The Transformed Wife

Yesterday in the early morning, my handwritten page at the bottom of this post was published on accident on my Facebook page. I woke up to find many encouraging comments. Then I sat down to read Titus chapter one in my Bible. As I read it, it all became clear to me. Imagine that, God spoke to me through His Word! (This is how He speaks to all of us, by the way.)

There are many who hate what I write, as I am sure most of you know. Yes, I have many detractors and sometimes I will respond to their contentious comments and others will tell me that I am not kind when doing so. At times, I wonder why they want to spend so much time writing about and against me on their evil sites where all they do is gossip and slander those they hate. In Titus, I found all of my answers!

For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers…Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not…but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

How does God tell us to respond to these people? “Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.” If I respond to them at all, yes, I rebuke them sharply because I know they are wrong, have evil intent, and hate the ways of the Lord. But I don’t do this often because it will then take away from what I am trying to teach and instead the lies they are writing may lead others astray from the simplicity which is in Christ: “Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not.”

I have been scolded by a few women who tell me that I must speak to them kindly and in love. Speaking the truth in love rarely comes across as kind or loving to those who hate the truth. For one thing, truth sounds mean and harsh to them but speaking truth to them is the most loving thing that I can do in hopes that the Lord will plant some seeds in their souls that may one day sprout into repentance and belief in Almighty God.

These vain talkers will scold me for not being open to ways that are contrary to the Bible and continue to badger me telling me that I hate women, teach dangerous things, and am a cult. Often, the reason I don’t rebuke them is because when I do, instead of quoting scripture to tell me where I am wrong, they will attack me personally. If they can’t back up their arguments with truth, they attack the messenger and this is fruitless.

Therefore, I am quick with my delete, ban, and hide button on Facebook. As I have mentioned before, I am not going to allow them to poop on my Facebook page, Instagram, YouTube, or blog. No, these aren’t open forums as they try to convince me; my blog is a teaching blog and I don’t want those who hate the truth to draw others away. I pray that they will one day repent since God’s Word doesn’t come back void, but it’s not my duty to allow them a “voice” on my stuff.

I have seen godly men and women shut down their blogs because of vain talkers. What I have noticed is these godly bloggers allow every and all comments to remain on their blogs and/or Facebook page, even the cruel and heartless ones. We are commanded to dwell on the lovely and the good, thus when we dwell on the bad and mean, we are disheartened and quit.

Therefore, my encouragement to all of you who have blogs is to be diligent about what you allow on your blog, Facebook page, Instagram, etc. I have NO problem deleting, banning, and hiding comments if they are not beneficial in any way but only used to scold and belittle. Their entire purpose is to kill, steal, and destroy, just as it is Satan’s so don’t give up; for greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them.
Romans 16:17

Written By Ray Ortlund

Think about your resurrection in Christ.

First, let’s illustrate it this way. When God created the world, He created it with history already built in. The stars, and also the light from the stars – that light that takes thousands of light-years to get to earth – everything was created in one act. God created it “old.”

When He created man, He created him, too, with history already built in. Adam was created a full adult; he didn’t go through the process of growing up. He was made in an instant with an age factor already built in.

When you were born again, you were placed into Christ, and the history of Christ was accounted, was credited, to you. You were given the advantages of His history, so that the experiences Christ Himself went through are now yours as well.

That’s what Colossians 3 says; now live like it!

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

“Seek those things which are above,” “set your affection on things above.” Bishop Lightfoot comments, “You must not only seek heaven, you must also think heaven.”

Sometimes we, if a problem comes along, say to each other, “Keep looking down!” It always brings a chuckle. If we were to say “keep looking up,” we’d be indicating we’re in the pits. But what we’re doing is reminding each other of our exalted position in the heavenlies in Christ – and everything immediately looks better.

