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:: Thursday, August 21, 2003 ::

How to Give Ladies’ Devotions:
Fulfilling the Titus 2 Mandate

Introduction:
What is a Devotion?

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word, “devotion”
as, “…1a: religious fervor: PIETY b: an exercise or practice other than the regular corporate worship of a congregation…[2] b: the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal (as to an idea or person)…”

Toni Cunningham’s Definition of a Ladies’ Devotion: the act of sharing with one or more sisters in Christ, wisdom from God’s Word

Keep it Simple!


Cartoon Caption from a College Language Arts Class
Class:

Character A: Writing is easy! Just write about what you know!
Character B: I really don’t know about anything except chocolate.
Character A: Then, write about that!

Giving a devotion is a lot like writing, teaching, cooking, etc. You just have to care about what you're doing. Just as you don’t have to be a fabulous writer or renown author to write something edifying and uplifting, you don’t have to be a theology expert in order to share wisdom that you’ve learned from your walk with the Lord. You don’t have to be a highly educated or exceptionally intelligent person in order to teach others. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are all able and obligated to share with believers and non believers alike, the joy we have of being saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ, the sweetness and struggles of a daily walk with Him and our blessed future of our resurrection with Him.



II

Ideas for Devotions


The devotions we give are as variable as our different personalities, backgrounds and life experiences. Some of us know a great deal about theology and have been Christians for years, while perhaps others of us have been Christians for a short time and only know a few basics of the faith. All truths about God’s word are important and are worth sharing with others for the purpose of edifying the Body of Christ. Share with us. We need to hear what you have to say!

Devotions can last anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour, depending on how the woman giving it would like to structure it. It can be as colorful and creative, complex or simple as you would like to make it – no different than a quilting project or the preparing of a meal.

I’ve included some possible ideas for devotions:

Is there a particular scripture from the Psalms, Proverbs or one of the gospels that the Holy Spirit is ministering to you with and teaching you about right now? If so, read your women's group the scripture and tell them what you’ve gotten out of it. It is so much fun and so inspirational when someone speaks of a certain scripture, while someone else mentions that the very same passage is ministering to them at the same time. It’s one little way the Lord shows us how He works among us as a Body.

Think of a hymn, psalm from the psalter or praise song that you enjoy. Is there a certain line from the song that stands out to you? Pass out copies of the song so you can discuss Biblical truths from it and sing it as part of or after your devotion.

Perhaps there is a book that you’re reading that has inspired your walk, and you would like to share a passage from it. Nancy Wilson’s books are excellent for ladies’ devotions because they’re all based on a collection of essays on a variety of subjects of interest to Christian women. Just read the essay and share what you’ve learned. For example, good topics from Wilson's Book "The Fruit of Her Hands" could include, “Self-Evaluation at 11:00PM”, “Your Slip is Showing”, and “Respect When it’s Hard.”

Share giving a devotion with another sister if you’re nervous about speaking by yourself in front of a group of ladies. If a high strung person like myself can give a devotion, anyone can!) Public performance is frightening for most people (except for my husband) even if it’s among people we know well, love, and know love us. If the two of you share it, it will be less intimidating. Read the first few verses of a psalm or other lengthy scripture yourself, then the other lady can read the other half. Take turns sharing how that psalm has impacted your life. A note about reading out loud: It’s good preparation for eventually speaking out loud from your own notes, thoughts, etc.

A lecture format doesn’t appeal to every speaker. While some of us enjoy preparing and following an outline and giving a very serious devotion, others of us prefer sharing in a more fun and informal way – through drama, role playing, visual aids, puppets, etc., in order to teach Biblical truths. You may want your “audience” to participate in dialogue or activity rather than listen as in a lecture format.


lll

Preparation

Keep a journal (even if you can only write for five minutes a day early in the morning or late at night) and record your private devotions to the Lord as well as activities and events of the day. Keep sermon notes, so that you can draw from points of a sermon that impacted you. Keep your journal by your bed in case a thought comes to you at 2:00AM! Write down cute and profound things your small children or grandchildren say or ask about God or the Bible; or write about a homeschool or work project you’re doing that has taught you more about God’s world. Go through your journal and highlight a certain area that you might like to share, editing as needed. Then share what you’ve prepared with the other ladies! There’s no reason that simple, mundane events of your workday can’t be the subject of a devotion, as long as the theme is a Biblical one.


Ask for help! Ask your husband, elders or another sister in Christ for input and ideas. The older women love helping the younger women and are very flattered when asked for help. Give your devotion in front of your family or a couple of close lady friends for practice. Most importantly of all, pray before you give your devotion, that the other ladies will hear God’s truth and God’s wisdom through you, a sinner. This will help you to keep your eyes off yourself while glorifying God and serving others.


Conclusion:

Have fun and enjoy yourself! You’re giving a devotion as a way to minister to others, and it should be a joyful experience as what you share is certain to be a blessing. You’re not competing with more knowledgeable or older women, and they’re not in competition with you. Single women can teach married women. Women without children can teach women with ten children, and a woman with a high school education can teach a woman with a doctorate. As a unique woman of God, you’re an obedient servant and vessel of the Lord, and he has prepared you for every good work in Him.
:: Mal du siecle 8:18 PM [+] ::
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Questions and Answers

I have to be honest. I get a little nervous when the women answer all the questions in an Adult Sunday School. Last Sunday our teacher asked us who Marcion was and what teaching he was famous (notorious) for. My darling mother kept whispering to me, "Toni, you know this... raise your hand." I whispered back with through clenched teeth, "Most of the men know who he is, or ought to. Let one of them answer!"

