Pick Up Your Bible

“What did you buy at the store?” I read the question out loud to Mei Mei.

She answered promptly. “At the store I bought the bag of chips.”

“A bag of chips; not the bag of chips.” I corrected.

I tried explaining to her that the is a definite article, an adjective used to describe nouns, a word that points to the uniqueness of the noun it precedes. She quickly cut me off.

“But what does “the” mean?”

Hmm…though the use of the word “the” is simply obvious to an English speaker, it is painfully confusing to an ESL student.

“On its own, the word “the’ has no meaning, Mei Mei”, I attempted. “It gains its meaning from its use.” 

Not quite satisfied with my answer, she agreed to move on in interest of time. But that question stuck with me. It’s the kind of question that you think you know the answer to until you must put it in words.

 This week in attempting to answer the question “What is prayer?” I felt a similar difficulty. Not necessarily in the sense that prayer is hard to define; I think the Bible does a phenomenal job at it. But it’s my opinion that, quite like the word the, prayer is used more frequently than it is defined. It runs the risk of being misunderstood by those who are unfamiliar with its purpose, and it makes more sense to the one who uses it most frequently.

In discovering or perhaps rediscovering the meaning of prayer, I would like to suggest 6 thoughts for your consideration.

1. Prayer is a great and gracious gift from our Father, as a means to draw near to him while we are yet in this fallen world. Much was lost when mankind sinned in the garden of Eden – but nothing as valuable as the fellowship that Adam and Eve enjoyed with God. Until we are united with Him in eternity, prayer makes it possible for us to still express ourselves to Him. It’s yet another magnificent example of how God is always the one making a way for us to be reconciled with Him. The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5 v 16-18 that it is the will of God that we pray without ceasing and in Proverbs 15 v 8 that the prayer of the upright pleases God.

• Prayer is an intentional expression (words, actions, or thoughts) of a human toward God, that is ordinarily addressed to the Father (Matthew 6 v 9), in the name of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2 v 18), and through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8 v 26,27).

• Prayer is unidirectional – it refers to OUR SEEKING God through words, actions or thoughts. It does not include God responding or speaking to us. In that sense it is not a conversation but a drawing close to the Holy One who knows all, preserves all, and accomplishes all to His glory. I want to quickly follow this up with my next point.

• The prayer of a righteous person is guaranteed to be heard and answered by the Father. This promise is made repeatedly in the Bible:

Psalm 145V18 “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”

I John 5 v 14,15 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us, And if we know that he hears in whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.”

Matthew 7 v7 “Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you”.

The Lord promises to respond to the prayers of His children. This should bring us great comfort – our prayers do not fall on deaf ears. In fact, this should motivate us to draw even closer. As the Psalmist says, “Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.

• Prayer must essentially follow God’s directive. In 2 Chronicles 7 v 14, we read the story of how God appeared to Solomon in the night in response to Solomon’s prayer over the newly built temple. God essentially defines the necessary conditions of prayer that He responds to. He says,

“If my people who are called by my name, humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time”.

This is fascinating because it spells out for us what kind of prayer pleases God and gains His audience. Four things stand out in this verse. First, He says, “My people called by my name,” implying that He is not obliged to keep this promise when it is not one of His own that is calling out to Him. It is a privilege for those of us who qualify in Christ, that we have the attention and compassion of the Father. Second, God is particular about the attitude in which we pray. He says, “If they…humble themselves”. Seeing God as who He is and ourselves as who we truly are, is an essential prerequisite to prayer. Third, He addresses the motivation of one’s prayer, “Seek my face”. When we treat God like a genie who grants wishes, or even expect a particular response, we will be disappointed. The reason we pray must be to seek God in all situations, so that He can give us the strength to live His will. A fourth observation is that our prayers must be accompanied by repentance and a change in behavior. The life of a child of God must reflect the transformed heart.

               We say all kinds of prayers, in all kinds of circumstances. God is not obliged to hear any of them. He is God and we are not.  It is upon us to heed the Word He has given and practice the prayer that is acceptable to Him.

• Prayers can take various forms. Throughout the Bible, OT and NT, we have a multitude of examples of people praying in the form of petitions, praise, worship, confession, thanksgiving, seeking God’s face, intercession, groaning, mourning. We must learn that we can bring all things to God in prayer.

The Bible has changed the way I pray. Just like the article “the” is understood in the context of its use, prayer is better understood when practiced in a Christian’s life. The need for it, the appropriate use of it, the One it emphasizes – all becomes clear when the believer comes to Him in prayer. These 6 observations from the Scriptures, which I have presented to you today, has helped me understand more accurately, that which I thought I knew. I hope it helps you too. I will close with this beautiful verse:

Philippians 4 v 6,7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.

Merry Christmas, PUYB listeners! Thanks for tuning in! Hope everyone is having a wonderful time of rest and rejoicing.

I love this time of year. I love the season, the lights, the decorations, the gathering of friends and family. All the chaos then culminating on Dec 25th, the day the world has chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ.

I’ve often had push back on this from fellow believers. Genuine people who don’t care for the extravagancies of the season. Their main point is that the very first Christmas was no celebration at all but a humble arrival in a stable. I agree. But the Bible does give us some additional details. Matt 2 v 9,10 reveal that the heavens was lit up with the brightest star yet. So bright was the light that it caught the attention of foreign star-gazers who ensued on a 2 yr journey, bearing gifts for a child. A fearsome choir, like no other, a host of angels, appear to local shepherds on Christmas night, singing a new song, declaring the glory of God and peace among the chosen. Their announcement urged the shepherds to gather together to witness the new born King. An event that turned them into the very first evangelists of the good news – the Messiah had come (Luke 2 v 15-18). The very first Christmas was indeed a celebration – lights, songs, gifts, and gathering.

Our desire to imitate this heavenly show will always fall short, but I enjoy it. Nevertheless, I respect the word of caution from those who are less inclined to the festivities. I realize my propensity to get carried away by the busyness and the celebration and I must be intentional in keeping the main thing the main thing. Christmas must remain about declaring to our hearts first and then to the ends of the earth, the good news – Immanuel -God is with Us. (Matt 1v 22).

Christmas time is the perfect season to meditate on these thoughts. Jesus came. The treasure of heaven came to earth. Incarnation can be an often overlooked matter. We say Jesus came, a Savior was born, Christ with us, as if it were not worth every breath we take.

The Bible says in Philippians 2 v 5-8, that “…though in the form of God, He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Why? Why did Jesus come? Why did He humble himself to the point of death? Why didn’t He hold on to His divinity? While our LED Christmas trees and seasonal radio stations celebrate this festive season, Let us focus on the real reason for the season. It truly is worth all our thoughts, all our attention, all our time, all our hearts, and all the study. I hope to share with you today a few verses that will give us a starting point for this most necessary meditation – Why did Jesus come to earth?

