I can't think of a funky title for this so I'll go without a title at all.

I'm working my way through a Bible study book by Warren Wiersbe. This covers the books of 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon. I honestly don't know if my brain just isn't working right or if Mr. Wiersbe is really this heady. I find myself shaking my head and reading the questions over and over trying to grasp just what he is asking of me. It is a very stretching time to be sure.

One question he seems to really like is "How much of what Paul writes is specific to the culture of the time, and how much is directly applicable today?" I'm sorry but I'm a black/white girl. A it-all-applies-or-none-of-it-applies girl. The Bible, though written many centuries ago, applies today. All of it.

I can't pick and choose what to apply and what not to apply. If God is, as He says He is, the same yesterday, today and forever, what gives me the right to determine and say "This is no longer applicable because I live in a different culture."

Humans are humans regardless of the time or place of their birth. It is more acceptable in God's eyes that I teach and exercise authority over a man than it was when He through the Holy Spirit breathed the words through Paul. If it was wrong then, it's wrong today. When I get to heaven, I will not be able to use the excuse, "Well, you see, God, I didn't think that applied to me so I didn't do it."

While I am on a soapbox on this, let's get the whole modesty issue on the table. I am astounded at what some women wear to church. Modesty seems to have gone out the window.

I fear we have lost all of our reverence for the house of God and with that quite possibly our reverence for God Himself. His house is not treated as some place special, some place to be treated differently than we treat our house or the mall. I know my body is the temple, and I am the church, but something has to be said about building we use to gather to worship.

I am fully aware of the possibility for legalism to crop up in this issue. I am very much aware of it. But we have lost so much in the "God doesn't care what you wear" movement. He does care. He doesn't care so much for our comfort as He does our needs. He doesn't care that we don't always wear dresses or three piece suits or even a tie every Sunday. But He does care for our modesty. The directive in 1 Timothy 1:9-10 still applies. There are so many times I want nothing more than to stand and shout, "Women! Cover it up!"

Beth Moore has said that no woman dresses and leaves the house by accident. We are all fully aware of what we are wearing and it's affect on others. I no longer buy the line that says women don't know the affect they have on men. I don't buy it. We are aware. And since we are aware and still choose to dress immodestly that means we just don't care.

I know I should have some logical conclusion to this but I don't. I have no grand answers. I have no steps to follow. I just have my thoughts and feelings.