Issacharian Daughters – ID047

pdf of Issacharian Daughters – ID047 – click on link below for correct layout and photos

:id047-i-am-an-eve.pdf

Monday, 16 July 2007

Dear Girls,

I am an EveHere is a poem inspired by Genesis 2v18 and written by Issacharian Daughter Emma McGeorge on 31 March 2007.

I am an Eve

~Genesis 2:18~

College looms on my horizon;

??Which career? ?? My daily plight.

Money, hours, and location

Beckon me on left and right.

Options flash before me, constant??

And still more come pouring in!

Everyone has an opinion,

Causing brain to whirlwind-spin.

Dizzily, I try to focus??

Too much racket! Too much din!

Finally, a peaceful moment,

And a chance to look within.

But, what is this? Bold rebellion?

For, inside my heart, I find,

??None of these are what I’m seeking. ??

Such words flashing through my mind!

??Don’t be silly?? it’s the norm, Girl!

First to Uni, then the works. ??

Then, for what is my heart longing?

What desire, hidden, lurks?

What is it for which I’m searching?

What, upon my heart, is laid?

This, my question?? my soul-searching??

For what purpose was I made?

Is there more to being a lady

Than just filling empty space?

(For my sake, I hope it isn’t

Just to charm with poise and grace!)

Seems like men were made for missions;

So then, what are women for?

Decoration?

??Nay! ?? my Lord says,

??I made you for so much more . . .

??I created you, and named you

Woman ??for you came from Man.

I created you to help him

Carry out my special plan.

??It is not good ??nor My purpose ??

Lone man, My will, to achieve.

Thus, I made from Man, a Woman.

Adam’s helpmeet ??Adam’s Eve.

??You, My Daughter, are a gift;

A woman one man will receive.

You will daily love and cherish

As his helpmeet ??As his Eve. ??

Dreams, desires, and destiny,

Now one; for I believe,

God’s true call for me ??a woman ??

Is a helpmeet ??Is an Eve.

Now go and read the poem again!

There are some great themes coming through in this piece of poetry: the pressure to attend university and pursue a career, the yearning of our hearts for so much more, the searching for an answer to the age old question,??What is my purpose? ?? and the finding of the answer ??we have been created as Eve, to be helpers!

Now look at some of the more subtle themes in this work:

life is crazy, but when we take time to practice the spiritual disciplines (in this case the spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude,??Finally a peaceful moment and a chance to look within ??) we can discover the truth.

the biggest barrier to doing what is right is often ourselves,??Don’t be silly?? it’s the norm, Girl! First to Uni, then the works. ??

? the temptation to slide into thinking that women are made for decoration.??So then, what are women for? Decoration???Nay!’ my Lord says,??I made you for so much more ??’ ?? Sometimes we mistakenly think that the men are the ones to wage war in the battle and women are simply to keep a safe haven or retreat for the men to come back to.1 When we women feel that we are disconnected from the battle like that we can tend to devote ourselves to??decoration ?? pastimes such as calligraphy, cake decorating and the study of Jane Austen. Now these are all worthy things ??don’t get me wrong. I once dabbled in calligraphy. My sister is an expert cake decorator and Jane Austen is one of my favourite authors. There is a place for these in our lives. But we need to beware of settling into a??we-are-here-merely-for-decoration ?? mindset. Some would restrict the role of women to beautifying the home (a good and right thing). But our role is so much larger. We should not feel disconnected from the battle. Our role is to help our husbands and fathers in the battle. This brings to mind something my friend, Elizabeth Botkin calls??Dominion Oriented Femininity. ?? This sort of femininity, while seeking to bring beauty, is also vastly practical. It might reveal itself in the ability to back a trailer, prepare a chicken from scratch (which would include, gulp, yes…the execution), build a house, fix an appliance, change a blown fuse, sew curtains, paint, wallpaper and sand, write a business letter and anything else practical which would be a help to our fathers/husbands. Yet this sort of femininity while being more sturdy and useful than merely decorative does not seek to compete with masculinity, but rather to complement it. Elizabeth and her sister Anna Sofia Botkin spoke on the subject of dominion oriented femininity at the recent Vision Forum Father/Daughter Retreat. They have given me permission to reprint parts of their speech in the next Issacharian Daughters newsletter.