Let’s start with my favorite verse in the Bible, one that we all know. John 3 v 16

“For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in him, shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world but that the world might be saved through Him.”

Romans 3 v 25,26 give us a more detailed explanation of this gift.

“God put Christ foreword as a propitiation by His blood to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”

In one of the very first episodes of PUYB, we talked about how God is equally just, merciful and gracious. Historically, God’s righteousness took the form of the law. Our adherence to the law was our propitiation act. Propitiation means something we do to please God. But now, Paul says, with the coming of Christ, propitiation is not about us doing, rather us accepting what He has done for us.

This is the very first reason for this season- the Father loved us and He gave His Son.

Jesus says in John 8 v 42

“…I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord but He sent me.”

The fact that we have a Savior to rescue us from our sins and bestow upon us eternal life, was an act of surrender on the part of Jesus. Jesus came in obedience to His Father.

We get further insight into this heart, when Jesus says to the Father in John 17 v 4 “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work you gave me to do.”

The motivation and purpose to Jesus’ obedience was to glorify His Father in heaven. He testifies to this multiple times in Scripture. The second reason we celebrate Christmas is because, Jesus obeyed and glorified His Father.

Reason # 3: Jesus came that the Holy Spirit should testify of this act for the salvation of the lost and the sanctification of the saints. In the verses below, the Holy Spirit reveals to Peter, John and Paul, the purpose that was accomplished through the Father’s gift and the Son’s obedience.

Mark 10 v 45: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served by to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many”

1 John 3 v 8: “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil”

Hebrews 2 v 14 “Since the children share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

The Holy spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Romans 8 v 16

So, here it is. three things we can be meditating on this Christmas eve.

1. Jesus came because the Father loved us and give for us.
2. Jesus came to obey and glorify His Father
3. Jesus came so that the Holy Spirit could testify and sanctify

Yes, what we celebrate this season is the most amazing grace in the saving act of a triune God. I hope you take the time this season to read these few verses I pointed out today and celebrate the real reason for the season.

I’ve had the most wonderful first year of the PUYB podcast with you listeners. We have come to the one year mark. Thank you so much for tuning in and supporting us. Please don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on Instagram. Remember you can contact us at cynthia@pickupyourbible.com.

We will meet again, God willing, in 2022. Merry Christmas and God bless you.

Mary Magdalene, is the last person we will discuss in this series of “The Six Unusual Women of the Bible”. I indeed saved my favorite for the end. Most people familiar with the Bible know of her, but, only a few know the truth. Over the years, Mary Magdalene has been tarnished, misrepresented, played down, and attacked by various non-believers and Christians alike. Before we get into all that, let me tell you what the Bible says about Mary Magdalene.

The Bible contains a mere 12 verses about Mary who was born in the small fishing town of Magdala. Magdala, that sat on the coast of the Sea of Galilee was a prosperous town, and many Biblical scholars agree that Mary was also of good means. She, however, was disrupted by the possession of 7 demons. Jesus healed her of this, and she faithfully followed Him ever since. Though she is mentioned but 12 times in the Bible, don’t let this tempt you to think that this minimizes her importance. She is mentioned more times in Scripture than some of the 12 disciples, like Thaddaeus, Bartholomew, Simon the Zealot and James, the son of Alpheus. Mary Magdalene was a prominent participant in Jesus’ earthly ministry. The Bible says that she traveled with him and financially supported Him (Luke 8 v 2). Whenever the female disciples are mentioned in the Bible, she almost always leads the list, possibly implying her leadership role among the women who followed Jesus. Another worthy fact to note is that though the four gospels slightly differ in whom they report present at the crucifixion, Mary Magdalene is the singular disciple that all four gospels concur was at the crucifixion and death of Jesus. This is hugely important – many of the disciples scattered when Jesus was arrested. The fact that the four canonical gospels insist that Mary Magdalene is one of the few that stayed with Jesus, speaks volumes of her devotion to Him. God also chose her to be the first to witness the resurrected Christ and carry this news to the other disciples. This is simply a stellar move on God’s part because it shattered the expectations of the people. In those times, a woman’s word was less valuable than that of a murderer. I believe that this perhaps causes some discomfort to many Christians of today as well. Even in 2021, many in the church dare not entrust a woman with the task of carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth. But God started with Mary Magdalene.

The Bible gives no account of Mary Magdalene, past her reporting the news to the disciples. Most scholars agree that she was part of the group that congregated in the upper room awaiting the arrival of the Holy Spirit and also part of the first century church. Even then, there is no Biblical account of her story past the gospels.

Unfortunately, where the Bible has decided to stay silent, humans have dared to speak. This amazing woman, whom the Bible treats so respectfully and honorably, has had her name dragged through much slander and all kinds of lies. If I am being completely honest, until a few years ago, I thought that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute who was saved ad transformed by Jesus. Neither the Scriptures nor writings of the early church Fathers associate Mary of Magdala with prostitution. However, many of us have somehow grown up with this picture of her in our minds. Sadly, this lie was birthed in the church and is evidence of how potent unbiblical teaching can be when spoken from a pulpit. With absolutely no Biblical basis, in the sixth century, Pope Gregory the First declared that Mary Magdalene was none other than the prostitute who wiped the feet of Jesus with her hair. There is so such link made in the Bible. The woman who wiped Jesus’s feet with her hair is not named in the Bible. The four gospel writers were very comfortable with using Mary Magdalene’s name, and sharing of her struggle with the 7 demons that possessed her. There would be no reason they wouldn’t identify this woman as her if indeed that was the case. The same Pope also somehow came up with the bizarre conclusion that Mary Magdalene was the same person as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus. It wasn’t until 1969 that the Catholic church admitted to this stupendous mistake and clarified that indeed these are three distinct characters in the Bible with distinct stories. However, a lot of damage has been done. Many of the artists from the past and even to date, have taken on this faulty interpretation of Mary Magdalene and have and continue to portray her as a prostitute in art, novels, and movies. This propels this falsity forward into generations beyond ours. However, nothing past, present, or future is unknown to God. Perhaps it was His very intentional move that she is so pivotal to the resurrection story. 

There have also spread the rumors about Mary of Magdala being the wife of Jesus and bearing him children. This is also untrue, unbiblical, and so devious. We must recognize the evil one’s futile attempts to undermine the validity of Mary’s testimony at the empty tomb. Though from the very beginning he has tried and tried again, to sabotage the spread of the gospel, God set it on fire at the word of a woman. It reminds us again that God does not play into the mirage of earthly wisdom and strategy. Why on earth would the gospel writers agree on a woman being the first to see the risen Christ if they were trying to convince a people who thought of women as nothing more than property? They wouldn’t… unless it was the truth.

