Actually my point was that in serving God it is not about doing it with the braided hair etc or any wardrobe for that matter if it causes us to pose in our walk with Christ in anyway, even braids and gold etc. if those things become our will over His will. Subsequently, I hold the view that woman should dress modestly and in good taste, according to standards of the society they live in, and to me braids, and even gold, etc that is driven from a heart set on respectfully honoring God in health and cleanliness and appropriateness can be alright. I may have over voiced that concern, but suffice it to say: the criteria is of the voice of the Holy Spirit. Thus, if the Spirit of God were to include those items on a persons list of disapprovals one would have to immediately obey even those items. Thank you for your insight there, I don't want to enter into legalism either..I do not judge of disapproval of those items at all. I simply allow His Spirit to judge all things.
I go to a church that focuses on outreach, and I love that. I am involved heavily with their discipleship programs and have many Life2Lifer's I share and discuss Christ with, and train, in small groups, in becoming a disciple who is trained, able to parent others for His Name sake.
Our church also loves more modern music and don't commonly use hymns at all, unless it has been a top 10 hit lately...smile. Now, don't get me wrong, I love their (also now my) music, and worship mightily thru it, but I will admit I miss a hymnal now and again in worshipping, but that is, to me, what my YouTube is for. Those I can understand the lyrics when singing them, and to me its meaty worship not just milk....Smile. We get a lot of people who are living a worldly life style yet. And I am open to that, for who am I to judge another mans choice in living? I think of them as in transformation mode yet; holiness not yet recognized. Thus, our church is surrounded with young and older ladies still connecting to the world's system of fashions.
I have no problem in accepting that, but I do know how it affects my flesh and my spirit, especially as a man, and especially as a Christian as well.. Not to say I look back, or even forward with diverse motives, but when a lady wears a tight clinging pant that shows all the details, coupled with all its adornments and multiple wrist wraps and even toe rings showing etc.. and she is endowed with great beauty and is in immaculate shape, your senses are aroused, and your spirit is diverted from God. Her testimony becomes less of her honoring God , and more of her honoring her conditioned vessel and diligent eating habits.. Now I say an AMEN to God's blessings, but the point here isn't about us at all its in showing our devotion to God, and showing others that it is of God that we are bestowed with our blessings.
So, I just love on them all the same, but I do have a moment of spiritual grab on the subject, that concerns me for their sake in relationship to the Lord. You know, simple discernment of our spirit thru a sharpened intuition. So, I draw close, (not too close) and discuss and discover God's truths with them.....(Hey, some one has to love them that way, right?!) Maybe I shouldn't bump the ladies in the church away from doing the same thing with them though - right?!! I mean literally give them a body slam to knock them out of the way, knocking them to the floor or thru the stained-glass church windows! No! that's not me! That's not even my church - we have no stain-glass windows. But, I do have lady friends which are good friends and are not inappropriate. But with married woman I tend to let only the women do most of that parenting process.