There is much for us to consider in the idea that we were created to be helpmeets. And there is much for us to consider in how we can be of help. Shortly after I first had it suggested to me that learning how to back a trailer would be a good practical skill to have, I had the opportunity to give it a go. A friend asked me to help her transport her rabbit hutch in a trailer attached to our van. At one point I needed to back up in order to leave a driveway. As I proceeded, I had a little bit of difficulty. My 14-year-old brother laughed at the dilemma I was getting myself into and to help actually lifted up and moved the trailer so that now I was free to drive straight ahead and out of the driveway! So that is a skill I am yet to attain! Lord willing I may. In the meantime I can, as we all can, look for ways to really help our fathers and husbands in the battle which wages around us.

For the Greater Glory of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

Genevieve Smith

Issacharian Daughter

Notes: 1. As helpers, this means we have an important role in the battle…beside our fathers’/husbands’ side. And our homes, while we can rightly view them as havens and places of rest can also be seen as centres for dominion, training grounds for little warriors, battlegrounds for some of the major skirmishes and as a stronghold against the enemy. In my family, the home has never so much been a place of retreat as it has been a place from which we engage the enemy and a base from which we participate in the battle.

Emma McGeorgeis fast approaching 21 and has two younger sisters, Tessa (18) and Shanna (10), and a younger brother, Joel (14). Her dad is Scottish, her mom Italian, and she was born in South Africa! The McGeorge family moved to New Zealand 13 years ago and lived in Wellington and Wanganui before moving to Waiau Pa where they currently live in the North Island of New Zealand.

Emma’s parents began home-schooling her and her sister Tessa six months after they moved to New Zealand. They joined the ACE programme when Emma was 12, and began attending the New Zealand Regional ACE Student Conventions the following year. These conventions were life-changing for Emma. Through the Student Convention she discovered God-given talents, developed them and learnt how to use them in ministry (which she has done at conventions in New Zealand, Australia and the USA). Emma loves reading, writing (short stories and poems), music (especially singing) and spending time with God and with her family.

Locations of visitors to this page

Issacharian Daughters – ID046

pdf of Issacharian Daughters – ID046 – click on link below for correct layout and photos:

id046-being-a-comfort-and-a-blessing-to-fathers-and-brothers.pdf

Dear Girls,

G.I.R.L.S. 4 Christ Conferences

G.I.R.L.S. stands for Girls In Real Life Service For Christ. G.I.R.L.S for Christ Conferences are non-denominational; all our teachers are from various churches around New Zealand. Our aim is to inspire girls to love the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul and strength, and to encourage them to shine for the Lord Jesus, not only on Sundays or in fun environments, but every day, hour and moment of their??real-life ?? lives.

Here are the dates confirmed for the 2008 Girls 4 Christ Conferences in New Zealand run by Amy Lauder (please note there will not be a North Island 2007 Conference). For more information (or for a registration pamphlet) email Amy at: tumbleweed1@xtra.co.nz

North Island – Chosen Valley Christian Camp – www.chosenvalleycamp.com

21-24th January 2008

South Island – Woodend Christian Camp – www.woodendcamp.co.nz 20-24th March 2008

Some topics we hope to cover:

?? Honoring our Parents

?? Brother & Sister Relationships

?? Trusting and Obeying

?? Using Single Years Wisely

?? Christ Centered Romance

?? Contentment

?? Friendships

?? Home Ministry

?? Overcoming Habits

?? Making Dad Successful

Some crafts/skills we hope to learn:

?? Cake Decorating

?? Collage

?? Ribbon Embroidery

?? Jewellery Making

?? Child Evangelism

?? Sculptures

?? Candle Making

(please note these are subject to change)

If you are a single young lady who…

?? Loves the Lord and wants to know Him more

?? Wants to meet other like-minded young ladies

?? Enjoys doing crafts and learning new skills

?? Desires to hear inspiring, challenging speakers

…then the G.I.R.L.S. 4 Christ Conference is for you!

The next newsletter is attached as a pdf and the text follows below this note.

I will be away in Australia next Monday but have arranged for the newsletter to be sent out as usual. All going well you won’t experience any hiccups in receiving it!

Regards,

Genevieve Monday, 9 July 2007

Dear Girls,

Being a Comfort and a Blessing to Fathers and Brothers

The Bible

And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, least I come and strike the earth with a curse. Malachi 4v6

What are some of the commandments in the Bible specifically for women?

Proverbs 31

1 Corinthians 7v34

Ephesians 5v22-33

Ephesians 6v1-4

Colossians 3v18-24

1 Timothy 2v8-15

Titus 2v3-5

1 Peter 3v1-7

??for starters!

Men and Women

God created men and women differently with different roles and responsibilities. Here are some of the parallel differences between us:

Men

Women

These differences are things in which we as men and women can glory and delight. Feminists will try to destroy the beauty of the way God has created men and women to interact by saying that we women need to be equal with men in civil society and that we can do everything men can do. But the feminists are wrong and we know that if God has created us to operate in a certain way, blessing will come as a result of being obedient to God. It is foolish to do things our own way.