Don't get me wrong. I believe that women should delve into any and all aspects of theology and thoroughly enjoy it. We have other women and children to teach from sunrise til sunset. I believe women should be as highly educated as possible (albeit under their parents' or husband's immediate authority) and should enjoy long talks with others about the depths of God's grace and the beauty of His perfect, soul-converting Law. Women should actively ask their husbands lots and lots of questions and their questions should be taken every bit as seriously as those asked by men.

However, we also need to be careful as women that we don't mollycoddle our brothers. Nancy Wilson often speaks in her book, "Praise Her in the Gates" about how sisters should respect their brothers by not making fun of them, and how mothers should respect their sons by telling them to be tough. When we answer for our men, ladies, we are taking over and allowing them to abdicate. Face it - we usurp, and we don't have to look or act like Rosie the Riveter to do it. We usurp while wearing long flowing hair and pretty dresses with flowers we embroidered ourselves without a hoop. We usurp with pretty voices, coy smiles with lipstick, and a crochet hook in our hands, just like hardcore feminists with chains hanging out of the pockets of men's jeans do. The latter woman's perverse clothing is just an example of feminist epistemological self-consciousness. She has simply acted the part for so long that she now prefers to look male. As Christians we must never think that because we love femininity and delicateness that we are exempt from the sin of usurpation. Let us not forget that Satan does most of his work through a mask of beauty only to entrap us in ugliness beyond belief later. It's his M.O since the garden.

Yes, we have the answers. I have lots and lots of answers to teachers' questions. Some of them are right answers and others are wrong answers I just happen to think are right in my arrogance. As women, we all have lots of answers because primarily we love to talk, and we do lots of reading and web-surfing and intense homeschooling, joyfully learning and relearning as we teach the children the Lord has given us. But there's something else we have lots of, my beloved sisters. We have brothers in our churches (and some of them in our homes) who are uncomfortable reading a passage out of the Bible in front of their families, or even praying over a meal in their own homes. We have brothers whose wives know more about hermeneutics, church polity, church history and Biblical Law than they do. This is more than a shame. It is a grave judgement on a nation.

In conclusion, if the men in your congregation are answering questions during Sunday School, go ahead and answer some too! However, be aware of your surroundings. If your Sunday School class tends to be filled with lots of ladies who do a lot of the answering and lots of men who remain silent, then it might be a good idea to show your sisters an example by keeping quiet, not because you don't know (or want to pretend you don't know in order to look submissive as a feminist would accuse) but rather out of a reslove to let the elders teach your husband; as well as out of your desire to teach him and others through the quietness of your voice and heart.

:: Mal du siecle 7:26 PM [+] ::
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On Government

I remember when I first picked up the Chalcedon Report and read R.J. Rushdoony's statement that as Americans we confuse the concepts of government and state. Because I too had always called the civil sphere "the government", this confused me a second. Then, I started listening for it in the media and in people's conversations and it's so true, it's scary. It's scary that this many people equate government with state. As Rushdoony stated in the film, "God's Law and Society", "We are implicitly totalitarian." Even our church bulletin in its prayer requests says, "Pray for our government leaders." I always want to say, "Who? Our elders? Our husbands? Our fathers? Mr. Walker who owns the health club I belong to?"

So, when I speak of the civil sphere, I try to say "civil government", "the civil magistrate", etc. (Nobody says "magistrate" in normal conversation, ever!) I always get some quizzical, interesting looks. Sometimes I still slip and say, "government".

Now, to have even more fun, I'll use the word "government" to describe family and church. I'll say things like, "my cell phone was comandeered by the government" (my husband needs my cellphone for work today) or, "government officials are coming to our home at 7:00PM tonight" (elders visit). It's so much fun to see people's eyes bug out of their heads as they imagine heads of state taking my cellphone and coming to my home - a truly scary thing, because seizure of private property and home invasion can and does happen in a totalitarian state, where that state is a pretender to divine authority.

Of course, the most basic unit of government is self-government, which is basic to liberty. Our bodies and souls belong to Christ and are under His Lordship, as is any form of government.

:: Mal du siecle 11:55 AM [+] ::
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Religion and Patriarchy

The late Dr.Greg Bahnsen preached a sermon once called, "What We Can Learn From Moslems." It was excellent. Dr. Bahnsen said that Moslems have the distinctive of believing not only that Allah is sovereign, but as followers of Allah they will be victorious in history.

I have made a few observations of my own:

As tyrannical as Islam is, it is still a religion that unashamedly and unabashedly promotes the concept of patriarchy. The Rousseauan, egalitarian ideology that has radically affected Europe and the United States is still a foreign concept to many people from Middle Eastern culture, and not just Moslems. Moslem women who become acculturated in the West do eventually succumb to feminism; (and Islamic tyranny is a sitting duck for it) however women from the Middle East are largely unfamiliar with it, and gladly accept their role of bearing many children and homemaking. (Many Islamic women understand Titus 2 better than Christians!) If Middle Eastern women do work, it is mostly within the context of a nuclear or extended family business.

I also remember listening to Greg Bahnsen's religious debate with Daniel Landis, representing Judaism and Muzamil Sidiqqi, representing Islam. One of the moderators, a woman, asked Mr. Siddiqi, that given the influence of women in leadership roles in Christianity and Judaism, how likely it would be if Moslem women were ever allowed to be imams (leaders of group Islamic prayers). Siddiqi didn't miss a beat when he said, "God has given men and women different roles." How many mainstream Christian pastors would answer that way, that quickly and that confidently?

Pastor Steve Schlissel From Messiah's Congregation in New York City elaborates on the importance of Christians living in community with one another in a sermon he gave on "Covenant Consciousness." He explained that Jewish people live in communities. So do Moslems, and the generational religious activity at the mosques reflect that sense of community. Even sodomites form communities because they know that if they do, they will become more relevent and more powerful in society.

