Why Being Holy and Separate is the Key

As Christians our goal in life is to live like Jesus who was holy, righteous, and separate from the world. Looking at my life from different perspectives I can see where I need to grow and where moderation needs to be. Our purpose in life is to live for God and to seek after him and do his will. Ephesians 1:11 "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." We shouldn't give up on the promises that God has given to us.
Today in Chapel service, that we have at Indiana Bible College every Tuesday and Thursday, one of the students preached about not giving up on your promise and trusting in God. in Genesis chapter 22, Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his son Isaac unto God. Abraham's faith was tested because God wanted to see if he really would allow God to have full control over his situations. God did provide a lamb for Abraham to sacrifice so Isaac wouldn't have had to be it. This is a great story to read when we feel like there isn't any hope in our situation, but God has all things under control.
When you live a holy life and seek after God, he will prove to you that he will always be there.
Isaiah 41:10&13 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee, be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." 
It's reassuring that we can find scriptural evidence that tells us God will always be with us whenever we need him. 
Throughout these blog posts I have searched the Bible and studied about the things that I have written about so I can better apply them to my life. I have seen where my weaknesses lay and where my strengths are. Nothing in this world gives me a better feeling than knowing that I am living in a righteous way and that my life is pleasing unto God. "For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For it I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" Galatians 1:10. 


At times my mind wonders. and I think about where I would be if I wasn't living for God. But then I think about how God has shown his mercy to me endless times, how he's protected me from harm and how he has saved me from my sins. Then I can't help but to thank him for all he has done for me. There isn't a better thing to do in this world than to live for God. Nothing can make you happier, nothing else can fill that void in your heart, nothing can save you and lead you to salvation. 
Once we make the decision to live our live according to what is pleasing to God, that's when everything starts to fall into place. Your troubles will soon fade, the emptiness in your soul will be filled up, and your heart will no longer ache. 

John 16:24 "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." 

Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." 

James 1:2-4 "My bretheren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." 

Fruits of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23;25-26 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." 

The fruits of the Spirit is something we all need to live by. I've always been taught to seek after God in all that I do and to be like him in what I say, how I act and so on. Living in the fruits of the Spirit is one way to be Christlike and holy. 
Love: When I think of love I think of the love my parents have for me. How they will do anything for me. They will watch out for me, protect me, care for me and help me when I need it. I think this is the kind of love that we need to show the world. " For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. 
Joy and Peace: Joy is pretty self explainable. Being happy, not letting the weight of the world bring you down and always having a optimistic look on life. Peace is something that a lot of people struggle with. "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus " Philippians 4:7. Peace is often something we take for granted. We feel peace when everything in our life seems to be going good, when there isn't a care in the world. But once we go through heartache, or financial issues, we seem to forget that God can give us peace, he is what we need to have peace. Peace in God passes ALL understanding. Which means that we can not comprehend the calmness that God can give to us in our times of struggles. "Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms" James 5:13.
Longsuffering: A synonym of longsuffering is enduring. Enduring sickness, heartache, troubles. Many people ask why they have to go through certain things in their life, maybe a sickness they were born with, or cancer. The answer could easily be the Fruits of the Spirit. "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and tender of mercy" James 5:11.
Gentleness and Goodness: Tenderness, caution, generosity, mercy are all synonyms of gentleness and goodness. Gentleness and goodness I feel like go hand in hand. You can't have goodness without being gentle, and you can't be gentle without having goodness. Psalm 23:6 "Surly goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."
Faith: Faith is trusting in something or someone; in this case faith would be trusting in God. Knowing that he will always be there to help you through any situation and hardship that you face. Often times it is difficult for people to trust in something that they haven't seen with the naked eye.
Hebrews 11:1&6 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Meekness and Temperance: Meekness=humility; Temperance=moderation. Having meekness is something that a lot of people struggle with now a days. You rarely meet people who are humble in what they do. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, through he was right, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" 2 Corinthians 8:9. Jesus humbled himself when he was put on a cross and died for our sins. He could of called the angles in the heavens and not have gone through with being crucified, but because he wanted to give us saving grace, he took the weight of all the world upon him and suffered a great death. Temperance; moderation; self-restraint. Being able to control the things you do on a daily basis is moderation. Technology is everywhere, everyone uses it and it can over take our lives if we aren't careful. But using technology in moderation can help us overcome the weight and the temptation of it. We can apply this to our everyday life, making sure that we are careful of the things we say and do. No matter what we do, it should always be done in moderation.

