Change Clothes

When we meet someone, our brain uses many shortcuts to determine if they are our friend or foe. What are their status and personality? So clothes act as a guide for our brain to distinguish other humans.

2012 study found that clothes we wear have a symbolic meaning and proved that it changes our thinking.

In the research, researchers provided a laboratory coat to two groups. Group A was told the doctor’s coat, and group B was told the painter’s coat. Then both groups got a task that needs full of attention and logic to solve. Surprisingly, the overall performance of Group A looked much better than that of Group B. The main reason for this result was “the doctor’s coat reflects achievement, intelligence, and strength.”

So when an ordinary person wears a doctor’s coat, these qualities come out of him, and this effect is called Encoded Cognition, i.e., the clothes we wear reflect our mindset. This psychological effect works in uniformed soldiers, athletics, corporate people.

Wonder Woman 1984

New museum employee Barbara Minerva, a shy geologist and cryptozoologist, has trouble getting noticed by her co-workers, but quickly finds a friend in Diana.

The FBI asks the museum to identify stolen antiquities from a robbery that Wonder Woman recently foiled; Barbara and Diana notice a Latin inscription on one artifact (the Dreamstone) claiming to grant the holder one wish. Neither one openly takes the inscription seriously, but after Diana saves Barbara from an assailant by secretly using her powers, Barbara wishes she was strong, sexy, and cool "like" Diana and thus unintentionally acquires the same superpowers.

Diana flies to the satellite headquarters and again battles Barbara, who has transformed into a humanoid cheetah after wishing to become an apex predator.

Transition To Body- Seeking the Things That Are Above

Colossians 3:1–4 ESV

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Body- We Must

Cleanse Ourselves from Sinfulness (Col. 3:5-11)

Put To Death Our Sinful Passions (Col. 3:5-7)

Colossians 3:5–7 ESV

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

Put Off Our Sinful Practices (Col. 3:8-10)

Colossians 3:8–10 ESV

8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator!

Put Down Our Sinful Pride (Col. 3:11)

Colossians 3:11 ESV

11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Magna Carta Libertatum (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter of Freedoms"), commonly called Magna Carta (also Magna Charta; "Great Charter"),[a] is a royal charter[4][5] of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215.

Colossians 3:11 (CP): This is a Pauline “Magna Carta” of the sort we find in Galatians 3:28. The sociology of the faith community found in Christ is egalitarian. The meaning of this statement for the Colossian believers is similar to its meaning for the Galatian believers: the gospel doesn’t confer on one class of people a higher value than any other. God doesn’t play favorites; God saves us all in the same way and for the same end. Thus, the divisions Paul draws here represent religious (Jewish) and cultural (Hellenistic) classes (see Wright 1987:139–40). Paul may be responding to the elitism promoted by the false teaching in Colosse, whose “fine-sounding” arguments, “traditions and regulations” have had greatest appeal among the educated (and perhaps Jewish) middle class. In Christ all believers are equal, regardless of social class.

Colossians 1:15–20 ESV

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Christ created all things!

Christ is in all things!

Colossians 3:11 (CP): The concluding formula, Christ is all, and is in all, echoes the confession of 1:15–20 and once again lays claim to Christ’s lordship over the new order. In Schweizer’s words, “Christ is the measure by which everything is to be defined” (1972:200); he is “all that matters” (Harris 1991:154). This is the firm conviction of the new humanity—those who have already “taken off” the fallen order and “put on” the good intentions of the Creator which they have begun to realize in Christ.

{Cleanse Ourselves from Sinfulness (Col. 3:5-11)

}

Clothe Ourselves In Godliness (Col. 3:12-17)

Put On Spiritual Clothes In Which We Can:

Accurately Reflect Our Savior (Col. 3:12-14)

Colossians 3:12–14 ESV

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Chosen & Holy People

1 Peter 2:9–11 ESV

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

Forgiveness

Luke 6:37–38 ESV

37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Love

Mark 12:29–31 ESV

29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Comfortably Rest In Our Savior (Col. 3:15)

Colossians 3:15 ESV

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Gratefully Rejoice In Our Savior (Col. 3:16)

Colossians 3:16 ESV

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Actively Run For Our Savior (Col. 3:17)

Colossians 3:17 ESV

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Boston Marathon Charity Runners

Most marathoners run for a reason. And for a number of runners at the 2023 Boston Marathon, that reason will be one of the Boston Athletic Association’s 42 official charities.

