My testimony RE: rings

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Praise  \o/  the  \o/   Lord  \o/  !!!!

I was raised in a UPC church that did not have rings. I was married 
without a ring and went with my husband to his UPC church and they did 
not have rings either. After we were married about 12 or 13 years many 
things began changing there. I did not have a problem with the wearing 
of a wedding ring and so my husband and I began to wear a simple small 
wedding band each. The biggest problem was that many of the people 
around us seemed to get into a contest as to who could get the biggest 
rock on their finger and many went into debt doing so. I give God the 
praise that my husband and I didn't get caught up in that little game. 
After that though, many other things started changing in that church. 
To make a looooonnnnnggg story short, I ended up sitting myself down in 
my room, just me and the Lord and I told the Lord, "Lord, you are going 
to have to show me what is in this book, your Word. I can't listen to a 
man right now, I have to know what your Word says".  Well, after quite 
a few weeks of searching for some truth and direction this is what I 
came up with (these were issues mainly dealing with UPC standards). 
Everything that I had been taught when I was a girl growing up in the 
UPC church in Bellflower, CA was right there and the Lord showed it to 
me. The only thing that I could not find a definate "No" on was a 
wedding ring. I'm not saying it is okay, I'm only saying that I could 
not find it if it was wrong. The reason I did not find anything wrong 
was because Issac gave gold to his bride as a wedding gift and when the 
prodigal son returned his father put a ring on his finger to show that 
he was in authority again at home. So, what I saw was that if a simple 
ring was worn for a specific reason and not for adornment, it seems to 
be okay. 
    Now, after all the changes at that old church the pastor there 
finally left the UPC so my husband and I went back to my home in 
Bellflower where Bro. White was my pastor as I was growing up, but when 
he retired Bro. Dan Butler took the church. Brother White did not have 
rings but Brother Butler did. To show respect for what Brother White 
taught those many years, Brother and Sister Butler took their rings off 
and to this day I have never seen them wear them again. Also when I 
began going back to Bellflower I took my wedding ring off in respect to 
the teaching there. 
    I guess when it comes right down to it we can look at it in a very 
simple way. If we just obey our pastor and respect what he teaches, God 
will bless us for our obedience. If our pastor feels it is okay, and we 
still feel convicted for it, than we should still follow that 
conviction but remember that just because we have a conviction does not 
mean everyone else should have the same one. 
    Just a part of my testimony and I pray it helps shead some light! 
God bless you and your honest heart in searching for complete truth. 
Just let the holyghost be your guide! He's right every time!

    Laurie Gibson  =)


>I am curious to see what other UPCI members and their churches 
>believe and then why they believe that?
>My personal belief is that the wedding ring is not wrong as
>long as it does not bring attention to yourself.
>
>C.Sterrett
>sterrett@juno.com
>
>Apostolic Bible Church
>acts2.38@juno.com
>