A Woman Who Fears the Lord

By Angela Wittman ~~~~~~~~ "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD shall be praised." (Proverbs 31:30) Dear Friends, I was recently reminded of the truth that a woman's beauty does not lay in her outward appearance (as this will fade); but true beauty is found in those women who fear the LORD. The type of beauty I am referring to is the beauty of integrity and conviction. When I read the accounts in Scripture of women who found great worth in the Lord’s eyes, I see women of strong character who feared the LORD more than man. It is my great pleasure to review with you what Scripture records about some of these beautiful women and the memorable deeds they performed in faith. One of the first women who come to my mind is the prophetess Miriam who was also the sister of Moses and Aaron. Miriam is well known for the heroic story of hiding and watching the baby Moses as he floated in the Egyptian river and was found by Pharaoh's daughter.

By Angela Wittman " I am a 44 year old woman, who at age 13 had gotten pregnant. That was the year Roe v.Wade came into being. "I was forced to have an abortion. It was a choice that I didn't make. It was chosen for me and I live daily with the pain of having done it. I was almost 6 months along and will never forget what it was like to give birth to a child that was placed in what looked like a Kentucky fried chicken bucket and thrown away. It was a horrible thing. "I am thankful God can forgive me for having allowed them to do this to me. It has taken many years for me to accept God's forgiveness. I pray no young, or older woman would make this choice for herself. Please tell them to place the baby up for adoption; not to go through the terrible experience that stays with you forever. "Please only use my name, June, to express my pain to others. " (  Letter to the editor in the Illinois Leader, 3-29-04) Dear Friends, A child is a unique living individ

By Angela Wittman 'Good people, I have come hither to die and by a law I am condemned to the same. The fact, indeed, against the Queen's Highness was unlawful and the consenting thereto by me. But touching the procurement and desire thereof by me or on my behalf I do wash my hands in innocence. Before God and the face of you, good Christian people, this day I pray you all, to bear me witness that I die a true Christian woman, and that I look to be saved by none other means, but only by the mercy of God, in the merits of the blood of his only son, Jesus Christ. And I confess, when I did know the word of God, I neglected the same, loved myself and the world, and thereto the plague or punishment is happily and worthily happened unto me for my sins. And yet, I thank God of His goodness that he hath thus given me a time and respite to repent. And now good people, while I am alive, I pray you to assist me with your prayers.' (Lady Jane Grey's Address from the Scaffold, Feb. 1

By Angela Wittman "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep." (John 10:11-13, KJV) "In A.D. 390, a riot occurred in Thessalonica and the Roman Governor, Botheric, was killed. Theodosius, the Roman emperor at the time, invited the people of the city for games and entertainment in the Hippodrome and then had 7,000 of them slain. Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, rose to the role of the good shepherd ready to lay down his life for his sheep. He wrote to Theodosius and told him to publicly repent for the evil he had done. Roman emperors were not in the habit of humbling themselves, and Theodosius refused Ambroses' demand. That set the stage for the high drama that ensued. As Theodos

By Angela Wittman "Babies are saved and abortion centers are shut down when Christians act like Christians and show love to their neighbors. Many more die due to the apathy of the church. Will you save a child from death this week?" (Dennis Green, Life and Liberty Ministries) "Though the question of when life begins is important to many, the question more representative of today's view is 'what quality of life mandates preservation?' Has the fetus gained a quality of life worthy of preservation? This is a dangerous question, indeed. For who among us, the already-born, can decide such a question? Do we apply this question to every human being? Does a fetus, or even an infant with down syndrome have a quality of life equal to that of a perfectly normal one? These questions lead only to some sort of genetic elitism, and shouldn't even be asked in good conscience. Perhaps the biggest irony encountered when examining those who wish to make abortion a social ju

By Angela Wittman "There is a vast difference between a man who goes to work every day to serve God and a man who goes to work everyday to make money....If a man sells insurance chiefly to make money, he will work to sell his client what will bring him the greatest commission. But if a man sells insurance chiefly to serve God, he will work to sell his client what will best meet the needs of that client. The primary motive for work does matter!" (Taken from: "Whatsoever You Do" A Pastor's Perspective, written by John Sartelle.) "Many Christians, in sales and other careers, are discouraged because they cannot see the eternal significance of their work. Some adhere to the idea that the best careers are those in "full time Christian service,"; which is taken to mean work as a pastor, missionary, teacher in a Christian school, or some such work. Certainly the work of pastors and missionaries is important. However, even a job seemingly far removed from

By Angela Wittman "We, the People of the State of Illinois - grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He has permitted us to enjoy and seeking His blessing upon our endeavors - in order to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the people; maintain a representative and orderly government; eliminate poverty and inequality; assure legal, social and economic justice; provide opportunity for the fullest development of the individual; insure domestic tranquility; provide for the common defense; and secure the blessings of freedom and liberty to ourselves and our posterity - do ordain and establish this Constitution for the State of Illinois." (Preamble to the Illinois Constitution) Dear Friends, I recently came across our state preamble and found myself in awe at the expressed acknowledgement of "Almighty God for our civil, political and religious liberty." This humble petition for "His blessing upon our endeavors" wa

