Happy Anniversary to us! Can you believe that it has been a whole year since our first issue? I pray that this newsletter has been as much a blessing for you to receive as it has been for me to edit! The Lord is really blessing! Each month our mailing list continues to grow. I enjoy hearing from those who came upon our web page while browsing the Internet. In my mind I have so many hopes for the continued growth of Vessels Unto Honour. This means growth as far as the number of women who receive it as well as growth in the content of the newsletter. As always, we welcome your comments, suggestions, recipes, Bible study material, poetry, testimony, home arts tips, or whatever else you think may be of interest, benefit, and growth of those who read this publication.
This month we have a special treat for you. It is a wonderful, well written article concerning proper Christian dress. It is written by Liz Graf, who the wife of Pastor John Graf of the First Baptist Church of Sayville, New York. If you have never given much thought to the true purpose behind clothing, I encourage you to read this article carefully and prayerfully. Then I would like you to think about the things that hang in your closet. It is very important for women to follow God's dress standards and I believe that this beautiful and helpful article will help some of you make the transition from dressing according to the world's standards to seeking out God's standards. If you are still unsure after reading the article, please seek the Lord's guidance. He is the one who can change hearts if we come humbly to Him seeking His will and way:
| Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. |
If any of you would like to support and help this ministry grow with a love offering, we will still gladly and thankfully accept it! In order for us to remain accountable to you, we will send a quarterly statement to those who make a contribution. So far the Lord has truly blessed us in that the right amount of money always seems to come from one source or another when comes time to make copies and pay postage. This is really our main expense, along with supplies such as paper. Also, we are considering renting a post office box.
Let me just remind you though that this publication will continue to be sent out to those who request it regardless of any offering given or not. Also, if you know of any lady who would benefit from or enjoy her own copy of Vessels Unto Honour, please feel free to send us her name and address. Or, if you would like multiple copies to distribute at church, that would be wonderful. However, please clear it with your pastor first.
Please pray for us as we consider placing this publication in the local Christian bookstore, public library, restaurants, and gift shops. We trust that if this is what the Lord wants, He will make a way and provide all our needs. Also, pray that I will be more dedicated to this ministry and keep on top of things.
Your sister because of Christ Jesus,
Julia
Purpose of this publication: This purpose of this newsletter is to aid, equip, and encourage the Christian (meaning born again in Christ Jesus) woman in fulfilling her God given role of the wife, mother, and keeper of the home. It is also our desire to see all women grow in the knowledge of Christ. In order to accomplish this task, the newsletter is comprised of many different features. From recipes, crafts, and homemaking ideas to aid in achieving Proverbs 31 status to Bible studies, poems, and resources as material to gain a better understanding of a woman's purpose in this life as a Godly mother, wife, mentor (Titus 2), and light for the Lord. Submissions are gladly received and will be reviewed for content and usability. Please remit to: sunshine@nwsl.west.ga.net. |
Missionary News & Updates... In a previous issue of this newsletter, we told you of 3 men who are with New Tribes Missions who had been kidnapped while on the field in Columbia. This occurred 5 years ago as of the end of January. If you have not visited the website of New Tribes Missions to read about these men and their families, I encourage you to do so! You can see pictures of the men, their wives, and their children, read the details of their kidnapping, and find out more about their families.
The following list of daily prayer suggestions is taken from http://www.ntm.org and is used with permission. I urge you to join us in lifting up all involved.
SUNDAY: Pray today for Mark Rich, Rick Tenenoff and David Mankins. Praise God for His glory, wisdom, sovereignty and love for each of His children. Thank Him that we can trust Him even when things seem unfair and out of control. Lay your own fears before Him and put Mark, Rick and David in God's hands today.
MONDAY: Pray today for Mark, Rick and David. Ask God to give them a clear sense of the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with them wherever they are. Ask God to remind them of His wisdom and sovereignty in everything. Ask God for protection for Mark, Rick and David, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
TUESDAY: Pray today for Mark, Rick and David and their families. (Mark) TANIA, Jessica and Tamra. (Rick) PATTI, Lee, Dora and Connie. (David) NANCY. Ask God to give all His peace and courage. Ask God to provide people around them who know how to listen when needed, and know what to say and when. Ask God to help them see Him going before them, day by day and hour by hour.
