WHO MOVED THE LINE?

THIS IS NOT MEANT TO OFFEND ANYONE OR TO CHANGE ANY ONE’S THINKING OR WAY OF LIVING. NOR WAS IT WRITTEN WITH ANYONE IN PARTICULAR IN MIND. THESE ARE MY OBSERVATIONS OVER THE YEARS AS I SEEK TO BECOME MORE CHRISTLIKE IN MY LIFE AND CHARACTER.

I have set quietly on the sidelines over the years while those who would condemn did so loudly. I did not want to offend anyone with my way of thinking, while many have not minded offending me with their declarations. I have not tried to offer a defense because I did not want to argue the fine points of such a controversial philosophy. I trust in your relationship with God and I trust that the God who saved you is able to keep you until the day of redemption. I only ask for the same trust and respect in return.

The arguments for holiness always amaze me. First of all, “We are to be holy for He is holy.” Trying to define God with a list is impossible. Holiness is who God is; it is the very character of God. Holiness is a state of being, not a list of rules. Because God is holy and I want to be like God, there are some outward things I will not do. They include what I constantly feed my mind; the things I watch, read and listen to, what I think about and what I speak. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight Oh Lord.” I judge the clothing I wear and my appearance as holy by my motives in wearing a garment and does it affect someone else in a manner that would pull them away from God. If I am wearing something that would be deemed suggestive or to attract the opposite sex, it is not holy, if my appearance would cause someone to have impure thoughts about me, it is not holy. If I am obsessed with costly array, gold, a big car, fancy house and accumulating ‘things” so as to show how successful I am or to have something better than my neighbor and never give to the poor, I am not holy. If I constantly stand in judgment against those who do not follow my convictions, I am not holy. “The kingdom of Heaven is not meat or drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Like the Pharisees, we can become so intent on defining the law of God that we forget the character of God which is love and He is holy.

The line that has been drawn and keeping the old paths has been mentioned. I ask who drew the line, God or man. As far as changing the line, who decides, God or man? I have witnessed hemlines change over the years. In the early years of Pentecost, the hemlines touched the floor, necklines touched the chin and sleeve length touched the wrists, who moved the line? In the 60’s Pentecostal hemlines barely covered the knee, the 70’s found them back to the floor, and a return to mid-calf in the 80’s; who moved the line. I have seen turtlenecks, round necks, v-necks, buttoned shirts, and unbuttoned shirts; who moved the line? According to the weather, sleeves may cover your hands, touch your wrist, lie between your elbow and wrist or shoulder and elbow, or may barely cover your armpit; who moved the line? My mom told me that red shoes were once preached against because only prostitutes wore them, but now it’s okay because it doesn’t have the same meaning; who drew and then moved the line? Adult men have always had facial hair because that is the way God created them. In the early days of Pentecost, it was acceptable for a man to have a beard, then beards were added to the “banned list”, now we see many that are semi-shaven; who moved the line. Relatively speaking, our outward “holiness” does not measure up to that of the Amish or the cult in Texas; who moved the line? The lines have been drawn and moved many times over the years and God continues to cry, “You just don’t get it; Be holy for I am Holy.”

I have no problem with the different things people do in their efforts to please God, as long as the doctrine is that of the Apostles. Even among those who would define holiness as standards, there are differences and disagreements. Some wear approved jewelry, situational clothing and attend select “worldly” amusements while others stand on the sidelines and condemn the so-called “Liberal” Pentecostals. I have never witnessed anyone being saved by standards, but they have been the downfall of many; not because they didn’t “live them” but because it contributed to a judgmental, prideful character which is NOT holy.

If you feel God is calling you to be more separate than someone else in your outward appearance, by all means obey the calling of God, but be consistent. We can start with the hair. If you don’t cut it or color it, then don’t perm it so that it gets shorter by breaking off. We use the scripture about changing the color of one’s hair to preach against dying it but will use chemicals to change the texture from straight to curly with a perm every 3 months. By the way the same scripture that says we can’t change our hair color, says we can’t add an inch to our stature, so are high heels a sin too? Also, if hair is a woman’s glory and should be long, why is so much time spent on elaborate hair styles to make hair look short? As a side note, the woman you regard as Jezebel because she has chosen to apply makeup, pray for her as you drive to your next tanning appointment or apply that special lotion that will make you glow. Perhaps God will help you empathize with her lack of self-confidence in her natural beauty.

