Why Do So Many 'Born-Again, Spirit-Filled' [?]Women Show Off Cleavage in Church?

"I know I'm inappropriate, but I'm trying to save time. I know I'm in the wrong. My mother would not approve. But would it be better that I not come?" Those were the words of a 30-year-old woman entering church in Maryland wearing a revealing tank top and tight pants.

God bless her, but that's in the same spirit as saying, "I know it's inappropriate to cuss in church, but I can't think of any better way to say it," or, "I know it's inappropriate to smoke during praise and worship, but I didn't have time to finish my Marlboro on the way here."

Some women—and I am talking about so-called "mature believers," not lost souls or baby Christians—come into God's sanctuary on Sunday morning wearing clothes you might rather expect to see them wearing at a dance club on Saturday night. Their blouses cling to their bodies, their necklines dip so low and stretch so wide that they reveal cleavage, and the slits up the sides of their skirts offer more than an innocent glimpse of their thighs. Again, I'm not talking about sinners seeking God or new believers who plain don't know better. I'm talking about those who claim to be "born-again, baptized, blood-bought" (even tongue-talking) members of the church!

Paul instructed Timothy that women should "adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation" (1 Tim. 2:9), and he told the church at Corinth that "our unpresentable parts have greater modesty" (1 Cor. 12:23). Regardless of how hot it is outside or how busy we are, there's no justification for Spirit-filled women to come to church wearing clothes that cause some men to pay more attention to the things of the flesh than the things of the Spirit.

But rather than repenting, some of these progressive women are lashing out against campaigns like Modest Is Hottest, calling it sexist. In her critique of Modest Is Hottest, Sharon Hodde Miller, a doctoral student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, argues, "A woman's breasts and buttocks and thighs all proclaim the glory of the Lord." Maybe, but I somehow doubt Jesus intended for this aspect of His glory to manifest in church.

Worship artist Jaime Jamgochian launched Modest Is Hottest to reach out to teen girls with the love of Christ. She says, "I feel like there's always more to it when a girl is dressed inappropriately than 'I just want to look cute.'"

I agree—and the same goes for older women who call Jesus Lord. I'm not suggesting that women subscribe to the Holiness Movement's guidelines for women's clothing and makeup. No, I'm not suggesting religious rules and regulations. But I don't think Christian women should dress like the worldly women in church or anywhere else. It's not about a shame-based approach to modesty that Miller opines about in her column. It's about self-respect—and respect for others.

"I love what Jaime is doing; she is right on: Modest is hottest! I think this is such a good message to convey. Jaime is not being sexist but rather sharing that as beautiful women of God we can look so gorgeous without being revealing," says Alyssa Shull, a youth pastor at Words of Life in North Miami and founder of The Pink Lid, a conference designed for girls between the ages of 12-18 where beauty and purity are key themes.

"You are respecting yourself and those around you when you are modest," Shull says. "Lust is very prevalent in our culture, but Jesus says in Matthew 5:28, even if you look at a woman with lust in your eyes it is adultery. So I believe that women can do their part and display themselves in a beautiful way without promoting lust. You can be stylish and modest! I agree with Shull and, as the mother of a 16-year-old girl, appreciate what she and Jamgochian are doing for young teens. 

Again, it's not about the sinner coming in to look for Jesus or the baby Christian still shaking off the dust of the world. We're talking about tongue-talking women wearing clothes so tight they may as well have been spray-painted on and cleveage falling out of their blouses. That's why Facebook comments about this topic like this one trouble me: "Get to where God sees and don't worry about the wardrobe of another person unless you are inclined to buying them new clothes to wear." And this one: "Even if they aren't lost, they have an identity issue. Who are we to judge?"

If we can "judge" that they have an identity issue, can't we judge that they shouldn't be showing cleavage in church? Isn't the Word of God clear on this matter? And it's not our responsibility to buy a woman new clothes just because she's wearing seductive garb to church. But it is our responsibility to speak the truth in love to those who may not know better and to lead by example. In too many ways—including sometimes our wardrobe—Christians have conformed to the world. Paul warned us not to "be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:2). 