WEDNESDAY: Pray today for Mark, Rick and David and for their co-workers in Colombia. Ask God to give stability and perspective to each member and every family. Also ask God to calm fears of family and friends in home countries.
THURSDAY: Pray today for Mark, Rick and David and for the administration of New Tribes. Ask God to give wisdom and good judgment to those in authority, especially those directly involved in the crisis situation. Ask God to help them maintain good contact and rapport with government officials and the press, as well as the families and other Branch personnel. Ask God for adequate strength for each day.
FRIDAY: Pray today for Mark, Rick and David, missing since January 31, 1993. Ask God to encourage and provide for the men, their families, and the mission officials involved. Also pray for their testimony to their captors and for their salvation. Pray that God's purpose for the spread of the Good News in Colombia might be accomplished.
SATURDAY: Pray today for Mark, Rick and David and for their release from captivity. Ask God to open the prison doors the way He did for the Apostles when they were imprisoned for the name of Jesus.
I believe that in most churches and
homes today, their is a lack of good, solid, Biblical teaching on
the importance of appropriate apparel for Christians. And often,
when evidence of it's importance is introduced, our hearts and
minds are closed to it. This month, as feature article for Godly
Womanhood, I have chosen a piece I found through
the Internet because I hope to help some reader out there to
become aware that how she dresses does matter to God. Not only
that, it matters to our testimony and our witness for Christ. It
is titled She Maketh Herself Coverings
and is written by Liz Graf. She is the wife of Pastor John Graf
of the First Baptist Church in Sayville, New York. After reading
this, should you have any comments (positive or negative),
questions, or suggestions, please contact Mrs. Graf at P.O. Box
209, Sayville, New York 11782. Please do not reproduce this
article without her permission.
Women who are in sound, independent fundamental Baptist churches ought to know how to dress according to Bible standards. No doubt your pastor has preached about the biblical principles for proper, modest dressing and if you are saved, you quite naturally agree with him. I John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." Psalm 119:165 "Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them." We understand that, while we do live in this world, God wants His people to stand out and be different and not to use our own standard to determine our dress, but to use God's standard. For example, once we are saved, it doesn't take us long to understand that God considers it an abomination for a woman to dress like a man. (Deuteronomy 22:5) Early in our Christian lives then, we put away our pants and all of our excuses for wearing them (i.e. it's cold, I'm going horseback riding, I just wear them around the house, etc.) After all, who wants to dress like an abomination in God's sight? So, we replaced our Levi's with dresses, skirts, and culottes. We also understand that in order to be modest in God's eyes, our dresses, skirts, and culottes need to fall below our knees--for any part exposed above the knee is considered nakedness in the eyes of God. (Isaiah 47:2,3 "...make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, ...Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen:" Webster's dictionary defines the thigh as being the portion of the leg between the hip and the knee. Another verse that defines nakedness as an exposed thigh is Exodus 28:42.).
I'm sure it is of utmost importance to those of you who are reading this article to know that your dress is well-pleasing to the Lord So just to be absolutely sure we are obedient in all areas of dress, let us review and examine our philosophy of dress to make sure we can align ourselves with the Word of God.
I have observed among independent Baptist women a certain naivete of sorts when it comes to wearing dresses-- An unspoken philosophy which seems to say, "As long as I'm wearing a dress, I must be scriptural." Yet, there are many types and styles of dresses that are every bit as immodest and revealing as a pair of tight Levi's would be! I purposely chose the title of this article from Proverbs 31 because of the word covering. A covering means to clothe or enwrap. The virtuous woman covered herself. (And from the text we see that she covered herself beautifully: tapestry, silk, and purple!) We see how in the Bible God designed clothes three times and all three times He designed coverings. In the Garden of Eden God made coats for Adam and Eve to wear. A coat is not a sleek, tight, body-revealing sort of apparel, is it? It does not accentuate any part of the body nor draw attention to any one place. When you wear a coat, you are simply covered. The next time the Lord designed clothes was for the high priest's attire. They wore long robes with linen britches underneath the robe. A robe is not an "attention grabbing" article of clothing, is it? I mean, if you and your husband were going out of town on a romantic little getaway, what would his response be if you cuddled up next to him and whispered, "Honey, I want you to know that I'll be bringing my floor-length, long-sleeved, fuzzy, pink robe on this trip!" (Well, in the first place, he may have already fainted because you actually cuddled up to him... but that's another article!) If you were really trying to get his attention, I think you could leave the robe home. A robe, like a coat, was not designed to bring attention to anything on the body, but rather it is used for a covering. Also in the book of Revelation, we read of God's design for our heavenly attire: white robes. Every time the Lord God designed clothes, it was for the purpose of clothing the body in a decent and modest way.
| Here I have composed several questions for you to ask yourself concerning the way you dress: |
| *A note to mothers of daughters* |
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you have set up your own dress standards and you need to question your own motives for doing so.