By Angela Wittman or-tho-dox: Conforming to commonly accepted opinion or faith. (The Grosset WEBSTER Dictionary, Published by Grosset & Dunlap, 1970) Dear Friends, As we look around at the decadence of our society and wonder as the walls of morality seem to be collapsing and ethical behavior is discarded by many for the love of power and money; may we turn our attention to the foundation of our nation which is orthodox Christianity and dependence upon the LORD Jesus Christ to advance His Kingdom through His Church. What is the belief that was given to us by our Puritan and Pilgrim Forefathers? Perhaps this description of "The Character of an Old English Puritan" by John Geree, M.A. published in 1646, will best describe our Forefathers orthodox Christian belief: "The Old English Puritan was such an one, that honored God above all, and under God gave every one his due. His first care was to serve God, and therein he did not what was good in his own, but in God's si

By Angela Wittman I received the most touching letter last year concerning the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial commonly known as "The Wall." This story comes straight from the heart of one of my favorite leading men. I am truly grateful that I have been given the privilege to know this man who has beautifully expressed the unique bond of brotherhood shared by men who have risked their lives and spilled their blood during war for our freedom. Due to the recent casualties of the Iraq War, I feel compelled to share this story with you in honor of all our fighting men and in recognition of Memorial Day. May the good LORD bless them all for the selflessness they have displayed.Please read this heartfelt account written by Bill Kuenkler of Granite City, Illinois, and then please join me as I give thanks to the LORD for blessing our nation with patriotic men who lead by example while displaying the same courage and honor as our forefathers. Friends, This was a day to remember for me.

By Angela Wittman "If certain federal lawmakers have their way, your eighteen-year-old daughters will be registered for selective service and drafted for combat by the next war or U.N. "peacekeeping" operation. Should she find herself engaged in an overseas military exercise of any kind, you will be expected to accept as part of her duty, that if captured, she may be shot and gang raped. You will be told that this is the price of freedom which must be equally borne by men and women alike. If this future seems far-fetched, then you may be blind to one of the single greatest socio-cultural changes to occur in the history of West for more than 2,500 years." (The Church Must Oppose the Sin of Women at War, by Douglas W. Phillips, Esq./ Vision Forum Ministries) "To have women serving as soldiers on the battlefield is an abomination in the eyes of God and ought to be an offense to righteous men and women. It is an abandonment of the God-given order for society

By Angela Wittman Dear Friends, [caption id="" align="alignright" width="148"] Saddam Hussein statue falling  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption] There has been much local and national debate about the war in Iraq. It seems we have seen and heard almost every opinion imaginable expressed. We have been bombarded with horrific scenes of bombing, shooting and burning while staying tuned to our television sets. Who can forget the scenes of a blinding sandstorm and the brave men in uniform? I even received a beautiful photo via e-mail of soldiers who had dug a shallow pool in the sand, lined with canvas and filled with water for the sacrament of baptism. May God bless our troops! I have chosen two explicitly Christian responses to the war in Iraq to share with you and, which I pray will give you another view point from which to look at the War. The first is written by Pastor Doug Holmes of Sovereign Grace Church in Coulter, Iowa, who is also an ex-marine. His

By Angela Wittman "Our cause is just. Our union is perfect. Our internal resources are great, and, if necessary, foreign assistance is undoubtedly attainable. -- We gratefully acknowledge, as signal instances of the Divine favour towards us, that his Providence would not permit us to be called into this severe controversy, until we were grown up to our present strength, had been previously exercised in warlike operation, and possessed of the means of defending ourselves. With hearts fortified with these animating reflections, we most solemnly, before God and the world, declare, that, exerting the utmost energy of those powers, which our beneficent Creator hath graciously bestowed upon us, the arms we have been compelled by our enemies to assume, we will, in defiance of every hazard, with unabating firmness and perseverence, employ for the preservation of our liberties; being with one mind resolved to die freemen rather than to live slaves.... "In our own native land, in defen

By Angela Wittman While researching material for this article, I came across this harrowing news account of a Chinese couple who had fled China and is now seeking assylum in our country. They were arrested and persecuted in China for resistance to China's coercive population control program. "Li and Yu, an unmarried couple, fled China in 1998 after officials gave Li a forced pregnancy exam. At the exam, she was held down while a doctor examined her "private parts," Li, then 19, said according to court records. "As she yelled, kicked and demanded they release her, she was told she would receive similar tests in the future, and if found pregnant, would be subject to an abortion, Li said. "Her boyfriend, Yu, then 21, could also be sterilized, she said the officials told her. "I was so scared. I was yelling. I was making noises," Li said, according to court documents, adding that officials threatened her, "For the rest of your life you cannot hav

By Angela Wittman A friend recently sent me a Whitehouse press release from last November of Pres. Bush hosting the Iftaar Dinner in the State Dining Room. Here are some of the comments President Bush made two months after the 9-11 terrorist attacks: "Good evening, and welcome to the White House. I'm so honored to welcome such distinguished guests and ambassadors during the holy month of Ramadan. "America is made better by millions of Muslim citizens. America has close and important relations with many Islamic nations. So it is fitting for America to honor your friendship and the traditions of a great faith by hosting this Iftaar at the White House.... "Ramadan is a time of fasting and prayer for the Muslim faithful. So tonight we are reminded of God's greatness and His commandments to live in peace and to help neighbors in need. According to Muslim teachings, God first revealed His word in the holy Qur'an to the prophet, Muhammad, during the month of Ramadan