Building up the Kingdom

     Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" Yesterday, I talked about following the footprints of Jesus, and today, I'm going to be talking about why, and how we are need to build up the kingdom.

     First of all, I'm going to talk about the "why?" First of all, it's a commandment, as you can see in the verse I quoted earlier. It isn't a suggestion, but a commandment. Jesus didn't say, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, if you really feel like it. I mean, come on, it isn't exactly easy." It's not a suggestion. Now, it's not wrong if everyone we try to convert doesn't obey the Gospel. That is the one part we have no control over. But, we at least have to try. Matthew 9:37-38, (37) "Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; (38)therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'" This is saying that we not only have to make disciples, but we also have to teach them to go out, and convert others as well.

     Also, John 3:3,5 (3)"Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" (5)"Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'" Do we really want to pass up the opportunity to warn people that they are in danger? And that if they don't change now then they will parish. And in John 3:16, "'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.'" What is stopping us from sharing that wonderful news with others?

     Now I'm going to get on to the "How?" How can we build up the kingdom? The only way to do that, is to talk to people. You have to step outside of your comfort zone a little bit, and talk to someone about it, because most of the time, people won't just ask you about it. You have to tell them. Whether it's a friend at school, or just some random person you know that you have no idea how you met, you have to at least try. I have a very difficult time with this too. But there is honestly no excuse. Once, my dad went to the store with someone, and they split up to get their things, and met back up at the car. My dad's friend, while he was shopping, had set up two Bible studies. There are always people. Now, you may be young, and have a hard time teaching, which is why you start studying the Bible when you're young, so that you can have this knowledge for when you do start converting people. At the very least, let your light shine through example, and show people what being a Christian is, not just saying that you are. Matthew 7:21, "'Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.'"

     Thank you for reading. :)

"Footprints of Jesus"

     I'm sure most of you have heard the song, "Footprints of Jesus". Today, I am going to be discussing some of its lyrics. "Footprints of Jesus, that make the pathway glow; we will follow the steps of Jesus where'er they go." When we sing this song, do we really mean it? Are we really prepared to follow the footsteps of Jesus? It sounds really simple, until we realize that Jesus was persecuted for His faith. Are we really prepared to be persecuted, or do we just sing this song out of habit?

     Not all of life following God is a difficult one, but if you are alive, then you will go through hard times. Either you have already have, are right now, or will in the future, you will face hard times in your life. I'm not saying this to discourage you, or to scare you, but to show you that if you follow the footprints of Jesus, you can't just do the easy things. You have to be in it for the long haul. I know of so many people who will go to church on Sunday mornings, if they feel like it, and that's all that they ever do. They're those pew warmers that I talked about in my article, "Living By Faith" (here's the link to it if you want to read:http://marvelouslymodest.blogspot.com/2012/10/living-by-faith.html). If you are going to follow the footprints of Jesus, you have to make it apply to your life. Now, I'm not saying that you have to spend 6 hours on a cross, but you still have to live life like He did. We're not expected to be perfect, but we're expected to do what God says. If we were expected to be perfect, then there would be no reason for Jesus to die for our sins.

     I'm not saying any of this to scare you. Yes, you will be persecuted in your Christianity, but you will if you're a Christian or not. And, it's worth it if you're a Christian. John 3:3, "Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" and again in verse 5 of the same book and chapter, "Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'" If you're a Christian, and follow the Bible, yes, you will be persecuted, but it'll be worth it. But you have to follow all of it, not just some of it. Matthew 6:24, "'No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.'" You have to follow God all the time.

     So when you sing, "Footprints of Jesus", do you mean it? Do you really, fully understand what that means? It means that you're not just a Christian on Sunday mornings, and you live your life following God's word. But the great thing is, even though we go through hard times just like Jesus, we'll also go into Heaven, just like Jesus. But that means that we have to live it, not just say it.