True Bliss

If you read biographies of famous Christian men throughout history, watch out for the references they make about their wives. Some examples are Martin Luther, John Calvin, Stonewall Jackson, Jonathan Edwards, etc. A common trait amongst great Christian men is that they suffer persecution for doing the Lord’s work here on earth. They are out in the world earning a living and preaching the good word. They are making the world a safe place to raise their families and they carry many burdens on their shoulders such as providing for their families, providing for the poor and fatherless and ensuring that the government and the church are running well. All this work can be stressful and difficult. Dishonest men take advantage of them. Ungodly men persecute them. But when they come home, they come home to the arms of a loving wife and the kisses of delighted children. Home is blissful to these men. After making their way through the storm tossed waves of the world they delight in walking up the path to their homes and taking comfort within their four walls. And when they write about their wives, they are overcome. Their wives have made their lives blissful and peaceful. They are devoted to their wives.

One day when we girls are married, we will be able to welcome a husband home. It will be our job to love him, support him, encourage him, submit to him and be a comfort to him. Just imagine how wonderful it would be if we too could work to make his life blissful. Just imagine if we can create an environment at home where he loves to come and spend time. Just imagine how much he would appreciate a safe haven to rest after a hard day’s work!

Learning to be a comfort

It takes a lot of study and learning to know how to create a happy and peaceful home environment. We can read lots of good books such as:

For the Family’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macauley

Home-Making by J R Miller

The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer.

We can also make a habit of studying our own husbands when we marry and learning what makes them happy and feel rested and comfortable.

Being a Comfort to Our Fathers and Brothers

Most importantly though, we can practice this by seeing to the comforts of our fathers and brothers now! So, what are some things which we can start doing now to practice making our Father’s and Brothers’ lives blissful?

Be cheerful!

Be optimistic.

Smile often.

Speak sweetly.

Learn to be soft.

Learn to be gentle.

Learn James 1:19-20

Believe in your Father and your Brothers. If they want to try something or believe that they can do something, encourage them! Tell them,??You can do it! ?? and??I believe in you! ??

Be an encourager. If they have done something pretty neat, something which took talent and skill, tell them how impressed you are!??Wow! ????I could never do that. ????You are amazing! ????This is REALLY good! ??

Embrace your role as a woman. If you enjoy and delight in being a woman as God has made you, this will make your Father and Brothers respond in kind by enjoying and delighting in being a man as God has created them. Some ways you can actively embrace your role as a woman are to:

? Submit to your Father.

? Dress to please your Father. Dress in feminine clothes with feminine colours, feminine fabrics and feminine styles.

? If it pleases your Father, you could learn how to wear a little bit of makeup. You don’t just have to dress up for church! You can dress up and look nice for your family too!

? Learn domestic skills (cooking, cleaning, etc).

Do your jobs around the house?? without being asked.

Learn how to do other jobs around the house.

Help your Mother get the house tidied up and little children cleaned up for when your Father comes home from work. An organized environment can really set one at ease!

Volunteer to polish your Father’s and Brothers’ shoes.

Learn how to iron your Father’s and Brothers’ shirts.

Ask your Father what friends he likes for you to have, what goals he wants for you to have for the future, what clothes you should wear, what TV/movies/music/magazines/books you should watch/listen to/read, what things you should be involved in. Tell him that you want to please him in everything you do and you want to make sure that your life reflects his desire for your family.

Learn how to cook your Father’s and your Brothers’ favourite meals and bake their favourite cookies! And make their cups of coffee and tea!

How to Polish Shoes

Need:

Soft cloth

Candle

Matches

Black shoe polish (Kiwi Parade Gloss is the best)

Old stockings

Black leather shoes

Don’t need:

Brushes (these scratch your shoes)

