Greetings ladies!
I hope and pray you are strong this day and by faith pressing on in this life of a saint.
I had written a large part of this post a few days ago, but I wanted to share it here and add some more. It's about what can cause confusion and deception and in the end lead us astray or cause weakness. It's something I have personally experienced in my life, particularly in the past, but still if I'm not careful I could be weakened. It's to do with what and who we allow to pour into our lives to teach us or things we read.
We all need to examine the books/magazines and blogs that we read or follow. We must test all things to the Word of God and don't just listen to anyone who has some things right but search out what they actually believe, or they may influence you wrongly, and in scripture it says to separate from believers with false doctrine (Romans 16:17, 2 Thessalonians 3:6 & 14 and more). Not my words but GODS! And it's for a reason.
Do you read any books? Well examine who are the authors and are they teaching sound doctrine? Are they biblical? Personally, I don't know of any books worth reading except the Word of God. Yes I personally think there could be a place for a few books for cooking and gardening or animal care etc and simple how to do things but if it's just story books or theology books with false doctrine then that's going to influence your life and deceive you or waste your time.
Reminds me of this verse...
"And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
Ecclesiastes 12:12-13
"And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed."
Acts 19:18-20
It's what we women must do when we come to follow Christ fully. We must examine everything we once did and repent and forsake those things that are not good and pure and holy and true.
Maybe it's a bit like the woman in Jesus' parable...
"...doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?"
Luke 15:8
May we have that similar diligence to search our hearts and lives for sin and things that ought to go.
Also the same with blogs. There are thousands around but we must be careful to see what kind of life the author is living and what they believe and teach. Is it fully biblical? Because again the scriptures say to separate from sinful believers...and so many are ignoring those commands to please the flesh. And there are commands about not being deceived also. It's huge how far people who claim Christ have departed from the truth...so it's something we need to seriously consider and accept. Keep in mind there will only be very few who are fully biblical these last perilous days.
I know the confusion, because I've done all that in the past, reading this and that book, and following this or that blog or subscribing to this and that magazine; being tossed around is what it is.
Yes, all the ladies who write these books and blogs may seem sincere and to have good intentions and a great faith in God and much truth but we have got to admit that they are confusing us and causing deception because of what they teach wrongly and the sin they allow or are deceived by or disobedient in. I know it did that to me...confused and deceived me, on head covering and theology especially. It all gave me some fuel for my past wicked rebellion and confusion on head covering to be honest because so many said it was cultural etc but they were not living right in other areas so I had to let them go...and see that indeed it is very clear for a woman to be covered. Yes it can be hard to let these things go...because they seem like such "godly sincere people", but one error or sin is to be put away and not just glossed over and ignored. Sin is deadly...it leads to death if not repented of.
Some of the issues with the blogs I followed in the past was that the people who did them had serious faults in their theology (which God also commands to separate from) along with many other sins. One was Hebrew Roots who try to keep the Old Law for Gentiles, another Mennonite with their false religious ways, and another church of Christ with serious and obvious focus on outward adornment of the ladies when clearly God's Word says do not adorn, and another one was baptist with their unbiblical theology and traditions. None of those I could keep in association with. Yes I reached out to all of them with the gospel and my blog because I love them and want them not to be deceived but I have to avoid them as scripture says to. All it is is obedience to God and nothing to do with being "holier than thou". And it would do me absolutely no good if I was to continue to read and follow them. It would cause confusion and distraction from the direction I am supposed to and want to go in. In short it would be sin.
A note about women's blogs who seem more biblical and close to truth. If you think of all the world's religions they all also think they have it right and I'm sure are some very nice people and so it is all the way up to people who seem so close to truth but stop short. No I am not bashing on anyone, as I know I could well be one like them and I was for many years, so no, but it does need to be addressed and honestly examined because it is sinful to associate with those who claim Christ and keep sin and false doctrine. Yes I have tried to warn the people in love so I am not just speaking of them but have gone to them so they have the same opportunity to fix things that I had. It's not that we think we are better, no way, but we love God and obey Him first.
No I am not against all blogs. Biblical ones are a huge blessing and treasure. Yes I have my own blog which I strive to be blameless in. I pray you test them all to God's Word to see if they are biblical. As Jesus told His disciples that they were to freely give because they had received freely. That is one good thing about technology, we can share freely encouragement and love to others...or warnings from the Word and personal experience.
I have gone on long enough, but I cannot stress enough that it will cause weakness to try to listen to all these ladies with much truth yet deception and sin mixed in. Plus God says for His children to separate. So I am here to encourage you to obey that if you want to be an obedient saint. I'm just sharing because I know how confusing and deceiving it is to listen to all these people with different beliefs when God wants His people to be all of one mind speaking the same things (1 Corinthians 1:10).
See Jesus, our perfect Example's words on what to do with things that cause sin...
"And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
Mark 9:42-48
Strong words, yes...He is God. May we all heed and glorify God in our decisions...and cut off that which causes us to sin including blogs and books that are not biblical.
As Paul said to Timothy...
Love in Christ,
...from a servant of God
See the gospel to eternal life here.