In her book, "Not Without My Daughter", Betty Mahmoody describes in fascinating detail, living in the household of her husband's brother in law, Baba Haji. He rises faithfully at 4:30AM every morning to wake everyone living in his household for morning prayers. Every Moslem living there complies. Even the other husbands and fathers in the home recognize the headship of this Islamic patriarch. She describes Baba Haji's household authority as permeating the home, even when he is away. (It reminds me of the same Christian concept of biblical, patriarchal authority that Doug Wilson describes in his book, "Reforming Marriage".)

Can you imagine Christian men waking their households up at 4:30AM like clockwork for morning devotions (and I'm not talking reading for 10 minutes from some little daily devotional magazine) and vigorous Psalm singing to start the day? Imagine thousands of Christian grandfathers and fathers doing that several times per week if not per day with their families, and teaching their sons and grandsons to lead their families, sons and grandsons the same way. Western society would change radically, and the Lord would flood us, His people with the promises of Deuteronomy 28 vv 1-14 instead of multiplying to us the curses contained in the same chapter, vv 15-68.

An exciting thing to think about indeed.


:: Mal du siecle 11:53 AM [+] ::
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Why I Won't Recite the Pledge of Allegiance

A pledge to an indivisible nation is idolatrous. Only God in His Holy Trinity and Christ in His dual natures are indivisible. We can read about Trinitarian and Christological indivisibility in the genius Athenasian Creed Against Arius and in the Definition of Chalcedon. When we declare a mere nation to be indivisible, we are attributing absolute, sovereign power and authority to that nation, rather than to our Indivisible Triune God and His glorious Christ. This idolatry is an abomination that guarantees the same type of judgement and tyrannical government that Israel begged for and received in I Sam 8. Our nation was not founded as an indivisible union, but as a republic of republics - indeed a divisible nation of confederated states.


:: Mal du siecle 11:50 AM [+] ::
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Feast or Famine? A Look at Our Culture and The Lord's Supper

What has happened to us that now we eat broken matzo crackers and drink Ocean Spray or Grape Maneshewitz in little plastic cups? Could it be that our predictable, meager portions are the sober symbolization of a greater spiritual starvation, much more grave than we have realized? Could it be that all of our fellowship church suppers, hospitality, fancy china, tablecloths and folded napkins, dads carving turkeys and roasts at family dinners, poetry reading and other family dinnertime rituals are our way of trying to connect with this commandment that's written on our hearts as God's people? What are we as the Lord's people teaching the world about the His Supper? Although it is not for them, they know we eat it, and they have a general idea of how we go about it. They see a God who for 20 minutes monthly or quarterly feeds people ages 13 and over crumbs and a thimble of juice. And as God's armory we wring our hands and wonder why we are powerless to end infanticide and sodomy and make our enemies flee before us seven ways.


:: Mal du siecle 11:45 AM [+] ::
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On Redemptive Historical Preaching

First of all, let me say I am heartfully thankful for covenant theology and for redemptive history. I am thankful for a God who has ordained all things that come to pass and for a Sovereign Lord who has chosen a people for Himself in Christ, calling the dead to life. I am thankful that the scriptures point us to Christ in the way of beautiful types and shadows. However, I am concerned that so many preachers expound on these beautiful doctrines of the reformed faith without confronting their congregations about how to apply their glorious salvation to every area of life.

It's so easy to give narratives and expound on doctrines from the pulpit. Hardly any reformed believer is going to disagree with redemptive history, the TULIP or the need to look to Christ for his salvation. The pastor can tell a redemptive narrative, (complete with appropriate types and shadows) exort the people to look to Christ for salvation, pronounce the benediction and go home and rest with his family. What's difficult is confronting the congregation with the application of God's Law-Word in every area of life. And if the pastor does this, that's when controversy begins. People will go up to the pastor after church and say things like, "You're supposed to be preaching Christ, not law!" (like that's possible.) or,
"It's none of your business if I tithe, or how I raise my children or live my life."

The next time someone says, "I want to hear Christ preached, not hear about men" I'm going to say,
"Well, in order to preach Christ, it's necessary to acknowledge his humanity and our humanity being conformed to Christ's image. If you want a religion that exalts the invisible over the visible, attend a Zen lecture at the local state university."

If pastors do not start preaching God's law and for Christ's Crown Rights to be pressed into society, very soon the "neutral" State will take away their right to give even their comfortable, non confrontational, redemptive/historical narratives. The "neutral" State will not be content to silence us regarding sodomy and abortion. It will not rest until it converts us from Christ to its damnable antichrist of a false diety, by any means necessary. If it happened to Rome, we must not think for one moment that the same thing cannot happen to the United States. It is already happening, while pastors preach directly or indirectly, false concepts such as the neutrality of the state, law being the opposite of grace, the inability to legislate morality, the devil's reign on earth; and that we as Christians should continue to beg for a place at the "Table of Ideas". All the while, Christian men, women, boys and girls are growing sleepy and fat on a doctrine that reduces all of the living and active marrow penetrating Law-Word of God to overly spiritualized types and shadows.

Christ's very words should make us shudder: "Then He said to them, 'For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.' Mark 4:25

May God have mercy upon us for the sake of His Ruling and Reigning Christ.



:: Mal du siecle 11:39 AM [+] ::
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Getting a Clue on Servitude: Our Real Job

The apostle Paul instructs slaves to obey their masters, and conversely tells masters how to treat their slaves. Whether we like it or not, these instructions are in God's Word. It would behoove us to agree on this important point with the liberals and higher critics when they challenge us with it. They have in the past and they will continue to do so. The Bible permits slavery and does not call it a sin.