Method Spit in the polish. Or to be a little more elegant, sprinkle some water over the polish. Remove shoe laces. Surround your index finger in the soft cloth then swirl it in the polish. Now rub the polish covered cloth on your shoe. Rub in circular motions all over the shoe. Get more polish when you need it. Rub the polish all over the shoe including on the tongue (if this is black leather) and on the sides of the soles (but not on the part of the soles that you walk on). Make sure you rub the polish in really well. If your shoe is scuffed put extra polish on this area but make sure it is all rubbed in. Put the shoe aside and work on the next shoe. Now light your candle. Hold the shoe over the candle so that the flame is a cm or two (or an inch) below the shoe (ie a leather section of the shoe is an inch or two cms above the flame). Watch the shoe carefully. A little bit of heat will melt and disperse the polish further, really getting it into the pores of the leather. You will only need to hold a section of the shoe over the flame for a split second. That is enough. Then take your clothe again and work the melted polish into the shoe some more (this will also help you to remove more excess polish). Do this with both shoes (move your shoe over the flame so that all sections of your shoe are heated by the flame but do this in sections so that you heat one section, rub the polish with the cloth, heat another section, rub the shoe with the cloth, etc). Now pick up the first shoe again. Fold your cloth and stretch a section of your stocking around it. You are now ready to buff your shoe. Rub the stockinged cloth over your shoe paying particular attention to the top of the toe area. This brings out the shine. Do this to both shoes and you will have beautiful, shiny black shoes! Lastly, go show your shoes to your dad and brothers and see if they would like shiny shoes too!

Forget Not!

As we tackle these things and learn to be comforts to our Fathers, we should remember some things:

Tidy up after ourselves.

Take initiative.

Check with your parents before you do anything radical. They might be pleased with your efforts, but if you do something at an inconvenient time, it might end up being more of a hassle than a blessing.

Set a good example for your younger Brothers and Sisters!

For the Greater Glory of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

Genevieve Smith

Issacharian Daughter

Notes:

I have sent this email to girls who have embraced a vision of victorious daughterhood as well as those who may be thinking about doing so (and even to some girls who may just like some encouragement regarding different areas of home life). Some of the girls are in the USA, UK, Australia and other parts of the world. Most are in New Zealand. You are welcome to forward this email on to others so long as you do so in its entirety. If you do not want to receive these emails please just send a return email to me stating that fact. If you know of other girls who would be encouraged by receiving these emails, feel free to forward the email to them or send me their email address.

Locations of visitors to this page

Issacharian Daughters – ID045

pdf of Issacharian Daughters – ID045 – click on link below for correct layout and photos:

id045-emotional-physical-and-spiritual-purity.pdf

Dear Girls,

Here is an exciting Press Release I’ve just received from The Western Conservatory of the Arts and Sciences. It is about a fabulous documentary which is in the works to be produced by Anna and Elizabeth Botkin the authors of So Much More. And what will this documentary be about? Visionary daughterhood! At the end of the press release is a link to take you to see a trailer about the documentary. Do go and see it. It will make you so excited!

SHOOTING COMMENCES FOR GROUNDBREAKING DOCUMENTARY

Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin announced today they will release a controversial new film in October of this year. The Return of the Daughters, a one-hour documentary, will take viewers into the homes of young women who have made the counter-cultural decision to live at home until marriage, and have been experiencing the blessings of God for their decision.

The well-known sister-authors of the bestselling hardback So Much More are co-producing the film, which will complete shooting in July.??For the first time in history, ?? stated Anna Sofia Botkin,??most Western girls are encountering a large gap between their years of basic training and the time when they marry.That is, if they marry. ??

The co-producers believe the ways most young women are expected to fill this gap have harmed women, families and Western Civilization itself.

??We have found dozens of brave young women, ?? explained Elizabeth Botkin,??who are not content to perpetuate the social trends that destroyed Christian society and tear families apart. There are some real heroines of the Faith today who are determined to rebuild the culture of the home along biblical lines. What we have discovered in our travels is fascinating. We have found the kinds of home environments that very few Americans have ever seen. ??

The two young producers, ages 21 and 19, explore the ways these convictions work in the modern world and are inspiring a new kind of femininity for the 21st century. The documentary has been three years in the making. Research and interviews are being conducted across the United States.

The two Botkin sisters spent their formative years in New Zealand and are traveling the U.S. with their family. A trailer for potential sponsors of the documentary is available at www.visionarydaughters.com.

The exact link is: http://visionarydaughters.com/return-of-the-daughters/

Have a great week! The newsletter is attached as a pdf and the text follows this note.

Regards,GenevieveMonday, 2 July 2007

Dear Girls,

Emotional, physical and spiritual purity

Here is a second study (and the last study) that Dad designed on purity. This one looks at the implications of what the Bible says about emotional, physical and spiritual purity and how to apply what the Bible says and also the ??tricks of the trade ?? or in other words,??how can we make living this way easy? ?? This study follows the same format as the study in the previous newsletter. Listed below are a large number of verses. I’d encourage you to look them all up and meditate on them. If you only have limited time, the verses marked in blue are written out in full below along with questions to get you thinking about the verse. Also included in this study are a whole bunch of notes relating to how my parents have applied these verses in our family and for my brothers and sisters and I. In many ways, these applications are our??tricks of the trade ?? which have made living in emotional, physical and spiritual purity a whole lot easier!