Verses 25-26 talk about living in the Spirit and walking in the Spirit. Not being vain or envying one another. Walking in the Spirit is easily said that we are always thinking in a since that we need to live in a holy manner. The things we do, what we say, and what we listen to all need to be done to glorify God. It is easier said than done. Everyone struggles with this, including me. Envy is also something that people struggle with because it is wishing you had something that someone else has; not being thankful for what you have, not being appreciative of it. "Be not thou envious against evil, neither desire to be with them" Proverbs 24:1. This verse is telling us not to wish that we have what the world has.

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" Matthew 24:35. 

Distinctively Different: Apparel

Being a Oneness Apostolic Pentecostal young lady, there are certain standards I choose to live by. I have grown up in Pentecostalism all my life, and what I've been taught was something my parents thought was right, according to the Bible. I am not forced to wear skirts by anyone, I freely have the choice to dress how I choose to. I feel in my heart that I am supposed to dress in a modest way, knowing that it is pleasing to God. Growing up I have always seen girls wearing pants, it is just something that's so natural in this world now. No one takes a second look at a lady if shes in nice dress slacks or nice jeans, but people do notice when women wear skirts that aren't too tight and have a modest length. There's always something different about the atmosphere when I see fellow Apostolic women in the mall or at a restaurant. Sometimes I think to myself, "Is this how people look at me when they see me?" I want people to know the truth that the Bible teaches by looking at me and I want people to think that there's something different about Apostolic's in the way they act and especially the way they dress.

Deuteronomy 22:5 "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God." 

There has been a lot is dispute about what this verse actually means. I have studied a lot about men and women's apparel on my own. Apostolic teachings believe that men and women should look and act divergent in every aspect of life. Pants were designed for men, and it has always been that way. Looking back in history women have always worn dresses and men have always worn pants, that's how they looked separated and distinctively different from one another. There are certain things that women should not wear because it is part of men's clothing and there are certain things that men shouldn't wear because it is a part of women's clothing.
Last weekend I was driving downtown around the Circle in Indianapolis meeting up with my friends. I see two big tour buses, not thinking anything about it I drive right on by and all of a sudden I see a group of drag queens walking around the circle. Personally, I think that men dressing up like women is humorous, but also wrong. Why would men want to look like women? What's the purpose of that? Why would they want to act in such a way when they weren't created to act in that way. If God wanted a man to be a woman, he would of made him a woman, not a man. People are born with a purpose and an intention and a will for their life. God made me a woman because he has a certain plan for my life. I can help young girls who are going through the same struggles I went through growing up. I can be a witness to young teenagers in this world, showing them it's okay to look and act in a Godly way. It's not weird, it's the right thing to do.
Same can be said for women. Although I don't think there are clubs or groups of people where women dress up and act like men. But it is a little strange to see a woman look like a man, even if it is just in clothing. I used to say I was a "tomboy". A lot of girls go through a stage in there life where they want to do what the boys do, act like them, get dirty and muddy like them. There were two girls I went to elementary school with and even middle school with and all throughout Elementary and middle school they dressed in basketball shorts and baggy t-shirts and always hung out with the guys. Then in high school when they decided they didn't want to do that anymore, it was odd but great to see them look so feminine.
That should be our purpose. To live for God in a holy and righteous way, making sure our soul is right with him. If we have convictions about certain things, to not do them. When we have a conviction about something, when we know in our heart that God has told us not to do it, but we still do it, then it becomes a salvation issue. That's when we have to check ourselves and ask if we are in the will of God.

"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." James 2:24

Distinctively Different: Hair

1 Corinthians 11:14-15
14. "Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?"
15. "But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given her for a covering."