It's not about being the fashion police, and it's not about condemnation. If the Holy Spirit convicted your heart about the way you dress as you read this, don't let the devil beat you up. Just buy a few new modest outfits and keep praising God! It's about not purposely opening the door to the spirit of immorality. Sure, as one Facebook commenter noted, a woman could wear a burlap sack to church and still find lustful eyes upon her. But does that mean we let it all hang out in the name of liberty? God forbid. 

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior's Guide to Defeating Jezebel. You can email Jennifer at   jennifer.leclaire@charismamedia.com or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

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Original Page: http://charismanow.com/spirit/church-ministry/18350-why-do-so-many-born-again-spirit-filled-women-show-off-cleavage-in-church

When Is It Time to Leave a Church?

If you see any of these seven warning signs in your church, my advice is to run as fast as you can.

A friend of mine from England recently asked me for counsel regarding a serious dilemma. His pastor had been involved in extramarital affairs, yet the man never stepped down after the scandal. My friend grew increasingly uncomfortable. Then he became alarmed when the embattled pastor announced he was going to lay hands on every church member during a weekend service to impart "special revelation."

This pastor had a base of loyal fans, but the Sunday crowd was dwindling because people could smell trouble. They knew it wasn't right for this man to remain in leadership without receiving some serious personal ministry. I advised my friend to run for the door.

I've never found a perfect church in all my travels—and it certainly wouldn't be perfect if I joined it. But there are some churches that deserve to be called unhealthy. While I believe we shouldn't give up on a church too fast, there are some warning signs that should cause you to stop and ask if you'd be better off finding better pasture.

1. No accountability. There is safety in the multitude of counselors (see Prov. 11:14). There is much less safety—perhaps even danger—when a leader does not bother to seek counsel from a diverse group of his peers, as well as from gray-haired men and women who have the wisdom that comes with experience. If a pastor or church leader isn't open to correction or financial oversight, he is headed for a train wreck. If you stay in that church, you may crash with him.

2. Spiritual elitism. Healthy leaders love the entire body of Christ. Beware of any church that claims "exclusive" revelation or suggests they are superior to other Christians. This is how cults start. There is a large charismatic church in Hungary that began in revival, but the founder began teaching that their church was the only place people could truly be saved. If a pastor ever makes such claims it is time to shake the dust off your feet and move on.

3. Entrenched immorality. The apostle Paul commanded leaders to enforce biblical discipline. This must be handled with gentleness (see Gal. 6:1) but nevertheless with firm resolve, because the enemy wants to infiltrate the church with moral compromise. If a pastor has been involved in adultery or perversion and continues preaching, meanwhile refusing discipline, his unrepentant spirit will infect the entire congregation—and you can expect to see immorality spread throughout the church. Don't be defiled.

4. An authoritarian spirit. Some leaders develop a dictatorial style and try to control people through manipulation, threats and legalistic demands. I'm amazed at how much spiritual abuse is tolerated in churches today. No pastor is perfect, and we are called to be patient with each other's faults. But if a church leader is verbally abusive toward his staff or members of his congregation, he is in direct violation of Scripture. The Apostle Paul taught that church leaders should not be "violent" or "quarrelsome" but "self-controlled" and "gentle" (see 1 Tim. 3:2-3). It's best to find another pastor if yours cannot control his anger.

5. Unbridled greed. Paul made it clear that a leader has no business being in the ministry if he isn't "free from the love of money" (1 Tim. 3:3, NASB). Yet we have turned that requirement on its head today. We have given greedy charlatans access to the airwaves and allowed them to corrupt the church with a money-focused message. Your pastor does not have to live in poverty, but if he insists on living in luxury—and manipulates people during offering time to squeeze more money out of your wallet to pay for his toys—you are supporting his habit. You should leave.

6. False doctrines and manifestations. A pastor should be open to the Holy Spirit's spontaneous work, but he or she should also protect the flock from deception. In many segments of the charismatic movement today, bizarre New Age influences have been wholeheartedly embraced—and Christians seem to have thrown away the gift of discernment. If your church is focusing on a particular prophet's revelations, or is going off on weird tangents—at the expense of solid doctrine—then you should go elsewhere fast.

