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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, NOVEMBER 2, 1981
PAGE 6
18:4). One woman says, "But since it is considered an 'essential part of
good grooming by people in the world, it does help me feel better dressed."
Another woman thinks make-up sets "AN EXAMPLE TO THE WORLD IN THEIR
APPEARANCE." Jesus said, "Ye are the light of the world•••• Let your light
so shine before men, that they may SEE your GOOD WORKS," not the paint Q!1
your face!
A woman says, "I don't wear make-up to change my appearance," but
another woman who writes the same thing wears so much that when I mentioned
having received a letter from a woman saying that, a leading headquarters
minister replied, "If I were a betting man I'd bet I could tell you who
wrote the letter." "Who do you think?" I asked. He named her. How did he
know? Because she wears so much make-up it stands out and several noticed
and mentioned it!
Some women will say it is adornment, and they mention how God adorned
Israel. LET'S LOOK AT THAT SCRIPTURE A MINUTE!
It's the 16th chapter of Ezekiel. It begins: "Son of man, cause Jeru
salem to know her abominations." The ABOMINATIONS of Judah is the subject.
Then God speaks symbolically of Israel and Judah as a newborn female child
who grew up. She grew up polluted by the world, and at the time of love,
God adorned her. HOW? God uses apparel as a symbol of righteousness. Here
He used the symbol of covering her with the FINEST apparel and adornment
--HIS LAW--which is finest in spiritual character. The apparel and jewelry
mentioned are not mentioned to approve worldly adornment, but indicate the
finest quality in CHARACTER, as measured by God's spiritual LAW. God men
tioned only the finest in material adornment to typify the finest in spir
itual adornment. BUT HE AVOIDED INCLUDING FACE PAINTING!
The BEAUTY God lavished on Israel was SPIRITUAL beauty--of HIS WAY OF
LIFE--the way of His LAW. This spiritual beauty went forth over the world
{verse 14). Then what? "BUT THOU DIDST TRUST IN THINE OWN BEAUTY AND
PLAYEDST THE HARLOT" (verse 15 and on).
WHY did I smoke? I had to be honest about it and I quit, and taught
the Church to quit. WHY do women use make-up? Shall they be honest about
it--or self-deceived into arguing their way to be like the world?
There are TWO reasons, and variations of those two reasons, and GOD,
who knows human hearts better than we know our own KNOWS THIS. They are:
VANITY, and desire to be like the world God calls us out of, or so to appear
to the world.
One woman candidly said she would rather have a good-looking face than
a knowledgeable and understanding mind. She would"'tather have facial make
up than God's righteousness. That was many years ago. She made her choice.
She no longer believes there is a Creator God. Now she is coming into old
age, and all the facial make-up can't help her look beautiful. She has NO
HOPE for the future!
One of the hardest tests I had to win to be converted, in the spring of
1927, was the thought, "If I accept God's TRUTH, what will all my former
business acquaintances in the world think?" I knew I had to GIVE UP caring