Mary, the Magdalene, is a beautiful reminder, that it is possible for a disciple to have a beautiful earthly journey marked by unwavering faith to Jesus Christ. The Irish poet, Eaton Stannard Barrett, described her faith so beautifully in his short poem, named “Woman” –

Not she with traitorous kiss her Saviour stung,
Not she denied him with unholy tongue;
She, while apostles shrank, could dangers brave,
Last at the cross and earliest at the grave.

We come across our next unusual woman of the Bible in first century Rome. Emperor Claudius, a cruel and vicious dictator, had had it with the constant dissention between the Jews and Christians. This incites his decree that all Jews be banned from Rome. Priscilla and Aquila, a couple always mentioned together in the Bible, were part of this exodus out of Rome, making the move from Italy to Corinth, an ancient Greek city that was now part of the Roman Empire.

In the Book of Acts, chapter 18, we read of Paul’s first missionary trip to Corinth. He met Priscilla and Aquila, who were also new in the city. He visited them and immediately they hit it off. Both husband and wife were tentmakers and Paul, also being proficient in the trade, stayed with them. They all worked during the week, and every Sabbath, Paul would reason with the Jews and Greeks at the synagogue, persuading them of the good news of Jesus. Paul in later letters lovingly refers to Priscilla and Aquila as fellow mission workers.

This couple makes repeated appearances through the NT starting in Acts 18, then in Romans 16, 1 Corinthians and in 2 Timothy. A composite picture of these references, give us a storyline of Priscilla and Aquila. After they assisted Paul in his ministry in Corinth, they traveled with Paul to Ephesus where they stayed while Paul traveled on to Galatia and surrounding regions. At the synagogue in Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila met a traveling preacher called Apollos, who believed in Christ and passionately preached about Him, but didn’t know have a complete understanding of Jesus. Priscilla and Aquila heard him, and the Bible says, they took him aside and “explained to Him the way of God more accurately”. Apollos goes on to become a very persuasive apologist and teacher. Priscilla and Aquila move back to Rome when the new emperor Nero reversed his predecessor’s decree of Jewish expulsion from Rome. Paul writes to the Roman believers asking them to greet them, referring to them as “fellow workers who risked their necks” to save his life for which he and the Gentile churches are so grateful.  He includes his greetings to the church that meets in their home.

There is a lot to learn from this power couple of the first century church. However, for the scope of this article, we will stick to a few lessons we can learn from Priscilla.

              1. An interesting fact I noticed in the account of Priscilla in the Bible is that her name is always mentioned along with that of her husband, Aquila. Almost as if they are one person – inseparable. We can make a couple of conclusions from this. First, the Scripture confirms that God sees husband and wife as one. I believe not many of us have grasped the beautiful way this plays out in ministry. The story of Priscilla and Aquila serves as a reminder that couples can come to faith, grow in Christ, and minster in the church together in a powerful way.  It doesn’t always have to be the man taking a more active role while the woman is playing a passive, behind-the-scenes role. There is no such Biblical mandate. When Apollos needed to be taught more accurately the things regarding Christ, we read that Priscilla and Aquila heard him, took him aside, and explained to him the way of God more accurately. This then led to Apollos powerfully using the Scriptures to show that the Christ was Jesus (Acts 18 v 26-28). A second conclusion that we can make from the fact that their names are always mentioned one with the other and never on their own, is that as a couple, they were in agreement with their role in the church. They made decisions, took actions, and did ministry together. Neither overpowered the other nor slowed the other down. This couple found value in being of one mind and one accord, when going about God’s business. To have this kind of equal growth, understanding, and effectiveness in public ministry, they must have been learning, teaching, and encouraging each other spiritually in private as well, just between the both of them. They were on this journey together and they stirred up each other to good works (Hebrews 10 v 24,25). The story of Priscilla should encourage us to pursue the same in our marriages as well – this kind of unison and agreement. Her story shows us that it is possible and most beneficial.

2. Another interesting fact about Priscilla, is that, like Lydia, she was a working woman. Just like her husband Aquila and the apostle Paul, she also worked leather in tent making. Priscilla is a beautiful example of how a woman can hold a job, study the Word to the extent of being able to teach it, and host the gathering of believers in her home. None of these realities need to be in conflict with the other in a woman’s life. Priscilla did them all excellently, and we should see that we are fully capable to do so as well, with the empowering of the Holy Spirit.

3. A last observation I will share about Priscilla is her hospitality. We saw this in Lydia too – the wisdom, the kindness, and the willingness to open their homes as a safe place for the gathering and encouragement of fellow believers. We can see in Scriptures how important it was that homes were opened for the new believers to meet and grow together. The truth is that the church still needs this today. Gathering together in homes and encouraging one another consistently through the week, not just on Sundays, is still the prescribed remedy to our community of believers to being strengthened in the Word and in their walks of faith. Present day we have become fiercely protective of our personal space and personal time.  Glorifying our individual relationships with Christ we have minimized the God ordained purpose of gathering as a community. Hebrews 10 v 24, 25 says “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet one together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near”.

Priscilla presents to us yet another woman that God chose, pursued, loved, transformed, and used for His Kingdom building purpose in the first century church. Yet another story of God’s amazing grace and equipping a woman to passionately disciple others despite the culture of the time. IF you are a woman in the church, may these stories you are hearing every week, empower you to disciple those around you with wisdom and love. There is no meaning in waiting for big opportunities and doors to open. There is no need for a special calling or gifting. There is no need for God to write it on the wall. Every believer is already called to open their hearts and homes to disciple and encourage fellow saints. The great commission had already been declared. God will equip every willing and surrendered heart for His work.

Our Father in heaven, full of mercy and grace, I pray for each person reading this article today and for myself. Help us see your wonderous hand in the story of Priscilla. Help us understand that every child of yours, woman, or man, is of equal value to you and is useful for your kingdom work on earth. Help us know that everything we have is first yours and we reflect you when we give of ourselves freely to our brethren. May others see our love for each other and glorify you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

The beautiful conversion story of Lydia took place in Philippi, a roman colony in Europe. But how did she hear of Christ all the way in Europe? We see God’s providence in her story as Paul and his missionary team are restricted from entering Asia as they had planned and desired to do. The Bible says that the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go (Acts 16 v 5) and instead through a vision of a man calling out for help from Macedonia, the Holy Spirit redirected Paul and His team to Europe. Thus the first missionaries arrived in the city of Philippi. We pick up the story in Acts 16 v 11-15.

“So setting sail from Troas we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Pau. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.”