     Thank you for reading, and please keep this in mind. :)

Writing in the Dirt

     I'm sure you're all wondering, "How on Earth does writing in the dirt have anything to do with the Bible?" Well, in John 8:1-11 it says, "(1)but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. (2)Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. (3)The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst (4)they said to him, 'Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. (5)Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?' (6)This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. (7)And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.' (8)And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. (9)But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. (10)Jesus stood up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She said, (11)'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.'"

     Sometimes, the best thing we can do, is stop, and think. One of the hardest things about being a girl, is your speech. Proverbs 15:1, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Sometimes, I'll be talking to someone, and they're being a little rude, and all I want to do is to say something right back. And it's all I can do not to. James 3:5, "So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!" One of the easiest things to do, is to just let your mouth run. James 3:2-6, "(2)For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. (3)If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. (4)Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. (5)So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! (6)And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell."

     If we can tame our tongues, then we can pretty much do everything else with ease. Sometimes, the best thing to do, is to stop, take a deep breath, and think about what you're about to say. The hardest, but the best thing you can do, is to have patience, and to "write in the dirt", before you speak. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." is one of the biggest lies I have ever heard. I always try to keep Proverbs 15:1 in my head before I say something because that is probably the best advise you're ever going to hear.

     Thank you for reading, and please remember, "Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?"

"Living By Faith"

     In yesterday's article, I mentioned about how we don't have to have blind faith. Today, I will be expanding on that thought, and will be talking about how we need to have faith, but we don't need to lie on that faith, alone.

     One of the arguments I hear a lot, is that you have to live by faith alone. But, if you look in James 2:17-19 says, "(17)So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (18)But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (19)You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!" You do not have to have only faith. In fact, this is showing us that we have to have works also. In John 3:3 states clearly, "Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" and again, in verse 5 of the same chapter, "Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'" We need to not only have faith to get into Heaven, but we also have to have our works.

     Now, I'm not at all saying that we shouldn't have faith, it states clearly in Mark 11:22, "And Jesus answered them, 'Have faith in God.'" But even if we have faith, that doesn't mean that we're saved.  James 2:24, "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." We need to have faith, but we need to have works as well.

     Another thing is, we don't have to have blind faith. I mean, just look outside. God doesn't want us to have blind faith. That is why He wants us to study the Bible, so that we can know and understand exactly who He is. And, if you look at science, the more you look at it, the more God is proven to you. Last year in science, I was studying about evolution and creation. And the more I studied about evolution, the more confused I got. None of it made sense to me! But when I studied creation, it all made sense. The reason it made sense, is because God planned a perfect world.

     Just look at the human body. Everything works together perfectly. There's order. If you look at the odds of the Big Bang actually happening, it's impossible. If you just look outside, you see how everything just perfectly fits together. How on Earth do we have to live by blind faith, if God is proven to us every time we inhale? The more you read the Bible, and the more you study, the more you fully understand that we are following the true God. Thank you for reading. :)

Is Ignorance Really Bliss?

     Proverbs 2:7, "he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity," Not long ago, I wrote an article about knowing the truth (here's a link to it if you want to read it: http://marvelouslymodest.blogspot.com/2012/09/knowing-truth.html) today's article kinda goes hand-in-hand with it. About a week ago, I was in Bible class, and we were reading in Proverbs. One of the things that came up was about how some people are afraid to know the truth, because they're afraid of responsibility. Is ignorance really bliss? Proverbs 1:22, " “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?" This is saying that we should arm ourselves with knowledge, and not try to be ignorant.

     What a lot of people don't understand is that, even if you don't know what you're supposed to do, you will still face the consequences that you would if you  had known about it. John 3:5, "Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'" Arm yourself with knowledge because this goes for everyone. Not just those who choose to read the Bible. Now, this does seem unfair, because some people don't have to opportunity to hear God's word. But, in Matthew 28:19, it says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," This is showing us that we should go out, and find those who do not know God, and teach them the truth. Their blood is on our hands if we see someone stumbling, and refuse to help them. Now, I'm not saying that everyone has to me missionaries, but the least you can do is talk to a friend about God.

