Woman of Holiness

 

Proverbs 4:26-27

"Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil."

 

**It is important to God that we live a life that is consecrated to Him. He wants us to be holy, set apart, spiritually pure and dedicated to His purpose of bringing Him glory, honor and pleasure. A woman of holiness is a woman who obeys God. **

 

2 Corinthians 7:1

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

 

**We need to be holy in our thoughts. **

 

2 Corinthians 10:5

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

 

**We need to be holy in our behavior. **

 

Titus 2:3

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;"

 

** We need to be holy in our conversation. **

 

1 Peter 1:15

"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation."

 

**In the last chapter we talked about being holy in the way we dress. **

 

1 Timothy 2:8-10

"I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 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."

 

** This does not mean that we go around all sad and mopey, looking dumpy and unkempt. We can be clean, neat, and look good. I like to dress nice and be in style, but there are certain styles I refrain from because they are not becoming to Godliness and holiness. **

 

1 Peter 1:16

"Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

 

**God is commanding us to be holy. He would not ask something of us that we are unable to give. It is a goal we consistently and diligently work toward.  We have to live in this world, but we don't have to become as the world. The world lures us. We want to be liked and approved by the world, but the world is going to pass away. **

 

--We are drawn into and influenced by worldly desires, but we must be so careful not to fall for the temptations that take us from the will of God.--

 

Ephesians 4:24

"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

 

**When we strive to be like God we are striving for holiness. we keep our focus on holy things. **

 

1 John 2:15-17

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

 

Hebrews 12:4

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."

 

** We need to be holy in all things we read, look at, and watch. Every area of our lives should be focused on pleasing God. Ask yourself, "Would God approve? **

 

 



Beauty in our Maker's eyes

 

**We all want to be beautiful. There is nothing wrong with wanting beauty, unless we are obsessive in making that our main goal. See in Hollywood, image is everything, but do you notice that the price of beauty in their eyes physically is damaging their very soul. Pressure to look good on T.V. and striving to make a career is temporary, because in Hollywood, your famous one day, then forgotten the next when someone better in their eyes come along. (‘The next great thing’-As you would call it.) See God created us in His image, so in His eyes we are precious gifts, beautiful. See in the bible, those who live a life with the Lord, and fears Him, putting him their first priority, shows the true beauty in His eyes. Where others seek physical beauty, God looks for inner beauty (a clean vessal- that will therefore glow on the outside, seeing God’s light in them.) **

Proverbs 31:30

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

1 Peter 3:3-4

“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 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.”

**We should not be so obsessed by fashion, but neither should we be so unconcerned that we do not bother to care for ourselves. Hygiene, neatness, and grooming are important, but even more important are a person’s attitude and spirit. True beauty begins inside. A beautiful woman or handsome man loses their glow when they are mean-spirited, snooty, whiny, critical, negative, grouchy, unkind, and the list can go on. Beauty is more than what we look at. Beauty is reflected from the inside. Looks are deceiving at times; because as you see, there are beautiful people out there, but are ugly on the inside, and the very ones people see as unattractive are beautiful on the inside. Remember, God had told Samuel when He was searching for Israel’s next king, to not look on stature and appearance. But the person God was looking for (David), he had seen his heart. **

1 Samuel 16:7

“But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

**Saul (Israel’s current king at that time), was tall and handsome; he was an impressive looking man. Samuel may have been trying to find someone who looked like Saul to be Israel’s next king, but God warned him against judging by appearance alone. When people judge by outward appearance, they may overlook individuals who lack the particular qualities society currently admires. But appearance doesn’t reveal what people are really like or their true value. Fortunately, God judges by faith and character, not appearance. And because only God can see on the inside, only he can accurately judge people. Most people spend hours each week maintaining their outward appearance; they should do even more to develop their inner character. While everyone can see your face, only you and God know what your heart really looks like. **

--When we are full of God, His beauty will shine through us. There is a song that says, ‘Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.’ We need to make that our prayer and goal.—

Romans 10:15

“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Isaiah 52:7

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!”

*As we surrender to God to help us develop an inner beauty, and we work on it every day, we will become women of beauty. *

Acts 4:13

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

*The beauty of Jesus will be shining through us. We will be beautiful In God’s sight, and people will want to be around us. *

1 Chronicles 16:29

“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

what a Friend we have in Jesus

At times we think we are making it in this world alone. And that the Lord doesn't hear our prayers in our cries of need and desperation. God tells repeatedly to His faithful children that He never has left them nor forsaken them. We must look to Him for comfort and strength.  Those that are in the bible, and those we hear today telling their stories of faith in trial, are living examples of how God has worked in their lives, and proved His love for them many times. All that he does is out of pure love, and He waits for us to call and seek Him, to help us in our time of need.

 

Here are examples:

A.) David's cry for help--His prayer for security and assurance. Wherever we are, we can trust that God will be there to answer our cries for help.)--

Psalm 61:1-3

"Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead my to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy."

Psalm 103:1-7

"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth my mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel."

 

B.)Job Kept His integrity

Job 2:10

"But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish woman speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips."

 





**Many people think that believing in God protects them from trouble, so when calamity comes, they question God's goodness and justice. But the message of Job is that you should not give up on God just because bad things happen. Faith in God does not guarantee personal prosperity, and lack of faith does not guarantee troubles in this life. If this were son, people would believe in God simply to get rich. God is capable of rescuing us from suffering, but he may also allow suffering to come for reasons we cannot understand. It is Satan's strategy to get us to doubt God at exactly this moment. Job shows here a perspective broader than his own personal comfort. If we always know why we suffer, our faith will have no room to grow. **

 

 C.)Hosea- A man whom God told to marry a woman would be an adulteress. This would illustrate and give us an understanding of God's love for his sinful people, and how He is always involved in our lives. He is never too far from us, even when it seems like He is.

Hosea 3:1

"Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who took to other gods, and love flagons of wine."

*God is asking Hosea to do something almost unthinkable-to buy back his adulteress, unrepentant wife and continue to love her! when those who knew about Gomer's adultery heard Hosea say that God loved Idolatrous Israel as much as he loved Gomer, they must have been amazed. The people had heard God's words many times, but they felt the impact of those words when they saw them acted out in Hosea's troubled home life. *

 

((Here is someone that wasn't in the bible- but had an experience of hopelessness/desperation, and how it turned to faith and trusting and loving God no matter what. This is how the song (what a friend we have in Jesus) came about.))

D.) Joseph M. Scriven (1819-1896) was 25 years old, in love and to be married. The day before his wedding his fiancé died in a tragic drowning accident. Heartbroken, Joseph sailed from his homeland (Dublin, Ireland)(What a friend We have in Jesus)

 to start a new life in Canada. While in Canada working as a teacher, he fell in love again and became engaged to Eliza Roche, a relative of one of his students. Once again, Joseph's hopes and dreams were shattered when Eliza became ill and died before the wedding could take place. Although one can only imagine the turmoil within this young man, history tells us that his faith in God sustained him. Soon after Eliza's death Joseph joined the Plymouth Brethren and began preaching for a Baptist Church. He never married, but spent the remainder of his life giving all his time, money, and even the clothes off his back to help the less fortunate and to spread the love and compassion of Jesus wherever he went. Around the same time that Eliza died, Joseph received word from Ireland that his mother was ill. He could not go to be with her, so he wrote a letter of comfort and enclosed one of his poems entitled

John 15:13

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He'll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.