 

Written By Ken Alexander

The Law and Grace cannot co-exist even as Christianity often times tries to make the two do so. Standing firmly on God’s Word is our goal and yet it is as hard to do as riding a horse bareback.  You can ride a long way at times tightly to the mane of your stallion, but it is almost impossible to get up the hills and through the woods without getting knocked off a couple times and having to get back on. When you sit slightly too far to one side of the truth it is easy to slip off, so the believer is always making adjustments trying to stay balanced in the full Word of God, not just one verse, or one chapter or one book.

I could list a multitude of truth issues like election, eternal security, depravity, church polity, submission, but nothing throws believers off the horse of truth more than Grace versus the Law. Some are so far off the truth that they are sitting in the mud of unrighteousness proclaiming “love wins” and everyone is going to heaven, and their counterparts are “black and white” legalists declaring that no one can be a Christian and drink wine, dance or smoke a cigar. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said,

“Well, dear friends, you know that some men can do to the glory of God what to other men would be sin. And notwithstanding what brother Pentecost has said, I intend to smoke a good cigar to the glory of God before I go to bed to-night.  If anybody can show me in the Bible the command, ‘Thou shalt not smoke,’ I am ready to keep it; but I haven’t found it yet.”

There you go:  By grace people are all running out to buy cigars and the legalists are calling him unsaved. I hate anything and everything about smoking and can’t stand to be around the putrid and disgusting stuff, but when the Christian boys once a year pull out the Poker cards, whisky and cigars, I am never invited, but I am not about to call them sinners or unsaved because they are exercising a freedom that I do not have.

The apostle Paul found himself between the era of the Law and Grace and God used Him, and his Pharisaical training to be the ideal writer of the horse of truth on these matters. As much as he loved the laws of Judaism and the easy nature of living within a set of “do’s and don’t” and rules, he refused to allow Peter and the others to throw the yoke of the law upon the Church. He battled ferociously to begin the church as “new wine skins” and outside the old box of Judaism and the law that could never achieve the righteousness of God.

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:3-4)

The apostle Paul devotes almost an entire letter to the Galatians challenging them not to go back under the old law that is weak and fading away. To instead grab a hold of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus; that law that is now written on our hearts, that we might walk in the freedom of our newness of life. No longer focused on sin, but righteousness. No longer focused on the “do’s and don’ts” of religion, but instead allowing the Word of God to be living and active inside of us:

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  (Hebrews 4:12)

Lori’s 87 year old Mom recently asked Lori what she wanted from her home when she passed on and Lori told her all she wanted was her old KJV Bible. Her Mom told her she can’t read it anymore and wanted her to have it now. So Lori brought it home and was so happy as she showed it to me and said, “I would love to have a new Bible every year because I love to highlight and mark it up as I read it.” She started with the book of Galatians and this was its introduction:

“The Christians at Galatia had become so involved in the message of the Judaisers that they had even become involved in Jewish festivals and ceremonies. Paul insisted that the two systems were not to be combined. He said that the teaching of the Judaisers ignored the limitations of the law (3:1-22) and also misinterpreted the true function of the law (3:23-4:11).

Paul also said the Judaisers in their teachings disregarded the inferiority of the law to the Gospel of grace (4:21-31). The law had limitations (3:1-22), including the fact that it could not create a spiritual experience. Neither could the law secure right standing with God or establish the covenant. The true function of the law was to serve as a guide to lead men to Christ (3:23-29), and it helped prepare the world for redemption (4:1-11).

Dealing with the essential inferiority of the law as compared to the Gospel of grace (4:21-31), the example of Ishamael and Isaac is given. Ishmael was the son of bondage, and Isaac was the son of promise. Law and grace cannot co-exist.”

Christian, do not let anyone tell you that you are missing out on the Christian life if you don’t keep the do’s and don’ts of the Regular Baptists. Don’t go put yourself under Judaism again, or Catholicism or anything that is against what Galatians teaches. Please don’t fall prey to those who would have you think that you need some second work of grace so you can speak in tongues, or need to exercise quiet solitude and meditation to find a higher level of spirituality.  There is no higher level of spirituality than walking in the Spirit that God has given to you.

