Hi Lori,

Sorry for taking so long to get back with you . . . I've been on the road
all day; had to go to Cleveland to see my dad and get some financial matters
taken care of regarding mom's estate.  It's been a l-o-n-g day!

Really, to be very honest, I've not heard any of the women talking about
being convicted about long hair.  However, apparrel is another story.  The
bottom line is the word "modesty" in our appearance.  There should be
nothing in our appearance that would draw attention to our outward man so
that the new creation we have become inwardly will shine forth as pure gold!
I actually think this can go in two directions . . . we can be so immodest
that it draws attention to ourselves, or we can be so "out of style" in our
dress that it will also draw attention to us.  Both are wrong!  There are
some guidelines that I feel are appropriate for dress for a Christian woman.
Although these are not itemized in scripture, I believe that common sense
would help you make a decision as to whether what you are wearing would be
considered alluring, etc.

I'm sure there are more "guidelines" than these, but here are a few I adhere
to and which are also recommended by those in leadership for women in
ministry (regardless of capacity):

1)    Long skirts/dresses (at least calf-length).
2)    No sleeveless tops, no midriffs showing, no plunging necklines, no
cleavage, etc.
3)    No tight clothing, nothing form-fitting or tight knit-like styles.
4)    Proper underclothing at all times
5)    No shorts (except perhaps in the privacy of your own home)
6)    Hair well-groomed, not spiked, shaven, or hiddeous colors.
7)    Modest jewelry is acceptable; nothing obnoxious, etc.

I realize you're wondering about hair length, but to me it is not wrong to
have shorter hair, especially when long hair is not becoming.  It is much
better to see a woman with nicely cared-for shorter hair than a woman with
long, stringy hair that she's constantly brushing off her face or it's
falling in her plate when she's eating., etc.

The Church of God calls guidelines like this "practical commitments" . . . I
like to think of it as a "practical" way of living, presenting yourself
modestly so that your inner beauty would not be offset by your outward
apperance.

Hope this helps!

Love,
Jan

----- Original Message -----
From: "cricketsongs" <lfield3@...>
To: <cog@...>
Sent: Monday, July 02, 2001 5:57 PM
Subject: RE: [CoG] A Nehemiah Calling


Not to get legalistic...but have any of the women been convicted about
apparrel or long hair?


Lori
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-----Original Message-----
From: Jan Ross [mailto:rross@...]
Sent: Monday, July 02, 2001 5:14 PM
To: CoG
Subject: [CoG] A Nehemiah Calling


Friends,

The past few weeks have been life-changing for me . . . I've embarked on a
journey in prayer, spending literally hours a day (and night) praying.  This
new walk with the Lord has brought me to such a place of intimacy that I
never knew existed . . . a place of unwaivering faith . . . a place where
I'm seeing the hand of God moving in ways that are obvious to all involved.

I hope you don't think I've gone off the deep end, but it's a journey led
totally by the Holy Spirit as He is taking me into a deeper relationship day
by day.  I want to share with you what He showed me during prayer one night
last week:

The Lord woke me up in the middle of the night (that's getting to be a habit
<smile>) and as I was praying, the Lord showed me the walls of Jerusalem
that were torn down . . . the gates of the city which had been trampled upon
by their enemies . . . the scattering of the peoples of Jerusalem.  He
showed me a glimpse of the heart of Nehemiah who loved Jerusalem and whose
heart was burdened for reconstruction.

Then the Lord showed me His Church . . . the walls have been broken down by
her enemies, she has been trampled upon and beaten down and lays in ruins by
the hand of her enemies . . . her inhabitants have been scattered.  He
showed me that in these last days He is raising up a company of Nehemiahs
who would take the task to heart to rebuild the Church, to reconstruct the
walls of the City of God, to set a watchman at each gate, to establish
companies of worshippers to do service before Him during all watches.

He showed me that the materials and equipment needed for reconstruction have
been released into our hands through intercession, fasting, separation, and
consecration.  He showed me that the Ark of His Presence would soon find a
dwelling place in the midst of His Church, in the midst of the reconstructed
City of God!  That the latter house would indeed be more glorious than the
former!

He showed me that He has raised up people who would accept the task of being
gatekeepers, guarding each gate, hindering the enemy's attempts to enter and
destroy.  He is sending forth companies of scouts to search throughout the
land for those who have been scattered and to escort them back within the
gates of the Church, the City of God's Holy Dwelling!

The time is now for restoration, rebuilding, and strengthening the walls of
the Church; there is a mighty move of God throughout the earth to prepare
for Him a dwelling place in the midst of His People!  Intercessors have been
sent forth and commissioned to clean up the ruins and to set the City in
order, redeeming that which has been destroyed by the hands of the enemy.

The call to intercession is a Nehemiah calling; those with a heart for
restoration and rebuilding have been called to intercession as God is
seeking a habitation among His people.  He will not inhabit a City whose
walls have been crushed and lay in ruin, but His dwellingplace will be seen
in the midst of restoration and reconstruction.

In these last days, we are all challenged to be Nehemiah's . . . busy
working to restore the Body of Christ (the Church), reclaiming it from the
ruin brought about by the works of the enemy.  We are called to unity and to
call those back who have been scattered.  We have been called to
intercession, through groanings and birthings in the spirit through prayer.

I pray that we will all be sensitive to and answer the call!

Blessings,
Jan




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"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16)

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