Paul and his team are looking to worship on Sabbath day in a new town. They look where there is supposed to be a gathering of Jews but instead find a women’s prayer meeting. This doesn’t cause them to leave. They don’t ask of the whereabouts of the men. They simply join the women and tell them the good news. One of these women is Lydia.

This is the only place in the Bible that talks about Lydia. But these 5 verses are packed with amazing facts about this woman and how God transformed her life.

• The first thing we can know about Lydia is that she was a worshipper of God – We don’t know if she was born a Jew or was a proselyte (a foreigner who converted to Judaism) but we are told that she worshiped Yahweh and so we can assume that she was waiting for the Messiah just as other Jewish people of the time were. Isn’t it amazing – God redirected Paul so that he would end up at this women’s prayer meeting where Lydia and other women like her could hear the good news – the Messiah had come and laid down his life so that all who believe could have life everlasting? Next time you or your mom, sister, friend, or wife are at a women’s prayer meeting, don’t underestimate what God has in store!
• The second thing we know about Lydia is that she was an immigrant in Europe. Lydia was originally from Asia, specifically from Thyatira – a city well known for its unique purple dye.
• The third thing we know about Lydia was that she was a businesswoman, who sold purple clothes and other purple goods from her native city. We can assume she was in high demand as she sold these rare foreign items. She was probably like a current day influencer, inspiring the local market and fashion. We can assume she interacted with the wealthy and was herself quite well to do.
• The fourth thing about Lydia is that she had a household. We are not privy to who was part of the household – was there a husband, children, other relatives, or servants? But we know there were people who lived with her and under her care.
• The fifth thing was that Lydia’s heart was opened by God to pay attention to the good news when she heard it. God is the one who enables us to hear and respond to his truth. It was the case in Peter, Paul, and every other disciple. Her story was no different. God opened her heart to listen and respond to the gospel and it transformed her life.
• The next thing about Lydia is that her immediate response to the gospel was obedience. The Word says that she was baptized as well as her household. We can see her heart of submission to God and her influence over her household play a role as she shared the gospel with them.
• The seventh thing worthy of notice, is that Lydia insisted that the missionary team stay at her home while they were in Philippi. The Bible says, she prevailed upon them to so.  We get to see how God set new purpose to her life. She was a born type- A, get-it-done kind of person, who had the talent and skill of influencing and persuading people that was sharpened through her trade of selling purple goods. She insisted that her possessions and resources were available to Paul and his team even without being asked. She was eager to serve. Lydia’s hospitality later caused then to return to her home again. The Bible says that they visited Lydia and when they had seen the brothers, “they encouraged them and departed” implying that there was a gathering of believers there, the very first Christian gathering in Europe. The first church.

As we look at Lydia, I hope we see the amazing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the very first convert in Europe. God enabled her to believe and obey him and to use all her strengths, talents, and resources to build the very first church in Philippi and thereby Europe.

When you look at yourself and feel like you have nothing to offer, remember the story of Lydia teaches us that God can and will use your obedient heart. He gave Lydia new purpose to everything she already had. She was a brand new convert. She wasn’t a theologian, yet God used her to evangelize her household. She wasn’t a church builder yet offered her home for the missionaries to work out of. She wasn’t required to host and was probably never asked to, but she was capable of filling a need and so she did.

God can use you for His kingdom building purposes. Ask Him to capture your attention and show you how just as He did for Lydia.

“Create in me a new heart and renew within me the right spirit.” Psalms 51 v 10

              The Israelites, led by Moses, finally made their way out of Egypt after about 200 years of enslavement. After 40 grueling years in the desert, they entered the land that God promised Abraham and Sarah, under the guidance of Joshua. The people rejoiced and praised the Lord for His goodness and faithfulness. The generations that followed, though, did not experience God like their forefathers did and pursued evil instead. But God did not forsake them. He allowed their enemies victory over His children so that in their suffering, they would call upon His name and find Him. This was the era of the Judges.

The Israelites, oppressed by cruel enemies, would cry out for mercy and the Lord would respond. He would anoint a judge, to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies. The judge would succeed, the people would be free, and in no time, they’d return to their evil ways again. This cyclic pattern would continue repeatedly.  The term “’judge” is translated from the Hebrew word “Elohim”. In the Hebrew sense of the word, the judges of Israel were not limited to judicial duties. Along with settling disputes among the Israelites and providing divine wisdom and revelation to those who sought, the Judges of Israel were religious leaders that mediated between God and the people, and military leaders that led them in war against their enemies.

Our Bible woman of the week, Deborah, was the only female judge of Israel. We know very little about her personal life other than the fact that she was married to a man named Lappidoth. The Bible tells us that she was a prophetess who would sit under the “palm of Deborah”, settling disputes among the Israelites. This was not common. As I mentioned, she was the only woman of the 12 judges of Israel. In a culture in which these roles were typically filled by men, God appointed Deborah. Deborah summoned the commander of the Israelites and proclaimed the message that God had for him – A promised victory in the war against the Canaanites, their oppressors. Deborah then accompanied Barak to war and returned victorious to sing a famous song of praise.

Deborah, a woman leading Israel, spiritually and in military, was not a common scene in that culture or in Jewish tradition. There is much for us to humbly learn from this act of God through Deborah’s life. Here, I’ve chosen to focus on four.

1. God appoints women as leaders, even spiritual leaders

This is a truth that should renew our minds. Many men and women need to challenge their thinking that has been misinformed by culture or by a legalistic interpretation of Scripture. For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been referring to the God given role of a wife as being in submission to the husband’s leadership. I realize that many in Christian circles make a quick hop, skip, and a jump from this truth to the fallacy that this is the sole or even optimal role for a woman in general. Not so. The Bible is full of stories of God calling, commissioning, and using women in roles of strategic and spiritual leadership. Rahab provided refuge to a few thereby changed the course of history. Queen Esther was used to change the heart of a King thereby saving the whole Jewish race. Jesus’ female disciples, the two Marys, were the very first messengers of the good news of the resurrected Christ. Lydia, who we will be talking about in the next episode, was used to mobilize the first church in Philippi. Priscilla, alongside her husband Aquila taught doctrine to Apollos, a proliferent preacher. In the story of Deborah, other than herself, we have the woman Jael, that the Deborah calls ‘blessed of all tent-makers” because God used her to kill Sisera and thereby end the oppression of the Jews. Deborah herself, a prophetess, meaning a messenger of the Lord would sit daily under a tree performing the civic duty of a judge but also bringing the word of the Lord to encourage the suffering people. Yes, God uses women to rule countries, change the hearts of men, and spiritually lead and restore others.

