Today's Edification (3 January 2024)

Greetings sisters! 

One more day to live for Him! We know the cycles in His creation that come and go. Let us be content too in doing the same good and right things over and over and over again each day! 

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Galatians 6:9-10

The world is crazy about seeking the latest and greatest and most thrilling experiences. They are just living for their flesh...but that ought not to be so among His saints. We are living for Him by His Word and how He wants us to live as He owns us and bought us with a great price! It is all about Him and submitting to Him and not being rebellious. We want to be consistent and faithful and trustworthy in His commandments each day. 

Next scripture reading here... 

As usual, many important truths in there! We are so blessed to have them. But also remember that we are more responsible because we know the Lord's will. 

I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Revelation 2:2

I like how they tested the people who called themselves 'apostles' and found them to be liars. We must test all things to the Word, amen sisters. That is essential. We are living in perilous days with much strong delusion and deception from satan. Hold fast to sound doctrine and the one true faith once delivered! 

Let us examine our lives for partiality as God is no respector of persons. Whether a sister is easier to get along with or harder, or near or far, or young or old, we all want to show the same care and love and be faithful with who the Lord has in our lives as best we can. 

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

James 3:17

I love all those good things from above! Ponder each one for a moment, sisters! So many areas of our lives to check daily. God be glorified in us. 

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

1 Corinthians 12:25-26

Some peaceful Titus 2 from my day... 

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

1 Thessalonians 4:11

Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

2 Thessalonians 3:8

I made an audio here about adornment in women... 

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isaiah 57:15

Keep striving sister soldiers! God be glorified! 

Love in Christ, 

Find the gospel to eternal life explained here. 

My biblical clothing shop here. 

Read more of "Today's Edification (3 January 2024)"

Adorning With Good Works

Greetings sisters! 

How are each of you godly women doing in the Lord today? I hope and pray you're holding fast to the truth one more day, setting your affections on things above and running and preparing for a race of endurance to the end! We don't believe the lies that we cannot fall away...because scripture clearly warns again and again to press on, obey, and beware of deception. 

I wanted to share on a subject that pertains particularly to us as godly women. It's what the scriptures say we are to adorn ourselves with...with good works. 

But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

1 Timothy 2:10

See that sisters...it follows on from the verse that tell us not to adorn our bodies by what we put on it...but with good works! I greatly appreciate my sisters who are holy women obeying God producing good works in their daily lives. It is the good fruit that our unfeigned faith produces. 

Let's look at the preceding verse... 

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;

1 Timothy 2:9 

More of what we are to adorn with and what not to. It never made sense to me why the scriptures said not to do such things especially with your hair and yet most everyone who claims Christ does it all anyway. It's blindness, disobedience, and rebellion. They may not do it every day but come to big events like weddings and no one thinks twice about braiding their hair all fancy. (Plus we know we are to cover it up too per 1 Corinthians 11.)

And that verse in Timothy also says to adorn in 'modest apparel' (study what that means in the Greek) and also with shamefacedness and sobriety. 

And then more here following on of what would be more good works for us women. 

Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

1 Timothy 2:11-12

And there's very many good works shown and commanded in scripture that are pleasing to our holy God. 

And we also see this exact same thing about not adorning with such external things as our attire from brother Peter too... 

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 

For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

1 Peter 3:3-5

This is the inward adorning of our heart which we know also expresses on the outside in our manner and actions...a meek and quiet spirit in this case. 

And we even see this in Proverbs 31....

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Proverbs 31:30-31

 

It's her fear of God and her works that are praising her and not her external 'beauty'. So too let us today be going about doing good works which we were created for and adorning ourselves with these as we are commanded to.

 

I do praise my godly sisters I know who are adorned with good works and zealous for them. It is their love of God...which Jesus said is shown in our obedience to Him. 

I read some more scriptures about good works here... 

Hope this edified you sisters and Lord willing I shall be back here tomorrow. You keep holding fast to the truth in Christ! 

 

Love in Him, 

Sister Michaela 

You can find the path to eternal life explained here.

And my biblical clothing shop here. 

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Adorning the Heart

 

Good day sisters! 

Well time certainly goes by very quickly and we are now in the middle month of the year. And for some that means wintertime and others summer. 

Praise God for His promises. 

"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." 

Genesis 8:22

"But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 

2 Peter 3:7

May we sister be found in Christ if we see that day. And at all times daily living for the Lord first. We know not when shall be our last time here. And how very much we have been given for those who have been bought with the precious blood of Christ. It is a priceless gift! 

This verse came to mind today from something another sister shared... 

"For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

Isaiah 53:2-3

And I was thinking about that. Jesus Christ our perfect Example was not beautiful and all that in the outward to look upon. Indeed man looks upon such things in his pride and vanity. And for many women it is a huge part of their own lives, obsession in how they look. And sadly also for many women who claim Christ's name too. They have believed the lie that they have to be beautiful and look good to have any value.