But, please also don’t fall so far off the horse of truth that being under grace means you can sin without consequence, and that “God’s love wins” so everyone, but the worst of the worst are going to heaven. If you are not showing the fruit of God’s Spirit by walking in obedience to His Word, by having the joy of the Spirit and by having a desire to please the Lord Jesus, please find someone who can lead you to the Lord Jesus. You are either not saved or you have some big set of sins that have so encumbered you that you cannot live the Christian life as God intends you to live.

Hey Christian, you do understand don’t you that the Christian life is impossible? That the only chance you have of being happy, whole and fruitful is to plug directly into the source of life itself, Jesus Christ.  You have been made a new creature who is freed from sin and dead to sin, now go out each moment of the day and begin to live out your new reality. It takes time, not to be freed from sin but to learn how to walk in your new found freedom so that the joy of the Lord may shine through you.

So how are you doing riding the horse of truth today? Does Satan have you right where he wants you either so focused on how unworthy and sinful you are, or worse yet, so focused on not sinning that it perturbs you to watch your brother or sister in Christ sip on a glass of wine?  We must as believers keep pointing each other to our walk in the Spirit and when we sin, we must swipe it off quickly and move straight away into righteousness without giving the dust a second thought, instead of jumping into the mud and wallowing. Stop trying so hard, or not trying at all. Instead use your new found freedom to shine the righteousness God.

If God calls you righteous than sure enough you are, so go about living like a free child of God whose one heart focus is living in Him and pleasing him.  Hold on tightly to that horse of truth as it is a wold and thrilling ride for those who can live without the do’s and don’t yet walk in the Spirit of the righteousness of God.

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 2:16

The Apostle Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit makes it very clear how women should behave in the Church of God. Some things in the Word are not so clear but this topic he makes very clear and there should be no questions in our minds about it.  When he is done telling the way the Church should function in 1 Timothy, he wrote this, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Okay, we know the following verses explain how we are to behave so let’s look at them closely.

First, he commands that we pray for all those who are in authority over us in 1 Timothy 2:1, 2. Then he writes this to men, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Timothy 1:8). Right after this verse are the instructions for women in the Church of God.

^{9 “}In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;” Women are to be modest in behavior and dress and not draw attention to themselves which is completely opposite of the way most women behave today. Just think how much stronger the Church would be today if all women who call themselves Christians spent much more time working on their inner life and godliness rather than their outer life which is decaying.

^{10 “}But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.” We should be known for good works: kindness to all we come in contact with, living sacrificially for others, helping those in need, and doing good. 

^{11 “}Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.” We are commanded to learn in silence while being in subjection to the leadership of the church. I am not sure how the Apostle Paul could have been any clearer than this and it is not a cultural thing. Women are still talkative and prone to not be silent or in subjection. We haven’t changed as many would have you believe. Some tell me that women weren’t educated like they are now. Well, you know what God says about education of the world; the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God. Women are no different today than always.

^{12 “}But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” In case women didn’t understand verse 11, Paul repeats himself. “Women are to be in silence.” They are not to teach, nor to be in authority over men. They are to be silent as in not speaking in the church. Yes, this is hard for women but it is what we are called to do and respect the role the Lord has given to us. 

^{13 “}For Adam was first formed, then Eve.” God created man first for a reason. They are the leaders and this is God’s perfect design. Feminists have fought this from the beginning. Even the right to vote was due to women not respecting men and their decisions and believing they know better than men but they don’t. We are led too easily by our emotions and feelings (short-sighted) and most men are not. They, the Founding Fathers of America, are the ones who long time ago framed the Constitution and this once great nation without the help of any women. Feminists have rebelled against their God-ordained role and have not only destroyed their marriages, but their children and now the nation as well. Tragic. 