     How are we supposed to teach God's word, if we refuse to learn? If you are ignorant of something, it can be a luxury, but at the same time, we should arm ourselves with knowledge. How are we to follow God, if we don't even know what we're following? We don't have to have blind faith, because God has shown us, on several occasions, that He is alive. If you don't believe me, just look outside. What are the odds that that happened by accident?! We don't have to be ignorant. In fact, we shouldn't. How are we supposed to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11) if we refuse to use our swords? And even if we do have our swords, how are we supposed to go into battle, if we don't sharpen our swords? Is ignorance really bliss? In the end, ignorance will get you nowhere. Thank you for reading. :)

Compromise

     When we compromise with the world, what are we doing? According to Matthew 6:24, "“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other...." So, when we compromise, what we're trying to do, is make everyone happy, but what we're really doing is straying from the path that leads to Heaven. 

     Let's use this line, for example. This is the line of where you are in relation to God. The closer you are to being part of the world, the further you are from God. 

Now, let's say that you start out here, right next to God:

Then, someone comes to you, and wants you to do something for them that would get you here:

But you refuse, but tell them that you'd only go to here:

You are still further away from God than you were when you first started, and you are still closer than the world. Pretty soon, before you know it if you continue compromising, you'll be here:

     Never compromise. When you compromise, you are only moving further away from God. You cannot serve two gods. One of the wonderful things about our God is that, like the prodigal son, we can always go back to God. But when we compromise with the world, we give in to it, and we are no longer even sort of following God. If we are going to call ourselves Christians, we cannot have anything to do with the world. Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,..." This verse is showing us that we cannot be of this world, unless we are away from God. A lot of people, I've seen do this with modesty. "Well, I won't dress immodestly, unless I'm at the beach, then it's okay for me to wear a bikini." There is no compromise without sin. So please, when you get dressed, or do anything really, remember that when you aren't dressing modestly, you're dressing immodestly. You should never compromise with the world. 

~Jayla

Make Time for God

Today, I will be talking about why we need to make time for God. One of the hardest parts of being a human being, is that it is very easy to get wrapped up in our own lives, and forget about making time for our heavenly Father.

One thing that I like to do, is set apart some time during the day, and study the Bible. Not just read it, but study it. There is a big difference between studying the Bible, and reading out of it. When you read out of the Bible, you get tons of wonderful information. If you read the Bible like a book, every time you read it, you'll learn something new about it. But, if you study, you make connections, you study the words, their meanings, and typically, you get a lot more out of it. But, doing both is deffinately recommended. :)

Let's say you're on a deserted island, all alone, and only have a survival guide. Do you think that you're going to want to know that thing backwards and forwards? Of course you are! You're going to want to know everything you have to do to survive. Earth is that deserted island, and the Bible is our guide. We're not going to make it to Heaven, if we don't fully understand how to get there. You can go to church, every Sunday, and Wednesday, sit there in the pew, and still not have a full understanding of the Bible. In my family, we call those people "pew warmers". They don't make time for God, and they're just there They feel like, now that they're baptized, they've got their ticket punched, and now they just have to sit back, relax, and can do whatever they want because they followed God enough, and that's all they need. Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Titus 3:5, "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit," This is saying that, no, just because we were baptized does not mean that we did all we were supposed to do, and that we just have to wait to go to heaven now. This is saying that, because we do what God says, He is merciful, and has allowed us to go into heaven with him. It's not what you have done for God, it's what God has done for you.

Once, my dad was doing a sermon, and in it he said that, if we follow God's rules, that's it. I mean, you didn't really do anything special, you only didn't defy Him. You followed orders. That doesn't mean that we deserve anything, just because we did what we were told to do, because we should have done it whether we were reworded or not. It's like, if your parents asked you to set the table. If you disobeyed, obviously, you would be punished. But if you did what they asked you, you shouldn't expect anything, because all you did was what they asked you. You can't do more than what God asks of you, without doing something He doesn't want you to.