Now I want to mention a word that is not often used in discussing our wardrobes, and that is the word balance. I personally believe that we as modern day Christian women must have Holy Spirit leadership in our lives, and must exercise good discretion and balance in choosing what we will wear. This is not to say that we need to find a happy medium between the world's standards and God's standards. Nothing could be farther from the truth. However, we are three years away from the 21st century. We do not use horse and buggies to come to church, nor do I do my laundry down at the Sayville beach. My girls and I do not wear bonnets and prairie dresses like "Ma" on "Little House" and my husband does not dress like Moses or Joshua did. Why? Because those things no longer pertain to our culture. So where does balance apply? God never says that it is a sin for the leg below the knee to show. So I can wear skirts and dresses below my knees and yet they do not have to be to the ground. I do not want to be poured into them in such a way that I can no longer breathe once the skirt is on, and I would still like to be able to move and sit down in what I wear! So I will avoid tight, form-fitting, worldly clothes, but I will choose clothes that look sharp, fit well, and cover me. There's nothing wrong with looking clean and pretty and sharp! We should stand out as pleasingly different, not ostentatious or weird.
| Here are some basic rules that we need to measure our dress standards by: |
**A word for brides-to-be** |
I am utterly amazed and shocked when I attend Christian weddings because of some of the bride's gowns I have seen. Here we have this wonderful, sweet, little Christian girl, who has dressed modestly and properly as long as she's been in the church. What happens on her wedding day? To quote a familiar passage- "June is bustin' out all over!" Please keep your standards as high as ever on this wonderful day! There have been brides I've been embarrassed to look in the eye because of her immodest apparel.
In all areas of our lives, we should try to live godly. Let us especially be circumspect in our attire. The virtuous woman has the utmost respect for God and His Word. So the virtuous woman covers herself. And her husband praises her.
[Liz Graf is the wife of John Graf, Pastor of the The First Baptist Church, Sayville, New York. They are the parents of Jennifer (19), John (18), Timothy (15), and Ashley (12).] This article is available in tract form from Tabernacle Baptist Church, P. O. Box 3100, Lubbock, Texas 79452. The cost is as follows: 12 for $2.00; 100 for $6.00; 500 for $22.00; 50 for $4.00; 250 for $14.00; 1,000 for $36.00. Please request tract #B-344. For these and other enlightening articles on Christian apparel, visit the following website of Tabernacle Baptist Church: http://www.llano.net/baptist/christianapaplist.htm. |
Don't worry that you might be too "little" to be effective for God because a dewdrop does the will of God as much as a thunderstorm |
Without His cross there was so peace
without His love there was no hope
Without His grace there was no life
In my soul was guilt and strife!
In my the shadow of His cross
In the light of His love
In the sweetness of His grace
There I found my resting place!
Through His cross I am made accepted
Through His love I am made new
Through His grace I am complete
Never a gift given was so sweet!
Of His cross I will sing
Of His love I will tell
Of His grace I will praise
Honour and glorify Him in all my ways!
Julia M. Faulkner, September 5, 1997
If there is one area in the lives of the majority of born-again Christians that they struggle with, even more than daily staying in the Scriptures, it is spending time in prayer. I know in my own life it is something I struggle with daily. Although I do pray, there is not a devoted, regular, or early time I take each day to praise and worship the Lord, lay my burdens at His feet, bring to Him petitions on behalf of others, and just talk with Him. Deep down, I know my life could undergo vast spiritual changes and growth if I would follow Jesus' example. Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. Rise up a great while before day? To a solitary place? Oh, how willing my spirit is but weak my flesh. Daily I fight Satan and the flesh, struggling through my day, leaning on self instead of walking in the Spirit and failing to cast every burden on One who cares for me. Yes, I know He is there every moment of every day ready to forgive and set me aright on my path. But how much better to start each new day in a time of fellowship with Him! I can see myself laying each burden down, asking Him to direct my path for that day, inquiring what He might have me do for Him.