Christ has made us his bondservants, and he himself was a servant to His Father in heaven in order to fulfill all righteousness. It seems to me that if we're going to call slavery sinful, we have to call all servitude sinful; and the implications of that are frightening and blasphemous when we consider who Christ was on the earth as the sinless Godman and the servants HE COMMANDS us to be - most importantly to Him and then to others. Furthermore, under the Holy Spirit's inspiration, Paul thanks Philemon for bringing his runaway slave Onesimus back to him. If we followed the logic that slavery is evil in and of itself, the Apostle Paul, writer of two thirds of the New Testament under the Holy Spirit's inspiration, would not qualify to be a member of our churches.

I am impressed by the number of languages that employ honorifics. We have lost honorific language in our increasingly arbitrary English. In Persian, for example, there is an interesting way of addressing oneself to a superior, where instead of using the first person singular, "man", the word, "band-e" meaning "slave" in the third person singular is employed. Since Persian is an Indo-European language, "band-e" is likely related to the word "bound" etymologically. We are bound in service to God, and bound to the service of others. This work is a necessary part of our sanctification as Christians. Ultimately, we do not work in order to be paid a salary or a wage. We work for the glory of God alone. Sometimes we don't even get thanked.

It is no wonder and no coincidence that since domestic slavery was abolished in the states, our egalitarian society has attempted to and has practically succeeded in destroying any other type of servitude - wife to husband, child to parent, student to teacher, parishoner to elder, employee to employer - all in the favor of making us slaves to a unitary centralized state.

Again, Steve Wilkins was right on in the video, "The Great Civil War Debate" when he said in his closing argument that the issue is that "no one wants to be a servant to anyone anymore." Related to this is another poignant quote by Susan Hunt, author of the book, "The True Woman" who in it called Cain's sarcastic question, "Am I my brother's keeper" the "cry of the unregenerate man".

Indeed, Cain's impudent question, "Am I my brother's keeper" is the cry of the man who prefers slavery to the City of Man rather than to the City of God and its King - a loving Master who calls us his friends.



:: Mal du siecle 11:31 AM [+] ::
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Tithe or Tyranny?


Yesterday our pastor preached on tithing. It was an excellent sermon, and he made absolutely no apologies for God's law requiring a tenth of our income. It was a direct, good kick in the pants that we all needed. I thank the Lord that our church has such a bold pastor, willing to confront us and our sin as a congregation.

The tithe was designed by God in order that the needs of people be met by other godly families. It is a necessary protection against state tyranny. The state was never designed to meet our physical needs. It was designed to defend our borders and administer the physical sword. Of the family, the church and the state, the state alone has the power of coercion unto death. That's why it has to be severely limited in its functions. It is designed to be a terror to the evil doer - that's it.

Now more than ever, Christians need to tithe in order to gut the fat, greedy, beastly State machine. It's not getting any smaller. It's going to require more and more of us, our children and grandchildren as long as there are people who desire security over liberty. Tithing 10% is easier said than done - I know firsthand. My husband and I have struggled tremendously with this discipline. (So, please don't take me as a self righteous tithing queen! I'm not!) Our pastor's sermon, while refreshing, convicted us deeply. All we could do, as when David was confronted by the prophet Nathan, is say, "I have sinned against the Lord."

The way families are taxed right now, tithing takes an extraordinary amount of self-discipline and cutting back. Too many people aren't willing to do what it takes. But it's the only way out of statist oppression. May God help us! It is a struggle that the Christian of any financial status has. It can be as much of a discipline to give 2K a month as it is to give $150.00 per month.

If the church were obedient to God's command to tithe, we wouldn't experience the godless taxation of up to 50% of our income. We would see privatized, first rate services being provided to people - medicine, parks, roads, education, etc instead of the third rate services we see today with endless, intrusive, demoralizing, time consuming bureaucratic red tape. The Lord is so merciful by demanding 10%. His commandments are not only unburdensome, but bring immense blessing.

Start with 10% of your pocket and purse change at first if you feel overwhelmed with this discipline. Ladies, our purses need to be cleaned out regularly anyway! Saturday night before bedtime is a good place to do this, or those early morning hours whiled away with coffee and the Sunday paper's coupons. Even little children can be given small amounts of money to drop in the collection plate each week. Use your own creative judgement based on your own household. Being consistently faithful in this small way will help us to work with larger sums of money in our households. Respectfully tell your husband that you want and need his ruling in the area of the tithe, and be willing to lovingly submit to his direction. Keep each other accountable. If your pastor preaches on tithing, thank him graciously and together with your husband seek his and your session's advice on tithing and your finances if you need to. They want to help you! It's their job.

Unfortunately, too many pastors don't want to confront their congregations from the pulpit on the tithe as well as other issues. They don't want some congregant coming up to the podium after the sermon and screaming at them. But if our families are going to tithe, pastors have to be confrontational toward husbands and fathers about their lives and homes. Until this happens, the civil government is going to continue to require 10% and more from us. God gave Israel the King they begged for and he is doing the same thing to these United States. May our merciful Lord help us to discipline ourselves hourly as we shop, daily as we spend, weekly as we save for the offering plate, and monthly as we review our spending. We can do it! You can do it!


:: Mal du siecle 10:58 AM [+] ::
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Reclaiming the Veil
A Commentary on 1 Corinthians 11:1-23
By Antonia Cunningham

The purpose of this message is not to argue for the validity of women’s headcoverings. Explicit commands of scripture are to be obeyed. However, as we look at the passage, the Apostle Paul is telling men not to veil their heads and conversely, telling women to wear a material covering, period. We are not at liberty to interpret this passage differently than it was delivered. If there is any difficulty with this passage, it is due to wicked and useless arguments that the same author condemns in 1 Timothy, thus cheapening the theological beauty of the text and relegating it to obscurity and cultural irrelevance. There is simply a wicked unwillingness in our society to simply obey what is being communicated in First Corinthians to believers by God Himself through the Apostle Paul. As with so many other issues today, the Church wishes to conform to the culture rather than conform the culture to Holy Scripture. Pastors and elders who are adamant about doctrines such as paedobaptism conveniently misinterpret if not ignore the explicit doctrine of the Christian woman’s veiling. We should not be surprised at all then, when husbands and fathers dismiss it and when wives and daughters scorn it.