7. A culture of pride. Some church leaders are so insecure that they manufacture a sense of importance around them in order to function. They surround themselves with security guards, "armor bearers," handlers and assistants—and never actually build genuine relationships with their church members. They think church is all about their stage performance, so they rely on volume, theatrics, clothes and a grand entrance to impress the crowd rather than just being normal, touchable, accessible servants. If your pastor is building a personality cult rather than a dwelling place for God, run for your life!

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project (themordecaiproject.org). His latest book is Fearless Daughters of the Bible. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. 

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Original Page: http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/fire-in-my-bones/16895-when-is-it-time-to-leave-a-church

4 Ways to Test if You're Led by the Spirit or Your Emotions

I was puzzled. During the months of training, Jane had faithfully attended classes, completing her courses with passing grades. Yet as I began to compare her spiritual growth and maturity with others in the class, I realized something was missing.

What could it be that had so retarded her spiritual growth? Could there be something in her past—a need for healing perhaps? Or a person to whom she needed to extend forgiveness?

"Lord," I prayed, "show me the clue to praying for and counseling her."

Over a period of time the clue I had been searching for began to be revealed. Jane was not in control of her emotions!

I began to see that she was seeking one emotional "high" after another by attending various meetings and other spiritual events. It was affecting her, as any addiction would.

She made statements about how tired she was and talked about problems at work, problems at home and with her children. In her "sphere of influence" both the saved and the unsaved were seeing inconsistencies in her walk with God. Enthusiasm was present, yes, but friends began to avoid her because of the drastic changes they had seen in her life.

Jane noticed the exodus of friends and family, but her reasoning was that they were not as "spiritually minded" as she. Her friends, on the other hand, were saying, "Jane is so heavenly minded that she is no earthly good. She's spacey!"

Still, the need for the "emotional fix" continued—one more meeting, one more prayer group, one more conference. Jane became a person who made all her life's decisions, spiritually and otherwise, based entirely on how it "felt." If it felt good, it had to be God!

Who's in Control? 

God created us with emotions that have a powerful effect on our lives. We cannot, however, allow these emotions to control us.

When we are controlled by our emotions—by how we feel—we are settling for so much less than what God has planned for us. We begin to judge the value of things by the nature of our response to them. The world says, "If it feels good, do it." But that is not God's way.

One of the greatest problems with being led by our emotions and judging our daily walk based on how we feel is that feelings cannot be trusted! They will deceive us. People who deliberately walk into situations applying the "How does it feel?" method rather than God's truth often suffer dire consequences!

This is especially true in making decisions about important life issues such as choosing a mate, changing jobs or spending money. But it is also true in deciding how much time we spend with God. If we spend time with Him only on the days that we feel like it, we will have inconsistent lives. If we apply the Word of God only when it agrees with our feelings, we will not be walking in the wholeness God intends for us.

Our personalities are uniquely different. Some of us, as my friend Babe says, "cry even when the mail comes or when the flag goes by." She feels her ministry is "crying."

However, personality type cannot be used as an excuse for being ruled and governed by our emotions. Yes, many of us are more emotional and seem to have stronger feelings than others. But the Word of God says we are to be "led by the Spirit," not by our emotions.

"For those who are according to the flesh and controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.

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"Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].

"So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.

"But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you [directs and controls you]. But if anyone does not possess the [Holy] Spirit of Christ, he is none of His [he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God]" (Rom. 8:5-6, 8-9, AMP).

How we are led will make a difference in our level of spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity requires that in every area of our lives, including our emotions, we be led by the Spirit of God. We cannot be effective in showing forth the light and life of Christianity if we are controlled by how we are feeling on a particular day at a particular time.

God forbid that we should ever be known as one of those "silly" women described in the Scriptures:

"For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].

"For among them are those who worm their way into homes and captivate silly and weak-natured and spiritually dwarfed women, loaded down with [the burden of their] sins [and easily] swayed and led away by various evil desires and seductive impulses.

"[These weak women will listen to anybody who will teach them]; they are forever inquiring and getting information, but are never able to arrive at a recognition and knowledge of the Truth" (2 Tim. 3:5-7).

