Quote:
Originally Posted by Falla39
There is SO much more to "standards" than just what we wear. There is honesty and
integrity, principals, how we treat and respect people. Standards involve every area
of our lives. There are moral standards, standards of the heart, etc.
We need the Spirit of the Living God to lead and guide us continually. IF we look to man
for our direction, we will get man's ideas. If we look to the Word of God and
depend on His Spirit and walk in, and are led by the Spirit of Almighty God,
we won't have to find out too soon, too late that we have been deceived.
If we know what thus saith the Word of God, and have the Holy Spirit to
illuminate and open our understanding we won't be disappointed. We were
pointed to the Word of God all our lives. The Word of God was promoted big
time in our home and the church our late parents pastored.
My husband and I will celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniv. on July 11th. We
both received the Holy Ghost the summer of 1958. Dad opened the doors of
the storefront church he, with his wife and eleven children, founded, Nov.12,
1958, We married the following July 11th, 1959. We have never left. Five of
our six children and 16 of our 20 grandchildren still go to the church my late
parents founded. The other son and wife, with their four children, go to an
apostolic church in a neighboring city where they live. All of our adult children
are married to their original spouses. The youngest has been married 12 yrs.,
the eldest has been married 27 yrs. and all in between. Our middle daughter
and husband who pastor the church now, was married 18 yrs. ago yesterday.
God has been good to our family. Those good family values and all that goes
with it, has surely paid off with huge dividends.
No, our lives have not all been easy. We have had our trials and stuggles,
but God has been with us, by His Spirit from the beginning until now and we
have no doubt that HE will be with us all the way! He said HE would be our
guide, even until death. Psalms 48:15
Just giving God some Praise for all HE has done, doing and will continue to do,
in Jesus Name!
Blessings,
Falla39
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You are a blessing and inspiuration as always.
Quote:
There is SO much more to "standards" than just what we wear. There is honesty and
integrity, principals, how we treat and respect people. Standards involve every area
of our lives. There are moral standards, standards of the heart, etc.
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Part of the problem is that when most people in the movement regardless of position on the sliding scale betwixt ultra-con and liberal is that the word "standards" brings to mind the big list with "no pants on women" up around the top and "no open toed shoes" down around the bottom under the "may or may not apply here" section.
It becomes all about outward. And sadley in many places the outward is the only thing preached.
Most of the biggest standards not preached or argued about are the moral and standards of the heart.
Even many of the outward ones, though not directly biblical, have nothing wrong with them. If a pastor, watching for peoples souls holds a higher standard of modesty than what the world considers modest, what of it? It has never caused me pain, embarrassment or mental anguish to never wear shorts or a t-shirt in public. It didn't traumatize me when the preacher preached "don't go to the movie theater". I don't even think about those things because I have walked in this way long enough that it is just my nature to do stuff that others seem so up in arms over.
There is nothing in the Bible about smoking cigars either, so one could say that is a preacher preaches against smoking a cigar, he is making an extra-biblical rule.
Even though a number of years have past since your upbringing it hasn't vanished from the earth. Having higher standards is a good thing and has benefited my household tremendously and I am blessed. My wife is loved where ever she goes because of her kindness and generosity, the folks she works with know where her lines are drawn and don't violate them, not because she might haul off and hit them with a holy stick, but because the love and respect her. They can count on her.
My 18 year old daughter is still pure, liked and respected by her peers and teachers alike, loved by the young people in church that she is an example for. And, me. Well I am just me. Nobody likes me...
I wouldn't trade all that just for the ability to wear a speedo at the beach, or any other so-called "liberty" that is available. I place value on what we have and will keep it no matter who does what.
I appreciate your testimony and fine example you have set with your life!
For the Benefit of others let me big an bold here: I am talking about much more than clothes, I don't even see the whole shorts-no movie theater thing as even being a standard, just a thing I do that I don't hold anybody else too.
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