bible – I and Thou Reflections

Women’s History Month – Part 17: Lydia’s Legacy

A Legacy of Hospitality

Lydia’s home was more than just a gathering place.
It was a sanctuary.
A refuge.
A space where believers could grow in faith and find strength in community.

Her hospitality went far beyond the typical bed and breakfast. She created an environment where faith could flourish.

Lydia’s story inspires us to share our faith. We need to share it in the best way we know how. Whether it is through selling purple cloth or opening our homes for fellowship, let us share the good news with those near and far.

A Legacy of Leadership

A good leader is hard to find. They seem to hide in the strangest places. Yet, we do know that God blesses each of us with certain skills and abilities. The hard part is trying to figure out what they are.

Lydia knew what her skills were and how to use them. She had a knack for welcoming people and making them feel comfortable. She also provided words of wisdom to grow the faith community. Lydia had good business sense. There is no doubt about it.

Like all great leaders, Lydia didn’t lead from a distance. She was deeply involved in her community.

She listened.
She acted.
She believed.
She led.

And she spread the gospel.
Near and far.

While history may not always highlight them, women like Lydia played a critical role in shaping Christianity.

Lydia’s story serves as a reminder that faith is more than a journey. It is a long-lasting legacy.

How are we using our influence? Our resources? Our gifts?

Lydia’s story reminds us to say yes.

Yes, to baptism.
Yes, to hospitality.
Yes, to fellowship.
Yes, to share your faith.

Why?

Because faith is more than a journey. It is a legacy. A lasting one.

Next time, we will look at Shiphrah and find out how this obscure woman in The Bible saved an entire nation.

#March #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenintheBible #ObscureWomen #WomeninHistory #Tabitha #Hannah #Lydia #Shiphrah #WomanattheWell #Legacy

Christmas Hope & Redemption: Day 10 Twelve Days of Isaiah 40

Day 10~ Isaiah 40:25-27

Once we can wrap our heads around the fact that we can’t begin to fathom the greatness of God, we must rely on our faith.

If we believe that God is everywhere, the imagery of looking up in the sky reminds us of the vastness and limitlessness of our Divine Creator. Don’t you think?

Then, why do we often feel abandoned or overlooked by God?

Could it be in that very same vastness of the universe? We ask ourselves how God can possibly know our hearts when we seem so small in comparison.
We feel lost.
Lost in the vastness.

In this passage, the Creator of the heavens invites us to lift our eyes to heaven. Why? To show us how Each star in the universe is named, pointing to the fact that God knows every minute detail of ALL his creation, including us.

Let’s read this passage in Isaiah. Shall we?

1. New International Version
2. The Complete Jewish Bible.

Scripture from: http://www.biblegateway.com.

^{Lift Your Eyes to the Heavens}

Isaiah 40:25-27 NIV

²⁵“To whom will you compare me?
    Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
²⁶Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
    Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
    not one of them is missing.
²⁷Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God”?

Isaiah 40:25-27 CJB

²⁵“With whom, then, will you compare me?
With whom am I equal?” asks the Holy One.
²⁶Turn your eyes to the heavens!
See who created these?
He brings out the army of them in sequence,
summoning each by name.
Through his great might and his massive strength,
not one of them is missing.
²⁷Why do you complain, Ya‘akov;
why do you say, Isra’el,
“My way is hidden from Adonai,
my rights are ignored by my God”?

*Image Created by AI using scripture reference and key words*

#Hope&Redemption #12DaysofIsaiah #Christmas #Comfort #ComfortOneAnother #LiftUpYourVoice #SpiritoftheLord #SpecksofDust #Idolatry #Universe #Heavens #IandThouReflections

The Miraculous Prophecy Behind Jesus’ Birth Unveiled

Prepare Ye The Way

Let’s prepare our hearts for Christmas over the next two weeks. Shall we?

Our journey will take us to Christmas, where we will find hope and redemption to renew our faith, whatever that faith may be.

We will be looking at Isaiah 40. But first, we start with Isaiah 7.

Ever wonder where the prophetic birth of Jesus comes from?

Immanuel

Prediction from the Old Testament
to Recorded Event in the New Testament

Isaiah 7:14 NIV

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23 NIV

²⁰But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Isaiah 7:14 CJB

Therefore Adonai himself
will give you people a sign:
the young woman* will become pregnant,
bear a son and name him ‘Immanu El [God is with us].

Matthew 1:23 CJB

²⁰But while he was thinking about this, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream and said, “Yosef, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miryam home with you as your wife; for what has been conceived in her is from the Ruach HaKodesh. ²¹She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because he will save his people from their sins.” ²²All this happened in order to fulfill what Adonai had said through the prophet, ²³“The virgin will conceive and bear a son,
and they will call him ‘Immanuel.” The name means, “God is with us.”)

Isaiah foretells the birth of Jesus.

It seems clear as a bell to me. Or is it?

We know two things:
A woman will give birth.
The baby will be named Immanuel.