2.  God is not limited by man’s restrictions on women, so as Christians we should refrain from doing so too.

Paul reminds us in Gal 3 v 28 that there is no longer male or female, but all are one in Christ. In the early church, unlike many churches we see today, women were not limited to secondary church roles of serving coffee and decorating. In his greetings at the end of the book of Romans, Paul thanks 10 fellow women believers who are active ministers in the church, who prophesied, prayed, hosted, evangelized, and discipled fellow believers, all within the church. Yet many Christians of today use verses like 1 Corinthians 14 v 34 that reads “the women should be silent in the churches”, in isolation from the rest of Scriptures and use it to inform their church leadership or ministry leadership roles. Paul is clearly not referring to all women in this verse. He openly appreciates and honors his fellow women servants of Christ for their active ministerial and leadership roles in the church. It is baffling to me that Bible teachers who remind us to read verses in the light of the whole scriptures, miss this point. Or perhaps its convenient omission. Regardless, we are at a loss until the church moves past its self-induced hiccups with women leaders.

3. God does more through the willing heart than the able body

A friend, and a devoted listener to this podcast, recently send me a list of things she learned from her study on leadership. One of the bullet points was – “Your ability is not as important as your availability” (Thanks Lena 😊). So true! Deborah summoned the commander of the army, Barak, to go to battle at the word of promised victory from the Lord. He said he would indeed go but only if Deborah accompanied him. The Bible doesn’t give us insight into the heart of Barak’s response. No doubt he had faith in God because the Bible says so in Hebrews 11 v 32. Yet, his response did not match his faith. He was skilled, strong, and brave, else he wouldn’t have been the commander. We can only speculate as to why he said that. But we know, because the Bible says so, that his hesitation cost him the glory of his act of faith. Deborah knew that God was faithful to keep His word. She confidently accompanied Barak and he set out to war. But because Barak hesitated, God used Jael, a woman, to ultimately kill the evil oppressor Sisera and end the suffering of Israel. God is not impressed with our skill, our abilities, or our resources. These are all gifts from Him that we can choose to use for His glory without hesitation to be faithful participants in the ministry of Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit.

4. God is to be praised every step of the way

Judges 5 presents to us, what some theologians believe to be, one of the oldest passages of Scripture. It’s a song of praise by Deborah and Barak upon their victorious return. I encourage you to read it slowly and thoroughly. Lean in and hear every word that pours out of hearts filled with gratitude because of very personal experiences. The Psalmist reminds us to sing unto the Lord a new song (Psalm 96 v 1). Songs, prayers, poetry, and other expressions of praise to God is an apt response to His faithfulness and His sovereignty. Thanksgiving unto God should be a necessary expression of worship for the believer. Get into the habit of expressing gratitude to God for the deep valley suffering and the mountain top victories. Both are valuable relationship- building experiences that increase our faith and deepen our trust in the almighty.  

I’m ever so grateful for the story of Deborah, found in chapters 4 and 5 of the book of Judges. She was brave, strong, and wise. But above all she was obedient to the Lord and Because of this God used her to change the lives of those around her. Perhaps, He could use one such as me too.

“Is anything too hard for God?” This is the reassuring question that God asks of Sarai in the midst of her disbelief. A mighty declaration of His omnipotence is exactly what she needed in her moment of hopelessness. With the warmth of a Father and the power of the Almighty He reminds a dejected and heartbroken Sarai that with Him all things are possible. (Gen 18V14, Matthew 19 v26) 

Many of us know Sarai as Sarah, the wife of Abraham. But the pioneer couple that God called out of their homeland into a land where He would give them generations as numerous as the stars in the sky started off as Abram and Sarai. Abraham is well adored by Christians and lovingly referred to as the father of all believers. Intertwined and perhaps often lost in the magnificent story of Abraham’s journey with God, is the account of Sarah. This week, we hold a magnifying glass up to this amazing woman of the Bible.

Sarai, was married to her half-brother Abram (Gen 20 v12) and living in Haran, when God called Abram out of their homeland into a land that He would show him with a promise that He’d make him a great nation. So, at 65, Sarai packed up their belongings, said good-bye to their family and friends, and followed her husband into the unknown. I wonder how this went down. Did she fight Abram to stay back? Did she question the authenticity of the calling upon his life? Did she remind him that they had no children and moving away would mean growing old and dying alone? Did she suggest that she’d stay back while Abram followed God’s calling? I’ve had to move multiple times now, at the word of my husband. And every time it’s been painful. Honestly, it is hard to follow another one’s dream or calling. But Sarai taught me to think differently about this. We read last week, of how God created the first woman. “I will make him a helper fit for him,” said the Lord as He created Eve for Adam (Gen 2 v 18). Sarai understood that God’s calling upon Abram’s life was the calling upon her life. Being his wife meant his helper in the mission they were called to. And every single account we have in the Bible attests to the fact that she humbly and sacrificially helped and submitted to her husband throughout her life. This is hard for us, women living in 2021, to understand and live out this divine mission. The culture has successfully distorted our thinking to match its lesser purpose for the wife. I’ve heard many frustrated wives express of their husbands ‘I wasn’t born to serve him”. I personally have and still struggle with this. So, it is with all understanding and complete humility that I challenge this thinking. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5 v 22, ‘Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord”. By submitting to our husbands, we are submitting to the Lord’s will. If you’re listening to me and struggle with this, as I do, let me encourage you – Just because you struggle with the idea of submission it doesn’t mean you should give up all hope of acting in submission. The whole premise of a disciple of Christ is to act as per His will despite our desires. Be hopeful. God strengthens us to obey Him even when we can’t of our own will.  

Let’s return to the story. Not long after they left home, a famine came upon the land and Abram and Sarai had to flee to Egypt for relief. Abram needed Sarai’s help. He knew he’d be killed for the sake of her beauty, so that the Pharoah could have her. So, Abram told Sarai to say she was his sister. And surely enough Abram was spared while Sarai was taken to the Pharoah’s chambers. At first read or perhaps a shallow read, we may hate Abram for such a request. What a horrible thing to ask of your wife! And she did it! We have no account of Sarai fighting back! My blood boils when I read this story. But, God quickly reminds me that this book, the Bible, is an honest account of what living in a broken world with fallen people looks like, and I can move past the atrocity of Abram’s ask to the part where God intervenes and battles on behalf of the injustice done to Sarai.  He strikes Pharoah and his household with great plagues on her account. Pharoah sends Sarai back to Abram. It may seem that Abram got away with such an outrageous act. But while in Egypt, Pharoah had lavished Abram with gifts, on behalf of Sarai. Among these gifts – the Egyptian slave, Hagar.

