Breakfast really could be the most important meal of the day when it comes to losing weight, claims a researcher.

Over several months, obese women who ate half their daily calories first thing fared better than those eating a much smaller amount.

US researcher Dr Daniela Jakubowicz told a San Francisco conference having a small breakfast could actually boost food cravings.

A UK expert said a big breakfast diet might simply be less boring.

It could be that it is simply easier for people on a higher-carbohydrate diet to comply with it over a longer period Dr Alex Johnstone Rowett Research Institute, Aberdeen

Dr Jakubowicz, from Virginia Commonwealth University, has been recommending a hearty breakfast to her patients for 15 years.

She tested it against a low carbohydrate diet in a study of 96 obese and physically inactive women.

This diet involved 1,085 calories a day - the majority of these coming from protein and fat.

Breakfast here was the smallest meal of the day - just 290 calories, with just seven grams of carbohydrates.

Her “big breakfast” diet involved more calories - 1,240 - with a lower proportion of fat and more carbohydrates and protein.

Breakfast here was 610 calories, with 58 grams of carbohydrates, while lunch and dinner were 395 and 235 calories respectively.

Four months on, the low-carb dieters appeared to be doing better, losing an average of 28 pounds to the 23 shed on the “big breakfast” diet.

However, after eight months, the situation had reversed, with the low-carb dieters putting an average of 18 of those pounds back on, while the big breakfasters continued to lose weight, on average 16.5 pounds each.

They lost a fifth of their total body weight on average, compared with less than 5% for the low-carb dieters.

Slower metabolism

Dr Jakubowicz reported that the big breakfasters said they felt less hungry, particularly in the mornings.

She said: “Most weight loss studies have determined that a very low carbohydrate diet is not a good method to reduce weight.

“It exacerbates the craving for carbohydrates and slows metabolism - as a result, after a short period of weight loss, there is a quick return to obesity.”

She said that the bigger breakfast helped by making people feel fuller during the day, and was healthier, because it allowed more fibre and fruit to be included.

Dr Alex Johnstone, from the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, said that other studies had shown that while low-carb diets were a “good tool” to reduce weight quickly, they were not a “diet for life”.

She said that the regaining of lost weight by these dieters could be more a sign of the relative monotony of the two diets, rather than their ability to necessarily reduce cravings.

“It could be that it is simply easier for people on a higher-carbohydrate diet to comply with it over a longer period.”

A spokesman for the British Nutrition Foundation said there was evidence that a good-sized breakfast could help dieters.

She said: “Research shows that eating breakfast can actually help people control their weight.

“This is probably because when we don’t have breakfast we’re more likely to get hungry before lunch and snack on foods that are high in fat and sugar, such as biscuits, doughnuts or pastries.”

Upper class

Robert Kennedy, Jr. is a member of America’s upper class

Further information: American upper class

This term is applied to a wide array of elites that exist in the United States. The term commonly includes all “blue bloods” (multi-generational wealth combined with leadership of high society) such as the Astor or Roosevelt families. There is disagreement over whether the “nouveau riche” should be included as members of the upper class or whether this term should exclusively be used for established families. Twentieth century sociologist W. Lloyd Warner divided the upper class into two sections: the “upper-upper class” and “lower-upper class”. The former includes established upper-class families while the latter includes those with great wealth. As there is no defined lower threshold for the upper class it is difficult, if not outright impossible, to determine the exact number or percentage of American households that could be identified as being members of the upper-class(es).

Income and wealth statistics may serve as a helpful guideline as they can be measured in a more objective manner. In 2005, approximately one and half percent (1.5%) of households in the United States had incomes exceeding $250,000 with the top 5% having incomes exceeding $157,000. Furthermore only 2.6% of household held assets (excluding home equity) of more than one-million dollars. One could therefore fall under the assumption that less than five percent of American society are members of rich households.

Members of the upper class control and own significant portions of the corporate America and may exercise indirect power through the investment of capital. In recent years the salaries and, especially, the potential wealth through stock options, has greatly increased for the “corporate elite”. Inherited wealth leading to idleness is held in low regard and people who have it usually have prestigious occupations.