In Psalm 55:4 - 6, David says "4 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. 5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. 6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest". I know I can fly away on the wings of prayer and rest in the sweet arms of a loving Father. Further down, in verse 17, I see where David talks of "evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice". Any moment of the day He is there waiting, waiting to deliver peace to my soul. How comforting to know I can find Him there right where I need Him: at the start of a busy day fulfilling my duties as a wife, mother, and keeper of the home, seeking His direction for the paths of that day; at noon, as the trials and tribulations of the day arise and I become weary, He refreshes me; and at evening as I lay a tired head upon my pillow, I can share my joys and sorrows, achievements and failures, rejoice and cry.
But as I close, I once again wonder why something so beneficial to me, so beautiful and amazing, is so often neglected. In my heart, I know I have not because I ask not. How can I find that which I do not seek? Doors will continue to be closed to me because I do not knock. All good things that my Father is willing to give me will never be gained if I never ask Him. Yes, I hear Him calling me to seek His face from sun up to sun down.
| 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually |
Julia Faulkner February 9, 1998
Some years ago, I went to a ladies weekly Bible study class. One of the things I came away with was a list of things to pray for our children. This month I present that very list to you. However, I do not know the author's name, so full credit is given to that person. May it be a help and a blessing to you.
Pray that your children will:
Know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour early in life (Psalm 63:1; 2 Timothy 3:15)
Have a hatred for sin (Psalm 97:10)
Gratefully receive discipline (Psalm 119:71)
Accept responsibility for their sins (Psalm 51:1-4, 9, 10)
Be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives: spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, physically (John 17:15, 1 Thess. 5:22, 23, Matthew 6:13)
Be hedged in by God so that they cannot find their way to wrong people or places and that the wrong people cannot find their way to them (Hosea 2:6)
Have an excellent spirit in all their ways and relationships (Daniel 6:3)
Respect those in authority over them (Exodus 20:12, 1 Thess. 5:12, 13, Ephesians 6:1-3, 5-7)
Desire the right kind of friends and be protected from those who would corrupt them (Proverbs 1:10-19)
Be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one (2 Cor. 6:14-16)
Be kept pure while awaiting marriage (1 Cor. 6:18-20)
Learn to totally submit to God and actively resist Satan (James 4:7)
Be single-hearted and wholely committed to the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 12:1, 2)
| I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:4 |
I pray that one day the greatest joy in my life is to hear that my own children walk in truth.
http://www.olywa.net/mmccahan/gbbiblereadjan.html
The following is a quote taken directly from the above web page.
Just like relationships with friends, if you want a closer relationship with God, you have to spend time with Him each day reading what He has to say about life and listening to what He has to say to your heart. Make a commitment to read His Word today (about 15-20 minutes if you follow all 4 tracks reading tracks) and don't let another day go by without giving Him top priority in your life. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God..." (Matthew 6:33)
This Bible Reading plan allows you to pick the plan you want to follow. You can read all 4 tracks: Old Testament History/Prophets; Old Testament Wisdom Books; New Testament Gospels; and, New Testament Letters. Or, you can just plan to read through the New Testament (tracks 3 & 4) if you like. The key is to plan your Bible reading schedule and then stick to your plan.
You'll note there are only 22 days for reading each month which corresponds with the average number of working days per month (if you take Saturdays for home chores and Sundays for worship). Most of us have a routine on workdays and get off of the routine on the weekends. If you would like, you can use Saturday and Sunday for either catching up or for special Bible study. All in all, we think you'll enjoy this Bible reading plan. Please share it with your friends and family. May God richly bless you as you make His Word a vital part of your life.