Implications, Applications and Tricks of the Trade

Romans 6:12-13

Romans 7:21-25

Romans 8:4-8Romans 11:21-22
Romans 12:1-8, 17
Romans 13:12-14
Romans 14:13, 19, 21
I Corinthians 3:10-15
I Corinthians 5:6-7, 11-13
I Corinthians 6:18
I Corinthians 7:1, 8-9, 32-34, 36I Corinthians 9:27I Corinthians 10:31

I Corinthians 13:1-8, 11, 13
I Corinthians 15:58
II Corinthians 7:1
II Corinthians 12:9-10
Galatians 5:13, 16
Galatians 6:1, 7
Ephesians 4:1-3, 15, 17, 22-24, 27, 29, 31-32
Ephesians 5:3-7, 11, 16, 21
Ephesians 6:5-8, 10-18
Philippians 2:3-4
Philippians 3:12-16
Philippians 4:8Colossians 1:28-29
Colossians 3:1-2, 5-17, 23-24
Colossians 4:5-6
I Thessalonians 4:11-12
I Thessalonians 5:4-8, 15-22
II Thessalonians 3:6-15
I Timothy 4:7-9
I Timothy 5:1-2I Timothy 6:11-12, 20-21
II Timothy 2:15
Titus 2:7Titus 3:1-2, 8, 14Hebrews 10:23-25Hebrews 13:1-5, 17
James 1:22-25
James 4:7-8, 13-15
I Peter 2:16
I Peter 3:8-12
I Peter 4:8-11
I Peter 5:5-7
II Peter 3:18
I John 2:3, 15-17
I John 4:7-8
I John 5:2-3
II John 5-6:5-6
III John 11
Jude 3-4

Romans 6:12-13, Romans 7:21-25

6:12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

7:21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

1. What is said to have??evil desires ?? or??passions ???

2. What is your relation to that thing?

3. Which part of you is in charge?

4. Which part is meant to be?

5. Are you supposed to yield or offer your body members to its passions or to your higher, more intelligent self?

6. Why or why not?

Romans 8:4-8
4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man[1] is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind[2] is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

1. What appear to be your life and intellectual options in this passage?

2. Are there any other options?

3. Why are none mentioned?

4. What is the best relationship an unbeliever, a nonChristian, can have with God according to this passage?

Romans 13:12-14
12The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

1. How do you??clothe ?? yourself or??put on ?? the Lord Jesus Christ?

2. Does it come naturally? Explain.

3. Where is the source of trouble and how do you control it?

Galatians 6:7
7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.


1. How is what you reap different from what you sow?

2. Who is here on record as guaranteeing it will happen?

Ephesians 4:22-24
22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.


1. Once you’ve??changed clothes ??, what do you do with the old wardrobe?

2. How do you renew your mind?

Ephesians 4:29
29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

1. To do as this verse commands, what must be the focus of your concern?

Philippians 3:12-16

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

1. Which direction do we move?

2. Which direction do we face?

3. What is the place of nostaligia, remembering the??good ol’ days ??, in the Biblical scheme of things?

4. What characterises those who hold to this?

Colossians 3:1-2
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

1. What parts of you are to be set where?

2. How do you do that?

3. Does that mean we cannot think about food, houses, clothes and cars?

Colossians 3:23
23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

1. What kind of work ethic does this promote?

James 1:22-25
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does.

1. How do you prevent self-deception as you listen to the Bible read or preached?

2. Why would merely hearing it be deceptive?

3. Why do you normally look into a mirror?

4. What is the parallel being drawn here between a glass mirror and the Bible as a mirror?

I John 2:15-17
15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

1. What things appear to be mutually exclusive?

2. There are a couple reasons hinted at for why we should not love the world. What are they?

Personal Implications, Applications and Tricks of the Trade: How Do We Do This?

1. Develop a vital walk with God through prayer, Bible reading and spending extended times with the Lord. Meditate on and memorise Scripture.

2. Ephesians 4:27: giving no opportunity to the devil. Ephesians 5:1: redeeming the time, because the days are evil. We need to be busy and to use this time to be useful for God in our families, Church and the community.

3. Philippians 4:11 :??Learn to be content in whatever circumstance ??. We cannot have godliness without contentment.??But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment ?? (1 Timothy 6:6).

A. Be wise in the books and magazines we read and the TV, videos and movies we watch. Don’t be afraid to walk out of inappropriate movies and switch off inappropriate videos and close books and magazines that are not edifying. Because we have spent money on something does not mean that we have to finish it. Places to check out movies are: www.screenit.com and James Dobson’s webpage: www.family.org/pplace/pi/films.