Yet another important feature of the upper class is that of inherited privilege. While most Americans, including those in the upper-middle class need to actively maintain their status, upper class persons do not need to work in order to maintain their status. Status tends to be passed on from generation to generation without each generation having to re-certify its status. Overall, the upper class is the financially best compensated and one of the most influential socio-economic classes in American society.

Corporate elite

Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft, is a member of America’s corporate elite.

The high salaries and, especially, the potential wealth through stock options, has supported the term corporate elite. Top executives, including Chief Executive Officers, are among the financially best compensated occupations in the United States. The median annual earnings for a CEO in the United States were $140,350 (exceeding the income of more than 90% of U.S. households). The Wall Street Journal reports the median compensation for CEOs of 350 major corporations was $6,000,000 in 2005 with most the money coming from stock options. In New York City in 2005, the median income (including bonuses) of a corporate “chief operating officer” (the #2 job) was $377,000. The total compensation for a “top IT officer” in charge of information technology in New York City was $218,000. Thus even below the CEO level of top corporations, financial compensation will usually be sufficient to propel a households with a mere one income earner in the top 1%. In 2005 only 1.5% of American households had incomes above $250,000 with many reaching this level only through having two income earners.

Many politically powerful people make money before coming to office, but in general the political power elite have official incomes in the $150,000 to $185,000 range; members of Congress are paid $165,000, and are effectively required to have a residence in their district as well as one in Washington.

Middle class

Main article: American middle class

Many teachers in the United states are in the middle class.

The middle class is perhaps the mostly vaguely defined of the social classes. The term can be used either to describe a relative elite of professionals and managers (also called the upper middle class) or it can be used to describe those in-between the extremes of wealth, disregarding considerable differences in income, culture, educational attainment, influence, and occupation. As with all the social classes in the U.S. there are no definite answers as to what is and what is not middle class. Sociologists such as Dennis Gilbert, James Henslin, William Thompson and Joseph Hickey have brought forth class models in which the middle class is divided into two sections that combined constitute 47% to 49% of the population. The upper middle or professional class constitutes the upper end of the middle class which consists of highly educated, well-paid professionals with considerable work autonomy. The lower end of the middle class, called either lower middle class or just middle class consists of semi-professionals, craftsmen and salesmen who often have just some college education and are more closely supervised.

Although income thresholds cannot be determined since social classes lack distinct boundaries and tend to overlap, sociologists and economist have put forth certain income figures they find indicative of middle class households. Sociologist Leonard Beeghley identifies a husband making roughly $57,000 and a wife making roughly $40,000 with a household income of roughly $97,000 as a typical middle class family. Sociologists William Thompson and Joseph Hickey identify household incomes between $35,000 and $75,000 as typical for the lower middle and $100,000 or more as typical for the upper middle class. Though it needs to be noted that household income distribution neither relfects standard of living nor class status with complete accuracy.

Upper middle

In the United States, scientists often belong to the upper middle class.

Further information: American middle class#The Professional/Managerial middle class

This class consists of highly educated salaried professionals whose work is largely self-directed. Many have graduate degrees with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly may exceed $100,000 (€65,866 or £50,413), with some smaller one-income earners household having incomes in the high 5-figure range. Salaries are commonly in the high five-figure range. Members of this class commonly hold advanced academic degrees and are often involved with professional organizations. Due to the nature of professional and managerial occupations, the upper middle class tends to have great influence over the course of society. Occupations which are essential to the forming of public opinion such as journalists, authors, commentators, professors, scientist and advertisers are largely upper middle class.^[13] The very well educated, are seen as trend setters with movements such as anti-smoking movements, pro-fitness movement, organic food movement, environmentalism being largely indigenous to this particular socio-economic grouping. Education serves as perhaps the most important value and also the most dominant entry barrier of the upper middle class.

Sociologists such as Dennis Gilbert, Willam Thompson and Joseph Hickey estimate the upper middle class to constitute roughly 15% of the population (or roughly 1 in every 6.66 persons). The main hallmark and most distinguishing feature of this class is its high educational attainment. Using the 15% figure one may conclude that the American upper middle class consist of professionals making more than $67,500 (€44,468 or £34,029) who often, but not always, reside in households with a six figure income.