This is why, we need to make time for God. So we can do His will, and we can know what we are supposed to do. It's difficult to go to battle without orders. The Bible is our orders. Romans 15:14, "I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another." We can't know everything, but we should at least strive to know everything about the Bible as we can. So please, remember, you're in God's army, and you need a sword to fight. Ephesians 6:17, "and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"

Why We Cover Our Shoulders

They’re everywhere. If you have watched any television show, you have seen them. If you have entered any clothing store, you have seen them. If you have been to any formal event, you have seen them. What am I talking about?

The sleeveless dress.

This style is not just popular, it is THE style for dresses. Whether the skirt is long or short, or the bodice is tight or loose, good luck trying to find sleeves, because the fashion world has almost done away with them. Maybe I’m over-exaggerating, but I doubt it. I mean, have you seen Say Yes to the Dress? Sleeves have to be specially ordered nowadays. It’s really hard for me, as a teen, to find a Sunday dress that doesn’t expose my shoulders.

Why am I bringing this up? Is it because I just don’t like the fad? Is it just because I don’t think it’s a flattering look (which, it isn’t, by the way)? No, I’m bringing this up because dresses that don’t cover your shoulders should not be worn by Christians. Period.

“What’s wrong with sleeveless dresses?” you might ask. “It’s not showing any cleavage.” This is true. Most of the sleeveless dresses come up past the cleavage mark.

There are two reasons that should prohibit any sincere Christian girl from wearing this around her brothers in Christ.

1. The number one issue with sleeveless dresses is that they don’t have any sleeves. “Duh, Sarah,” you might say. Think about it, though. Sleeves hold up the bodice of the garment while worn. If you’re not wearing sleeves, then what’s holding up your bodice? Not very much. So, if nothing is holding up your bodice, it’s going to slide down. And you will have to pull it up. And it will gradually slide down again. And you will have to pull it up again…. All night long. Not only is this irritating for the wearer, but don’t think the guys around you aren’t going to notice. Despite what Hollywood tries to tell you, guys aren’t stupid, and they’ll notice you pulling your shirt up because it keeps sliding down. They’ll have to witness you fighting with your shirt the whole time they’re around you, and that brings their attention right towards your chest… and such areas.

2. You look like you’re half naked in those dresses. I’m not even kidding. When you wear a dress without sleeves, you’re only covering about as much up top as a towel does when you wrap it around yourself. Don’t think that just because the skirt is long, it’ll make up for the fact that you have very little on up top. Guys aren’t going to think, “Wow, her legs are all covered, and she’s not showing any cleavage! She’s so super modest!” They’re going to think, “Look at all that shoulder she didn’t cover up...”

It’s not very helpful for me to just say “Don’t wear sleeveless dresses/shirts” and not follow that up with anything positive. Here’s some ways you can make a sleeveless dress modest:

• For a more formal occasion, wear a matching sweater over it, or a shawl
• For a more casual occasion, find a t-shirt that will look cute under it, or even over it.
• If it’s a sleeveless shirt, wear it over a dress with sleeves. Depending on the cut, this’ll look cute.
• If it’s a tube top, use it as an under shirt.
• Halter tops, though I didn’t get to talk about them in the body of the article, are difficult because they’re held together by so little- just one little knot. Someone could just reach out and untie your whole entire shirt, or at least imagine that they were. If you have a dress or shirt that you simply can’t get rid of because you love it so much, then wear a shirt underneath it or over it and try to cover up the back knot part with a sweater, scarf, or your long hair. If you can part with it, then do, because the whole idea of it is very suggestive. Out of sight, out of mind. 
  
  
  ~Sarah  

Patience

     James 5:7, "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains." Being patient is something that is difficult to find in someone. We live in a day where we have every piece of information, instantly at out finger tips. We live in an age of smart phones, multitasking, fast computers, fast cars, even instant meals. We live in a time where everything is gained instantly, so patience isn't learned as it should be. So when something bad comes along, and it doesn't end instantly, we begin to think that it never will.