^{14 “}And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” This is why God made men to be the leaders. Women weren’t created to be leaders. It’s not in our nature and when we do, chaos prevails. “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths” (Isaiah 3:12). 

^{15 “}Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.” This is God’s perfect will for us; to marry, bear children, and guide the home. Even if women can’t have children, they can still be nurturers of other’s children, nieces and nephews, and continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. Many times we are told to be sober and sober minded and women today are not. They drink too much and live an excessive life in many areas. They are seekers of pleasure rather than seekers of God. 

Right after these verses, Paul describes elders and deacons as the “husband of one wife” and gives a few descriptions of what should characterize their wives. “Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things” (1 Timothy 3:11) “Grave” meaning serious about life and self-disciplined, not flighty, extravagant, discontent, but living to please the LORD in everything. They should not be known for slandering and speaking lies about others.

There were some women who supposed that, the moment they became Christians, they were to run about everywhere. “No,” says the apostle, “let them keep at home.” There is no gain to the Christian Church when the love, and the industry, and the zeal, which ought to make a happy home, are squandered upon something else.”
~ Charles Spurgeon

Many today have a “new” word or revelation from God as if God speaks directly to them. It seems to be especially prevalent among women preachers/teachers/authors and many Christian woman as if His Word isn’t enough for them apparently. Women, who are more easily deceived, seem to be very prone to this. They want to “feel” close to Jesus and be able to communicate with Him by hearing His voice. Everything we need for life and godliness are in His Word.

The gift of prophecy is clearly spelled out in His Word: “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort” (1 Corinthians 14:3). Men and women can have this gift. Here is a great explanation of a person who has the gift of prophecy from the Institute of Basic Life Principles web site. If you have the gift of prophecy, this is a great source to study and know clearly your strengths and weaknesses so you can work on your strengths and rid yourself of your weaknesses. My favorite preachers are those who are gifted with prophecy since I love to clearly know right from wrong, good from evil.

A prophet’s basic motivational drive is to apply the Word of God to a situation so that sin is exposed and relationships are restored. Prophets might be considered the “trumpets” of the Body of Christ who sound the alarm in the face of sin and compromise.

• A prophet calls attention to sin and wrong attitudes.
• The prophet is passionate about exposing sin, but not primarily so that sinners can be punished. Rather, he is passionate about exposing sin so that truth can be revealed and fellowship with God can be restored.
• A prophet has a God-given ability to sense when compromises are being made, and his nature demands that action be taken—something must be done. This action may take the form of an overt protest or confrontation, or it may take the form of a conversation or correspondence.
• For a prophet, any solution that involves compromise is unacceptable.
• For the prophet, to observe or discern sin and say nothing is, of itself, sin. Naturally, knowing that a prophet has this perspective tends to make some of us feel intimidated or uncomfortable around them—even when we are guiltless! The prophet’s abhorrence of sin can easily be viewed as a judgmental spirit, and no one wants to be the object of that judgment.
• The prophet often displays the spiritual gift of discerning of spirits; he is able to discern true motives as the Holy Spirit gives him divine insights. As a general rule, the prophet is more interested in whether or not the heart is pure than whether or not the activity in question is acceptable.
• Prophets are usually outspoken, sometimes brash; they tell it like it is.
• They tend to see issues as “black or white,” not “gray.”

A Prophet’s Strengths

• A prophet is confident in his use of Scripture, because he regards Scripture as the only source of truth.
• A mature prophet easily discerns hypocrisy, because God has gifted him to discern Truth.
• He is usually more teachable than others, especially when discipline or correction is required. When a wise prophet is confronted with his sin, he sees it as God sees it and consequently is crushed (if he is walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh).
• The prophet accepts absolutes easily. The rest of us try to explain them away; prophets simply take God at His Word.
• He is not easily swayed by emotions.
• A prophet has a deep capacity to trust God, based on what God has promised. This is the prophet’s attitude: “If it’s right, do it. Trust God for the outcome—it’s His responsibility.”