Established in 1989, the BAA’s Boston Marathon Official Charity Program provides entries to nonprofit organizations. The organizations then recruit runners, who must fundraise a minimum of $5,000 each.

All participating charities focus on health, fitness, and the local community, with causes ranging from Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s research initiatives to the Semper Fi Fund, which provides assistance to Armed Forces injured in combat after 9/11.

Run Enduringly

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 ESV

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

2 Timothy 4:6–8 ESV

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Hebrews 10:35–38 ESV

35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

{Cleanse Ourselves from Sinfulness (Col. 3:5-11)

}

Clothe Ourselves In Godliness (Col. 3:12-17)

Transition To Close- Color of Clothes We Wear

Essence magazine September/October 2022

Introducing…CHLOE: As We Bear Witness To Her Ascension

Chloe who is 1/2 of Chloe x Halle (pronounced "Chloe and Halle") an R&B duo composed of sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey.

When it comes to her choices, Chloe says, “It’s really about making a statement and showing people who I am through my clothes, through my armor. Fashion isn’t all about being expensive and wearing brand names. It’s about feeling put-together and looking like how you want to feel and how you want people to perceive you.”

For centuries, theorists have attempted to understand the meaning attached to various hues. History, rules, and laws have both forbid and required people to wear specific palettes. Doctors and nurses, for example, wear specified uniforms in designated hues. Color has often been used to exemplify status, too. During the Tudor period, England’s sumptuary laws forbid anyone under the rank of “knight of the garter” from wearing crimson. It was the most expensive to produce and thus reserved for higher ranking individuals to flaunt their wealth.

There’s no doubt that color can play a significant role in our wardrobes and our lives. The question then is, how can we choose the right color to impact our mood?

Color meaning can vary vastly across cultures.

In many Western countries black is worn for mourning, though in some east Asian cultures, white is preferred for funerals, as it’s a nod to celebrating life.

Historically, color has also been a form of resistance—like when movie stars wore black at the Golden Globes to raise awareness about the #MeToo movement. We’ve also recently seen color used in a cultural movement for Black women, with the hashtag #BlackWomenInYellow trending, and celebrities like Rihanna, Viola Davis, and Beyoncé donning the shade. “Black women in yellow is boldness, the context of the colour changes completely,” color psychologist Dr. Dawnn Karen told Refinery 29 in a recent interview. “Black women looking good in yellow is essentially a culture thing, the washed out narrative is no more.”

In India, red is the most traditional color for brides because it represents prosperity and purity, as well as passion and power.

The old hymnodist would sing

I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small, Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.”

Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

Love Covers a Multitude of Sins

1 Peter 4:8 ESV

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Genesis 3:21 ESV

21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

Exodus 12:22–23 ESV

22 Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.

Rejoice- God Clothed Us with Garments of Salvation

Isaiah 61:10 ESV

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Clothe Yourself With Fine Linen

Revelation 19:8 ESV

8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

Close- When Jesus Changed Clothes

The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott God Dressed up as a Poor Man

God Dressed Up as a Poor Man

Themes: Jesus: Birth; Jesus: Divinity; Jesus: Humanity

“To a Muslim the very idea of God becoming man is blasphemous, but it was this ‘blasphemy’ that saved me from unbelief. To me it came to be the most natural thing. Stories are told of Shah Abbas and how, in order to get to know his poorer subjects, he used to dress up as a poor man—as a dervish—and thus go among them. This gracious act he was able to do precisely because he was king and by such an action nothing was taken away from the glory of his kingship. If we admire such action in human beings, why should we not admire it in God?”

SOURCE: Hassan Dehqani-Tafti, Design of My World (United Society for Christian Literature, 1959), 63–64.

Jesus Become Poor

2 Corinthians 8:9 ESV

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Jesus Put On Flesh

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus Took The Form Of A Servant

Philippians 2:5–11 ESV

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Look To Jesus

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:3–4 ESV

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

So Put On the LORD Jesus Christ!

Romans 13:14 ESV

14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

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