FOREWARD:
FROM THE PREACHER'S DESK
It is time to take a serious look at the adverse effects that women's fashions today have, especially, on female Christians. The new swing towards greater exposure of the woman's body and nudity is influencing girls, to adopt a free and easy attitude with respect to their bodies. Young growing children, still in their early teens, are being swept away by the emphasis on sex and nudity, and before they even know what is happening, they are in trouble — having to suffer the consequences for the rest of their lives.
"Mini-skirts", "hot-pants" and "jeans" are three of the most popular garments being worn by women today. A couple of decades ago, even the most pitiable fallen woman would not have dared to show herself on the streets (or anywhere else in public) the way that tens of thousands of women and girls today are exposing their bodies publicly without a blush or any trace of embarrassment or shame.
It is shocking to hear comments that, in this modern society, for a young woman to be "with it" she must dress and paint herself in such a way that she is a positive temptation to men. Young Christian person, what about you? Do you primp yourself immodestly according to the fashions of the world, or do you dress yourself in a manner becoming of a believer of the Holy Word of God? Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and that you are supposed to glorify God in your body, not to defile it? As a Christian, where you go, what you do, and how you dress are all important. (Read 1 Corinthians 3:16,17; 6:19,20.)
Think about it. Where is all this emphasis on sex in clothing, hairdo and facial makeup leading you? Where is it leading your friends? If you are a young Christian woman in high school, university or out in the working world, you have a great responsibility in helping to reverse the trends in your respective environment.
Our God is concerned about the proper adornment by His children and He has given us His Word to guide us in this matter. Knowing what the Bible says can settle many problems. God has clearly laid down the standards in the Bible for His redeemed people. He expects us to live a clean, decent life. Young ladies have to make up their minds as to whether to follow the teachings in the Word of God or to follow the fashions of the world. Are you going to call yourself a Christian and live like the people of the world, or are you going to be a true Christian and a faithful witness of God to the ungodly? Christian ladies belong to the Holy God. They should live and dress befitting a holy people. It is a tragic thing when God's people look upon the vogues of the world and then decide to follow the sinful examples. Unfortunately this is exactly what is happening. Simplicity and modesty are fast disappearing, even in Christian circles.
The problem of immodest dress and painted face among many young people today is their inability to resist the pressures prevailing in their schools and the world around them. Consequently they happily follow the fashions of the worldly crowd. Do you know that for a Christian to put on clothing which pertains to the opposite sex is an abomination to God? God made man different from woman. Moses wrote: "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God" (Deut.22:5). Yet, we see many Christian women wearing jeans and defending themselves by saying that "it's a woman's jeans, designed for women." They do not realize that they are being deceived by Satan who is catering to women's desire for equal rights. He has redesigned many things which belong to the man just for those silly women who want to be like men.
2 Peter 1:4 says, "Whereunto are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
Our newspapers are full of reports of women and girls being raped, beaten, and sometimes even murdered. The next time a man is brought before a court for outraging the modesty of a woman, it would be well to find out just how decently the woman was dressed, at the time the crime was committed. Some may dismiss this suggestion as irrelevant to the case. In any way, if a woman is not selling her body on the altar of lust, let her take it off the display counter.
What the world needs to see, when it looks at a Christian's life, is not a reflection of itself but true beauty of her character, a certain godliness of heart and "a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price " (1 Pet.3:3-5).
INDEX
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FOREWARD:
FROM THE PREACHER'S DESK
SECTION
II: THE EARTHQUAKES AND TIMES
SECTION
III: CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST -- WHO
WILL WIN THE WAR?