In the NIV, the woman is a virgin and will conceive, and in the CJB, the woman is young and will become pregnant.

Now, this is where it gets fuzzy. As we know it, the Bible is not in chronological order, so it muddles our perception a bit.

To keep it simple, remember:
Isaiah was written after Hosea and Amos. Thereby making it the third oldest sacred text.
The Gospel of Mark was written before the Gospel of Matthew. Even though Matthew is listed as the first book in the New Testament.

In Matthew, the author records the birth as a fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah. We see an 8th-century writing predicting an event recorded in 80 AD.

Fascinating, isn’t it?

Bible in Chronological Order (Every Book Ordered by Date Written)

#Jesus #Isaiah #Prophecy #Hope&Redemption #12DaysofIsaiah #Christmas #Comfort #ComfortOneAnother #IandThouReflections

The Miraculous Transformation from Saturnalia to Christmas

Prepare Ye The Way

Let’s continue to prepare our hearts for Christmas. Shall we?

Our journey will take us to Christmas, where we will find hope and redemption to renew our faith, whatever that faith may be.

In the previous post, we knawed on the prophetic words that predicted Jesus’ birth.

Today, we will reveal…

How Christmas Really Began

The Roots of Christmas

Remember that Christianity didn’t really spread until the 300-400s when Constantine declared Christianity as Rome’s religion. Before that time, there were other religions involving many gods and goddesses.

The Roman Catholic Church is believed to have chosen December 25 to celebrate Christ’s birth due to its ties with the winter solstice and the festival of Saturnalia, a time of feasting and gift-giving. Adapting these existing celebrations facilitated the transition to Christianity.

*https://www.sott.net/article/309632-Io-Saturnalia-The-Roman-roots-of-Christmas*

Ever wonder why December 25th is Christmas?

The winter solstice symbolized the sun’s “rebirth,” which aligns directly with the theme of Jesus, the “Light of the World.” Doesn’t it?

This strategy helped convert pagans by integrating already established traditions into Christian practices. Pretty straightforward.

Does It Really Matter?

Ultimately, the significance of Jesus’ birth is to celebrate the Son of God taking on human form. This miraculous event is one of the cornerstones of Christianity. And giving gifts honors the age-old story of the wise men bringing gifts to baby Jesus. So, does it really matter that it is December 25?

No, it doesn’t matter at all. What matters is that a Savior was born, and He is Christ the King.

As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, remember we are on a transformative journey from darkness into light, from prophecy to fulfillment.

In our next post, we will dig deeper into the gifts the wise men presented to baby Jesus.

#Jesus #Isaiah #Prophecy #Hope&Redemption #12DaysofIsaiah #Christmas #Comfort #ComfortOneAnother #IandThouReflections

Summer: Time to Rest in Creation

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.
George Washington Carver

Our last post discussed the imperative need to rest and recharge. Today, we will explore the concept of finding rest in nature.

Camping as a Kid

When I was a kid, my family went camping every summer. It was something my dad looked forward to each year. Me, not so much. But, when you are a kid, you learn to grin and bear it.

My dad worked in an environment where noise prevented him from hearing others speak. The air was filled with dust, metal shavings, and oil substances. Gears churned within the walls, and motors whistled, so it was no wonder he wanted to escape to the woods.It was his happy place.

*Image Source: publicdomainpictures dot net*

As much as I didn’t like camping, I remember nature’s sounds: the potatoes wrapped in foil crackling in the fire, the crickets chirping, and the owls hooting at night. And then the stars. I remember looking up at the vast sky and seeing millions of stars I had never seen before—or perhaps didn’t choose to stop and appreciate at home. One thing I learned while camping was the closeness I felt to God. I saw God everywhere.

Reflect on Your Past

To better understand your relationship with nature, consider the following:

Did your childhood teach you how to connect with nature?
Were you able to explore the outdoors on your own or in groups?
How did your parents feel about nature?

Action: Spend a few minutes reflecting on your past experiences with nature. Write down one memorable experience and how it made you feel. Use this reflection to connect with your current relationship with the outdoors.

The Gift of Creation

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Genesis 2:2-3

Nature reflects God’s beauty and provides a sanctuary for rest. Signs of nature are everywhere, from the tiny tadpoles near a stream to the crabs crawling on a beach. If you choose to notice.

Action: Promise yourself to spend time outdoors. Whether it’s a walk in the park, a hike, or simply sitting on your patio, go be in nature. Quiet yourself as you hear the birds and experience the nature around you. Start with short, mindful moments of rest. Rest for your mental and physical well-being. Gradually increase your time spent outdoors.

Connecting with nature opens up the opportunity to connect with Spirit, which allows you to communicate with the Creator of all nature. In God, rest and rejuvenation are found. Like the woman at the well in the Gospel of John 4:10, God offers each one of us living water. It is this water that brings us eternal rest.

#Summer #SpiritualRest #Rest #Renew #Vacation #Self-Care #Reflection #Relationships #MentalHealth #Nature #Creation