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, let me tell you about Hagar. When Abram and Sarai left Egypt they settled in Canaan. It is here that God made a covenant with Abram promising the land to his future generations. Sarai was weary of waiting. She had lost all hope of ever bearing a child. Perhaps in a moment of weakness, more likely after considerable contemplation, she offered up her Egyptian servant, Hagar, as a wife to Abram, so that Hagar could bear a child for him. (Gen 16 v 3) Abram, listened to her. Hagar conceived and looked with contempt upon Sarai. Unable to bear the hurt and disgrace, Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar and even while very pregnant Hagar fled the place. The Lord, on account of Abram (Gen 17 v 20), appeared to Hagar in the wilderness and directed her to return and submit to Sarai, promising her that He would multiply her offspring. Hagar returned to Sarai and bore a son, whom she named Ishmael, as per God’s instruction. When you get the time you should read up on Ishmael and his future generations and the grave cost of this very desperate mistake made by Abram and Sarai.

About 13 years after Ishmael was born God appeared to Abram again. He changed Abram’s name to Abraham and promised to make Abraham a father of a multitude of nations. Then comes this beautiful passage starting in Chapter 17 v 15, where the Lord tells Abraham about His covenant being fulfilled through Sarah alone. Yes, it is in this conversation that the Lord changes Sarai’s name to Sarah. He instructs Abraham that he must call her Sarah from this moment on because she is blessed to become nations and bear kings. Abraham’s heart is exposed as he laughs at the prospect of this happening and pleads with God that Ishmael be the one who fulfills the covenant. But God says NO and that His everlasting covenant is for the son that Sarah will bear. I imagine this as a light-bulb moment for Abraham – That the calling upon his life is not his alone and the covenant that was made was not with him alone. God sees husband and wife as one. Another important lesson we learn through Sarah’s story. When she saw her husband as worthy of something that God did not give her, she made the grave mistake of coming up with her own plan through Hagar. And when Abraham excluded Sarah, in seeking the fulfillment of the covenant through Ishmael, God outright refuses.  Such a great lesson on how God views marriage. Know that in God’s eyes within the covenant of marriage, there is nothing for one that is not for both and what is for both should be cherished by each.

The Lord, then, makes it a point to make this promise in the presence of Sarah. He makes a personal visit to the couple, in the form of three men. They specifically ask of Sarah’s whereabouts and in an earshot of her, the Lord makes the promise to visit exactly a year from then and that she would bear a son. Sarah laughs to herself. Understandably so. After all the Bible itself verifies that “the way of women had ceased to be with Sarah”. That’s just a fancy and delicate way of saying that she was postmenopausal. But the Lord checks her. “Why did Sarah laugh?” the Lord asks Abraham of Sarah who was behind the tent door. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” He said. Sarah denied laughing because she was suddenly filled with fear. Perhaps this is a moment in her faith journey where she realizes that despite her unbelief, the one who promised is worthy of her faith and trust.

But Abraham finds himself in a fix again. In a situation of being at the mercy of another, he introduced Sarah as his sister to preserve himself. She willingly complied, againand was led to the chambers of the King of Gerar, Abimelech. But, the Lord would have none of it. This time even before the King could lay a finger on her, the Lord threatened him with a death sentence and his wife and all her female servants were stricken with barrenness. You see, she is no longer Sarai. She is Sarah, the covenant daughter of the Lord, filled with His purpose for His glory. And with this came His divine protection over her. Another extraordinary lesson we learn from Sarah’s life – The Lord’s protection is over His children at all times. We have no need to fear. His purposes will be fulfilled in your life even when your spouse is acting against it.

As He had promised, the Lord appeared to Sarah at His appointed and promised time and at the age of 90 she bore a son, whom she named Isaac. God will fulfill His word. There is no question about it. If he can make a 90 yr old postmenopausal woman bear a healthy baby boy, what can He not do. If you are in a season of waiting in your life, any kind of waiting, may this story fill you with awe. His purpose for you is established and will come to pass. Even when the earth and the heavens pass away, His word remains (Matthew 24 v 35).

Sarah died at the age of 127 and is fondly commemorated as a woman of great faith, even making it to the “Hall of Faith” that appears in the book of Hebrews. It says, “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore, from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.” (Hebrews 11 v 11,12)

What a legacy! Sarah was by no means perfect. She literally laughed in the face of God. But you see, God was faithful in preserving her in the promise He made. This is the amazing God we serve. Is there indeed anything too hard for God?

I hope that Sarah’s story will help you look to God with renewed hope and faith.

Eve. Through her story, we learn about the creation, fall and redemption of mankind

Quoted in the Bible is a conversation between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit about the creation of humans. Gen 1v 26,27 – Then God said, “Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

The very first thing the Bible says about women, is found in these verses – We are created after the likeness and in the image of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I want to pause right there and let that sink in. Your body, your mind, your emotions, your heart are all created after His likeness. Do not despise it, for the sake of what mere men say. Do not let your heart believe the lie that you are less than what God says of you. And He says that He created both male and female in His image. So, believe it.

In Gen 2, God pauses the narrative to go into the details of the creation of the very first woman and we can read of it in v 21. But I want to start in verse 15 because there are a couple of diamonds to dig out that we might otherwise overlook. Side note: whenever you are reading the Word of God remember to read things in the context of what happened before and after the actual event. It corrects perspective.

So here we go, starting in Gen 2v15-18: “¹⁵The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. ¹⁶And the Lord God commanded the man, saying “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.  ¹⁸ Then the Lord said it is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helper fit for him.”

Verse 18 starts with the word “then”. The purpose of that “Then” is to draw your attention to the sequence of the next statement to the previous statement. The sequence worth noticing here is the fact that God gave a commandment to Adam, to not eat of the tree of good and evil and then immediately declared that it is not good for Adam to be alone. I believe there is a deep connection between the two events. That God commanding a relationship of obedience and Man needing help to do so.  What mercy and grace fills this moment when the all-knowing God declares that we need each other to help us keep His commandments. Following God takes community. He goes on to create the very first unit of community – marriage.

He creates for Adam, a helper fit for him – the woman.

V 21 – “The Lord caused a great sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man He made into a woman and brought her to the man”.

Can you picture this? The Father bringing the very first daughter down the aisle of Eden to her husband. Adam breaks into poetry in verse 22 “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man”. He saw her as an equal. As part of him, no less and no more.  Made of the very same essence – flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones. Matthew Henry, an English clergyman, wrote – “Eve was not taken out of Adam’s head to top him, neither out of his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected by him, and near his heart to be loved by him”.

It’s important for us today, as men and women of God, to see each other with the same eyes that Adam saw Eve with. Though different – yet equal. When we tear one down or lift the other higher, we fall outside God’s definition of man and woman. I’ll leave this issue of sexism at that.