Copyright © The GOOD BOOK Company. Permission to reproduce this material is automatically granted on the condition it will be used for non-commercial purposes, will not be sold, and will be distributed for the sole purpose of expanding the Gospel. Please print out a copy for yourself and get as many of your friends and family as possible to track along with you throughout the year. It doesn't matter when you start, it just matters that you start. This information was found on the Internet (world wide web) at http://www.olywa.net/mmccahan/gbbiblereadjan.html
http://www.aleck.demon.co.uk/jwbeliefs.html
Does fear strike in your heart when you see a JW walking down the driving way, brief case in hand? Take heart dear sister for there is a way to reach them! Arm yourself with a knowledge of their false teaching and Biblical proof that salvation is through Christ alone and not an organization. The following URL is the webpage of a Jehovah's Witness. In it, he outlines the principal beliefs of this organization and their so-called Biblical basis for them. It is very helpful. I hope that this will be the beginning of the end of your fear in witnessing to them. Print it out, study it, be ready.
http://www.azstarnet.com/public/nonprofit/broknarw/
This is a wonderful monthly newsletter that I have been receiving since the latter part of 1997. I had the address for several months before I took the time to write and request it. Boy! Do I wish I had written sooner. I am so blessed by every issue. If you would like to request a free subscription, you don't have to write a note! Just send email. It's BROKNARRW@vtc.net. You may also view it on the web by pointing yoru browser to the following URL: http://www.azstarnet.com/public/nonprofit/broknarw/.
http://www.west.ga.net/~sunshine/
Many of you have probably received one or more of the Bible studies I have written. Generally, if I have a new study coming out at the same time as the newsletter, I will send them together. Most recently I completed one on gossip called Forsaking Gossip: A Lesson In Love. If you would like to receive copies of this study for your Bible study group, Church tract ministry, or to distribute to friends or family, please feel free to contact me.
Recently my three oldest children have been receiving the Search the Scriptures study from Children's Bible Hour. I really, really like it alot as they must take their Bibles, read passages, answer questions, and fill in missing portions of scripture. My children are thrilled to receive them.
Thanks to David Cloud's ministry, I was able to purchase the above plan and program for bringing children to faith in Jesus Christ. It has been such a blessing. Included with the 70+ page book that discusses child evangelism are 150 scripture memorization cards. The verses on the cards are not just randomly chosen verses. In fact, they were chosen purposefully and carefully in order to bring a child to the knowledge of his or her need of a Saviour. The cost of the book and cards is $8.00 and is a superb value. Please make checks payable to Fox River Baptist Church and address your request to P.O. Box 1094, Oswego, IL 60543. Telephone for inquiries is (630) 554-1847.
I used the following outline in two different Sunday schools classes. It can be adapted to most any age. Feel free to use it as the Lord leads. I am sure that as you study for the lesson, the Holy Spirit will guide you in preparing to teach the lesson.
Text #1: Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Text #2: Colossians 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Text #3: Proverbs 19:18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.
Text #4: 1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Text #5: Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Words to know and understand:
Obey: To follow the commands or guidance of
Honour: Outward respect; recognizing one's title or authority over you
Respect: Act of deference; ingratiating regard for another's wishes
Nurture: educate; training; upbringing; to further the development of
Admonition: Gentle reproof; counsel or warning against fault or oversight
Chasten: Correct, instruct, to chastise with blows or with words, punish, reform, reprove, sore, teach
Deed: An act
Disputings: Discussion, debate, dispute, reasoning, doubting, thought
Murmuring: Grudging; complaining, grumbling
Here are the major points of the lesson:
Children are to obey their parents in all things and honour them
Obeying your parents is the same as obeying God
By obeying, God promises a long life
By obeying your parents, you will please God.
Fathers are instructed by God to treat their children in such a way as not to bring them to wrath.
Fathers are commended by God to teach their children to love God and make them ready for life out on their own some day.
Fathers are commanded by God to punish their children when they do wrong.
Fathers are commanded to help their children know right from wrong.
If a father refuses to physically punish his children for their wrong-doing, then he does not love them, but hates them (Proverbs 13:24)
You show your love for your parents by your deeds, not your words.
God tells us to do all things without debating over it and to do it with a cheerful attitude (2 Corinthians 9:7) and not complaining or grumbling over it.
How often do we sit down with our Bibles, read a few verses (or even chapters), lay it down, not even taking careful thought of what we have just read? Often, we treat the Bible just like any other book. It is read to pass the time away, it is read for entertainment purposes, it is read simply to say it has been read. If one continues in this pattern, one can expect little, if any, growth. There are times when one needs comfort and turns to the spiritual bread of life and this is fine. But what I'm talking about is just a careless handling of God's word. If we're going to take the time to open it, let us be serious about it. Here are a few verses that I believe pointedly show us the importance of God's word in the life of a believer:
Hebrews 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
II Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
II Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
For us to grow in grace, have a heart established with grace, rightly divide the word of truth, know doctrine, be perfect and thoroughly furnished unto all good works, and to survive spiritually, it is necessary to take time daily to search the scriptures. The amount of time spent with God directly determines our amount of growth. Mark 4:24 says And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. The more you hear (give audience; understand) the word of God, the more understanding you will be given. God tells us to be not hearers of the word, but doers. I believe that those who understand, will "do".