If there is any interpretive liberty for this passage, it lies in the frequency of the practice rather than in the liberty to practice it at all. I believe that the context calls for the minimum requirement of donning the covering during corporate Sunday worship since the rules for practicing the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper follow immediately afterward. Whether a Christian woman chooses to wear the covering more frequently, such as for family or private devotions, Bible studies, etc., should be left to her discretion and/or the discretion of her household head.

The headcovering is not burdensome. For what does a woman lose by wearing a hat or a scarf for two hours a week? It isn’t as though she has been obligated to adhere to the strict women’s dress code of Islam, or worse, forced to wear men’s clothing to fight in a war, or worse yet, forced to wear the clothing of a woman sold into prostitution. Our clothing will either reflect submission to the yearnings of our flesh and the dictates of a pagan government (not just civil government!) or it will reflect our obedience and allegiance to God's rules laid out in scripture. The covering doesn't need to look dowdy. In fact, it should look regal. After all, we are daughters of the King. Be creative with your coverings, ladies!

A pastor's wife and dear friend of mine once explained how great Christ's submission to the Father was, and that no one can match that submission. God's Christ was willing to be clothed in human flesh to fulfill all righteousness and take our deserved wrath. I don't see the headcovering as something I have to wear, but rather, something I get to wear in order to honor Christ and my husband within God's divine order.


:: Mal du siecle 10:56 AM [+] ::
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The Importance of Trinitarian Prayer

The doctrine of the the Holy Trinity is under attack in modern evangelicalism. And I'm not speaking of heretical, modalistic groups such as the "Oneness Pentecostal" or "Apostolic Pentecostal" movements. I'm speaking of mainline churches that have sadly compromised this and many other important theological distinctives for the purpose of providing a mentally user friendly atmosphere and focusing on "felt needs". The doctrine of the Trinity, like any aspect of Christian theology, is a difficult one to understand and communicate, so it is easy for many churches to downplay this very important aspect of God's nature.

A cursory understanding of the economic Trinity (the roles of the Three Persons in the Godhead) is necessary in order to understand any and all aspects of life that involve unity and plurality. There is a lot of talk of diversity and unity these days, both from within the Church and from without; and it's crucial that as Christians we understand why plurality and unity are issues in the first place. This article is about prayer, so in order to more thoroughly study the subject of unity and plurality as they relate to the Godhead, I recommend the late Rousas John Rushdoony's book, "The One and The Many."

I don't know how many times I've heard many dear saints begin their prayers with "Dear Father" or "Dear Lord" and end them "in Your Name, Amen". That is an example of a unitarian prayer - a prayer to one member of the Godhead without acknowledging the other Persons who are equally God. Sadly, too many of our civil leaders, if they do pray at all, pray this way in order to show "tolerance" to adherents of other faiths.
Members of the Unity School of Christianity who deny the deity of Christ pray in this way also. Some prayers further this blasphemy by a reference
to God as "Mother" in order to cater to feminist philosophy.

In church circles, sometimes the Father is prayed to and the Son's Name is mentioned, but the precious Holy Spirit is not. I know that many people will think that this is splitting hairs, however it is important that we honor the Lord's Name, as it is thrice holy. (Isaiah 6:3)

Christianity is trinitarian, not unitarian as are Islam, Judaism, or the United Pentecostal (not to be confused with trinitarian Pentecostal Churches) and Jehovah's Witnesses cults. Nowadays it is more important than ever as these false religions compete more and more zealously with trinitarian Christianity that we practice the distinctive of trinitarian prayer. The One, Holy, True and Living God has revealed Himself to us in the Persons of the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit, and we should speak to Him as He has revealed Himself. To do any less is to break the third commandment.

First, we need to acknowledge the Father who is Head of the Son. (1 Cor 11:3) Because of Christ's death on the cross, we can approach the throne boldy and cry, "Abba". (Gal 4:6) After we have praised Him, confessed our sins, thanked Him for His blessings and made our requests known to Him, we ask Him to honor our prayer in Christ's Name, since our righteousness is in Christ. And we acknowledge the Holy Spirit, by whose Power alone these groanings are uttered. (Zech 4:6)

Obviously, it takes discipline to pray in a way that is honoring to the Lord, and not every prayer has to be the same. We can also begin our prayers acknowledging the "Holy Triune God" and then close, saying for example, "I ask these things by the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' Name." We can honor the thrice Holy Lord without the burden of having all our ducks in a row. Nonetheless, our words are to be chosen wisely. Our God is not unitarian, but uncompromisingly trinitarian. Let us address Him as such.


:: Mal du siecle 10:47 AM [+] ::
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Our Comfort Zones

My good friend Carmon Friedrich referred to herself and the members of her family as Country Mice, nostalgically reminding me of the beautifully illustrated children's story (I think we have a copy of my old book in the basement) of the Country Mouse and the City Mouse. What I do remember about the story is that these mice took turns visiting with one another and each went through quite a bit of humorous culture shock in the other's habitat.