Traditional middle class

Further information: Average Joe and American middle class#Statistical middle class

Those households more or less at the center of society may be referred to as being part of the American middle or middle-middle class in vernacular language use. In the academic models featured in this article, however, the middle class does not constitute a strong majority of the population. Those in the middle of the socio-economic strata – the proverbial Average Joe – are commonly in the area where the working and lower middle class overlap. The most prominent academic models split the middle class into two sections. Yet, it remains common for the term middle class to be applied for anyone in between either extreme of the socio-economic strata. The middle class is then often sub-divided into an upper-middle, middle-middle and lower-middle class. In colloquial descriptions of the class system the middle-middle class may described as consisting of those in the middle of the social strata. Politicians and news anchors such as Lou Dobbs can be seen using the term middle class in this manner, especially when discussing the middle class squeeze. The wide discrepancy between the academic models and public opinions that lump highly educated professionals together in the same class with secretaries, may lead to the conclusion that public opinion on the subject has become largely ambiguous.

Lower middle class

The lower middle class is, as the name implies, generally defined as those less privileged than the middle class. People in this class commonly work in supporting occupations and seldom hold advanced academic degrees. There is also considerable debate of whether or not this class is truly part of the middle class and whether or not its members should be identified as being working class or even poor instead of middle class.

Sociologists Dennis Gilbert, William Thompson and Joseph Hickey, however, only divide the middle class into two groups. In their class modes the middle class only consists of an upper and lower middle class. The upper middle class, as described above, constitutes roughly 15% of the population with highly educated white collar professionals who commonly have salaries in the high 5-figure range and household incomes in the low six figure range. Semi-professionals with Bachelor’s degrees and some college degrees constitute the lower middle class. Their class models show the lower middle class positioned slightly above the middle of the socio-economic strata. Those in blue and pink collar as well as clerical occupations are referred to as working class in these class models.

Working class

Wait staff at restaurants often belong to the working class

The working class in the United States is as vaguely defined as the middle class with whom it overlaps according to some definitions. Sociologists estimate that anywhere from 32% to 45% of households are working class. While some might argue that the working class is synonymous with the lower middle class, it may also be argued that the working class constitutes the majority of the American population (or the “silent majority”). A distinctive feature of this class may include that fact that workers from this class merely take orders and are neither compensated for their ideas nor are they involved in the decision making process of the organization for which they work. Yet another more dated definition is that the working class commonly consists of blue-collar workers, while non-professional white collar workers are lower middle class. The guideline stating that working class workers are not paid to think, but rather perform tasks, persists however through many ideologies regarding this class. Much like the lower middle class (which may be the same class according to some theories) the working class has little economic security and is extremely susceptible to fluctuations in the economy. Out-sourcing and cost-cutting related lay-offs are much more a pressing issues for persons of this class, than in the higher classes.

While Karl Marx’s statement may be over one-hundred fifty years old, it still related to modern society in that working class persons are very much prone to economic downturns. While the actual persons are not a commodity themselves, their labor is. Labor is one of the primary factors of production alongside, land, capital, and entrepreneurship. Unlike professionals, who are paid to conceptualize, create, think, and advise, working class employees usually complete assigned tasks, as they often lack the proper training necessary for more influential positions. Today, however, this division of labor is largely due to the fact that the direction of resources requires expertise that often cannot be gained without a college education. As working class persons tend to lack higher education they are commonly not qualified to design, create, or advise. Thus today’s market labor division arose from necessity not political reasons. It should also be noted, that the modern working class works less than the upper middle class or the top 5%. While 81% of persons in the top quintile worked more than fifty hours a week, only two-thirds of those in the second quintile worked more than fifty hours a week.

Lower class

A homeless man in Anchorage, Alaska

The term lower class is commonly applied to those at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Definitions of this term vary greatly. While Lloyd Warner found the vast majority of the American population to be in either the upper-lower class or lower-lower class in 1949, modern-day experts such as Michael Zweig, an economist for SUNY–Stony Brook, argue that the working class constitutes most of the population. Dennis Gilbert places 13% of households among the “working poor” with 12% being in the “underclass”.”Thompson & Hickey place roughly 17% to 20% of households in the lower classes. The lower classes constituting roughly a fifth to a quarter of American society consists mainly of low-rung retail and service workers as well as the frequently unemployed and those not able to work. Overall, 13% of the population fall below the poverty threshold. Hunger and food insecurity were present in the lives of 3.9% of American households, while roughly twenty-five million Americans (ca. 9%) participated in the food stamp program.

