for Sister Alvear:
I Don’t Like Facial Hair On Pentecostal Men!
(But those that know me already knew that.)
Did They Have Facial Hair In Bible Days? Yes.
Look at the sculptures of Roman times. Look again at the statues of the Caesars. They depict Gentile men wearing short hair, and no beards. They were the style leaders of their day. They depicted the dress of their generation. Evidently the world custom at that was not beard wearing for all men, especially not Gentile men.
The wearing of beards was certainly mentioned in the Bible. The case could be made that most of our heroes in the Old Testament wore facial hair.
Did they have facial hair in the early days of Pentecostal outpouring in the 1900’s? Yes. Early Pentecostal pioneers such as Bro. Seymour and Bishop Haywood wore facial hair. We’ve seen the pictures.
However, in early Pentecost, especially in the white churches, there was a marked absence of beards. The beards seemed to disappear.
Many Hispanic and black men feel that wearing a mustache is symbolic of masculinity. So automatically the cultural thing is throw down like an non-debatable subject. Of course that debate ignores the church’s culture.
During the Hippy Generation of the 50’s and 60’s, beards sprouted on those who rebelled against society. It became their symbol. Many of that culture were draft dodgers and some even moved to Canada. A spirit of rebellion and non-conformity was connected to the beard wearing.
New male converts for years have shown visible evidence of their conversion, by shaving off their facial hair when they got into an Apostolic church. The Pentecostal scene was one of clean-shaven men for over 50 years.
Now, after a half a century or so of no facial hair on men in mainstream Pentecost, It has started appearing again. Why? What changed in their minds and why did it change?
Recently, a Pentecostal organization even passed a position paper making it acceptable in their ranks for men to wear facial hair. Was the change made to appease liberals? Was it made to make the church look more like the world? Was it done to win the world? God knows.
Although It was made legally acceptable in some circles, it is still not palatable or acceptable everywhere. Today, facial hair on men is found in pulpits, in choirs, on the platform, in leadership and in the audience.
My Question Is, Why The Facial Hair Comeback?
Why now?
What for?
What is gained in the Spirit by men wearing facial hair?
How is the church strengthened by that acceptance?
Do Pentecostal men wear them because it’s popular in the world?
How does it further our outreach?
Why did our new converts shave their beards and mustaches off when they got the Holy Ghost?
Why the long absence of facial hair in conservative Pentecostal Apostolic ranks?
If it was deemed wrong then, why is it ok now?
Should we apologize now to all them who shaved their beards off when they got in church, because now it’s ok if you find the ‘right’ church?
If Facial Hair Today Is So Proper, Why Then Does It Cause Men Of Honor To Distance Themselves From All Those Who Permit Such? Why Then Does It Separate Good Men?
There’s A Reason!
What are it’s wearers trying to prove, and to whom?
Doesn’t it make its wearers look more like what they used to be?
How Does This Help Identify Us As Apostolic?
If We Took A Poll And Asked Pentecostal Men Why They Are Wearing Beards, What Would Be Their Response To:
Are you going Charismatic? No.
Are you backslid? No.
Are you in rebellion to holiness standards? No.
Are you wearing it because you think it makes you look cool? No.
If you are not wearing it out of compromise, rebellion, or from a backslidden state, and you are wearing it just because you think it looks good on you, then would you say it is pride issue with you?
Does Your Facial Hair Tell Others That You Have A Flaming Pride Issue?
If you don’t think pride is involved in wearing of facial hair, just try to preach it off of those who have it. Every wearer I’ve met is fiercely defensive.
When Apostolic Pentecostal Churches And Organizations Say It Is Ok To Wear Beards, The Question Soon Arises…
Why?
What do they hope to gain?
Does that bring revival?
Is this in anyway related to the same spirit of rebellion of the Hippies?
What is the purpose?
In some twisted way does the wearer feel it makes them more like Jesus? How?
Isn’t pride part of it?
What Other Area Of Their Live Is In Line To Be Changed Next?
Remember The Biblical Statements:
“It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us”
“Here we have no such custom”
Where Will These Two ‘Facial Hair’ Roads Go? Where Will They Take Us?
Most doubt that the two roads will ever meet again, because at present it appears to old school observers like me, that they are not headed in the same direction. My experience has been that those who re-examine and change their church dress standards, have never grown closer to God and to Holiness, but moved further away.
What scares many men is the question of what is behind this wide sweeping occurrence. Is there a spirit behind the push? Are the changes being made a just tip of the iceberg?
The churches I find myself most comfortable in are those who say
“Here we have no such custom.” By making that statement, Paul pointed out in Scripture that, Godly Custom took precedence.
Wearing facial hair today might be lawful to some, but it has not proven itself to be expedient. It’s been divisive.
(I don’t understand this generation’s interest in tattoos or facial hair. Don’t even get me started on tattoos…)
Thanks, I feel better now! You e e any doubt b too… after you go shave!
https://martynballestero.com/2014/05...ntecostal-men/
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