Led by the Spirit

I have a picture of the woman of God I desire all of us to be. She is mature in her walk with God. She is balanced and trustworthy. She has a powerful testimony. She is guided by the Spirit of God and is an effective minister for these end times.

God trusts her and gives her assignments that she fulfills with confidence. She hears the voice of God and is turned neither to the left nor to the right but stays focused on the job assigned her. She is a blessing and not a curse to her pastor and church family.

So many times a woman who is ruled and governed by her emotions instead of the Spirit of God causes havoc in her church. She is one who pulls others aside to give them an unauthorized "word." Usually the "word" has the spiritual depth of a Chinese fortune cookie, but, oh, how good it makes her "feel"!

The conversations she has with her friends and church family are sprinkled with all the right "spiritual" words. However, there is no depth in her daily walk, and she is unstable and lacking in wisdom.

How do you know if you are a Spirit-led or an emotion-led woman? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I make the decisions of my daily life based on how I feel, or on the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

2. Do I consistently spend time with the Lord in prayer, in reading the Bible and in listening for His direction? Do I recognize His voice?

3. Do I spend time justifying a decision I have made that I was positive was God's leading but that turned out to be wrong?

4. Am I an emotional shopper or emotional eater?

Your answers will help you determine if you have a problem.

Why is it so important for each of us to be led by the Spirit of God in this hour? Because we've been told that in the last days deception will be prevalent. We must be spiritually aware and able to discern what is of God and what is not.

How do we break the cycle?

1. Slow down! Don't rush into making decisions. Most emotional decisions are made quickly without any real thought or analysis. Evaluate: Does this have to be done at this exact minute? Is this wise? What is the Spirit of God saying? What could the repercussions of this decision be?

2. Cultivate stillness in your inner man. The Word of God says, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10, NKJV). Our spirit-man should always be at peace. When it is not, we are not being led by the Spirit. Our lives should be governed by the peace of God in the inner man.

An example in my own life illustrates this point. Recently I was scheduled to teach one of our weekend seminars in Virginia. Every time I thought about the trip I felt a lack of peace in my spirit (not my emotions). My desire was to go to Virginia, so my flesh said, "Just do it!"

But I have found that ignoring that lack of peace in my spirit does not pay. As soon as I scheduled someone else for the trip my peace returned. We can be led and governed by peace or the lack of it.

3. Verify decisions by the Word of God whenever possible. The Bible does not give us specific answers for each decision we must make. In other words, the Word will not tell you if you should go to a meeting or not. It will not tell you whether you should take a particular job. It will, however, give you guidelines for your daily life.

Make a conscious decision not to be led by emotions but to be led by the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit will help you.

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority; but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come" (John 16:13).

We have been given the tools to become spiritually mature women. God is desiring an army of women for these days that will hold a place in history none have ever held. For they will be the ones who are full of the Spirit, led by the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit and obedient to His call.

Are you going to be one of them?

Nancy Woolard-Stow has more than 30 years of leadership experience in Christian women's organizations on the local and state levels. Nancy is a gifted teacher and has taught leadership training and Bible studies to various women's groups and local churches. 

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Original Page: http://www.charismamag.com/life/women/9475-4-ways-to-test-if-you-re-led-by-the-spirit-or-your-emotions

It’s Not OK That Your Employees Can’t Afford to Eat

It wasn't that long ago that in most companies, especially large ones, a fair amount of time was spent worrying about whether the company's practices towards employees were fair. One of the functions of human resource departments was to advocate for the interests of employees.

The motivation wasn't entirely altruistic. Since WWI, employers figured they could keep unions out by giving employees virtually all of the wage and benefits they would have gotten from joining unions. Even without that concern, though, the leadership of the company considered it part of their job to strike a balance between the other demands on the business and the needs of employees.  They were one of the important stakeholders in the business, along with customers, shareholders, and the community around them.

There is no doubt that shareholder activism as well as court cases sympathetic to shareholder interests pushed publicly-held companies to pay more attention to maximizing stock prices. But when exactly did the shift in corporate attention in the direction of shareholder concerns lead to virtually ignoring the needs of employees?