     Patience is a hard lesson to learn, and in order to learn it, you may go through some very hard times. But, in the end, it's always worth it, because the next time something goes wrong, it is a lot easier to handle. When we have patience, everything in life seems to get easier. No fast computer can substitute patience. Sometimes, we just have to remember that. "Patience comes to those who wait." Very true statement. The more you wait, the more patient you're going to get. In my family, if I want something, I have to save up for it. And one day, I decided to save up for a camera. It took me six months to save up for it, but in the end, I was so happy. I know that, if I had just gotten tired of waiting and spent the money on something else, then I wouldn't have been near as satisfied as I was, opening the box that contained my long waited for camera. :)

     In the verse I quoted at the beginning of this article,  it mentioned how a farmer waits for his crop to grow patiently. This is how we should be. We should learn to wait, and watch things grow. I've also seen this in younger people, especially girls, wanting to grow up too fast. Picture a rose. A rose is very pretty. When you look at a rose in bloom, you may wish it would hurry up and become pretty in it's bloom. But, if you force it open, then the petals will fall off, it will wilt quickly, and it will never look like the rose you hoped it to be. But if you wait patiently for that rose, and take care of it, then that rose will bloom, and be breathtakingly beautiful, and so fragrant, you will be glad you waited. Patience is like that rose. If you wait, your efforts will be reworded, but if you force it open, and refuse to be patient, then your rose will wilt, and die, and will never be as pretty, as you once hoped. So please, remember to be patient. Thank you for reading. :)
~Jayla

"Love and Tolerate"

     All our lives, we are told to love, and tolerate each other. Which is true. We should always be patient with each other. But, something that I've noticed is that people tend to go a little too far with this, and instead of using opportunities to teach, we just learn to accept people for their faults, and not even try to help them in their struggles. It's like, say the path to Heaven is on a mountain, and you're climbing to the top with your friend, and your friend starts slipping, but you look at them, and decide that, "oh, it's okay, if they slip then that's just who they are, and I should accept the fact that they're falling", so you keep going without them. that's what you're doing when you decide to "accept their faults and the fact that no one is perfect." No one is perfect, but when they slip, we have to be here to help them back up. That is what real friends do.

     I have seen this a lot, especially with homosexuality. "Love is love, and God accepts it all" is what I've heard a lot. But, in Romans 1:26-27, it says, "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error." This is saying that it is wrong, and shameful. Let's say I love to rob banks. Love is love right? And God is love. I love what I do, but that doesn't mean it's not a sin. And when you see someone stumbling with this, help them, and show them where they're wrong. Not in a condescending way, but in a loving, helpful way. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," And if we don't use the scriptures for that, then what are we using them for? If you study your Bible daily, but you don't use that knowledge and share it with others, when what's the point in having it?

     I once heard a story of a teapot, and a teacup. You see, the teapot was always pouring it's tea into the teacups, and always being refilled with fresh, tasty tea. But the teacups, however, only held the tea in them, and the tea got stale, and wasn't any good. Are you a teapot, or a teacup? Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day. :)
~Jayla

Important Announcement!

     I have an important announcement! Sarah Smith is a new co-writer (encase you didn't "like" the page on Facebook and didn't know)! So please keep your eyes peeled for her articles! She does an excellent job! :D She is a wonderful writer, and a very strong christian young lady, and I know she will do an excellent job. She has written several articles, including one on this blog, "Cut It Out!" (http://marvelouslymodest.blogspot.com/2012/07/cut-it-out.html) Thank you for reading! :D

Revenge

     Oh sweet, sweet revenge. It's something that comes naturally to us. When someone does something to make us angry, usually, the first thing you want to do is to get back at them. Yesterday, I talked about a gentle and quiet spirit, and that also applies to this. Romans 12:19, "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'"

     Let's say someone walks up to you, and you start talking to them, and they start talking very rudely to you. What do you say in reply? Do you try to be rude to them, or do you simply walk away? Well, if you go with the first one, you'll say some snarky reply, and then they'll say some mean reply, and then you'll say something back, and pretty soon, you two are enemies. Or, you could just choose to not speak your mind, and walk away, which is the difficult thing to do, yes, but its also the more mature. And, the more you do it, the easier it is.