Earlier I spoke of really "listening" and paying attention to what you are reading. Consider with me if you will Colossians chapter 1. In this chapter we learn of many things the cross of Christ brings us:
Verse 5: A hope laid up in Heaven
Verse 12: Meet to be partakers of the inheritance
Verse 13: Deliverance from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of the Son
Verse 14: Redemption and forgiveness of sins
Verse 20: Peace
Verse 21: Reconciliation
Verse 22: Holy, unblameable, unreproveable in His sight
We miss so much when we merely read the Bible without giving much thought to what we are reading. Next time you pick up your Bible, do it with a purpose! Slow down and take the time to listen to God!
| Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God . . . |
Over the last few years I have really benefitted from sticking to some study habits. The first thing I would recommend is keeping a notebook along side your Bible. As you are reading and studying, write down where you are and any thoughts that come to mind. Most times I write down exact verses and key points. It is also a good idea to know what certain words mean in the verses. This is key to having a good understanding of a verse's context. Which brings up the next point.
Along with my King James Bible and notebook (I have started keeping a hardcover journal-type book instead of the spiral bound notebooks), you can generally find a Webster's dictionary (the older the better) and a Strong's Concordance. My Bible study time took a definite turn for the better once I obtained and started using these study aids.
After assembling all of the necessary tools, I suggest picking a particular topic and searching out as many of the verses as you can that deal with it. Sometimes I don't have anything on my mind that I want to know about, but as I read a verse, passage, or chapter, I often come across something I want to know more about. It's amazing to find out how little you know when you really make an effort to know more.
I hope that these few tips will encourage and motivate you. Drop me a line and let me know what helps you grow in grace!
Here are a few notes from my own studies. I have purposely left off the references in hopes that you are interested enough to find out for yourself what God says.
There are certain behaviors that are associated in the Bible with the old (or unregenerated) man. Now, while it's true that we are all guilty to some extent of still walking in these, God instructs us to leave them behind. At the same time, there are certain characteristics God would like us to demonstrate in our lives. Here I have compiled two lists from my own studies.
God says to leave behind:
Lying
Stealing
Corrupt Communication from the mouth
Bitterness
Wrath
Anger
Clamour
Evil Speaking
Fornication
Uncleaness
Filthiness (of the mouth)
Foolish talking
Jesting
Drunkenness
Ungodliness
Worldly lusts
Now, what should take the place of these things? Note the following:
Speaking truth
Good communication that edifies and ministers to the hearer
Kindness
Tenderheartedness
Forgiveness
Living soberly, righteously, and Godly in this present world
Charity
Bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering
The whole armour of God
In addition to the way we live, I have found that the Lord is concerned in our attitude towards Him. Consider that He wants us to (be):
Submitted to Him
Yielded to His will
Sanctify Him (set Him apart) in our hearts
Serve Him
Fear Him
Cleave to Him
Praise and worship Him
Obedient to Him
Honour and glorify Him in our works
Committed to Him
Fix our hearts on Him
Trust and hope in Him
Rest in Him
Lay aside our sin
Exalt Him
Grounded and established in Him through His word
Acknowledge Him
Delight in Him
Fasten our eyes on Him
I hope that you will take the time to find the references for the list(s) above.
| Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. |
Here is a very easy biscuit recipe! It has taken me almost 12 years of marriage to learn to make biscuits! I think that the secret is the buttermilk and buttered pan. Also, I hate the mess of having to roll out the dough and cut it with something. This recipe allows you to roll the dough in your hands and slightly press it down into a little mound.
Preparations:
Set oven for 450 degrees. Melt some butter or margarine in the pan.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups self-rising flour
In a medium size bowl combine all ingredients, mixing well (but don't over-do it). Flour your hands and pinch off a portion of dough. Roll it into a ball and then flatten it slightly by holding the mound in your palm and pressing it down gently with the fingers of the opposite hand. Don't make it too flat! Lightly coat each side of the dough with the melted butter or margarine and place on cookie sheet to bake for 12-15 minutes. This recipe will make about 1 dozen biscuits.