B. Pornography is death to the Christian. (Proverbs 27:20). It causes permanent brain damage. Avoid it like the plague; turn and run for your very life.

C. Fornication or adultery is instant death.

4. Be modest in what you wear, your conversations and actions (Phil 2:3-4, 1 Peter 3:1-7).

A. Girls – Protect your Christian brothers by wearing modest clothes. There is no need to follow the latest fashions.

B. Guys – Protect your Christian sisters by protecting their emotions. Do not tangle with their emotions.

5. 1 Timothy 5:1-2:??Treat younger men as brothers and younger women as sisters. ?? Attention toward all and intention toward none.

A. No individual time spent with some-one of the opposite sex. So no time alone; no phone calls; no letters; no emails; no one-to-one conversations. Of course there will be phone calls, emails, letters, one-to-one conversations, but let these be only to communicate the necessary information and not to tarry any on a personal level.

B. No dating. Dating teaches uncommitment. Each relationship toughens you when it breaks up so that you hold back more of yourself in the next relationship. This is called emotional fornication, and it sets you up for divorce later on once married. Dating develops a wrong concept of love. (Proverbs 31:12:??A virtuous woman does her husband good all the days of her life. ??)

C. Seek to have all your emotional, physical and spiritual needs met by the Lord and your parents.

D. We would encourage young people: submit yourselves to your parents. (Give your heart to your parents: Proverbs 23:26, Mal 4:6a). Take books to them and request that they read the book. This is what Genevieve did for us. These are difficult days and they require drastic actions. Encourage your parents to protect, preserve and help you to come to your marriage as pure emotionally, physically and spiritually as you can.

6. Matthew 7:13 & 14:??Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. ??

A. Girls go back home and come under the headship of your father. Learn to be submissive to your father. Ask your father to protect you. Ask him to help you remain pure until your marriage. (Proverbs 18:22 A wife is to be found.)

B. Guys, learn about leadership in the home, with your wife and family, and in the church.

7. This is our ideal for our children:

Marriage is for keeps. Oh, that we can train our daughters and sons to not be involved in romance until everyone concerned agrees that God is authoring it. Let there be no temporary romances. May our daughters stay at home (or come home), so that the two young people can get to know one another under the most watchful protection of her parents, and if they, and both sets of parents, come to believe God intends a marriage, the commitment in betrothal is made first. Then emotional bonding and affections are allowed to begin, still carefully supervised, preparing for a union of complete trust and delight, where there will be freedom to express a holy, righteous and pure passion toward one another in spirit, soul and body as husband and wife. (Some thoughts from The Challenge by Carolyn)

For the Greater Glory of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

Genevieve Smith

Issacharian Daughter

Notes:

I have sent this email to girls who have embraced a vision of victorious daughterhood as well as those who may be thinking about doing so (and even to some girls who may just like some encouragement regarding different areas of home life). Some of the girls are in the USA, UK, Australia and other parts of the world. Most are in New Zealand. You are welcome to forward this email on to others so long as you do so in its entirety. If you do not want to receive these emails please just send a return email to me stating that fact. If you know of other girls who would be encouraged by receiving these emails, feel free to forward the email to them or send me their email address.Locations of visitors to this page

Issacharian Daughters – ID044

pdf of Issacharian Daughters – ID044 – click on link below for correct layout and photos:

id044-purity-applying-it-to-all-of-life.pdf

Monday, 25 June 2007

Dear Girls,

Purity ??Applying it to all of life

To those of you who have taken up the challenge issued last week,??Fantastic! ?? Continue in your resolution. It would be neat to hear the results of such a course of study in your life. To those of you who are interested in having a more guided study of purity and holiness, here it is! These are the Scriptures that Dad picked out regarding what God calls us to. It would be good to look them all up. However, if you just have limited time then the verses in blue are quoted below with questions to help your meditation and application of these verses.

To what are Christians called?