I am finally home and have lots of mixed emotions. I am still in pain from the surgery and still feeling a bit woozie from the anesthesia. I woke up early in the morning and left for the Hospital for my surgery. I had to be there at 6:00am for my surgery. I’m pretty punctual so I made sure that I was there 15 minutes early. At this point I was very nervous and really was not looking forward to the way I was going to feel after the surgery.

Once they called me, they escorted me to a dressing room where they told me to take everything off and put this gown on. Well that was a bit uneasy, that was the last thing I was expecting. I was hoping to at least keep my underwear on. Oh well what can you do but do as they say. I was waiting there for a while and all you could hear was the couple across the isle fooling around. Not sure what they were doing but it did not sound proper.

Finally the anesthesiologists walked in to prepare me for surgery. He looked in side my mouth and asked me a bunch of questions. So he began to put my IV in and of course he had a real hard time trying to find my veins. After poking me a few times he found what he was looking for, blood. Weird thing was, he was not wearing any gloves and blood was spilling all over his hands. Oh well lucky for him I’m not infectious. LOL

Ok, here it goes, off to the surgery room. At this point I am terrified, having all sorts of thoughts. I was thinking, what if I don’t make it and if I make it how am I going to feel when I wake up. I am finally in the surgery room and told to move on the the surgery bed. They are putting all this stuff on me and setting me up for surgery. The anesthesiologists says ok take some deep breaths all this is is pure oxygen. I remember taking about 4 deep breaths and that was it.

Orlando, wake up, that is the next thing I remember. I remember bits and pieces of being taken down the hall to my room and then all of a sudden I was there.

Ok you’re going to have to scoot over to the bed.

Are you serious I said to them.

Yes, we cannot pick you up, you’re going to have to try.

I remember how weary, weak and in so much pain I was in. It was so hard trying to move over. I was in and out, I just wanted to go to sleep, but I was in pain at the same time. That’s when i said,

Jesus, what have I done?

Ok today was my pre-OP and I just had a bunch of tests done. Everything went pretty smoothly, just nervous still. I was just told on the way and the little amount of food that I was going to eat. I must say wow, that is very little food. Any ways i will let everyone know how the surgery went.

My pre-OP weight was 411 lbs

I will be posting pictures pretty soon so that everyone can see the progress.

Today I did the last step I needed to do so that I can have the lapband procedure. I do sometimes feel ashamed that I’ve let my weight get this out of control. I currently weight 425lbs and have a BMI of 64. Whoa! There I said it for you. I consider myself, and so do other people, very spiritually mature. My shame comes from not being able to have the self control with food.I fel this is the one thing that has prevented me from growing more spiritually. One thing that really encouraged me to have the surgery was this pastor’s testimony. I was praying for God’s will concerning this surgery and one day I listened to a radio program I’ve never heard before. It was pastor Leo and he was really good. At the end he gave his website and that’s where I read his testimony.

Here is a bit of his testimony that really touched my soul.

Well, one day while I was driving to church, I passed a car with two young people in it. The passenger in the other car turned to look at me and I was horrified by what I saw. A young woman, maybe 18-22 years of age, turned and looked at me and she had a growth on her face that looked to be about 7 to 10 pounds. It was grotesque and made her look so disfigured. It was worse than anything I had ever seen in a monster movie. Without thinking I turned away and said, “Oh God, thank you that I’m fat!” I started praying for that young woman thinking about all the hurt she must have experienced already and all the hurt she still had ahead of her. As I was praying for her, a still small thought came into my head and I heard the Lord say, “Leo, what did you say?” I repeated what I had first said, “Oh God, thank you that I’m fat!” That’s when I felt like the Lord said to me, “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you thank me for this before. I’ve heard you complain, I’ve heard you make false promises, I’ve even heard you threaten me with all kinds of ultimatums, but I’ve never heard you say THANK YOU!”

I must admit the Lord was right, I had never been glad that I didn’t have something worse. My whole focus had always been, “Woe is me” or “Poor me!”