A Prophet’s Weaknesses

• A prophet’s need to be “painfully truthful” may result in insensitivity or harshness.
• Prophets often have little sympathy and patience with people who do not respond objectively.
• A prophet’s sense of conviction may tempt him or her to become intolerant or prideful.
• Because of the prophet’s deep consciousness of sin, he sometimes seems to have a negative, “gloomy” approach to life.

I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
1 Corinthians 14:5

There is a mistaken thought among many Christians that we are not to judge. Yes, we are to judge. We are called to be mature Christians who feed upon the meat of God’s Word and can clearly distinguish between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). Then Jesus tells us to take the mote out of our eye before we can take the speck out of another’s eyes (Matthew 7:1-5). This means that if I was a career woman by choice, I could not teach women to be keepers at home until I became a keeper at home. I couldn’t teach women to obey their husbands, if I was disobeying my husband or I would be a hypocrite.

In 1 Corinthians 5:12, we are told to judge those within the Church. Anyone who calls themselves a Christian should be living like one and this is why we are told to exhort one another daily because of the destructive nature that sin has upon our witness for Christ and the person in sin. Yes, there is a difference between righteous judgment and hypocritical judgment.

Now, some women have told me that I judge others and even slander them. Nancy Wolgemuth has been teaching through Titus recently and wrote this about slander: “Someone has called slander and malicious gossip verbal homicide. You’re killing someone’s reputation—verbal homicide, slander. It destroys lives; it destroys families; it destroys relationships; it destroys churches. I have seen it over and over and over again. If you stop to think about it, you’ve seen it over and over again. That’s grievous enough, but what grieves my heart is to think, how many times have I contributed to dividing friends, to destroying friends or relationships, the Body of Christ, by the wicked use of my tongue to slander others?”

When I use Scripture to give my thoughts about the IF:Gathering, I am not slandering the women who run it when I say they should be teaching what God has commanded for older women to teach younger women and that social justice is not what the Kingdom of God is about. If the women who led the IF:Gathering were to ever read my article, they would see that I had no desire to destroy their lives, families, relationships, or churches. My desire is to point women back to the truth of God’s Word.

When I bring up a famous Christian woman who beautifies homes, has a TV show, owns a large store, and cafe and share that I am saddened that she is not a full-time keeper at home with her children, I am NOT judging hypocritically. I am making a righteous judgment that it is God’s will for mothers to be home full time with their children raising them in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. Joanna Gaines said, “As long as I can go home at night and be with the babies. It’s worth it just to be able to do that locally.” Children deserve to have their mothers home more than just at night. All of those other things she’s involved in are for naught if she loses her children to the world. I am not trying to destroy her life.

I am not judging her relationship to the Lord or her love for Him because only God knows this and I will never call other people names. My goal is never to hurt others but to steer them towards godly womanhood that is clearly spelled out in Scripture if they claim the name of Christ.

What about when I write about women who are preaching to men as I recently found out that Nancy Wolgemuth does? They are not supposed to do this so they need to be convicted about it. I know they have all different ways to manipulate Scripture to show that what they are doing is good and right but they are wrong and should stop doing what they are doing. God gave men the ministry of teaching the Word to the Church.

These days, there are many being led astray by women claiming to “hear a word from God” and then teaching this as God’s Word to others. How can they believe this when we have verses such as this one? “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12)? His Word is all we need for life and godliness and when other women are trying to build their ministry on something they “heard” God tell them, I will make a righteous judgment and say that this is wrong.

