WEARFARE

[Tone]

Hey all, I was just listening to this video right now and a topic that hit close to home came up...

What people wear and how it may be weaponized...!

Ha ha, the title is a spin off the word "Warfare"...

I also came up with the word "fassion", that is, the use of fashion to stimulate the passions...!

Anywho, check out this video from 32:30-37:30, so just 5 minutes.

And let me know whether you agree with this guy or not.

I think he makes some valid points:

 

[bèlla]

The traditional standard for attire always begins at home. Parents set the tone for what’s acceptable and that applies equally to men and women. Ill-fitting and revealing items look bad on both. While the reveal may not stimulate one as much as the other; it diminishes their dignity nonetheless.

It all goes back to values and developing character. It’s not enough to say something is wrong. Children need concrete reasons why the practice is harmful or denigrating. The solution isn’t another sermon. It’s calling the problem out directly.

That means putting parents on the hot seat and reminding them of their divine responsibility. To train up a child. Not shift the responsibility to the church. When the seed and soil are well aligned it produces good fruit.

When you see someone wearing inappropriate clothing something has gone amiss. Whether its a lack of instruction, discipline, accountability, exposure, or wrong connections.

If you tackle the root you’ll deal with the tentacles. Go after the strong man in prayer and see what happens.

~bella

 

[Tone]

Go after the strong man in prayer and see what happens

I like your thoughts on this.

I think we'd both agree that it stems from way back.

I mean it's a good thing to be attracted to the human form as it is the Great Artist that shaped us.

But, like everything else, it has been perverted by the carnal mind. The root of lust probably comes from that animalistic nature to crave flesh for fleshs' sake, which is basically gluttony.

Why should I look at all that meat, when only one woman should be enough to satiate my hunger, but the problem with this is...I don't have that...so...

What's a healthy single guy to do?


I just try to stay focused and be mindful of where I put my eyes.

 

[Tone]

2 Timothy 3:4
No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

Maybe I should strive to be more like Uriah the Hittite.

He was more concerned with his military duty than with being with his beautiful wife.

 

[bèlla]

Maybe I should strive to be more like Uriah the Hittite.

He was more concerned with his military duty than with being with his beautiful wife.

Have you ever had a craving and thought about it a lot? You wanted a burger, taco, etc. and the more you think about it the hungrier you got. Until you're salivating and can't wait to have it. The anticipation is off the charts.

The same holds true for other desires. If you fix your mind on the topic and continually feed it the yearning increases. That doesn't meant you deny it. But it does suggest the care remains in your hands instead of His.

The first step is admitting your feelings. All the stuff you've kept inside and cannot share due to lack of a companion. Tell Him instead. Let Him know how you long to hold, comfort, and be in her company. Spill it all. Let Him be your BFF and get it out.

And let Him know you need His help. You're not able to find the one who'll meet those needs and allow you to do the same. Ask Him to be your compass and point the way. Then surrender the map in your hands. Take them off completely and let Him do His thing. Don't try to do it for Him.

There will be a time for your involvement. But it doesn't happen until you reach the point of Uriah. When you're so busy working for Him; He has to nudge you on the matter. He'll be the one who brings it up.

Cause you're occupied with your heavenly assignment. When it dominates your thoughts it forces out the clutter. You'll find yourself responding differently to lust and singleness. Because you're full and overflowing with Him.

~bella

 

[bèlla]

I like your thoughts on this.
What's a healthy single guy to do?

Change the label. What's a man of God to do? That's who you are. Stop defining yourself by your season.

I just try to stay focused and be mindful of where I put my eyes.

Pray for them. That's how you play offense against the devil. If he wants to put it in your face send up a prayer. Every time. Prayer-walking is powerful.

Prayer-walking involves taking our prayers to the very places where we desire to see God’s presence manifested and our prayers answered. Prayer-walking is the powerful dynamic of praying on-site with God's sight.

