Modesty

 “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

     Every day we make choices. The clothes we wear may not seem all that important in the grand scheme of life to anyone other than ourselves. Our clothes, however, speak volumes about us. Complete strangers may be able to surmise our gender, age, ethnicity, economic status, education, vocation, personality, and even character based upon what we wear. Employers, teachers, parents and peers will all take notice of our attire. The adornment of our bodies can either reinforce or change their ideas about each of us. The way we dress just may make the difference in obtaining a job, receiving an “A” on a school presentation, or making a good first impression and quickly earning the respect of our friends. Before we decide what we should wear tomorrow, let’s consider what God has to say on the subject of modesty.

      1 Samuel 16:7: “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Could a Christian use this verse to gloss over the subject of proper dress and modesty? Do not neglect the beginning of this verse. "As man sees" implies human beings do perceive others according to their physical appearances. We should therefore adorn ourselves outwardly to reflect our "inner man" to others. Anything else would be hypocritical. Also note that God was very concerned about the attire the High Priest would wear when appearing before Him (Exodus 28). Coming before God dressed inappropriately brought dire consequences (verse 43).

     Modesty is not only about the way we dress, but also the way we behave. 1 Peter 3:3-6:

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement."

     Peter instructs Christian ladies to adorn themselves with a meek and quiet spirit. A meek spirit in this context is a spirit of humility. Peter illustrates this attitude by describing godly women who in humility placed themselves under the authority of their husbands. The grace of humility is essential for submitting to authority and is a rare and precious adornment for a Christian lady.

     Legalism is generally cried out when this subject is approached. However, strict adherence to the law is not an undesirable quality. Law is an established rule that must be observed if society is to have any resemblance of a high quality of life. Even civil law is established by our all wise God and is beneficial not only for those who observe and respect the law but also for the disobedient (Romans 13:1-7). Just as surely as God required Israel to follow the ceremonial law in their worship, just that surely the moral law of God was given not only to Israel but to all mankind and His requirements have not been repealed. God does not haphazardly introduce His commands. Each command of God has its own divine purpose and morality and decency is a divine requirement.

     As we go through life, let us choose to dress for success. Modesty and proper dress play a large role in our physical and spiritual maturity. If we serve and follow Christ, we should dress in a manner that shows respect to Him and our brothers and sisters in the faith. Love and respect resound as Christian Living basics. Dressing appropriately therefore helps us keep the two great commandments of love for God and love for our fellow man.
Haron

Don't Worry, Be Happy

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Matthew 6:34

     We spend so much time wrapped up in day to day trials, hardships and daily troubles, we are always looking forward. But not with hope, but with worry. We look forward, trying to control the future: "[while we] do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is [our] life? For [we] are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes" (James 4:14). God has control over what has happened, what will happen, and what is happening. And He has the best plans for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11).

     Our lives our short. In the grand scheme of things, a hundred years is a blink. This doesn't mean we should live a Carpe Diem lifestyle (Carpe Diem has nothing to do with fish, by the way, it is a Latin saying, meaning "seize the day!" and is generally summed up as "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.") but we should use the time we have wisely and not waste it by worrying about the future: "And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his span of life?" (Matthew 6:27). Worrying doesn't help. "In every life we have some trouble/When you worry you make it double/Don't worry, be happy," Bobby McFerrin sings in his song "Don't Worry, Be Happy," and he's right. Worrying gets us nowhere; in fact it makes us worse off than before.

     The song fails, however, to give us something to put our hope in instead of worrying. Sure, don't worry; okay, I get that. But you will worry if you don't have something bigger to put your hope in. Christ is that something. Dozens of passages, like Matthew 6, Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 28:26 and more, tell us to trust in God to "lean not on our own understanding" because He has the power and love to keep us safe and cared for.

     Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 66:25-26, 28-30)

     I have a 1974 AMC Javelin; I got it a little over a year ago off Craigslist. It was partially restored, but it needed a lot more work. But I had no money. Long story short, I've spent the last year or so spending very little money and looking for a job, with no luck. Eventually I let it go. If God wants me or fix this car, He'll provide the means, monetary and otherwise. At the same time I had been doing some online classes learning digital drafting (Architecture and 3D modeling and such). I had sent a few things to my Dad, who works with an engineering company. He forwarded them to the CAD director, and I have a job starting in May.

     I'm not saying this to make myself look good, but to point to the fact that working toward a goal and trusting God to help you is much more productive than worrying about the problems.

     I'll end with this: "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:31-33). God has our best interests in mind, but our focus has to be on Him. This is no prosperity Gospel, whatever you pray for you'll have, but the Gospel, preached by Christ. Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these minor, mundane details will be taken care of. 
Leaping Lizard

Ten Plagues and Beyond

“This is the finger of God.”

Exodus 8:19

Ah, Moses and the ten plagues of Egypt. Many are familiar with Exodus 7-12 and love the account of God’s wondrous power. But often our knowledge of the passage stops there. Well, never fear! I have for you an article to expand your understanding of the ten plagues, to expound on God’s purpose and power in everything, and to express the significance of each affliction which targeted individual Egyptian gods to prove Who is the greatest God.