Women, we do need to be careful about gossip and slander for the purpose of hurting other women and their reputation. However, it’s good to call them out if they are claiming to be a Christian and not living according to His Word. If you personally know them, then you go to them in person and privately speak to them about it but if they are a public person and may even be leading women astray, then you warn others about them so they aren’t led astray from the simplicity that is in Christ.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3

Yesterday after I wrote a post about not being entertained by sin, I wrote a summary from my experience watching a couple of episodes of This Is Us. (It’s a very popular TV show for those who have never heard of it.) I had been told it was a great show by Christians and that it didn’t have anything bad in it. It began with nudity, then a threesome. It had God’s name in vain, premarital sex, and homosexuality. Basically, it’s watching a godless family live their lives. After a few episodes, I turned it off since I knew it wasn’t something I should spend my time watching. I shared this on my Facebook page and many agreed with me until one woman. I want to share what she wrote and give my response to each portion.

“We enjoy this show and sure it can do without some scenes. The characters bring us through real life problems and situations adults encounter in every day life. This makes us realize how blessed we are and how graceful and merciful God is. It also helps us to have compassion for those who don’t live the same life style or have the same standards we do.”

So in order to be thankful for our gracious Lord and have compassion for those who live ungodly, we should be entertained by them? It sure isn’t what the Word of God tells us to do. “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me” (Psalm 101:3) We are told to dwell on the true, honorable, right, and true (Philippians 4:8). Bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33). “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). I could give you MANY more but you get the idea. What she wrote sounds good but isn’t backed up by Scripture.

“Randall’s biological father is gay on the show, so what? We have co-workers and acquaintances that are gay and don’t agree with them but don’t shun them for it. My husband likes to put it this way: ‘If I like black coffee and you like yours with creamer, it doesn’t mean we don’t like you, can’t associate with you or we can’t be friends. It means you have your preferences and I have mine.’ (We are called to love like Jesus did; they know where we stand and that we don’t agree.) Just like Election, not all have the eyes to see and ears to hear which is why being chosen we need to take the gospel, wrap it in love and gently deliver it to those around us.”

Again, this all sounds great but it isn’t biblical. Yes, we are to love the homosexuals in our life but we shouldn’t be entertained by it or do anything to help promote it by watching it on TV shows. God destroyed two cities because of homosexuality. Be kind and loving to the homosexuals in our lives but lead them to Jesus. They need Jesus. We can’t lead some character on a TV show to Jesus. The main purpose of having a homosexual on a TV show is to normalize the sin Christ died for. God told Lot if there were ten righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah, He would have spared them but there were not. Even Lot was “vexed (tormented) with the filthy behavior of the wicked. (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)” (2 Peter 2:7, 8). We are called to FLEE all sexual immorality, not be entertained by it or normalize it. It’s a deadly lifestyle. Jesus loved but then told the adulterous woman at the well to “Go and sin no more.” We are commanded to speak the truth in love. We must never leave out the truth part as so many today want to do.

“It’s great to not watch if you feel convicted, but there are good life lessons that can be ‘observed from the outside’. It’s easy to find the bad when looking for it.”

We are told, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). What does this mean? “For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil” (Romans 16:19). “Hate evil, you who love the LORD” (Psalm 97:10), NOT be entertained by it.

“From this ‘review’ I got the impression that you’re putting yourself higher than a godless family. With that said, we are all filthy wretches according to God, we are all sinful, and all have fallen short of the glory of God.”

On the contrary, once we believe and are saved, God calls us saints, new creatures in Christ, freed from and dead to sin and condemnation, His children, holy, righteous, transferred from the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of His dear Son, and sitting at the right hand of God. Please listen to Michael Pearl teach at “The Door” on Facebook and learn who you are in Christ!

“Being a Bible believing Christian (reformed) we know that we were chosen by God, are free in Christ and cannot be plucked from his hand. Life is messy, not everyone around us is a cookie cutter ‘Christian’ (which is a very vague word these days). I have seen wonderful examples of marriage, parenting, being a great friend and brother/sister, promoting adoption, to prioritize, listening to your heart (I’m more of a logic over feelings gal though), to be selfless as well as addressing and overcoming problems that us as humans face. Just this wife’s take on the show.”