Romans 1:6-7
Romans 2:28-29
Romans 5:10-11
Romans 5:17
Romans 6:2-11
Romans 6:16-23
Romans 8:14
I Corinthians 6:19-20
I Corinthians 12:26-27II Corinthians 3:15-18
Ephesians 1:4, 12
Ephesians 4:11-14
Philippians 1:9-11, 27
Philippians 2:12-13
Colossians 1:21-23
I Thessalonians 2:9-12
I Thes. 3:13
I Thes. 4:1, 7, 9-10
I Thes. 5:23-24
II Thes. 2:13-14
I Timothy 1:5
I Timothy 2:1-2I Timothy 4:12
I Timothy 6:6-10
II Timothy 2:1-7, 19-25
Titus 2:11-14
Hebrews 5:12-14
Hebrews 6:11-12
Hebrews 11:1, 32-40

Hebrews 12:1-17

James 1:5-8, 27James 2:26
James 3:8-10
James 4:4
I Peter 1:2, 14-16
I Peter 2:1-2, 9-12
II Peter 1:3-11
II Peter 3:10-14
I John 2:5-6
I John 3:3, 18

I John 5:4-5?

Romans 6:2-11

2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[1] that we should no longer be slaves to sin– 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

1. Is it OK for us to sin?2. If yes, why? If no, why not?3. In what ways are we united with Christ?4. What should be our relationship to sin now?5. How is this relationship accomplished?
Romans 6:16-23
16Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey–whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[2] Christ Jesus our Lord.



1. You can be a slave to what things?

2. Can you be a slave to both at the same time?3. If you’re a slave to one, what is your relationship to the other?4. What are the benefits or results of each?5. Verse 23 mentions death and eternal life. What is the difference in how you acquire one or the other?

I Corinthians 6
19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Philippians 1:9-11
9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ ??to the glory and praise of God.

1. What are some things that should characterise our lives?2. What is supposed to help you get??what is best ?? or??excellent ???3. What are we to be filled with? And what is that?
Philippians 1:27

27Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel

1. What are we supposed to be doing whether or not someone is inspecting us?

I Timothy 4:12
12Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

1. How can we challenge the older, more mature Christians around?2. Can you give an example for each of the five areas mentioned?
II Timothy 2:22-25
22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,

1. What does??flee ?? or??shun ?? mean?2. Can you give examples of things to flee? How would you flee those?3. Can you give examples of things to pursue? How would you pursue those?4. What are we,??the Lord’s servants ??, supposed to do (v. 24-25)?5. What are we to do with our opponents?6. How can we prepare ourselves for doing those things mentioned in #4 & #5?

Titus 2:11-14
11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

1. What are we directed to do?2. The Lord gave Himself to do what for us?3. What effect is this to have on us?
Hebrews 12:14
14Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord


1. What do we have to do to see the Lord?2. And how does one accomplish this?
James 1:27
27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.


1. Religion acceptable to God is both ____ward looking and ____ward looking.

2. What characterises each?3. What does the world do to you?

James 3:8-9
8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

1. What should not be going on?2. What should be going on? Bonus Question: Is there any context of our lives where these teachings do not apply? Such as: in school, at camp, on holiday, downtown, during a skit night, at home, on the beach, at a friend’s place.

For the Greater Glory of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

Genevieve SmithIssacharian DaughterLocations of visitors to this page

Issacharian Daughters – ID043

pdf of Issacharian Daughters – ID043 – click on link below for correct layout and photos:

id043-a-purity-challenge.pdf

Dear Girls,

I have received a lot of comments regarding the most recent newsletter. Here are some of them:

??Thank you so much for this latest Issacharian Daughters newsletter. I am so glad you’ve addressed this topic and hope you talk more about it. I’ve been really convicted lately about modesty-even more than I have before- and have also been really encouraged to dress in a way that is pleasing to the Lord and not just how I want to dress. This is resulting in getting rid of a lot of stuff and I’m discussing modesty with Mum and Dad. I hope Dad especially might read this latest I.D. It’s such a ‘foreign’ issue to many, it seems. It’s really sad, especially in church. This last Sunday (again) I was really quite disappointed in how quite a few ladies are dressing. I wish I could talk to them. It’s just not that easy to walk up to someone and say,??…hmm, do you realise your dress is not very honoring to God…” I wonder if many women simply don’t know how the way they dress affects men. And I guess, sadly, some do it on purpose. ?? ~ An Issacharian Daughter in New Zealand

??Wow, that newsletter had a lot of really good thoughts in it! I’ll be remembering them! ?? ~ Ruth from the South Island of New Zealand

??In every one of your newsletters I always find something that I need to work on. In this issue emotional purity is a big one for me. I usually don’t have ANY problems with this because I have never met a boy that I would ever consider marrying but now I have ?? I find it very hard to treat someone like that like a brother. So, in conclusion several things in this hit me like a ton of bricks. ?? ~ An Issacharian Daughter in the USA

??I am an “older woman” with 4 daughters – ages 23, 20, 18, 12. I so appreciate your newsletter as I am trying desperately to swim against the tide of our culture in the raising of our daughters, having no mentors of my own (except internet) and not coming from a Christian background. Thankfully, they are all trying to embrace God’s ways as well. Your newsletter is such a blessing! Please continue! ?? ~ Mrs Smith from the USA

