It is through such stories as Lydia’s that the scriptures convey the dignity God settled on women in first century Palestine, and on Lydia. In keeping with the Lord’s example, the apostle Paul also conferred dignity on women and on Lydia when she hosted the first church in Europe in her home.
HER STORY: Leaders in the Cause of Christ, Lydia
Through Lydia we learn that mature faith accepts God's crossing up of conventions--I first heard that taught in a BSF class, years ago, and I was struck with the simple wisdom in that statement. #Lydia #PurpleDye #Acts16
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Secret of Contentment
In a message originally delivered for New Hope Chapel, in a series on Paul's epistle to the believers in Philippi. This twenty minute talk finishes up with Paul’s letter to his beloved sisters and brothers in the Lord.
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Acts Wednesday: Chapter 16, Demons and Jail
God sometimes allows something to happen, to put us in the position to be ready for the next step. Paul’s willingness to trust and accept even the really hard steps God took him through, the church at Philippi was establish—the only church Paul consistently received help from throughout his career.
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Acts Wednesday: Chapter 16, Lydia
One thing I am getting to learn about Paul, he loved powerful women, and he included them whenever he could in God’s great work.
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Acts Wednesday: Chapter 16, The Women of Philippi
ya gotta hand it to Paul and his crew. They did not skip a beat. Puzzled looks changed to pleased smiles instantly, and they sat right down to worship with these God-fearing women. The women, apparently, didn’t skip a beat, either. They welcome these four men into their gathering
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Acts Wednesday: Chapter 16, Paul and the Macedonian Man
even with a vision from God, to not exactly know what’s going to come next. I may think I have every detail of the plan nailed down; but, with the Lord, that is rarely going to be the case. Where would faith fit in, in a scheme like that? Typically, God is going to give us enough to go on, and at each step—if we’re willing to take those steps of faith—God will give us more.
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Tyrian Purple
An outlier in her time, Lydia made a name for herself in the Tyrian purple market, establishing her own business and household, and enjoying a level of independence only a small minority of women in her day were able to experience. The images below all come from my visit to the Hecht museum, which has a display of murex shells and the beautiful dye Tyre, Sidon, and Akko were known for.