Moving on to jewelry; I agree that as in everything, some pile on the jewelry to excess. It may be in poor taste, but is the mere wearing of jewelry a sin? If jewelry is a sin, then there should never be an occasion when it is appropriate. Earrings, necklaces and bracelets are condemned, but watches and wedding rings are accepted. Again, I ask for consistency! Watches and wedding rings are justified as “necessary” but are they? In the world we live in, we are surrounded by time-telling devices in our homes, automobiles, and even our cell phones, so do we really need to wear a watch around our wrist? And what about those bracelet watches? Is it okay to wear a bracelet as long as it includes the face of a watch? I do not need a wedding ring to remind me of my vows or identify my marital status and what if our culture provided for nose rings as a marital symbol, would that be acceptable? I say if jewelry is a sin, then leave off your beautiful pins, bracelet watches, wedding rings, birthstones, anniversary or other rings, shoe buckles, elaborate hair bows and other “hair” jewelry and silk scarves tied around your neck like a necklace. Who determined that jewelry can only be made of metal?

Speaking of apparel, modesty has to be considered, but again it speaks to motives and bringing shame to our Christian witness. The Bible says “They will know we are His disciples because we have love one to another.” Some have changed this verse in their minds to say, “They will know us because we have uncut hair and wear skirts.” Apparently, women carry the burden of Christian identity and men can just blend in to the crowd. I believe our clothing should cover our bodies and not bring undue attention and sexualize specific body parts. If your motive is to attract another person in a sexual manner, the clothing is immodest. If the clothing would cause even a Christian man to fight impure thoughts, it is immodest. This includes skin-tight tops and skirts, the length of dress and the low neck of the top, including wedding gowns. It seems that in some circles it is okay to show cleavage and skin as long as it is on your wedding day. As I said of the jewelry, if pants on women are a sin, then there is never an occasion to wear them, whether it is cold outside, you are at work, playing games, swimming, gardening or sleeping. Also, if you feel pants are a sin, why would we put them on our little girls and cause them to sin? Look at your feet, ultra-conservatives argue against open-toed shoes because they show “toe cleavage”, high heels and even the color of the shoe. The color of hose has been mandated at times, tan, white, black and gray were acceptable, but any other color or texture was deemed inappropriate leg wear. If you find this extreme and silly, how do you think God feels? As to the men, you have limited entries on your list, they include tank tops, shorts and going bare-chested. If these are sins, then stay away from the beach and don’t justify the length of the pants, perhaps long pants mean uncut; to the shoe! Also, don’t put shorts on your little boys and allow them to run around without shirts, you may be causing them to sin.

Worldly amusements and what we set before our eyes has caused much debate. Television seems to be the “universally accepted evil.” I have owned a television for years and it amuses me that those who would condemn me for owning a television can easily discuss the latest movies, hit shows and seem to know Jack Bauer intimately. They will not have a television in their home but own big screen “monitors” and DVD players. Now that we can watch most network shows directly on our I-phones and computers maybe we can get back to complying with the “manual” again. Speaking of computers, they are a fixture in most of our homes and contain the vilest information available at the click of a button. We also have satellite radio with x-rated channels available as we drive down the road. Practically every young person over the age of 10 owns a cell phone with camera and texting capabilities. We are so attached to our phones that we cannot drive, eat, shop or sit in a 2 hour church service without receiving/sending a text or checking our email account. Kids have come up with their own texting language to send messages that would hardly be parent-approved much less pass the holiness test. Now we find there is an epidemic of “sexting” or sending sexually-explicit pictures to their friends. While all of these communication devices have become accepted on our holiness list, television, the most easily controlled device, continues to be the vice that gets the most pulpit time. As in everything else lets be consistent, if television is a problem, get it out of your life but check the computer, cell phone, radio, magazines, books, videos and any other electronics in your possession. By the way don’t rail against going to a theater, if you are on your way to rent the DVD for viewing later in the privacy of your home. Don’t condemn “worldly” music, then go with the church group to Nashville, Branson, Vegas or Youtube. Don’t condemn going to the ballgame then angrily tell your “brother” where to go at the Sunday afternoon church game.