Plague 1: River of Blood—This first plague abased the Egyptian gods Khnum, creator-god of the Nile, and Hapi, god of the Nile and the life-source it brings. When the Nile River—and all other water sources—turned into foul blood for seven days, God was showing the Egyptians that their puny gods could do nothing to save them.

The Egyptian magicians mimicked Moses’s act with their own spells by Satan’s power, yet notice how they did not change the blood back to water. Satan’s power is limited; they could not go against God’s will.

Plague 2: Smitten with Frogs—As a second sign, God sent an army of frogs to invade Egypt, directly affronting the goddess of fertility and renewal: Heket (one of the many spellings), who had the head of a frog. Chapter 8:3 informs the Egyptians, “So the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls” and they were stepping on frogs everywhere they walked. What an insult to the false goddess. 

Again the magicians copied the plague, but if you were Pharaoh, would you want your magicians to summon even more frogs or send them all away? But the satanic sorcerers could not undo what God had done.

Plague 3: A Dusting of Lice—During the third plague, God turned the dust of the earth (and there’s a lot of dust in Egypt) into lice (or gnats). Imagine those pesky fruit flies in your kitchen times a bazillion, crawling in your hair and eyes and nose, everywhere. This belittled Geb, god of the earth, since the earth morphed into vile pests.

Also, Pharaoh’s magicians “worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not” (8:18, NKJV). Then they confessed to Pharaoh that “‘this is the finger of God’” (8:19, NKJV). This also tore down Thoth and Isis, deities of magic.

Plague 4: Flurry of Flies—The fourth plague brought swarms and swarms of flies (also has been translated to beetles) which corrupted the land. Khepri, god of rebirth and sunrise, was mocked, since he had the head of a beetle. The fourth plague was the first of the many to bring destruction along with discomfort, and also the beginning of when the Lord set apart His people from the plagued Egyptians.

Plague 5: LiveDeadstock—When God struck down all the livestock with pestilence—all the livestock of the Egyptians!—Khnum (creator-god of the Nile with the head of a ram), Hather (cow-headed goddess of protection), and Ptah/Apis (god of strength resembling a bull) meant nothing to THE mighty God.

Plague 6: Blistering Boil Outbreak—The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to toss ashes in the air, and the ashes spread over Egypt, causing boils and sores to break out on every living Egyptian thing. And this isn’t just the chickenpox. This is a sooty, inflamed, pus-filled swelling on the skin. The magicians couldn’t even stand before Moses because of the boils. God was mocking the pathetic deities of medicine and healing, particularly Isis, the biggest goddess of medicine and peace.

Plague 7: Hailfire—“So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, so very heavy that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt” (9:24, NKJV). Some of Pharaoh’s servants now began to fear the Lord by now along with the Israelites and ran indoors after Moses’ warning. But every crop, every beast, and everyone outside was struck by the largest storm in Egyptian history. And where was Nut, goddess of the sky? Or Osiris, god of crops? Or Seth, god of storms and disorder?

Plague 8: Loads of Locusts—The eighth plague nullified Osiris and Seth again, Nephi, god of grain, and Shu, god of wind. On the east wind, a storm of locust—so thick the land was blinded—consumed anything that had grown or survived after the hail. Joel 1 describes the utter, crunchy chaos of a locust invasion. And after Pharaoh pleaded, God blew a west wind which swept all the locusts away into the Red Sea.

Note that these plagues weren’t over a short period of time. The hail struck every beast in the field as well, which means there must have been some time for the Egyptians to raise more animals after the livestock pestilence. The locusts ate everything that grew after the hail, and it takes more than a weekend to grow crops. Plagues aren’t a walk in the park; they’re a devastating, drawn-out deal.

Plague 9: Tangible Darkness—“Darkness which may even be felt” for three days: a literal black plague (10:21, NKJV). This is darkness so thick you could cut it with a knife, not that it would help any. Yet the Israelites had light in their dwellings. The sun-god and one of the chief gods, Ra, could do nothing for the Egyptians.

            Plague 10: Firstborn Fatality—The final plague, which instituted the Passover, killed all the firstborns of unbelieving Egyptians, “and there was a great cry in Egypt” (12:30, NKJV). The most dreadful plague overcame the most worshiped god: Pharaoh himself. Pharaoh could do nothing against the hand of the sovereign God.

            I could’ve written twice as much as I already have. But hopefully this summary encourages you to grasp the gravity and impact of these plagues and the infinite power of the one, true God the next time you read Exodus 7-12.

Klipsie

Sources:

Tapestry of Grace Curriculum

www.inthedoghouse.hubpages.com/hub/Ten-Plagues-For-Ten-Gods

www.tben.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/understanding-god-through-the-10-plagues-part-35/   

www.padfield.com/2002/egypt_2.html

Patience is a Virtue

            "Patience is a virtue." We're all familiar with that cliché, and many of us know that patience is listed by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23 as among the Fruits of the Spirit. So there's no disputing that the Christian ought to be patient. But as with most of the virtues, the biblical writers assume that we know what patience is and don't give an explicit definition. But do we? Could you define patience if you were asked? And, to make things more tricky, could you do so without simply citing examples of patience?

