#askapentecostal

[journal2heaven-blog]

My Personal Letters to God

Well, I would like to thank Krista for setting up the new blog mypersonalletterstogod this afternoon. And I would like to thank her for posting my first post from my new Wordpress blog, as well.

This project is a new thing for me. I write for Askapentecostal, but this is the first time that a project is entirely my responsibility. Big weight on my shoulders.

Anyway, here is what is going on:

Krista and I (Lynn) are writing personal letters to God.The challenge was for a year. We broke it down to us writing a letter a day, and posting them every other day. One day I will post, and the next day she will post. What we would like is for others to write and submit their own letters to God, which will be posted via the submission box. There is no limit on how much you have to write, just write from your heart.

Hope to hear more from you all soon

[askapentecostal]

Hi! I recently just moved States for my dads job so we had to find a new church. We've been going there for around 2 months. Last Wednesday I went to church wearing a grey t shirt that says "Pink" on the front, because that's the brand. (I'm 15) and the church is very casual on Wednesdays. after church the pastor and his wife asked to talk to me and told me that wearing a brand that's mostly a bra/ lingerie store is very sinful and that I should be ashamed of myself if I wear (cont in next Q)

That brand outside of church. Now in my old church, I would wear this brand all the time. Along with Victoria Secret clothing and no one ever told me anything. The pastor and his wife were very harsh with telling me this and it offended me. This brand is expensive and I have TONS of shirts and other stuff from them. I don't want to stop wearing them. and I don't want to disrespect the pastor but I don't feel "ashamed" when I wear this brand. I don't know what to think.??

You know, as a Christian, we ought not to cause offense to those in the Church, especially those who are new to the faith. You have a responsibility, and other believers have a responsibility to not cause an offense. Offense can be caused by many things, for example: clothing. The clothes we wear can be offensive if they are not modest, or if they carry a message that does not conform to the teachings of Christ. Pink is a logo/product of a lingerie store. They sell sex as underwear. Does wearing a Victora’s Secret bra mean you are going to hell? No, not really. But wearing their logo can cause mixed signals and offense among the Church members. It is offensive to be talking about underwear in mixed company, and your shirt is talking underwear. 

Do I think the pastor and his wife were wrong to talk with you about your shirt? No, I don’t. I have to take you at your word that they were heavy handed, as I was not there. They could have spoken with you in a more respectful manner and explained their whys a little better. 

I have been called on the carpet for clothing that I did not think was out of line several times. I was asked to meet my pastor and his wife, and bring a parent with me (as I was under 21). They met with us in private, behind closed office doors, and they explained why something that I was wearing was not modest, or advertised things that did not support a Biblical message. Sometimes I was angry after the meeting, because I did not think I was in the wrong, but after I prayed about it, God changed my point of view. 

Please pray about it. And if you still think they were wrong all the way around, pray for them and forgive them, as God would have you do. 

[askapentecostal]

I agree with the issue on skirts. The bible speaks of nakedness as not covering/dressing up properly. I understand that both pants and skirts have to cover the thigh (not expose it) like when God told how the priest should dress in Exodus 28:42 so their nakedness wasn't seen. Also in Isaiah 47:1=3. But can you please explain on covering the arms? From where do we teach that our sleeves have to be 3/4? Thanks, in the love of Christ please help me understand. thank you again

showing your underarm, the pit, or side of the breast is also being naked. To  prevent this from being shown, a 3/4 length sleeve is perceived as modest, where a cap sleeve is not. This is the arm length that the priests and Jewish women used in their clothing. It is a Biblical standard. 

[askapentecostal]

I'm 16 and have always been AP and ive never heard of the rules that sleeves have to be 3/4 length or that skirts have to be ankle length? My sleeves are always right at my shoulder and I don't see anything wrong with that, likewise for skirts to be to the knees. Wouldn't you get super hot in the summer if dressed that extreme.... where in the bible does it say skirts should be ankle length/shirts sleeves should be 3/4 length ?

I have never once said that skirts must be floor dusters. I have also never said that everyone teaches that sleeves must be 3/4 length. Nor have I ever said that everyone in an AP church follows the same ideals of modesty. Biblically speaking, however, there are understandings of what is nakedness, and what is being covered by modesty. Please do not assume.

As for being overheated in the warm months... You are actually more apt to be overheated with a shorter sleeve than a 3/4 length sleeve. Certainly less flesh to get a burn from the sun, and the possibility of skin cancer on skin that is not exposed is lesser for the 3/4 length sleeve. 

[askapentecostal]

I don't really think it is against God's design for men to have long hair. Jesus hair was long. So was Samson's....

Samson was a Nazarite from birth and therefore forbidden to cut his hair as a sign to the Jews and to God of his parents’ vow.

At the time of Jesus’ birth, only the Greeks had shoulder length hair. The Roman men cut their hair close to their heads. Likewise, Jewish men cut their hair close to their heads, also. The Romans wrote about how civilized the Jews were in this practice. The pictures we see of Jesus with long, shoulder length hair are inaccurate romanticizations of truth. Jesus was not blonde and blue eyed, either.

Paul, in Corinthians, reminded the Church that just as it is a shame for women to cut their hair, it is a shame for a man to grow his hair long.

[askapentecostal]

Hi, it's me again. Not to be rude but, could you be a little more specific about what i'll have to do? i mean they've got to be conservative since they make women wear long skirts and not cut their hair.

It is easier to be modest as a gentleman than as a lady. Just the way it is. 

Your sleeves should be 3/4 length or longer. Your t-shirts should not have logos on them in some churches. While some churches do not like blue jeans, there is nothing wrong with them as long as they are not full of skin-baring rips or so tight that it is nearly painful to sit down. Shorts are not seen as modest for males or females.

And if your hair hits your collar, you will need to cut it, as it is against God’s design for a man to have long hair.

[askapentecostal]

Hi I am 16 and our parents want to move to a UPCI church, we are attending our first service this Sunday. My mom told me that this church will be different than the ones we've been attending up to now. I'm a guy and a freshman in high school, can you explain to me what "holiness" standards I will have to follow, I in particular am interested in how I'll have to dress and what my daily routine will be like. My sister and my mom can't wear pants anymore, do I have to do anything like that as well?

This depends on the culture in your church. 

You will find that you might have to wear longer sleeves, wear different t shirts than you normally do, skip the shorts, and cut your hair a little shorter. 

[askapentecostal]

Hi there. :) I'm 20 and a freshman in college. I just joined a Pentecostal church a few weeks ago after years of attending a small Congregational church (long story). Anyway, under my new church's rules, I am not supposed to cut my hair or wear pants. If I do not cut my hair, won't it get extremely long? If so, I'm just wondering how long it gets and how fast it will grow. I have seen pictures of women whose hair reaches the floor, will mine get like that? What is an average length for a woman?

First of all, no one’s hair grows the same amount or is the same length. These are dependant upon your genetics, your health, and the way you take care of your hair. I have friends who are blessed with extremely long hair (to the floor and pooling in a puddle behind them). But I also have friends who have been blessed with shorter hair (not cut). Average hair length is somewhere in between. My hair is growing after breaking off and falling out after I was so sick the past couple of years. I have finally gotten in better health, and gotten my hair in better health, also. My hair is where I can sit on it if I do not put it up. 

It doesn’t take any more time and effort to take care of your health with long hair as it does with cut hair. So, if you are taking care of your body, you are taking care of your hair.