We were asked to leave an organization because Steve in good conscience could not sign a loyalty oath to an organization and it’s manual. We believe our loyalty belongs to God and His word alone. Although we believed in the salvational message recorded in the manual, there were many things listed that we did not agree with. Since we could not “teach, preach and practice” the things that the oath demanded, Steve did not justify his actions and sign the oath. Some went ahead and signed because they agreed with most of the manual, yet they pick and choose from the “holiness list” the things they “teach, preach and practice.” They have to work out this justification with God, we could not sign!

Perhaps we need to stop worrying about lists and lines and move onto true holiness. It is time to check our heart for purity, examine our motives, are they Christ-like? We need to let God transform us into His image; with His character. Oh, to be like Jesus!!!!

TEMPTATION AHEAD

It was one of those beautiful autumn days that you just have to take advantage of, especially if you live in Michigan. You can ignore the signs, pretend it won’t happen this year, continue wearing summery clothes and refuse to turn on the furnace until November, but deep down inside you know winter is on the way. The lure of colorful leaves, an evening campfire and enjoying a cup of hot coffee on the deck in the crisp morning air was irresistible, so we began the I-75 drive to our cottage at Higgins Lake.

If you have read my other blog postings, you know that I love to read highway signs and billboards. Settled into a comfy position in the car seat with a Big Gulp close at hand, I was enjoying the ever-changing colorful landscape when a billboard caught my eye. The sign simply stated TEMPTATION AHEAD. Underneath the caption was a burger and ice-filled coke so real that I caught a whiff of grilling burgers and saw a trickle of water run down the icy drink. Typically, I don’t care for fast food and never stop unless I am on the road and there is nothing else available. On this day, however, I wanted a greasy burger and watered down Coke more than any gourmet meal in the world.

TEMPTATION AHEAD; is it a warning or an invitation? It all depends on my perception at the moment. If my goal is a healthy lifestyle and wholesome food, the sign is a warning. On the other hand, if I’m hungry or have a weak moment in my health resolve, I view the billboard as an invitation. Or maybe I’ll compromise a little and stop in for an icy Diet Coke. By allowing the billboard to influence me to stop at all, puts me in a position that may tempt me to temporarily set aside my health commitment and go for the entire meal.

On our journey with God, we will see many enticing billboards. Will we view them as invitations or warnings? The Child of God does not have to be blindsided by Satan’s antics. II Corinthians 2:11 says, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” If we are led by the Spirit, we will recognize the warning signals and avoid the exits. On the other hand, we can ignore the Holy Ghost and give into our desires or maybe just compromise a little and consider only the “good” parts of the invitation.

In my daily life, I have to rely on my own will power to resist a McDonald’s billboard, but in my Christian walk, God has provided me with extra weapons to recognize and resist everything that Satan would use to entice me from the path of following God’s plan. Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” God provides the armor but we have to use it because I can guarantee that the devil is not above hanging around until he sees you lay the armor down for the night or the moment and then strike with everything in his arsenal.

I am happy to report I resisted temptation that day, ignored the exits and stayed on the direct route to our cottage. On the road of life I haven’t always been quite as successful at fending off temptation. There have been times that Satan has managed to sidetrack me with no more than a colorful billboard and seemingly harmless enticements. If that happens, God still has a way to nudge us back on the main path. I John 2:1 reminds us, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” If we continue to resist Satan’s invitations, he will finally flee from us and we will begin to recognize them as mere warning signs along the road of life.

I'LL BE BACK!

It has been a crazy busy summer that is finally winding down. We have been enjoying our 2 new grandbabies, Nathan Philip who is almost 4 months old and Anabel Joy who just turned 2 months old. Steve and I have enjoyed visiting and guest preaching at different churches pastored by our wonderful friends. It is always refreshing to worship with the people of God.