Let's be clear about the wage levels that are associated with not having enough to eat. A family of four with one breadwinner is eligible for food stamps if they earn less than $2500 per month. That is the equivalent of a $15 per hour job and a 40 hour work week.  The government has determined that full-time workers earning less than that do not have enough money to feed their families on their own. If that breadwinner earns less than $16 per hour, they are also eligible for Medicaid assistance to provide healthcare. Depending on where they live, that breadwinner is also eligible for subsidies to help pay for housing.

Jobs paying $15 per hour are not the concern, though. Those are routinely seen as good jobs now. The concern is those jobs paying at or around the minimum wage, $7.25 per hour or only $1160 per month for a full-time job. About 1.6 million workers in the U.S. are paid at that level, and a surprising 2 million are actually paid less than that under various exemptions. If you are an employer paying the minimum wage or close to it, the Government has determined that your employees need help to pay for food, housing, and healthcare even if they have no family and no one to look after but themselves.  As we've been reminded this season, many of those workers also need help from families and coworkers to get by.

No doubt the reason low-wage companies continue to pay low wages is because there are plenty of workers willing to take jobs at those wages, and the need to pay more to avoid the risk of being unionized is largely gone. But "can" and "ought" are not the same thing.  Nothing about the minimum wage implies that it is morally ok as long as you pay at least that much. It simply says that the government will prosecute you if try to pay less than that level.

A longstanding principle in all developed countries including the U.S. is that labor is not like a commodity where taking advantage of the market to squeeze down prices is a fact of life. Employees have human rights that do not disappear when they enter the workplace. Even in business law, principles like the "mechanic's lien" say that employees should be paid before other creditors because they are more vulnerable than businesses and do not get profits to compensate them for risks.

One of the things that I find surprising is how many companies that pay poverty-level wages or thereabouts to their employees spend a good deal of effort to be good corporate citizens in other areas. They try to make their operations "green," lessening their impact on the environment, some even sponsor anti-poverty programs in Africa, and so forth. They just don't seem very interested in the poverty among their own workforces.

Board of directors are responsible for making the trade-offs among stakeholders of businesses. If you are a member of the board of directors of a company that pays its workers so little that they need government subsidies to survive, isn't that a little embarrassing? Most of these companies want to refer to themselves and their employees as a kind of family, but what kind of family allows its members to go hungry? And what prevents you from doing something about it?

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Original Page: http://feeds.harvardbusiness.org/~r/harvardbusiness/~3/Uzr4O7hErWM/

Rehash Leads to Regrets: Don’t Dig It Up

Joe Gutel Sr., an Assemblies of God deacon in Storm Lake, Iowa, was cleaning his barn with another deacon one day. Over the years, Joe's church had developed a reputation of producing great ministers, and the two deacons were discussing how to handle some problems in the church. The one deacon said to Joe, "You know, that problem that was in the church a couple of years ago has sort of gone away, but we never got to the bottom of it. I think we ought to go back, discuss it further, and deal with it so it never comes up again." Old Joe Gutel just looked at him and pointed out the obvious analogy, "Well, I reckon that there problem is like the manure on this here barn floor. It don't smell near half so bad if you don't dig it up."

I regularly confront situations where I must decide whether to jump in right away with a solution or give the issue time to work itself out. Taking the latter course may mean it will come to me again by a departmental or other process later, but initially I need to give it space and time. A key to effective conflict management is knowing when to get in and when not to get in. It's a balance between initiative and response.

Some issues are better left alone initially. They will either go away on their own, work out apart from your intervention, or they may come back later when your participation is clearly needed. One of the arts of leadership is to develop an intuitive sense—in conjunction with the guidance of the Holy Spirit—to know when to dive in and when to stay out. Whenever I have found the right balance, issues have been resolved with minimal problems. I've learned usually to be slow to pull the trigger because when I jump in prematurely, I almost always regret it.

Rehash leads to regrets. "Leave well enough alone" and "Let sleeping dogs lie" may be quaint sayings, but they have their rightful place in ministry management. If a problem has ceased to be a problem even though you never officially solved it, you should probably just be thankful for the resolution.

The post Rehash Leads to Regrets: Don't Dig It Up appeared first on Dr. George O. Wood.

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Original Page: http://georgeowood.com/rehash-leads-to-regrets-dont-dig-it-up/