     Another way we can get revenge, is by our actions, which is also very bad. Like I said yesterday, sometimes, you just want to punch them in the face. Don't. It's difficult, but physical revenge is never necessary. If you have a problem with someone, talk to them about it, but never do anything to get back at them. Now, sometimes, if someone is giving you a hard time, and they keep going, sometimes, you have to show them that you can't be pushed around, but never, ever ever ever, get revenge. It will never end well for either of you, and you'll only end up regretting it. It's not the lady like thing to do, in fact, it's not the christian thing to do. Revenge will only lead to more revenge, please keep this in mind, and thank you for reading. :)

A Gentle and Quiet Spirit

     Today, it was suggested of me that I write about having a gentle and quiet spirit, which is found in 1 Peter 3. In verse 4 it says, "but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."

     In Proverbs 31:26 it says, " She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." I know you're probably wondering what the two have in common? Well, sometimes, we don't always have kind opinions, and we need to learn to keep our mouth shut sometimes, and only open our mouth to teach with kindness, and be wise in our decisions of what we say. "Is it true, is it kind, is it necessary?" One of my favorite phrases, we need to learn to keep a gentle spirit, and only speaking kind words to others, which is very difficult at times, but if we are to be the light of the world, then we should reflect God, and only speak in kindness, and in wisdom, and sometimes, if someone is being very rude, the easy thing to do would be to snap at them, but that isn't being gentle. If you're going to do it, do it kindly, and necessarily.

     I know a few people who, just about every word that comes out of their mouth is harsh, not very well thought out, and usually makes me want to punch them in the face. Those kinds of people, typically have no friends, because no one wants to be around them. This is because they refuse to be gentle and quiet, and with wisdom. Then I know others, who never have a bad thing to say about anyone and you know, they seem to be very happy people, and seem to always have friends around them. This is because they have a gentle, and quiet spirit.

     So please remember, before you open your mouth, to remain having a gentle, and quiet spirit, because it'll only help you out in the end, even though it's sometimes difficult. :)

Vanity

     One of the things I see a lot in girls, is vanity. Proverbs 31:30, "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." As girls, it is very easy to slip into vanity. Last year, I was reading "On the Banks of  Plumb Creek", and in this book, they made vanity cakes. They said that the reason they were called "vanity cakes" is because they were "all puffed up and pretty with nothing on the inside." This is exactly what vanity is.

     Vanity is the exact opposite of modesty. Vanity isn't just spending three hours to get ready in the morning, it's also constantly talking about yourself, being self-absorbed, constantly bringing attention to yourself, and especially about your looks. I know of some people who, just about everything they say is to get people to notice something about them. Being vain is also about being inconsiderate, because you're so wrapped up in yourself, and when you're vain, because you're always thinking of yourself, this is when you create enemies with others, because you're not worried about being kind to them, as much as yourself. I really hope you're not this way.

     On television, you're always hearing about how you should be the best you, you can be. On concentrating on yourself, and your actions. There's nothing wrong with trying to be good, but when you're constantly paying attention to yourself instead of others, you'll start becoming self-absorbed, and this is never a good thing.

     One of the things that I also see, is that in an attempt to not seem vain, a lot of girls refuse to acknowledge their gifts and talents, and become way too hard on themselves. Now, you should have some self-discipline to avoid vanity, but you should also acknowledge yourself, and be happy with yourself, but we shouldn't dwell on those things too much. There should always be a good balance.

     Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." It doesn't matter how long we spend getting ready in the morning, or what we look like, because all of the pretty things we see on this Earth will die soon, but God's word never will. I think that a lot of the problems we have would be solved if we put down our mirrors, and picked up our Bibles more often. Thank you for reading, and please keep this in mind net time you get dressed. :)

The Differences Between Being Modest and Appropriate

     In a previous article (http://marvelouslymodest.blogspot.com/2012/07/why-are-we-modest.html), I mentioned that someone tried saying that it was okay to wear a bikini to the beach because it was appropriate, and this was their point, "If you wore a bikini to church, can you see how that would be immodest, because you're attracting a lot of attention to yourself, where as, at the beach, you won't attract as much attention, so it's okay to wear a bikini, just as long as you're at the beach." A lot of people tend to get confused between being appropriate, and being modest. Being appropriate has to do with modesty, but just because it's "appropriate" doesn't make it modest.