"For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." 

John 12:43

 

We see here that our adornment, sisters, should be of the heart.

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

1 Peter 3:3-4 

 

A meek and quiet spirit which is not corruptible like the outward is. Let us not underestimate that as it says it is of great price to God. And isn't He who we are looking to please and obey because we love Him? 

And from this one we see that good works and shamfacedness should go along with our biblical clothing and self-control as our adornment. 

"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; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works." 

1 Timothy 2:9-10

But what we see everywhere today is rebellion and pride in this area. It all goes along with loving the praise and favour of man more than God too. Women want to be accepted for what they look like rather than to first please God and have internal beauty of the heart which produces good works. A heart that has been made new by the Spirit. What better thing is there than to be acceptable to our heavenly Father as one of His daughters washed in the blood of His Son? 

"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates." 

Proverbs 31:30-31

As a sister shared this verse with me today... 

And it could also apply here on what the world esteems which is pride in the outward appearance which is an abomination to God. Pride, that dreadful sin in all hearts, that must be crucified in us sisters. Of course it causes all kinds of sin but this one in women and their appearance is one of them. 

So as we come to see how we are to walk in Christ, we throw away any outward adorning (jewelery, makeup, adorned clothing) of our past. And that includes the pride and rebellion of not wanting to wear a headcovering too (of which I had to repent of). It all becomes worthless in the eyes of a godly woman who has her affections set on things above and wants to please her Lord more than any thing. 

And instead we work on the heart and cultivating all those things that are to be a part of our lives; kindness, love, mercy, joy, peace, quietness, patience, gentleness, forgiveness, meekness, purity, shamefacedness, grace, soberness, tender-heartedness, and much more. 

All this also goes along with walking in the Spirit and not the flesh. Our flesh may not be 'satisfied' with how we 'look' but our outsides, our looks, and our earthly bodies are all going to decay and return back to dust soon. Nothing can make that beautiful then! Again we are to be living for the eternal and what will last not that which is vain and passes away. 

So let us sisters who have been made new on the inside of the heart through the gospel and are women who fear God strive to get our hearts right on this matter and keep them that way and obey the Lord who has commanded how we live. 

May it be the Lord that is glorified in our lives and not ourselves. 

"He must increase, but I must decrease." 

John 3:30

It also goes along with being lowly and humble too of which we know we are to be serving the Lord and others. 

We know this life is short and fleeting. If we are truly in Christ walking in all His ways then we will be preparing and striving to walk worthy of God and ready for eternity. 

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 

For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 

If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 

(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 

Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

2 Corinthians 5:1-10 

So those are just some thoughts that came to me today and so I share them here. 

And I share a couple scripture pictures from a kind sister too... 

Amen! What precious words and God's awesome creation to marvel at and give Him glory! 

Well sisters, I hope your day went, or is going well, and if you get one more day that it will also be fruitful and joyous in the Lord. 

Until tomorrow.... 

Love in Christ,

...from a servant of God

See the gospel path to eternal life explained here. 

Read more of "Adorning the Heart"

Putting on of Apparel

 

Good day my sisters in the Lord,

I pray that you are striving on to be obedient to the Most High and not bringing reproach on His Holy Name. 

I know I wrote about clothing and similar things yesterday...but I had another thought that I wanted to share here for today.  

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning....of putting on of apparel;

(1 Peter 3:3)

I was thinking about this subject. Why do people dress up for "church"? That one didn't use to make sense to me. (And no I am not saying it's good to go to church as it's done today, as it isn't). If they were doing it for God and God is everywhere, why just on Sunday for church? So I concluded it was dressing for man, to be seen of men, to feel good. I suppose people will tell you that it is "a sign of respect in God's house"...but that's part of the error of "going to church" mindset and if we are God's true people we are the "church" or a much better way to put it, the called out ones and the set apart ones for God, Christ's body.

"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."

Acts 17:24-31

But as I said it made no sense to me people dressing in their "Sunday best". And whenever they gathered for Bible study or similar things even for their Sunday gatherings in private with just family or friends they wore whatever they usually did at home and even if that had holes in or was dirty etc. In other words they would never wear that if they gathered with other people in a special building on Sunday. (And no, Sunday isn't the Lord's day either.) 

We are to worship God in Spirit and truth...as Jesus said to the woman at the well. 

"The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he."

John 4:19-26

No longer do we worship in any particular place. Nor is our worship external like it was in the Old Testament.

Yes God had His earthly temple adorned with beautiful things... 

"And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains. And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim. He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls."
2 Chronicles 3:5-7

But we know exactly what He wants from us, His daughters today - adorning of the heart and not external except with what He told us to which is biblical dress and things like shamefacedness and sobriety etc (You can see some more posts on clothing here). God is everywhere and we worship Him in truth which is in His ways. 

If we have been born again by the gospel then our earthly bodies are the temple of the Spirit. 

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

I'm reminded of this too... 

"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?"