No, thank you. I would rather obey the clear Word of God and how the Lord commands that I should spend my time. “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise; Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15, 16) There is nothing redeeming about watching a filthy, nighttime soap opera. I was convicted about watching soap operas when my oldest daughter was five years old and began to watch them with me and nothing will convince me that I should watch them ever again.

“We should not be entertained by the sins which Christ died.” (John MacArthur)

“So I say again, love for others must hate evil. Because evil hurts others directly, and evil hurts others indirectly by hurting you. Evil obscures the beauty of Christ. And Christ is our greatest good. Our greatest joy…hold fast to Christ, and abhor everything that dishonors him.” (John Piper)

How many of you are boycotting Beauty and the Beast because there is a homosexual agenda by the director? Do you boycott movies with premarital sex and adultery too? Is there a difference and how careful should Christians be in what they watch, thus support? This meme was shared around Facebook:

The woman who posted this also wrote, “It must be said. So if you’re not going to see Beauty and the Beast, I hope y’all didn’t go see the 50 Shades of Grey stuff. Or basically anything for that matter.”

The Old Testament has premarital sex, adultery, homosexuality, lying, committing murder, drinking (getting drunk), and stealing. Should we not read the Bible? The difference becomes that we are not shown the sex scenes so no images are plastered in our mind and no explicit details are given (except for the “newest” interpretations of Song of Solomon). All of the sins have negative consequences and are condemned in the Bible. In fact, we are told to FLEE sexual immorality so where does a Christian draw the line?

I don’t watch anything with premarital sex or adultery because when you see people having sex, it’s for real. They aren’t just pretending. I have come to the conviction that I don’t even want to watch movies or shows that imply premarital sex or adultery since we are commanded to dwell on the good, the pure, and the lovely. “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints” (Ephesians 5:3). These types of sins should not even be named among us, let alone entertain us! When movies begin to show and make us believe that premarital sex, adultery, and homosexuality are okay is the line I draw since they are not okay with the Lord and they shouldn’t be okay with us.

When we watch a murder mystery, we all know the murder is make-believe and the entire movie is based on trying to solve the mystery. Lying, stealing, and murder are still considered sins in our culture, as far as I know, and are considered wrong in most shows and movies. Little House on the Prairie had most of these sins in them but it was always shown to be wrong.

Shows and movies with drug use and alcohol are make believe as well unless they are reality shows which I won’t watch, except for the Duggars and wholesome family shows like theirs. Drug use is usually condemned in movies but getting drunk is not always. I won’t watch movies with people enjoying getting drunk.

Therefore, this meme isn’t entirely accurate because if it were the Bible would be off-limits but as believers, we must be very careful what we put before our eyes. Study 1 Peter 1 and 2 if you want to know how God wants us to live our lives. Here are some of the pertinent verses:

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (behavior)…pass the time of your sojourning here in fear..But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light…abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles.

We must NOT go with the flow of our culture, women. We must not compromise with the world because it is on the broad path that leads to destruction. If God calls us to purity, this includes what we put into our minds. All manner of sexual scenes and innuendos affect us greatly because we are sexual beings and this is why God wants us to FLEE them. Just because a large part of the Church is lukewarm today doesn’t mean we should be. Yes, it will mean giving up passing pleasures but we must be known for pursuing God and His will for us over pursuing the fleeting pleasures of this world.