A little while later I read in the Bible about how the Lord delivered the people from Egypt, and how Moses was used by God to bring the people out of their captivity. As I read their story I prayed and said, “Lord would you please deliver me from my bondage? Would you please do for me what I can’t do for myself?” Now it’s almost two years later. I’ve lost 172 pounds so far. My blood pressure is that of a teenager. No more gout or high blood pressure medicine. I exercise three times a week, I’m always full, and I feel really good. WOW! All I can say is “Thank You Lord!” “Thank you for doing for me what I couldn’t do for myself!”

This is when I realized that my eating has made me a slave of it. Obesity is not a disease, it is Sin and many people have been held captive by it. The more ungodly our nation has become the more obese people are.

If everything with the insurance goes ok, I should have the surgery by the end of march or beginning of april. In the meantime I will have to do a 3 week liquid diet and i already have begun my daily walk. I will shortly be putting up pictures so that everyone can follow my progress.

Please pray for me and my family.

By Chris Klicka, Senior Counsel for the
Home School Legal Defense Association

THEME: God has delegated the authority and responsibility to teach and raise children to the parents first. Parents can delegate their authority to teach and raise children to someone else, but they can never delegate their responsibility to teach their children to anyone else. God will hold parents responsible for what education their children receive (whether from teachers, books, projects, or peers). To whom much is given, much is required. We have a free choice in this country to not send our children to an ungodly public school—we will, all the more, be responsible. Remember, our children are dying souls entrusted to our care!

I. The raising of children is delegated to parents by God:

1. A. Psalm 127:3-5 (“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gates.”)
2. B. Gen. 33:5, 48:8-9; Isa.8:18; Heb. 2:13 (“Children whom the Lord has given me”)
3. C. Matt. 22:21 (Render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and unto God that which is God’s—our children are God’s)
4. D. Training of children was not delegated to the state. The only Biblical accounts of states education were coerced: i.e. Moses, Joseph, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.

II. Children, however, are still considered by God to be His (Therefore, children are a gift of stewardship and parents do not own the children):

1. A. Ezekiel 16:20-21 (“You slaughtered My children and offered them up to idols …”
2. B. Psalm 139:13-16; Job 10:8-12; Isaiah 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:41,44 (God’s claim to unborn children)

III. God has given us certain conditions we are commanded to meet when raising children (part of our stewardship responsibility):

1. A. Ephesians 6:4 (“Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”) Fathers have the greatest responsibility in training their children in the Lord and disciplining them. Are fathers “provoking” their children by sending them to public school?
2. B. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (also see Deuteronomy 4:9, 11:18-21) We are commanded to diligently teach our children God’s commandments and principles all the time. Sunday school is not enough—children in public school are taught to think as non-christians thirty or more hours a week.
3. C. Psalm 78:1-11 (Teach God’s principles to your children all the time so they will teach their children and so “that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God.”)
4. D. Exodus 13:8,14; Joshua 4:20-22,24 (Teach you children what God has done).
5. E. Proverbs 6:20-23 (Children’s responsibility to obey parents’ teachings who in turn, should be teaching God’s principles)
6. F. Psalm 1:1-2 (Meditate on God’s law day and night); Proverbs 23:7 (“For as a man thinks, so is he”) Children in public school are being taught to think like non-Christians.
7. G. II Corinthians 10:5 (Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ)
8. H. Isaiah 54:13 (“And all your children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of your children.”); John 21:15 (“Feed My lambs” and “Feed My sheep”).
9. I. Jeremiah 10:12 (“Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of heathen nations.”) Isn’t that what our children are learning in the public schools?
10. J. Colossians 3:1-3 (“Keep seeking the things above, where Christ is . . . set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on the earth.”) The things above are God’s words recorded in Scripture. The Bible is the “blueprint” for all areas of life.
11. K. Matt. 16:23 (Peter, thinking like a humanist, told Jesus he wouldn’t have to die. Jesus said, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me: for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
12. L. Matt. 22:37 (“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your should, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and foremost commandment.”) How can our children love God with their mind when public school trains their minds to ignore God?
13. M. Luke 6:40 (“A pupil is not above his teacher but everyone after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher—a blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?”) Are spiritually blind teachers teaching our children and leading them astray?
14. N. Romans 12:2 (“Be not conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”) Public schools conform our children to the pattern of this world.
15. O. Prov. 22:6 (“Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”) We need to train our children in God’s ways now so they will walk in righteousness as adults.
16. P. I Samuel 15:1-23 (“To obey is better than sacrifice.”) Are we trying to make a “sacrifice” to God by sending our children to public school to “save souls” while disobeying God’s clear commands to us concerning raising our children?