“Regarding the husband issue, it’s a doozy isn’t it? At least as Christians we are blessed to have a very specific framework to work from and I believe, tho’ they’re rarer, those Christian young men, like gold, are worth waiting for and trusting God to provide. I wasn’t a Christian, but at 30 I cried out to the Lord and asked Him to teach me to love Him through a Christian husband, and (in a round about way) He did. My husband and I weren’t Christians when we married (I was 32) but within two years both of us were … so for all of you single lassies, keep praying, keep trusting and know that you’ve got an older woman out there who has been through it all, praying for you and agreeing in prayer with you and your parents. I’m excited! I so vividly recall the feeling of being only half and wondering where the other half of me was. (Paints an amusing picture doesn’t it…a sort of half heart wandering around with jagged edges looking for a match somewhere – one that says Genevieve or my daughter’s name on it perhaps?) ?? ~ Love Mrs Gray from New Zealand”

It is really neat to read your feedback and to receive requests to deal with particular topics.

The next newsletter is attached as a pdf and the text follows this note.

Regards,GenevieveMonday, 18 June 2007Dear Girls,

A Purity Challenge

I received a lot of great feedback from the last newsletter ??quite understandably! From the time I was 12 years old (and more earnestly from the age of 16), I sought to understand a whole range of interconnecting matters: emotional purity, physical purity, courtship, appropriate platonic male/female interaction, my father’s authority in my life, how to live under this authority in my actions and interactions with others, preparing for marriage, the call of God on my life, modesty, holiness and beauty. I found all these to be fascinating and exciting areas of study. One book which was full of practical help and gave me a lot of good understanding was Emotional Purity: An Affair of the Heart by Heather Arnel Paulsen. This book brought clarity to an area that is often full of confusion ??I loved it!

The Bible also has a lot to say about purity. In fact purity is not simply a matter mentioned here and there in the Bible, it is a major theme running from the beginning right to the end. My dad discovered this truth when he was preparing to give some talks on purity to a group of young people. In preparation for this, he sat down with his Bible and read through from Romans to Jude in the New Testament in one hit. As he read, he was looking for verses which answered these questions: What does the Lord require of us in the way of purity, holiness and righteousness? What does Scripture imply regarding how we ought to live? What he discovered was amazing.

So my challenge to you is this: set aside a period of time, or ask your parents to block out a number of hours for you. If you are here in the Southern Hemisphere find a roaring fire, don your ugboots, fix yourself a cup of milo and get a chocolate afghan from the biscuit container. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere perhaps a sun chair, shady tree, sunglasses and iced tea would be more appropriate! In any event, sit down with your Bible, a notebook and a pen and read, read, read from Romans to Jude1 and mark in your notebook all the verses which require or imply that you ought to live a certain way. As you read, some verses will really stick out to you. Meditate on them. Ask yourself,??how am I living or not living in this way? What do I need to change in order to obey this verse? ?? When thinking about how to apply a particular verse it can be very helpful to read the verse through several times emphasizing a different word each time. For example:

Friendship with the world is enmity with God. James 4v4

Friendship with the world is enmity with God. James 4v4

Friendship with the world is enmity with God. James 4v4

Friendship with the world is enmity with God. James 4v4

Friendship with the world is enmity with God. James 4v4

When you have finished reading through the New Testament from Romans to Jude, write some aims/goals/resolutions you have regarding living a life marked by purity. Write these in your diary six months from now to read then and check how faithful you have been to putting practices of purity in place in your life.

You can get the book, Emotional Purity, from me or from www.visionforum.com. Just send me an email to enquire about price and postage.

For the Greater Glory of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

Genevieve SmithIssacharian Daughter

Notes:

1. You could read anywhere in the Bible and do this challenge. When Dad first did it he read from Romans to Jude because it is a concentrated section full of more application and less narrative. That is the only reason I suggest Romans to Jude in this challenge rather than other portions of Scripture.

I have sent this email to girls who have embraced a vision of victorious daughterhood as well as those who may be thinking about doing so (and even to some girls who may just like some encouragement regarding different areas of home life). Some of the girls are in the USA, UK, Australia and other parts of the world. Most are in New Zealand. You are welcome to forward this email on to others so long as you do so in its entirety. If you do not want to receive these emails please just send a return email to me stating that fact. If you know of other girls who would be encouraged by receiving these emails, feel free to forward the email to them or send me their email address.

Locations of visitors to this page