We all understand that we are living in a time where cultures and customs have changed, people have changed, society has changed. We shouldn't forget the importance of maintaining a holy and righteous lifestyle by the way we look, not just act and present ourselves. In the scriptures above, it says that nature has taught us that it is a shame for a man to have long hair. It wasn't until the Hippie movement with the youth ages in the 1960's that it wasn't weird for a man to have long hair. Even during that era some adult men kept their hair well groomed. There was a time when I was growing up that a lot of the boys I went to school with had long hair. I'm not talking about shaggy hair a little past the ears. No, a lot of the guys had hair that was well below their ears. Seeing that was interesting, not only was it easy to mistake him for a girl because of how it looked, but it also made them look like they haven't bathed in weeks. That could of just been the young middle school boys not wanting to take showers. But growing up, I've always been taught that men should keep their hair short and woman should keep their hair long and uncut. This isn't just scriptural, but it's also something that has just been a natural thing. Men looked one way and woman looked another way, distinctively different.
A lot of what I've been taught growing up in a Pentecostal home and church is about hair. I'm always getting questions about my hair and why it's so long. When I tell people that it's a personal choice, based on what the Bible teaches about hair, that I don't cut it, it soon becomes even more of a conversation piece. In my perspective I've always had long hair and I've grown up in a church where women have long hair, so it's no foreign subject to me. Although it's a completely different story for some people. In verse 15 of 1 Corinthians it says that if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering. The part of the verse that talks about it being her glory can confuse people. What does glory mean? The dictionary gives several good definitions of glory but the one that stuck out to me said this: something that is a source of honor, fame or admiration, very great praise, distinguished ornament or an object of pride. We can put this into context when discussing woman's hair. When a woman has long hair it is honorable to God, and it is what separates woman from the rest of the world. You have to be careful when you use the word pride, but Pentecostal woman take pride in their hair. We know that it is honorable to God to have long hair, so we take care of it and make sure it is pleasing in the sight of God. In the Bible woman would wear a covering to signify authority. That is why Paul said that the hair is a woman's covering, when long and uncut it is used to signify that a woman is submitting herself to God and she is under the authority of God.
1 Corinthians 11:14 says that it is a shame for a man to have long hair. Why would Paul say this? If a man had long hair it would be a symbolism of him giving up his masculinity. See this article by Daniel Spratlin, he also talks about this. A man was known as the authority of the household and the church for leadership. The role of a man wasn't taken lightly, so when a man would have long hair it was a sign that he was giving up the male authority and the authority that God gave him to be a leader in the church. It is good and acceptable in God's eyes for a young man to be well groomed and to be a Godly example for other people.

Romans 13:2 "Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." 

Christians without Commitment

This blog topic came to me while I was at my church's Community Group. A Community Group is basically a very relaxed Bible study. Depending on the size of the church and who attends, a group of people meet at some one's house and they read a passage of scripture and have a discussion about it and then they eat food. It's a really good time. I was helping watch the kids, and my mom decided to do a simpler version of the lesson that the adults were doing. It really got me thinking, Christians without Commitment.
The passage of scripture is Matthew 23:23-28 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy and faith; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the  outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ya also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ya are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."
The Pharisees were men who thought that they kept all of God's commands, but didn't like the things Jesus taught. They prayed loudly in the temples so everyone could heard them, but they didn't live a lifestyle that said they were a follower of God. This can be greatly applied to our lives today.
The kids were asked what they thought commitment meant, one boy gave an example of homework, if you are committed to doing your homework you will do it and get it done first, then do other fun things. Then they were asked how can they commit to God? The same boy answered, reading your Bible and praying everyday. Having the underlying concept of commitment can help us in our everyday walk with God. We then asked the kids What hurts God more, you knowing him but acting like you don't, or not knowing him at all? One boy said Not knowing God. Before we went on, I gave him an illustration to help him better understand what we were asking.
If your best friend in the whole world only talked to you on Wednesday's and then the rest of the week he pretended he didn't know you. How would that make you feel? Hurt. Okay, what if you saw a boy everyday but you didn't know him, and he never said "Hi" to you, would you be hurt by that? No. No, we wouldn't be hurt by that because we don't know the person, so it's not a big deal if they don't talk to us. That's exactly how God feels, if we only talk with him and have a relationship with him on Sunday's and Wednesday's, it hurts God because we aren't committing our everyday to him.

Later in the scriptures is says that the Pharisees clean the outside before the inside, but inside they are full of extortion or fraud. In a way Christians can be like the Pharisees. That may sound horrible, who wants to be like the Pharisees?! Matthew 5:20 "For I say unto you, The except your righteousness shall extend the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Jesus saying that to the people, we cannot act and live like the Pharisees did. They lived corrupt lives, going against the things Jesus said. As Christians we cannot live a life in such a way where we look perfect on the outside, we look like we have it all together, but on the inside our hearts are full of sin. People could do this by only going to church on Sunday's and Wednesday's but the other five days of the week they are cussing and gossiping and living a fraudulent lifestyle. It could happen in a way where their coworkers or friends at school don't even know they are a Christian because they don't live a Christlike conduct. Why is it hard for people to commit their lives to God? Why do they "serve two maters?" It's impossible to. Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two maters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." 

Deuteronomy 4:24 " For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God."  

Proverbs 3:5-7 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the LORD, and depart from evil."