We just finished our 2nd annual Niswonger Grandkid's Camp with 5 year - old Mackenzie, 3 year - old Madison and 2 year - old Caleb. Everyday was an exciting adventure. Our life has finally settled down into a familiar routine once again. At age 51, routine is a good thing.

I am looking forward to starting an 8 week bible study on God's blessing with Pastor Murdock's church in Bay City, MI and sharing my insights on the subject with a Ladies group in Muskegon, MI in September. I hope to get some writing done and develop another Bible study that is on my heart.

Thank you for checking back to my blog now and then. I'm sorry I haven't written more regularly this summer, I hope to be more disciplined in the coming months.

God bless all of you and enjoy the next few weeks of summer. Soon the snow will fly, the brisk winds will blow and the summer's heat will be just a memory.

MY NAME IS SHAWN

Yesterday, I met Shawn. A friendly, talkative 10 year old, sporting a “Desert Storm t-shirt” and desperately wanting to go swimming in Higgins Lake. Jenesa, and I were sitting on the beach watching Caleb frolic in the sand and water and Nathan was snoozing under the umbrella. Caleb assumed everyone was family and every toy was his to play with, after all it has always been this way in his world. Most of the other groups were family with children and thought the little blond 2-year old who excitedly pointed out the water, boats, birds, butterflies and other things we could not understand, was adorable; of course, we agree. Caleb had just come back to the blanket for a snack when Shawn walked up. Caleb said hi to his new “friend” and Shawn stopped to talk. He told us he really wanted to go swimming but his dad said he couldn’t without a “buddy, not even dip his toe in the lake.” Having raised 2 precocious boys, I totally understood his father’s explicit instructions. First it’s a toe, then an ankle, up to the knee and somehow “a wave came ashore and swept your whole body into the lake!”

Shawn told us he had just moved here and not just for the summer, he was going to live here permanently with his dad. We learned they were trying to blend two households, having a garage sale and made almost $1,000 yesterday. He mentioned he had a little 3 year-old sibling and a 6 month old sister. His sister, however, lived with his mother in Grand Rapids with her new husband. He matter-of-factly stated that he was from a broken home and his dad had custody of all the other kids, except his 18-year old sister who had just gotten married. I listened half-heartedly, asking all the polite questions until Jenesa asked this question. Noting his “Desert Storm t-shirt, Jenesa asked, “Was your dad in Iraq? Shawn quipped, “Oh yes, that’s when my Mom was cheating on my Dad every night. My sister was practically my mom. If it hadn’t been for her, we would have been left alone.”

My heart missed a beat, Shawn had my full attention. This wasn’t just a chatty little boy wanting to go swimming. This was a kid who calmly spoke of adult situations in terms that a child shouldn’t have to know. I don’t have a degree in psychology, but I know little boys. This was a boy craving the attention of a mother, even if it came in the form of a grandma feeding a two-year old and a mother cradling her sleeping, 3-month old. He wanted to identify with Caleb and Nathan, but found nothing familiar. Did he want, for just a moment to pretend that he was the one being nurtured by a loving mom and getting the snacks and juice box placed in his little 2-year old hand? I wanted to hug him but he was 11 and I was a stranger. I wanted to offer him snacks, but we live in a world where that may not be acceptable. He looked clean and well-fed but did he get a good-night kiss, did anyone ever read him a book at bed time, had anyone ever told him about Jesus?

Shawn waved goodbye and went on his way back home to tell his dad there were lots of people at the beach that would notice if he got in trouble in the water, so could he please go swimming? Jenesa and I stayed for about another hour, but never saw Shawn again. His story stayed with me all evening. I hope that for just a moment we were a warm smile in his life: that our portrayal of motherhood will overshadow his reality or at least that’s the one he will dream about. I wish I could go back to yesterday. I would ask Shawn to sit down with us for a while. I would offer him a snack, put my arm around him and tell him about a friend that will stay beside him all his life. This friend will never cheat on him or break up his home. This friend will be his “buddy” when he is swimming, playing ball or feeling all alone. I would tell Shawn about Jesus!!!