While I can intellectually appreciate agrarianism, understand the biblical economics of it and deeply admire my brothers and sisters who farm and raise goats, chickens and horses, the agrarian lifestyle is just really not that appealing to me. I confess that I'm sort of a princess and don't like mud and animal smells. (I've only just begun to appreciate our kitty!) While I am an unapologetic omnivore and love almost any kind of meat, I cannot see myself slaughtering anything more complex than a mosquito! I admit that I enjoy the conveniences of living close to the city where there are cafes, libraries, bookstores, exotic restaurants and unique shops.

I sometimes I wonder if my preference for a suburban and urban lifestyle is that I was raised on the Left Coast with so much humanistic influence for so long that it's hard to take the da*ned yankee out of this California Copperhead! I still say, "you guys" when talking to my girlfriends! And then I start thinking like some reconstructionists who believe that Christians should live in the cities in order to take dominion over them also, as they are the Lord's; and if all the Christians move rurally then the cities will get worse as there is no salt and light there. And then again, I start thinking about conversations with my friends who are for agrarianism and think of all the little rural local Christian communities that are cropping up, and how exciting it would be if there were enough so that our United states could be free again.

Perhaps, when all is said and done, the question we ask ourselves as Christian women is,

"Would I be willing to give up all the conveniences of suburbia and city life in order to learn and grow accustomed to an agrarian lifestyle if it meant my freedom to worship the Triune God, have land and be a wife to my husband and a mother to my children?

By God's grace alone we would have to say, "Absolutely." Abram left Ur of the Chaldees to follow the Lord, and he probably left a lot of convenient (not to mention sinful) things behind in order to trust God's Promise.

We may not all be called to leave the comforts of the city, however as Christians, there are definitely comforts that we need to forsake - our many comfortable sins, comfortable, but
unbiblical presuppositions that make us popular with others, comfortable but sinful relationships, debt, etc.

I recently got back into Step Aerobics this last week after slacking off for awhile. I put my usual two levels under my step and have just begun to feel the lactic acid bear fruit in my muscles. I would be so much more comfortable if I hadn't gone to that step class Tuesday night! However, I know that if I didn't get back into my exercise routine, my muscles and metabolism would have atrophied. I had to experience some discomfort in order to gain something better.

All of our lives, families and circumstances are unique. However, just as God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts, His comforts are higher than our comforts.

:: Mal du siecle 10:43 AM [+] ::
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An Analysis of Femininity From Proverbs 31 by Antonia Cunningham

Note: This post not only applies to married women, but to girls who are still under the authority of parents; single adult women, and widows. It is not meant to be a legalistic list of do’s and don’ts, although it will bring conviction based on the fact that Proverbs 31:10-31 is the infallible Word of God. Believe me, this post was very difficult to write as I saw detail by detail how exceedingly sinful I am. Remember that the only human who ever perfectly lived the “Proverbs life” was Jesus Christ. We have His righteousness and the Holy Spirit will steadily work on all of us to “clean up our femininity”.

V10 “Far above rubies”

A woman who displays the following characteristics will be noticed in the midst of women who do not. Finding such a wife will be difficult, but not impossible. The context of this verse may also indicate that women friends, church members, teachers, students and employees who bear these characteristics will also be hard to find.

V11,12 “The heart of her husband safely trusts her so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.”

Her husband can trust his wife with the checkbook and the credit cards and not to overspend their budget.

Her husband can trust her not to gossip to her friends about his faults and their problems. He can trust her to not belittle him when he is wrong about a decision or when he makes a mistake. The teaching and ruling elders of a congregation can trust this woman not to gossip about them and to respect and trust their authority in the church. The father of a Proverbs 31 daughter can trust her to not shame the family name through immorality.

This woman can also be trusted to dress modestly as to not shame or embarrass her husband and not to cause other brothers to stumble.

V13 "She seeks wool and flax and willingly works with her hands."

The feminine woman knows how to mend, sew, knit, crochet or quilt. She is able to cook. That is not to say that she needs to make every piece of clothing that the family owns, or that she makes exotic seven course meals for the family every night. (In fact, many meals will be simple, inexpensive and good tasting recipes.) However, she is willing to learn enough so that the home will be a comfortable place for the family and for hospitality. She will be comfortable enough with her cooking so that she can provide good tasting, nutritious meals for a suitor, family, or fellowship that can be frozen for later and nuked in a hurry. –i.e., burritos, spaghetti, etc.





V14 "She is like the merchant ships, she brings her food from afar."

A feminine woman shops at thrift stores and outlets. She is willing to travel out of her way for a good deal, even though the same thing may be available close by for a higher price. She does not always have to shop at Pier 1 Imports and Nordstrom. It is not beneath her to shop at stores that aren’t as attractive looking as others or those stores that play annoying 50’s songs when she prefers to shop to soft jazz. In her wisdom, she knows that store music is subliminal and that she is likely to spend more money in a store that plays music she likes. Plus, she may also be tempted to ask the salesperson what is playing and order the CD online when she gets home from the store. (I write this because I’ve done it.)


V15 "She also rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and a portion for her maidservants."

A feminine woman does not sleep until noon unless she is sick or incapacitated. She will be up early enough to get her many chores done. A single woman who works outside the home or attends classes during the day will especially do these things early in the morning so she has time to rest or fellowship after work or classes. She will use the oven, washing machine and dishwasher before 12:00PM and after 6:00PM to keep the energy bill as low as possible. She will be available and ready to answer any morning phone calls coherently and pleasantly.

V16 "She considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard."

A feminine woman will make money from her many talents. She may give music, sewing, quilting, gardening or cooking lessons. She may hold craft fairs and shows. All of the above may or may not take place in the home. A feminine woman uses wisdom in large investments like homes, cars and college tuition.

V17 "She girds herself with strength and strengthens her arms."