     Being appropriate, as dictionary.com put is, "suiting or fitting for a particular purpose, person, occasion, etc." while modesty, "regard for decency of behavior, speech, dress, etc." If I went to church in shorts and a t-shirt on a Sunday morning, it definitely wouldn't be appropriate, even though modest, but it would be to wear at a friend's house, because it's still modest, it would be modest and appropriate.

     One of the reasons we should dress appropriately is because it doesn't draw attention to ourselves. We should not, purposefully, draw attention to ourselves. Now, I'm not saying that it's wrong to be the center of attention, but to dress and act in a way that forces you there is not modest at all, and you should always dress appropriately. 1 Timothy 2:9 doesn't say, "likewise also women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, unless you're swimming, or at home, because then it wouldn't be wrong." No, it says very clearly, "likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire," There are no exceptions to this rule, even if you're "appropriate" for the occasion. Being appropriate to man isn't always modest to God.

     There is a big difference between dressing modestly and appropriately. We should dress and act in both, instead of thinking they're the same thing. Please remember this next time you get dressed. :)

Instrumental Music

     This article was written by my brother, Jody Sparks, who is writing for another blog, http://y4ca.wordpress.com/. He is 17-years-old, and plans on becoming a preacher. He worked very hard on this article, and I hope you enjoy reading it. 

Something I hear a lot about the church of Christ, is that we don't believe in music because we don't use instrumental music! This simply isn't true! We don't use instrumental music, not because we don't believe in music, 
(I would think that acapella music is still music!) but because we were never authorized to use it. No where in the Bible does it say that we are allowed to use instrumental mus

ic! Many will argue that they use instrumental music, because they are using their gifts to glorify God. They will say, "I have a gift, playing the guitar, and I want to use this gift to glorify God!" Which is great! As it says in Colossians 3:17, "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." But think back to Cain and Able, when Cain offered his sacrifice to God, he offered what God didn't ask of him, and He rejected it! Do you think it was because Cain didn't believe that he was doing good? If he wasn't going to do good, would he have sacrificed to God at all? And if he knew that God wouldn't have accepted his sacrifice, why was he so upset when his sacrifice was rejected? He had the same thinking that people who practice instrumental music today have! "I'm sacrificing to God, why wouldn't He accept it?" People who offer up their "gifts", in worship to God, such as playing the piano, when He didn't ask for it, He will reject it! God, being who He is, should be worshiped according to how He chooses! Got has the right to pick what gifts we can give Him!

The most used argument I've heard though, is "The Bible doesn't say I can't!" which is true. The Bible never comes out and directly says that we cannot use instrumental music. But again, it never says we CAN! If the Bible listed everything we can't do, specifically, the book would be almost endless! Imagine if, at a drive through, you wanted a sandwich. But, you couldn't just tell them that you wanted a sandwich, you had to tell them all of the things on the menu that you didn't want! Can you imagine how long it would take to order? Same thing with the Bible. God tells us what He expects in Ephesians 5:19. "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" This is where we are told how to sing. But instead of listing everything He expects us NOT to do, He tells us what He expects us to do.

One last argument that I've heard, not as frequently as the others I've mentioned, but maybe you have heard it too, that back then, new converts didn't have the ability to play instruments. Either they didn't have them, or for some other reasons, weren't allowed to. Which again, is false. The Jews used instrumental music all the time in Temple worship! But they did so because they were commanded to! (2 Chronicles 29:25) But when they converted to Christianity, they stopped using instrumental music, because they saw nowhere that they were authorized to do so!

Instrumental music might sound nice to us, but what sounds good to God, is when we obey His commandments. Deuteronomy 4:2 states "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take away from it..." If God asks for us to sing praises to Him, and we sing praises and we add instrumental music to our singing, is that not adding to His commandments?