Prayer-walking uses the sights, sounds, even smells to engage both body and mind in the ministry of prayer.

~bella

 

[Tone]

Change the label. What's a man of God to do? That's who you are. Stop defining yourself by your season.



Pray for them. That's how you play offense against the devil. If he wants to put it in your face send up a prayer. Every time. Prayer-walking is powerful.

Prayer-walking involves taking our prayers to the very places where we desire to see God’s presence manifested and our prayers answered. Prayer-walking is the powerful dynamic of praying on-site with God's sight.

Prayer-walking uses the sights, sounds, even smells to engage both body and mind in the ministry of prayer.

~bella

Yes,I have found this effective!

To not view these women as simply objects, but as real souls who need the Savior. I do pray for them a lot of the time.

And I can't even assume that they don't know Him already.

 

[Tone]

if you fix your mind on the topic and continually feed it the yearning

Yeah, its like what I've observed with my alcohol abstinence...

The drunkenness doesn't begin when I take the first sip, it already happened inside...the actual drink is only the manifestation.

 

[bèlla]

Yes,I have found this effective!

To not view these women as simply objects, but as real souls who need the Savior. I do pray for them a lot of the time.

And I can't even assume that they don't know Him already.

Some may be believers. The Holy Spirit works from the inside out. But remember we're His hands and feet. Your encounters may be divine assignments. Opportunities that minister two-fold.

The more you pray for them the stronger you'll get. It won't best you always. You'll overcome it and be a valuable weapon in God's arsenal.

There's a story I heard years ago about a woman on the prayer team at Brooklyn Tabernacle. She was an old school prayer warrior. One day she recalled an experience with the evil one. The hour was nearing for the prayer session. She entered the room and heard, aww, no, she's here! And she started laughing.

You want to hear the same. You want the devil to know you're casting down all thoughts and imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. And when he tries to tempt you you're praying. Every single time.

That's when things get interesting. He doesn't mind complaints or discussions. He loves that. But when you take action and start exercising your prayer muscles things break loose. That's what he wants to prevent.

So keep responding. The sledgehammer will bring wall down eventually. Then the breakthrough happens.

~bella

 

[bèlla]

Yeah, its like what I've observed with my alcohol abstinence...

The drunkenness doesn't begin when I take the first sip, it already happened inside...the actual drink is only the manifestation.

Bingo. That's why I mentioned the root in my response. The clothing manifests the malady. But it isn't the problem. It's the result of what's gone awry.

If you direct your focus to the person without touching the root the rest remain in the dark. They'll nod in the agreement and never make the connection to themselves. But if you start with them, they'll confront the results of falling down on the job. Then you address the other with the proper teaching. It gives the parent something to draw from and other instruction.

~bella

 

[Tone]

Some may be believers. The Holy Spirit works from the inside out. But remember we're His hands and feet. Your encounters may be divine assignments. Opportunities that minister two-fold.

The more you pray for them the stronger you'll get. It won't best you always. You'll overcome it and be a valuable weapon in God's arsenal.

There's a story I heard years ago about a woman on the prayer team at Brooklyn Tabernacle. She was an old school prayer warrior. One day she recalled an experience with the evil one. The hour was nearing for the prayer session. She entered the room and heard, aww, no, she's here! And she started laughing.

You want to hear the same. You want the devil to know you're casting down all thoughts and imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. And when he tries to tempt you you're praying. Every single time.

That's when things get interesting. He doesn't mind complaints or discussions. He loves that. But when you take action and start exercising your prayer muscles things break loose. That's what he wants to prevent.

So keep responding. The sledgehammer will bring wall down eventually. Then the breakthrough happens.

~bella

Yes, I've expressed this awesome truth in my own way before.

Something about the enemy just getting exasperated, because all the attacks just backfired on him, haha...

Like Esther to Haman or, more hilariously, the Roadrunner to the Wile E. Coyote.