A feminine woman knows the value of physical fitness and a healthy diet. She eats sensibly and limits her intake of junk foods. She takes walks with her husband, other brothers and sisters in Christ, and children, marveling at God’s creation. She may have a set of weights at home that she can lift for a few minutes a day. She does stretching exercises to keep herself as flexible and supple as possible. She plays with her children at home and in the park. She is not so exhausted at the end of the day that she cannot be physically available to her husband or alert at meetings, evening classes or Bible studies.

V18 "She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night."

A feminine woman will be familiar enough with her talent or merchandise so that she knows that what she is selling to others is good. She is ready to answer any and all questions that consumers may have about it. She is studied up on God’s Word and is able to give a defense for the Hope that lies within her with gentleness and respect. A feminine woman is willing to learn how to use a concordance, fat systematic theology books and commentaries. She is prepared to answer difficult questions at a job interview and on school exams. She will stay up late to tend to a sick husband or child or finish housework or other project.

V19 "She stretches out her hands to the distaff and her hand holds the spindle."

A feminine woman is busy in her work. She confidently works the piano keys, violin bow, crochet hook, electric mixer, word processor or gardening tools. She knows these things so well that she can teach others to use them.

V20 "She extends her hand to the poor, Yes she reaches out her hands to the needy."

A feminine woman senses needs without them having to be verbalized. She brings meals to homes where there is a sick or incapacitated brother or sister in Christ. She may take a sister’s children into her home for a few hours while their mother has a break or emergency. She ministers the Word of God to other women and children. She shares the gospel with the unsaved, realizing that the unsaved are the neediest of all.

V21 "She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet."

A feminine woman saves for emergencies. She balances her checkbook carefully and makes sure there is enough money in the bank account for emergencies and monthly check fees. She stores food in her freezer and in her cupboards. She keeps her home, room or apartment clean. She learns earthquake and tornado preparedness. She learns First Aid and CPR. She keeps a Self-Care Guide available from the family medical insurance and reads it so she knows what to visit the doctor for and what to treat at home. She is able to pass on any information to others in order to save them time and money. She uses warm clothes and blankets in the winter instead of turning the thermostat up. She learns how to put air in the tires and check the oil, adding a quart if necessary. Most importantly, she puts her trust in the Lord, knowing that He is working everything for her good and that he holds the tempest in His Hand.


V22 "She makes tapestry for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple."

A feminine woman honors the Lord in her dress and adornment. She is able to sew and dress nicely, even if she can only afford to buy clothes at thrift stores. No matter what her economic status, she realizes that her finest clothes are Christ’s robes of righteousness that He alone has clothed her with. And she is able to boast in Him alone. (Eph 2:8, 9)

V23 "Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land."

A feminine woman respects her husband, and he is in turn respected by his peers and superiors. She gives him a good reputation. She works hard in the home so that her husband can work successfully outside the home. The feminine woman behaves and reaches out in such away that those visiting the church she attends will want to return, thus making the congregation grow. The feminine daughter will respect her father in such a way that people will be attracted to his family and household.


V25 "Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come"

The feminine woman does not get depressed about the future, because she knows it is in the Hands of a sovereign God. Neither does she live in the past. (Eccl 6:10) She doesn’t fret about deadlines, meetings and appointments, but sees them as opportunities for growth and service unto the Lord. She doesn’t get caught up in all sorts of strange teachings, (Col. 2:8) i.e., prophecies about the “end of the world”, worldwide conspiracies and other sensationalism in the media.

V26 "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness."

A feminine woman is watchful of her words, realizing that she will have to give an account for all of them. She does not gossip or tolerate gossip from others. She listens in a conversation without constantly interrupting with her own stories and opinions. She allows others to express their views without becoming angry and impatient. Her speech is proper, but not annoyingly lofty or pretentious.

V27 "She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness."

A feminine woman uses her time wisely at home, school and at church. She does not fill endless hours watching television, talking on the phone with girlfriends or surfing the web. She makes sure that all the affairs of the household are taken care of, i.e., bills paid, taxes done, and necessary errands run. She begins homeschooling early enough to make sure there is enough time left in the day for other activities. Her children are watched and disciplined carefully and lovingly. She uses bank and grocery lines as opportunities for such things as friendly conversation with others, purse and coupon organization and balancing the checkbook instead of complaining about long lines.

V28 "Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also and he praises her."

A godly woman's children openly love their mother. This can be seen in the smile and squeal of a young baby as he greets his mother from his crib in the morning, or in the service of an older daughter who makes her mother breakfast. Her children understand what it means to obey the fifth commandment, because their parents show an example by obeying their leaders. The children see their father honoring their mother daily, and follow his lead.

V29 “Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all”.

The feminine woman is respected by her family members and church. They are thankful for her many sacrifices, gifts and ministry.

V30 "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised".

As women, we are natural charm machines. No one has to teach a little girl or a woman to use wiles to get her way. However the regenerate woman understands that charm and beauty don't always equal godliness. And her goal is to be godly, even if it charms no one.


V31 "Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates."

Femininity is not about makeup and attractive clothing, although a woman’s femininity may be expressed in these areas. Femininity is the fear of the Lord in a woman. It is the knowledge and praise that He has made her and not she herself, which is the cry of much of feminism. She knows that the God who made her is able to destroy her body and soul for unrepentance, but has saved her and set her upon the Rock who is Christ.







:: Mal du siecle 10:39 AM [+] ::
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Against the Proletarization of Women

• By Antonia Cunningham ~ May 7, 2003 •




Until the latter half of the nineteenth century, the American family was viewed and regarded as a legitimate sphere of powerful economic and influential government, complete with land, an armed defense, a covenant head, and that covenant head's subjects. (The word "economy" literally means the law of the home.) Christian men often held positions as statesmen and justices in the civil sphere as well as ruling positions in the ecclesiastical sphere. However, as men became influenced by the Jacobin, egalitarian philosophy of the French Revolution and began to follow Unitarian religious philosophy rather than the Calvinism of their eighteenth century Puritan heritage, the family began to be much less influential. Biblical covenantalism and federalism gave way to anti-biblical democratic individualism. The doctrine that a woman's place is in the home was as recently as 50 years ago held by most Americans, not just Christians. It was only challenged when the humanistic Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s began to influence our nation.