Continuing with Eve’s story – This beautiful woman, created after God’s likeness, in His very image, was in perfect relationship with Adam and with God. But Satan, seeing the very first family in perfect communion with God, disguised himself as a serpent. We are all familiar with the story of Satan tempting the woman to eat the apple. But it is important to bear down on how he did so, because he does it to this very day. He is still the master of disguise, he still lies and deceives, and he still twists the word of God. Chapter 3v1quotes Satan very first words to mankind – “Did God actually say?” He still says this. Making the children of God doubt what God said is still his favorite trick and most powerful tool against mankind. This is how he tempted Jesus in the desert – twisting the word of God and tempting Jesus to profess against God and His word. Jesus responded, “It is written” “It is written” “It is written”. Three times, our Lord and Savior fought the devil off in the middle of the desert by simply quoting scripture.  In the story of the first woman, we are exposed to the age old tactic of the great liar and in the story of the last Adam, we are exposed to the strategy to fight. Ephesians 6v 17, calls the word of God the sword of the spirit. This is the weapon with which we fight the evil one. This is why it is so important to pick up the Bible again and again, daily, to read and meditate, because the adversary has had years of practicing this tactic with much success.

The first woman, however, engaged in what she probably considered, harmless banter. Obviously, she didn’t know she was dealing with the devil. This was the very purpose of his disguise as a serpent. In the woman’s eyes, the serpent was just one of God’s creations which God called good. “Did God actually say you should not eat of any tree in the garden?” he asked her. Now V 2-5 “And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

She fell for his deceptive words and entertained the idea of doubting God’s word and his trustworthiness, and it was just a quick step to believing the devil’s lies. V 6 says, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her.” He was with her! This whole time, Adam was with Eve. She was supposed to be his helper, but she was deceived, and he didn’t fight either. I’ve heard it said. The woman was deceived, but Adam simply disobeyed. Bible teacher, Marian Jordan Ellis says, “Everything that is broken in this world, can be traced to this moment”. She’s right. When you see a child with cancer, an abusive marriage, a murderous terrorist – everything you see wrong in this world, can be traced back to this moment, when Eve was deceived, and Adam disobeyed.

Our failure to recognize the evil that tempts us has disastrous consequences. We see this in the first woman’s story. Where they once knew no shame or guilt and lived in perfect innocence with God, they now hid themselves from Him and covered their shame-filled nakedness with fig leaves. The Lord asked Adam – “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”  The man was quick to blame his wife, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” We see the first crack in marriage as Adam blames his bride and even God for his disobedience. The Lord asks Eve, “What is this that you have done?” She replies, “The serpent deceived me and I ate.” Neither of them said they were sorry. Regardless, the Father filled with compassion over His children who have been stripped of their innocence, curses the serpent to go down on his belly for all the days of his life and promises an end to him through the offspring of the very one he deceived. To the woman and all women who followed, who now held the responsibility to populate the earth, especially to bear the promised Redeemer, would do so with much pain and suffering. He also reminded her that from that day, until Jesus sets things straight in his heart, her husband would rule over her.

Jump down to verse 20, Adam changes his wife’s name to Eve – which means mother of all living. Yes, to this point, he lovingly called her Woman, because she was created out of him. Now, Eve – the mother of all living, carried the promise of future generations, one of whom would ultimately be the Savior.

The Lord God, the compassionate Father that He is, though He cursed the serpent, did not curse His children, rather promised them redemption even in the midst of the pain and suffering caused by their sin. For His children who now knew evil and would suffer all their life for it, He didn’t want to risk them eating of the Tree of life as well. Eating that fruit would mean an eternal life in brokenness. Essentially hell. To save His own from such a fate, He sent them out of the garden of Eden. What a heart-breaking scene as He drove out His beloved children from the home He so lovingly created for them!

Adam and Eve went on to have children, toiling the earth for food and suffering in their separation from God. Imagine the guilt and pain Eve endured through her last breath. How gracious it was for God to make sure there was an end to that misery with the hope of redemption. What many read as curses are truly blessings from our Father who is infinitely wiser!

The story of the Woman who came to be named Eve is a heart wrenching on. But it gives us insight into the true story of God, us and the devil. The key characters of each of our story plots.

We may blame Eve for it all, yet the unconditional truth is that it could have and would have been any of us. The Bible says, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We need our Redeemer to defeat the great deceiver and to restore us back to the image of God.

May Eve’s story encourage you. In her story is wrapped, the promise of God’s sovereign plan of salvation for all.

The past many days have been rough and beyond words. It’s been hard to process what we are seeing on our TV screens, on our social media feeds and hearing on the news about Afghanistan. Its all been over-whelming, saddening, and extremely worrisome.  Some of us are enraged at the incompetence of leadership, others are burdened over the helpless plight of women and children and people of other faith practices, especially Christians. Some are infuriated over the injustice we see in the archaic practices of a micro-culture and extreme religious practices that we just do not understand. We should all be angry and heartbroken for the people of Afghanistan who have had the rug pulled from right under their feet and have been thrown into a whole new world, overnight.

So, what do we do with all these emotions, cares, burdens? Do we just passionately feel them for but a moment only to forget it and then replace it with the next sensational images that the news presents. Absolutely not. Today I hope to encourage you, and in the process myself, to look to the heavens where our help comes from.

First, we must place our heavy emotions where they belong, at the foot of the cross. Jesus says, “Come to me all who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11 v28) Bring your emotions, raw and heavy, to Jesus. Our helplessness, hurt and anger are pointless if they do not find their rightful purpose in Christ. Suffering and depravation are not lost on our Savior who though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God as something to be grasped but emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2 v 6-11). He was scorned, mocked, beaten, spat up on and hung till death on a wooden cross for no crime of His own. Yes, believe me, He gets our fury against injustice. We indeed have in Jesus a High Priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, and so, we can confidently draw near to his throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4 v 14-16).

Our hearts are safe and understood by our Father in heaven.

The second thing we must do is remind ourselves of the Scriptures that bring light into dark places.

God is never off His throne or distracted. Things don’t slip by Him. Everything He has allowed is for His specific, soul-saving purpose. In Acts 17 v 26 -28, we read – “And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for in Him we live and move and have our being”.

The Bible says in Romans 13 v 1 – “There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” This is hard to understand. Until you read John 19 v 10,11, – Pilate threatening Jesus says, “Do you not know that I have the authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Sounds like familiar threats of the Taliban to our Christian brothers and sisters, doesn’t it? Jesus’ response to Pilate was “You would have no authority over me at all unless it have been given you from above”. God gave authority to such an evil one as Pontius Pilate over the blameless Son of God, in His plan to save the World. It is true we cannot see or understand God’s purpose behind His allowing the Taliban to come to power but make no mistake, His plan to save the world is still in process and will continue till His return.  So, even through this, God will build His church and will save His people. Though we cannot understand His ways, He has proven himself worthy of our trust. He will keep His promise.

