ. The assumption is, then, that He did drink wine.

 

...and?

 

THings such as this is why Jesus was so against the Pharisees and Sadducees and Lawyers. They kept the people of Israel under such heavy bondage to legalism. They just added and added to the law or they added their personal interpretation. They stood in self-righteousness but Jesus called them White Sepulchures full of dead men's bones. They looked righteous on the outside but inside they were full of corruption and evil.

When you spent many years under legalism and bondage to man made rules and regulations and forced personal convictions then it becomes very
hard not to get frustrated with people who want to put Christians under bondage.

Personal convictions need to be just that. For the individual.