IV. Good versus bad “socialization” of children:

1. A. Proverbs 13:20 (“He who walks with wise men, will be wise but a companion of fools will suffer harm”)
2. B. I Corinthians 15:33 (“Be not deceived; bad company corrupts good morals”)

V. Content of true education:

1. A. Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7 (“Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”)
2. B. Proverbs 2:6, 9:10 (“The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes understanding.”)
3. C. Colossians 1:16-17, 2:3 (All things created by Him and for Him, he holds all together.) James 1:5 (In Christ are all treasures of wisdom)
4. D. II Timothy 3:15-17 (“. . .continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of . . . and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”)
5. E. II Tim. 2:15 (“Study to show yourself approved to God, handling accurately the Word of truth.”)
6. F. James 3:13-18 (Wisdom not from above is earthly, natural, demonic. Wisdom from above is “pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”) Whose wisdom are your children being taught?
7. G. Psalm 119:97-101 (The goal of education is to train children in God’s law so they can govern themselves, be wiser than their enemies, have more insight than their teachers, understand more than the aged).
8. H. Matthew 18:6 (Whoever harms one of these little ones who believe in Me, it would be better for Him that a millstone hung about his neck and he drowned in the sea.) Are we harming our children if we send them to public school?

Thoughts to remember: God’s truth and His principles are the foundation of all knowledge; children must not only be taught to believe as Christians but also to think as Christians; God’s principles must be taught to children in a comprehensive manner on a daily basis; God’s truth speaks to every academic discipline. Where would Satan like our children to be taught? Sending our children to modern public education is like playing Russian roulette with their souls!

“I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.” III John 4

Adapted from The Right Choice: Home Schooling by Christopher Klicka

See this video and you will know why.

Introduction

There is a passage in the New Testament which has been ignored, neglected and regarded as not worthy of attention, partly because of fear of the controversy that it might provoke and partly because this passage is not considered to be of any relevance today. Women may object to the passage on the ground that it implies women’s subjugation and inferiority to men. Some elders and other leaders would rather avoid this passage or treat it as non-existent than discuss it frankly. Others have their private reservations on the validity of this passage. Yet this passage is an integral part of Scripture, written by Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for a purpose which has great significance in gatherings of God’s people.

I refer to 1 Cor 11:1 - 16. Since we believe that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16), it is right and proper to consider this section prayerfully, carefully and come to a definite decision - to obey the Lord’s injunction or to disobey it, deliberately rejecting it as an unreasonable example of Paul’s male chauvinism, or an outmoded practice confined to the early believers, a local, contemporary and temporary custom to be discarded in our modern, advanced technological age.

It is a credit to very many assemblies practising New Testament principles that the sisters in their meetings -worship and remembrance meetings, prayer meetings, ministry meetings etc - do follow this injunction to cover their heads, and the brothers follow the companion injunction not to cover their heads. The reasons, however, may not be clear for some of them but, because the Word of God says so, they obey it and make provision for this practice. This is highly commendable.

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How many times have you heard people say, “God looks at my heart not my outer appearance.” They usually say this to excuse the way they dress. I laugh every time I hear this saying because if only people knew how corrupt and evil our hearts are, they would wish that God would only look at our outer appearance rather than our Hearts.

Matthew 15:19
19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. This is what Jesus said in Matthew 15, this is so true. Even with us who are saved, sometimes we allow our lives to be run by our old nature, that’s when the evil in our hearts come out.

Paul said in Romans 3:10-18 As it is written:

“ There is none righteous, no, not one;

11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “ Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

“ The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

If we look throughout history we can see how evil the hearts of men have been. I would have to say that the way you dress is a reflection of your heart. If you think that dressing immodesty is ok, then your heart is worst than what you think. Change your ways and put on the full armor of God. Ask Him to show you the things that are wrong in your heart.

Choose modesty.