The reality is that few of us can have an impactful political, social, or personal response to what is happening in Afghanistan right now. But, our response as Christians will and it is the most effective and necessary at such a time. So, what should our response be? What do we do with all that we are feeling and seeing and hearing? We pray. Before you brush this off as a weak or lackadaisical response, let me remind you that prayer is rarely the last thing you would do. You see prayer transforms our hearts and motivates us to action. What that action is, God alone must show you.

I shared my testimony a while ago on this podcast of how my anger with God over the plight of orphans finally lead me to my knees crying out to Him and out of those heartbroken prayers birthed a passion for adoption that was never there before. You see prayer changes lives.

In Luke 11, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray and right after he taught them the Lord’s prayer, he immediately shares a parable about a persistent friend. Let me read it out for those of you who are not familiar with it – This is Luke 11 v 5 -10  – “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey and I have nothing to set before him, and he will answer from within. “Do not bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.” I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence, he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Remember this parable is immediately following Him teaching them how to pray. This is a parable about prayer. What is striking about this parable, and likely what Jesus is focusing on, is the attitude of the friend who is expressing his need on behalf of his weary traveler friend. He says, “I have nothing to set before him”. He was aware that he had nothing to offer in this situation and was willing to go to his friend who could provide for his need. Isn’t this how the most of us feel as we look at people falling off airplanes, or throwing their babies over fences on our screens. I sure do. I feel like there is nothing I can do as I helplessly watch these horrors. But Jesus reminds us that there is. Even in the most inconvenient midnight hour, we can knock on His door and cry out on behalf of the people we know who are weary and suffering and are in desperate need. Jesus confirms His promise by saying that if a selfish, inconsiderate friend, like in this story, would be moved by such impudence how much more shall our good, good Father in heaven provide all we ask for, even the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray for the people of Afghanistan, with such stubborn persistence.

Let’s pray for

• Our Afghani sisters and brothers in Christ, who are being threatened and are afraid for their lives. May the Lord enrich their faith and keep them till the end. We do not know what lies ahead, but He does. Pray that He strengthens them to face what lies ahead. That He would teach them to be joyful in their suffering because that is something only the Holy Spirit can do.  The Afghan church is facing a new season – may the Lord equip them for such a time as this. Even through this may their numbers increase and may the gospel of salvation spread.
• The women – They have experienced relative safety and freedom for the past 20 years and overnight they’ve been plunged back into the dark ages and forced into lives chosen by others and into marriages they do not want. Their jobs, education and any chance for these is being threatened. They are facing the very real danger of being used for sexual pleasure and torture. Pray for supernatural protection and for God to raise up men who will defend them.
• The children – oh, the children, none who have ever experienced the tyrannical reign of the Taliban before. They have lived freely so far. Now, they face a future of control and being cut off from the outside world, being fed propaganda. Pray that the little girls, would be allowed to have normal childhoods, that, like my girls, they could go to school, speak their minds, ride their bikes, and be free. That God will raise up heroes to defend the weak and the defenseless.
• Pray that lives will be spared, and mercy would prevail – especially those whose lives are most threatened right now – those that helped the western super-powers, those who do not follow the beliefs of the Taliban, those who will stand up against the injustices they see.
• Pray for the salvation of the Taliban leaders and members – No one is too lost to be met by the life-transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Pray for our hearts. That we will be moved by the suffering of people and that we will be willing to be the hands and feet of Christ.

We bring it all before you, Father and lay it at your feet.  Help them. Help us all. AMEN!

Sometimes we ask this question in very trying seasons of our own journey as we read the Bible sometimes, we ask this question to defend the Word of God to unbelievers. Let’s start with reading:

1 Corinthians 2 v 14

 “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God for they are folly to Him and HE is not able to understand them for they are spiritually discerned.”

By nature, our eyes are blind to God, our ears are deaf to God our hearts are indifferent or even in opposition to God.

For someone who is saved and thereby the Holy Spirit dwells within them, the Holy Spirit enlightens the Scripture to Us. He enables us see God in His word. When we read the 2 Timothy 3 v 16 – “All Scripture is God breathed”, we can believe it because the Spirit helps us to do so.

 So when the Scripture, reveals that it is God’s word., it is so for the believer.

When Jesus was in the temple teaching, many Jews marveled at his words and wondered how reliable and wonderful were the words of this man who had never studied.  Jesus responds to them in John 7 v 16,17 – “IF anyone’s will is to do God’s will, HE will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority”. Meaning the cirpture will authenticate itself as the Word of God to the one who is genuinely seeking God.

This may seem to the unbeliever circular reasoning. It may seem that Christians hold on to this fallacy that the Bible is the true Word of God because the Bible says it is the true word of God. That reasoning that seems so authoritative and sufficient to the believer appears to be lacking to the unbeliever. One must have the Spiritual discernment that is a gift of the Holy Spirit who dwells in a surrendered heart.

Does this mean that the Bible does not stand up to the authentication standards applied by the World? Absolutely not. Of all ancient literature, the Bible stands the most verifiable source of truth thus far.

I am by no means an expert in this field but I would love to share a few points with the listeners, believers and those who are yet to believe, in defense of the Bible that is often overlooked as a mythical or fictional piece of work. I hope to point out that the Bible defends itself most sufficiently not just in theory but also in verifiable historical, scientific and experiential facts.

First let’s consider the Bible itself. Written by over 40 authors, over a period 1500 years, in three different languages, Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, in three different continents- Asia, Europe and Africa – In the over 3 million words in the Bible there is absolutely no meaning-altering contradictions. How magnificent a fact is that! How on earth could this Bible have been pulled off if not by the breath of God alone.

Second, lets consider, the historical validity. For years, archaeologists and historians have made repeated discoveries that confirm Biblical accounts. So much so to the point that now the Bible is considered an essential guide to History. So, it stands up to the test of tuthful historical representation.

Third, consider its scientific ingenuity! Hundreds of years before scientists understood the water cycle of Earth – the Bible records it in details in Job 36 v 27,28 and Ecc 1 v 6,7

Fourth, The Bible has unique predictive power. Over 1/4^th of the Bible is prophetic and to date we have seen 2/3rds of these prophecies come to pass. The Bible has proved itself reliable and in possession of knowledge beyond human capacities.

There is also much study done on the number of manuscripts available, the reliability of the copies of the manuscripts we have compared to any other ancient literature. It is by far the most copied book of all ancient literature.

So, the Bible, whether you are seeking internal evidence or solid external, empirical evidence proves itself worthy on all accounts.

1 Corithians 2 v 7 reads, “The wisdom we speak of is the wisdom of God, which was hidden in former times, though He made it for our benefit before the Word began.

How amazing that in this Book, that God always intended to leave us, are truthful words of divine inspiration and revelation!