Anointed Beauty

I am often asked how I came up with the name for my salon, Anointed Beauty.  As a Christian woman in the beauty industry, it is very important to me that I don't get wrapped up in the vanity of the beauty world.  I keep Proverbs 31:30 in front of me always. "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."  There's nothing wrong with coloring our hair, wanting to have a cute style, taking care of our skin and nails, or wearing makeup.  There is, however, an inner beauty that is eternally more important than our outward appearance.  So, the question is, how do we attain this true inner beauty?  Let's start first in Isaiah 64:6a, "But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;" and Psalm 14:3, "they have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one."  These verses show us that every single person, even on their best day, is filled with an ugliness called sin.  Romans 3:23 says that "All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God."  There are a lot of people who do a lot of good things, but God's perfect standard doesn't allow for "good".  Only perfect is acceptable to a perfect God.  So, what do we do about it?  If we can't meet God's standard by doing enough good in the world, how do we meet it?  How do we turn that ugliness inside into something clean and beautiful?  There's only one way, and we find the answer in John 14:6.  "Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me."  Jesus is the ONLY way of restoring a right relationship with God.  That sin we are born with and that we choose to commit has made us ugly and has separated us from God.  The good news of the gospel is that God loves us so much, and He desires a relationship with us so deeply that He made a way for us to be forgiven and return to Him.   (John 3:16)  He sent His son, Jesus Christ into this world to die for our sins in our place.  We have a death sentence because of our sin, but Jesus took our punishment so that we wouldn't have to!  He did all the work, He provided the way, all we have to do is turn from our sins and admit that we need His salvation.  We have to admit that we're ugly inside before we can let Him make us beautiful.  Once we realize our need, Romans 10:9 tells us "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."  When you repent from your sin, and turn to Jesus, something amazing happens.  You are immediately filled with the Holy Spirit, who is God! He takes up residence and abides in you to teach you God's word, to convict you of sin in your life, and to seal you for eternal life in Heaven.  The greek word "chrisma" means "a special endowment of the Holy Spirit" or "anointing" and is found in two passages.  I John 2:20, "but you have an anointing from the Holy One..." and I John 2:27, The anointing you received from Him abides in you."  The verb form of this word is "chrio" or "anointed".  This word is used in four passages referring to Jesus as the anointed one, but it is also used in 2 Corinthians 1:21 referring to Christians.  "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."  Acts 2:38 says "... Repent, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."  There are a lot of people that claim to be "anointed" by God, but the Bible is very clear in Matthew 24:24 that we need to beware of false prophets, those who claim to be "anointed ones".  There is only one anointing, and it happens when you repent of your sins and turn to Jesus Christ as your only hope for salvation.  When you have this anointing, your ugly sin turns into true beauty in an instant!  Isaiah 1:18 says "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."  There is nothing more important in this life than to make the decision to accept Jesus as your savior.  If you are still trying to get to Heaven on your own, I beg you to look at the truth and accept God's gift to you.  If you are among the anointed, I challenge you to share God's gift with those around you!

The Value of Life

Tonight in Bible Study we took a break from our normal study to talk about the sanctity of life.  Here are a few truths from scriptures that show us God’s value of all human life.

In Genesis 1:26-27 we see that God created man differently than all of the rest of creation.  We were created in the very image of God.  We were formed from the dust of the ground by the very hands of God.  God breathed His own breath into man, making man a living soul.  This is powerful testimony to the value of every human being.  It’s so important for us to see God’s image in every person.  Whether or not you believe in God, in His son, or the Bible, you were still created by God and made in His image.  When we start to see people with the knowledge that they are formed by God and made in His own image, we begin to value that person on a whole new level.  It’s easy to hold this view when the person is healthy, beautiful, or successful.  But, what about those who are usually looked at as weaker, unhealthy, or un-loveable?  It is crucial that we see EVERY life as a gift from God, highly valued by Him, and made in His very image. 

It’s not enough for a Christian to stop here.  It is our responsibility to not only affirm that all life is valuable to God, but to also protect this life.  Look at Exodus 1:15-17 and its surrounding passages.  The king of Egypt had told all the midwives to kill every male child that was born to the Israelites.  He was afraid that Israel’s population was growing so big that they would one day overtake Egypt, so he ordered all male babies to be killed.  Well, God tells us of two midwives, Shiphrah, and Puah, who took a stand for life.  They feared God, they affirmed the value of every life, and they risked their own lives to save those of the babies they were commanded to kill.  What would have happened if they affirmed life, but simply removed themselves for the job of midwife so that they would not have to a part of such a horrendous situation?  No, they took a stand right where they were and saved the lives of many children.  In fact, we see in the very next chapter a story of a woman who gave birth to a son and hid him as long as possible, praying that God would find a way to protect him.  That baby boy’s name was Moses, and God did protect him.  He also grew up to become the man who would lead Israel out of slavery and right up to the Promised Land.  We have to take a stand for what’s right.

We know that God values every life because every life is made in His image.  We know that we have a responsibility to take a stand for human life and defend those who cannot defend themselves.  It’s also important that we see that each and every life has a special purpose from God.  Read these words from Psalm 139:13-16.  “For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb.  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”   Take special notice that God knew our substance BEFORE we were even formed.  He fashioned every single day of my life BEFORE my days ever began!  When God formed your inward parts, when He covered you in your mother’s womb, He was creating every single detail of your life.  I love the words “skillfully wrought” in this passage.  He was giving you a personality. He was equipping you with talents. He gave you a specific gender.  He gave you your eye color, your skin tone, the structure to give you a specific height and body build.  God created each and every person exactly the way He wanted to for a specific purpose.  For a person to say that one life is more valuable than another is to take the place of God.  It is only for God to determine the value of a life, and He is clear in His word that He values EVERY life, regardless of status, success, handicap, or illness.  Every life is valued from conception to the grave, and it is never up to a man to determine the value of a life.  God is the giver and taker of life, not man.  When a man makes the decision to end any life, the Bible is clear that this man is a murderer.  It does not matter the circumstances; our job is to trust God that when He says He has a purpose for every life, He means He has a purpose for every life.  We ought to be in praise and celebration over the fact that He does have a purpose for life, from the moment of their conception, to the moment they breathe their last. 

Think about your life for a minute.  In what ways can you follow the example of the midwives in Exodus and take a stand for human life?  Don’t be afraid to speak up.  Fear God, and take the stand.