            When defined as "waiting without complaint," patience might seem to be a morally insignificant trait. What's so virtuous about not complaining? In itself, not complaining carries no particular virtue. Suppose a person awaits the arrival of a friend from out of town, and she spends the time happily reading or watching television. We wouldn't say that, simply because she's not complaining, she exhibits patience in this case. Something else must be required to make one's lack of complaint virtuous. That something is discomfort. It's because a circumstance is uncomfortable for someone that we find her refusal to complain remarkable and thus regard her as patient.

            So to improve the initial definition above, to be patient is to endure discomfort without complaint. This calls into play some other virtues, specifically: self-control, humility, and generosity. That is, patience is not a fundamental virtue so much as a complex of other virtues. An example from the life of Christ illustrates this. Jesus was very patient with his disciples. They were sometimes thickheaded, lazy, selfish, and slow to believe. Even from a merely human standpoint, we can see how frustrating they must have been. How much more irritating it would be for God Incarnate to interact daily with these men. In spite of Jesus' miracles and words of wisdom, they were focused upon themselves and wavered in their belief about who he really was. To say that was uncomfortable for Jesus would be an understatement. Yet do we find Him railing at His disciples over their foolishness and stupidity? Or making fun of them when they make mistakes?

            Occasionally He does remark that His disciples are slow to believe, or He asks rhetorically how long they will fail to have faith in Him, but these are always appropriate reminders about just what was at stake for them. These were fitting and useful rebukes, not petty venting.

            Notice that Jesus' refusal to complain about his irritating disciples can be described as an exercise of self-control. Surely He would have been justified in blistering them with insults. It's worth noting that His omniscience guaranteed that every possible joke and embarrassing remark was at His disposal on any particular occasion. This makes His self-control even more admirable. Also, His refusal to complain involves humility, the conscious decision to lower Himself by not exercising His right, as the holy man He was, to judge and dismiss his friends because of their faults. We might even say this is a form of mercy. Finally, Jesus' refusal to complain about his disciples is generous. In spite of their vice and thick-headedness, He remained no less committed to them and served them increasingly as their failures became more outstanding.

Haron

The Premise Behind Movie and Book Reviews

"...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

2 Corinthians 10:5b

     It's officially been over a year! There have been several different ideas we at The Thought Box have been tossing around, not the least of which is my topic today, movie and book reviews. I was the main inhibitor to making these happen, as I was afraid of the many different standards that are present in today's churches, everything from no movies to only PG to use your discretion to everything is permissible. I eventually realized that there was no possible way to please all of the differing standards and decided to let our writing staff have a go at it. We have a few planned, not the least of which being a review of Sherlock Holmes’ adventure The Hound of the Baskervilles which is a review I, for one, am looking forward to immensely. (By the way, this is not an announcement post; this is a premise/goal post that is tied to an announcement, so keep reading).

     The first question that anyone probably has is, what will you be reviewing? The answer is partially up to you, the reader, as we will accept ideas and requests for movies and books. It would also be partly up to the writers, as the reviews will not be on a standard rotation, they are bonus content, if I may be so bold to call it that (and I am).

     The second question would probably be, why? Why review books and movies when there are so many sites, such as PluggedIn and Film Reviews by People, that already break down the content of the movies? The answer isn't that we hope to supplant them or even compete with them; our goal is to supplement them. PluggedIn is a content review site, they look at the what in movies. Our goal at The Thought Box is to "take every thought captive" and look at the why of the movies and books. Why did the author/scriptwriter write this? What was his worldview and what was he trying to communicate?

     Take, for example, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. A standard content review site, or synopsis breakdown (like CliffNotes) would tell you what happens in this master piece. My review would be more along the lines of; "....The dramatic flair and brilliant wordplay is a mere hint at the ideas he proposes in this novel. The opening lines, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," embody the core ideas of the book, even in the best of circumstances there is always a negativity. A pessimistic idea that is battled by Hope throughout the whole novel....." And I could go on about the power of hope in adversity and the paradox of life in a fallen world, but that’s not the point of this article.

     Frequently when we watch movies and read books we "unplug." We disconnect our thinking centers from our pleasure centers, and become lost in the entertainment. We are amused. Amused is actually am interesting word, it comes from the Latin prefix "a" meaning "not" and the Latin word "muse" meaning "to think." The literal definition of amusing is "to be entertained by a lack of thought." Movies and TV shows like The Three Stooges are very a-musing; they inspire a lack of though, and have no real substance to dwell on. There will probably not be very many reviews of such movies on here, not because we believe they are any worse than other movies. They won't be featured simply because there aren't enough thoughts to analyze.

     Books such as Dickens' works, or Doyle's, and movies like Batman Begins, and even some like Finding Nemo, are more likely to be reviewed because of their deep thoughts on the nature of man and the current and historic philosophies of mankind.

     The point is, we're hoping that our analytic reviews give you more than what the media is made of. Not, "What does the cake look like?" But, "What does the cake taste like, and what is it made of?"