 

[bèlla]

Yes, I've expressed this awesome truth in my own way before.

Something about the enemy just getting exasperated, because all the attacks just backfired on him, haha...

Like Esther to Haman or, more hilariously, the Roadrunner to the Wile E. Coyote.

Correct.

A strategic way of dealing with strongholds is praying for others in the same condition. For instance, a person with marital struggles could labor for wives or couples. That would be powerful. She redirects her frustration and uses it as an arrow.

~bella

 

[Tone]

Correct.

A strategic way of dealing with strongholds is praying for others in the same condition. For instance, a person with marital struggles could labor for wives or couples. That would be powerful. She redirects her frustration and uses it as an arrow.

~bella

It seems like the whole topic of labeling is coming up for me right now.

A big reason why there was a disconnect between myself and the two women I recently "dated"(i guess you can say) had to do with my rejection of how they wanted to slap labels all over what we had.

I know that we tend to label people automatically, and not even consciously, but those old stereotypes are bound to be replayed in our minds.

And then just today in my DUI class the facilitator was asking "Who is an alcoholic, and who Identifies as one." And, of course I was thinking, "Whoever chooses to take that label and begins to learn the lingo.", but before I could chime in, a lady said that we must try to stay away from that kind of talk, because we should practice "Person First Language" and she kind of explained what it was. I really liked her input, because finally someone was thinking along the same lines as me and there was actually a name for it! So, I wrote the idea down and googled it:

"The main idea behind using person first language is to acknowledge people as people first, before any other words are used, rather than referring to them in terms of a diagnosis or condition. Using Person-First Language in regards to addiction means someone is a “person with a substance use disorder,” rather than the more stigmatizing term, 'addict.'"
What is Person First Language? | Laguna Shores (lagunashoresrecovery.com)

So, I began to wonder how this all tied into each other and how it related to the OP. And, basically, what I am seeking is wholeness or shalom with all people. I don't want to classify them, because this is objectifying them...and this is kinda what I am doing when I look too long. She becomes merely the woman with the nice this or that...instead of the wonderful being that He created.

And then I began to think about the word "addict" and how this is pretty much the clinical word for "sinner". So then "gluttony" came to mind again and these verses:

Proverbs 30
"15The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: 16Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’"

Hmmmmm...I guess I'm just rambling now...

 

[bèlla]

I get where you're coming from and I agree with her stance. There's a psychological and spiritual element to labeling. I won't affirm the negative. That back goes to His definition. It supersedes ours and the world's.

David committed murder but God called him a man after His own heart. I think that settles it.

~bella

 

[Tone]

I get where you're coming from and I agree with her stance. There's a psychological and spiritual element to labeling. I won't affirm the negative. That back goes to His definition. It supersedes ours and the world's.

David committed murder but God called him a man after His own heart. I think that settles it.

~bella

Oh yeah, but part of me wondered why I should be so averse to labels.

These different mindsets are probably useful for people at a certain level. This may be all that they have from which to spring.

If I know that the labels are really nothing, why not just go along for the other persons comfort?

I am reminded of these verses:

1 Corinthians 9:22
"22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some."

And

1 Corinthians 10
23“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying. 24No one should seek his own good, but the good of others."

 

[bèlla]

Oh yeah, but part of me wondered why I should be so averse to labels.

These different mindsets are probably useful for people at a certain level. This may be all that they have from which to spring.

If I know that the labels are really nothing, why not just go along for the other persons comfort?

Because it wasn't harmless. You may know they're meaningless but that doesn't minimize the impact or what they implied by its use.

Relationships are give and take. You have to meet in the middle. One person can't always be the one turning the other cheek. It creates an imbalance.

More importantly, you want someone who considers your feelings. If you say something bothers you they stop. When someone disregards my feelings in spite of my input I walk away. They're giving me a snapshot of what's to come. That's not a person I want to build a future with. They're selfish.

~bella