Marriage is an economic institution. God has created the woman to be the helper of man, not to be a provider. The woman is an object of provision - otherwise the man's role as provider is meaningless. If the husband is not providing for the home, he should be severely rebuked and disciplined by the Church, until he demonstrates that he is providing for his wife. However, it is just as wrong for the wife to provide physical food for the home in response to her husband’s abdication as it would be for women to provide spiritual food to the congregation if male elders are teaching heresy. It was Adam who was given instruction to till the ground and provide.

As politically incorrect as the biblical view for the woman's place in the home is today, the biblical mandate on this issue (as any other) must be upheld, and God's Supreme Law-Word must be obeyed over the rules of men (Acts 5:29). When the Bible gives examples of women working, this work is always home-based. Some examples are Dorcas (Acts 9:36–42), Lydia (Acts 16:14,15,40), and the woman of Proverbs 31.

A married woman who works for another man is literally forced to obey two economic masters, and is consequently unable to be subject to her husband in everything as the Lord commands (Eph. 5:24). The husband also disobeys the Lord when he gives his wife to another for economic support. He is no longer providing for his wife. Instead, another man is now providing for her, and she is in his charge. On a collective level, this abdication leads to the tyranny of socialism and statism, a phenomenon that is increasingly prevalent in the United States as biblical, familial, ecclesiastical, and civil federalism and localism continue to be eroded by antinomian pietism, secular humanism, and mob rule.

As shown in Marx and Engels' Communist Manifesto, one of the first objectives of socialism is to seize private property that God has authoritatively and graciously given to mankind through the positive sanctions of His eighth commandment. One of the ways a socialist society is built is through taking the woman out of her biblical, natural sphere of the home and placing her in the workforce alongside the men - all in the name of an economic and social egalitarian, utopian ideal.

"It is already clear at this point that the emancipation of woman, her equalisation with man, is and remains impossible so long as the woman is excluded from the productive work of society and remains restricted to private household work. The emancipation of woman first becomes possible when she is able on an extensive, social scale, to participate in production, and household work claims her attention only to an insignificant extent. And this for the first time has been made possible by large scale industry, which not only admits women’s labor over a wide range, but absolutely demands it, and also strives to transform private household work more and more into public industry." ~ Friedrich Engels, co-author of The Communist Manifesto
I believe there is a direct correlation between feminist careerism and the high property taxes that are forced upon property owners today. Unemployment skyrocketed in the 1960s when women left the home and men were forced to compete with women for employment. Herein lies another reason why I believe a woman should not leave the sphere of the home to work. We cannot, in good Christian conscience, be employed in jobs that men need for the support of their wives and children.

A married woman is employed in the most important job in the world. She works in her and her husband’s home - under their vine and fig tree, on their land, under God's primary and her husband's secondary federal and economic authority. No firm can pay a woman to care for children or an elderly parent. No business can pay a salary worthy of a woman praying with a hurting sister over muffins and coffee at 11:00 a.m. on a Tuesday. No president of a company can pay a wife to give her husband a much needed foot massage after a good, hard day's work. No CEO in any corporation can pay a woman to make a home-cooked meal for her family or for a bedridden brother in Christ.

During the War for Southern Independence 140 years ago, many black Confederates fought for their freedom to be stewards of their own land and that of their masters, refusing to be subjected to the tyranny of a coercive, centralized Unitarian State in the name of emancipation. In the same way, let us, as married women, contend for our God-given right to be full-time housewives to our husbands and servants to other members of the Body of Christ, forsaking the world's current administration of centralized government, socialism, and statism.

To be sure, I am in no way saying that a woman should be confined to the home or that she cannot make money from the home. Indeed, this is the hallmark of the Proverbs 31 woman. I believe that as long as it does not interfere with the work of the home, the wife is also free to work in her husband’s office or with him in a partnership situation (such as a legal or medical practice). I teach and have taught piano lessons from our home for some time in order to earn money for the household. However, this is not meant to be provisional income (as our role as women is that of helper and not provider), but income used for the decor and beautification of the home. I am under deep biblical conviction that this economic arrangement serves not only to protect women from their usurping, independent, sinful tendencies, but also the man from his sinful tendency of abdication. This type of administration also collectively fulfills the dominion mandate since it helps to benefit society as a whole and strengthen familial government.

It is no wonder that so many evangelical Christian women today are entering seminaries with what I believe is mostly a sincere desire to provide spiritual nourishment to starving, backslidden, or apostate congregations; this same generation of women has been told the lie that it is their responsibility to provide economically for their own households. It is inconsistent to tell women that they may not have a career in the pulpit or in the armed services (this includes combative roles) if we as a Church are unwilling to specifically tell women that their role or "career" is to be their husband's helper as keeper of the home. Egalitarian roles in the powerful and influential sphere of the family will inexorably create a secular humanistic state, leading to both spiritual and economic slavery and tyranny (1 Sam 8:1-18; Isaiah 3:1-12). The only way to avoid this tyranny is for married women to be keepers at home, that the Word of God may not be blasphemed (Titus 2:4).

"I would give a woman not more rights, but more privileges. Instead of sending her to seek such freedom as notoriously prevails in banks and factories, I would design specially a house in which she can be free." ~ G.K. Chesterson

:: Mal du siecle 10:36 AM [+] ::
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