“Christian, beware how you think lightly of sin. Take heed lest you fall by little and little. Sin, a little thing? Is it not a poison? Who knows its deadliness? Sin, a little thing? Do not the little foxes spoil the grapes? Does not the tiny coral insect build a rock which wrecks a navy? Do not little strokes fell lofty oaks? Will not continual droppings wear away stones? Sin, a little thing? It girded the Redeemer’s head with thorns, and pierced his heart! It made him suffer anguish, bitterness, and woe. Could you weigh the least sin in the scales of eternity, you would fly from it as from a serpent, and abhor the least appearance of evil. Look upon all sin as that which crucified the Savior, and you will see it to be ‘exceeding sinful.'” (Charles Spurgeon)

Normally, I don’t write posts on Saturday and Sunday but I felt compelled to write one today to explain my comment policy. I have done this in the past, but it needs to be explained again. My blog is a teaching blog. I am not going to publish comments that teach things that are contrary to what I teach. If you have an honest question, that is great, but I get comments that are longer than my post explaining why what I just wrote about is all wrong. I want you to know that I won’t publish this type of comment.

I don’t agree with every single comment I publish but I will usually explain underneath it why I don’t or ask Ken to do it. Then I will allow other comments under it that explain their thoughts about it. Sometimes it’s good to have some of those who have a different viewpoint from me to see what the arguments for or against it are and always try to point to the truth of God’s Word.

I try hard to only teach the truth of the Bible and from my experiences as being married over 36 years and raising four children to adulthood and now having grandchildren. No, I am not God nor do I claim to know everything perfectly but I share my views and interpretations of God’s Word concerning biblical womanhood, then you need to come to your own convictions. I am not going to water down the Word to fit with every exception. I will teach what God has commanded older women to teach and allow His Word to convict and challenge women’s thinking since His Word alone does not come back void.

If you worked a long time on a long comment that directly contradicts what I have written, please expect that it won’t be published. If it is a cruel comment, I will either not publish it or edit it to take out the cruel words. I have this right since it’s my blog. Just as you wouldn’t like my dog pooping on your yard and leaving it there, I don’t allow others to poop all over my blog and Facebook page since it takes away and distracts from what I am trying to teach. If you don’t like what I teach, you don’t have to read it. Believe me, I don’t have much power to change anyone’s mind or actions. Only God has the power to do this and each individual as they have the freedom to obey His Word or not.

Thank you!

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.
2 Timothy 2:24, 25

***This verse is my goal. Do I do it perfectly? No, but I sure try and will always strive to do better.

There are few times in the Bible that has a strong warning after a command. Look at these two verses closely and examine the strong warning after each.

“I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully” (1 Timothy 5:14) The command is for younger women to marry, bear children, and guide the home. The warning is to give none occasion to the adversary (the Devil) to speak reproachfully.

“The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:3-5). The commands are to the older and younger women on how they should live their lives and the warning is that the Word of God be not blasphemed.

God is serious about how godly women live their lives as you can see from these commands and warnings. Other things that blaspheme (speak evil against) the Word (Christ – John 1:1) or against the Holy Spirit (Luke 12:10) are those who dishonor and oppress the poor (James 2:6, 7), and “For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written” (Romans 2:24).

What does all this mean? From Barnes’ Notes on the Bible: “That is, your conduct is such as to lead the pagan world to blaspheme and reproach both your religion and its Author. By your hypocrisy and crimes the pagan world is led to despise a religion which is observed to have no effect in purifying and restraining its professors; and of course the reproach will terminate on the Author of your religion – that is, the true God. A life of purity would tend to honor religion and its Author; a life of impurity does the reverse.”

God gives clear directions on how women who love Him are supposed to live their lives in honor of Him. Can you see how much this culture hates and despises God’s ways and so many Christian woman have fallen for their lies and deceit not realizing that they are blaspheming God’s Holy Word? Yes, the world hates God and I am consistently ridiculed for teaching His Word but when they see Christian women willing to live out their lives in obedience to Him, these God-fearing women are witnessing to a dying culture the power of a Living God. We should not want to give the enemy of our souls any reason to speak reproachfully or blaspheme His Word if we love the Lord Jesus. Our greatest desire should be to live for Him completely. You need not guess what He wants for you, women. It is clear in these verses. Now, go about living your life in obedience to Him which brings glory to Him.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge:
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7