James 2:1-4

It also made me think of the Pharisees loving to dress for attention and to be seen of men. 

"But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,"

Matthew 23:5

 

I used to have different clothes for wearing around the house and different ones for when we would go out to town (and earlier on, yes extra good ones for church). Why does there need to be a difference I ask?

No I am not saying it's sinful to make sure your clothes aren't dirty from working around the house or farm etc when you go into the world for shopping etc. But we can be the same at home and the same when we gather for fellowship and teaching in the Word and when we go out and about in the world too. It's so freeing to be honest! We don't have to worry about this "putting on of apparel" for this or that. 

That's the same for headcovering as well. It's not something you "put on for church". Our life for God is everyday and we are His peculiar set apart daughters every moment of the day. As 1 Corinthians 11 says, Christ is the head of man and man the head of woman and that remains the same always. Her hair (her glory) is to be covered. 

And I know women (and there probably are very many) that can't step outside the house to be seen by anyone without their makeup on. This is all outward adorning and putting on of apparel. Not for God's holy daughters...no they are adorned with something different, something incorruptible.

Why can't those claiming to be believers simply dress the same for God as He has commanded every day, instead of living a double life. It's bondage to all those things. It's so much simpler to be able to not worry about "putting on of apparel". We dont adorn our outsides with clothing or things because we love God and keep His commandments...and if we walk in the Spirit we don't want to do those things and we are free from them! 

So that's it for today. It's just a bit of a different aspect to the dress subject for women that I was thinking about. 

I leave you with this...

"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not."

Malachi 3:16-18

May you be strong in the Lord today. 

Love in Christ,

...from a daughter of God

See the gospel to eternal life here. 

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Not Corruptible

Greetings in the Lord!

"All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen."

Titus 3:15

I pray you are doing well in the Lord.

Today I thought about this part of this well known verse for women. And it stood out to me. And I started writing about it and this is what came of it:-)

"But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

 1 Peter 3:4

not corruptible

What does "not corruptible" mean?

It had just followed the verses before about not adorning with external things of gold, or plaiting the hair, or "putting on" clothing (meaning in order to decorate the outside). Those are corruptible. 

And here are some verses to encourage us not to be about corruptible things but focused on the incorruptible.

 

"And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible."

1 Corinthians 9:25

 

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

Galatians 6:7-8

"Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

1 Peter 1:22-23

 

"For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."

1 Corinthians 15:53-54

 

And it goes along with this... 

"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."

Proverbs 31:30

See what vain means...

Beauty in a woman is that...vain, empty, a vapour. 

And deceitful means... 

Favour (of man) is that...a lie, false, a deception.  

But we know how it finishes...a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised! If we fear God, we obey Him! 

Going back to 1 Peter 3 and what it says is of great price to God...

"But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

1 Peter 3:4

Great price meaning... 

It means precious, valuable, extremely expensive. Wow that's amazing, to God those things of the inward adornment are precious, of great price! 

And that is the same word in 1 Timothy 2.

"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;"

1 Timothy 2:9

That says do not adorn with clothing of great price (costly array). But a meek and quiet spirit for us sisters which is internal, of the hidden man, is of GREAT price to our Lord! All that outward stuff that worldly women add on is corruptible and of no value to God, in fact it is disobedience because He commands not to do all that outward stuff. 

And here's what "not" means (some Christians say we can adorn)....

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;"

1 Peter 3:3

And the meaning of "outward"...which we are not to adorn... 

Here's what "hidden" means... 

So God wants our hearts and actions to be pure. Yes we are to adorn ourselves in biblical clothing and with shamefacedness and sobriety as Timothy says but not with the things that the world does. God's daughters don't adorn with gold or pearls or fancy clothing; no jewelry, no makeup, no decorated fabrics. God wants that adorning of a meek and quiet spirit, He wants obedience of the hidden man, the heart made new by the Holy Spirit. He wants all those things that are in line with truth; love, kindness, mercy, gentleness, joy, peace, and so much more. 

As a wise godly sister often says about our corruptible bodies, "it's all going to be dust some day". True. All the decorations and adornment can't change that fact. Only that incorruptible will remain. 

On a slightly different subject, but similar. Today, I was cleaning out my wardrobe of clothing that no longer works for me since I've been blessed to find biblical clothes that work better for me. One of the things I had from years earlier was this dress. 

It's too tight for me up the top and a little too short too. I don't want to throw it away so I'm going to redeem it by wearing it with something on top. 

Like this...with a vest... 

Or with a shirt... 

Or with one of my aprons... 

And I'll take out the hem (thankfully it's quite large).

And then it will be in line with a katastole (which is translated as apparel in the KJV).

And we are to adorn ourselves in that. 

Well that is it from me today. I liked to think about that which is incorruptible.

"O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord."
Psalm 117

Love in Christ,

...from a servant of the Lord

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Jude 1:25 

See the good news of Jesus Christ here.

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