In the Principals of Microbiology Textbook, there is a statement on hand washing that is quite shocking. It says, "To allow one's hands to contact a person suffering from a communicable disease and then, without disinfection, to allow them to contact another person is little short of criminal neglect." This book, of course, was written for people going into the medical field. Hand washing, we were taught, is the best way to prevent the spread of disease between patients. As a nurse working in a hospital, it is required that you wash your hands before touching a patient, even if you are wearing gloves. Touching a patient would include drawing blood, starting an IV, moving the patient in bed, emptying bedpans, or combing hair. In my nursing experience we spent one class and lab entirely devoted to hand washing.
You may be thinking, "How silly! I know how to wash my hands." Here are a few tips in the technique of hand washing that could help prevent the spread of "germs" in your home and in public. This is how the pros do it:
Keep your nails short. Short nails are less likely to harbor microorganisms. Long nails are hard to clean.
Remove all jewelry. Micro-organisms can lodge in the settings of jewelry and under rings.
Turn on water and adjust the flow so that the water is warm. Warm water removes less of the protective oil of the skin than hot water.
Wet hands thoroughly by holding them under the running water and apply soap to the hands. If the soap is liquid, use 2 to 4 ml (1 tsp). If using bar soap, rub it firmly between the hands.
Thoroughly wash and rinse the hands. Use firm, rubbing, circular movements to wash the palm, back, and wrist of each hand. Interlace the fingers and thumbs and move the hands back and forth. Continue this motion for 10 seconds. The circular action helps remove micro-organisms mechanically. Interlacing the fingers and thumbs cleans the inter-digital spaces. Wash the hands for a minimum of 10 seconds.
Rinse the hands. Hold the hands lower than the elbows so the water flows from the arms to the fingertips.
Thoroughly dry the hands and arms with a paper towel. This way you don't have to worry about who was the last to use the towel. Moist skin becomes chapped readily and chapping produces lesions. Do not continue drying hands with a wet towel but take a dry one when the paper towel has become saturated to be assured you are no contaminating your clean hands.
Now turn off the water using the paper towel to grasp the handle. This prevents the clean hands from picking up micro-organisms from the faucet handles.
The above procedure is not the same one doctors and nurses use before performing procedures or surgeries. That one is more complex and uses a brush to scrub the hands up to the elbows.
Hand washing should be taught to our children and made to be just as important as brushing our teeth, especially after using the bathroom (and sometimes before). Also before eating, after being at a friends house, school, or anywhere sick people may be. It is just a good habit to do and a great habit to do correctly.
The Pharisees obviously knew the importance of outward cleanliness from the purification and washing that goes on throughout the Old Testament. They had all sorts of traditions on washing their hands before going into the Tabernacle (the priests). My logos Bible reference gives theses verses for purification: Esther 2:12; Leviticus 12:6 - 8 and 15: 19 - 33; Luke 2:22. So we see that they knew the importance of outward cleansing, but also know that they took it a bit far. They were trying to justify themselves before God and man through their own righteousness (i.e. keeping of the law).
Luke 11:39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
Here Jesus had to show these men that it was more important to have a clean heart than clean hands. He wanted them to know that no matter how clean their hands were, it is what is inside a man that truly defiles him. They had to know that they needed to make clean their inward man.
The importance of good hygiene cannot be expressed enough. God wants all born-again Christians to take good care of their bodies because they are the temple of God. He cares about what you feed your body and mind, how you cloth your body, and just the general care you give your body. Is it honouring to God to go around looking grungy and dirty all the time? No, I don't believe it is. Man must look upon our outward man to know who we belong to. Not only must we honour God with the service of our bodies, but I believe that we must honour Him by taking good care of His temple.
| 1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. |
However, if you have never been cleansed inwardly of your sin, then it will not matter how much you clean up the outward man. God desires to purge you from your dead works so that you may serve Him.
| Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? |
Notes on hand washing taken from Techniques in Clinical Nursing, Kozier Fourth Edition 1989 Quote taken from Principals of Microbiology 9th Edition, Alice Lorraine Smith 1981 Connie Marconi is one of our readers from the Internet. She has spent the last 5 years as a nurse but has decided to be back in the home full-time. Please lift her up in your prayers. |
The End
© 1998 by Julia M. Faulkner, Sonshine Publications