The Five Modesty Rules

     One of the things I haven't talked about in quite some time now, is modesty. This is, after all, a modesty blog. So, today, I am going to be talking about the five rules of modesty. The different kinds of modesty, and how we can keep those rules, even living in the world we do today.

     The first rule of modesty, is if it's questionable, the answer is no. This is a very difficult rule, because, sometimes, it's just a bit hard to tell for yourself if something is to low, to tight, etc. Sometimes, I will be shopping for clothes with my mom, and ask her if a shirt is too tight. Sometimes, we'll just be pondering whether it is or not, until one of us finally remembers rule number one. Because if you notice that it's too tight or too low, then you're probably not the only one.

     The second rule, is the neck to knee rule. I know I've said this before, but when Adam and Eve made their clothes out of fig leaves, the word used there meant like a sash or a belt. But when God made their clothes, the word meant like a robe, which back then, covered the shoulders, wasn't low cut, and went to the knees. These are God's standards. Man's standards were very much different. So, when you're buying clothes, make sure it covers neck to knee.

     Rule three, "Your dresses should be tight enough to know you're a woman, and loose enough to show that you're a lady" -Edith Head  This is saying that your clothes shouldn't be so loose, that when you bend over you don't show everything, but not so tight that you can count your ribs.

     Rule four, ask your parents (or legal guardian). If it's not okay with them, then you should respect that. "Honor your father and mother" (Ephesians 6:2)

     The final rule is, watch the writing. When you wear a shirt that has words across the chests, people will read them. And if people will read what's on your chests, they will be looking there. Same on the rear. Make sure that you're not attracting eyes to those parts of the body.

     Please keep this in mind next time you get dressed, and remember to "like" Marvelously Modest on Facebook. :)

1 Timothy 4:12

1 Timothy 4:12, "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." Sometimes, we don't want to listen to others because they are younger, and we tend to think that, just because they're younger, that automatically makes them inexperienced, and not knowledgeable. But experience and knowledge doesn't come with age as much as when something happens. That's why it's called experience. You can be 100-years-old and still be inexperienced. That's one of the things that I don't understand, is when people automatically assume that the young are stupid, and the old are wise. That isn't always the case.

     Even if someone has that experience, only the wise will use it to learn. So many have age, and experience, but few choose to use that to create knowledge. The very reason we have these experiences is to gain wisdom from it. I know a lot of people, though young, are very smart when you get to know them, because they used those experiences for wisdom. I'm not saying that all young people are wise, and all old are dumb. I'm not saying that at all. What I'm saying is, just because you have age, and more experience, that doesn't always mean that you're more wise than people who are younger than you.

     One of the things we should use our wisdom for, is to teach others about God. How can we make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) if we don't use the knowledge that we have to teach? Last night, my brother taught his first full sermon, and in it, he taught the parable of the seeds. About how, the seeds that were planted, even though not many of them made it, the seed was still planted. You have to plant the seed. They may not always grow in the faith, but you at least have to plant the seed, and try to teach them. And one of the things we need to do is pray, and ask for wisdom, and keep an open mind, and accept whatever comes your way.

     That's another thing I want to talk about. A couple months ago, I was talking to someone about homosexuality, and using the Bible to show her that it was wrong. She, however, was not using the Bible, and wouldn't hear me out. She then called me closed-minded. I heard that, and thought, "How am I the closed-minded one, when my Bible is open, and I'm trying to explain it to you, but you won't listen? How am I the one who's closed-minded?" You can't be closed minded, when your Bible is open. There is a big difference between being closed-minded, and knowing the truth, and standing strong in it.

     So, if there is one thing that I have learned is that, no matter what age you are, it doesn't effect how wise you are. Now, some things do take time to learn, but you're not wise, just because you have experience, and just because you're young, that doesn't make you dumb.

     Thank you for reading, and please be sure and share your favorite article, and "like" Marvelously Modest on Facebook. :)