Mental Vitamins: Twelve Extraordinary Women Series - Lydia

We've come to the final chapter in the book Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur which means this is the last of the ladies to discuss. MacArthur ends with Lydia, who is best remembered as the original convert for the gospel in Europe. She was the first to respond to the message of Christ during the apostle Paul's original missionary journey to Europe.

image by Elspeth Young

Lydia's story is brief but compelling. Paul received a revelation that called him to travel to Europe and continue his ministry there. Paul and his group of missionaries went to Philippi (a Greek city-state) which proved to be a strategic place for introducing the gospel to Europe. Paul's typical evangelical strategy was to take the gospel first to the local synagogue, because if he went to straight to the Gentiles first, the Jews would never listen to anything he had to say. Philippi, however, was a thoroughly Gentile town with no synagogue.

According to tradition, in communities without synagogues, Jewish women could pray together in groups if they so chose, but men had to form a legitimate minyan (requiring a quorum of at least ten Jewish men) before they could partake in any kind of formal, public prayer or worship. Since Philippi's Jewish community was apparently not large enough to form a minyan, Paul and company learned of the place where Jewish women gathered to pray on the Sabbath and they went there instead (Acts 16:13). It was there that we are first introduced to Lydia. Luke describes his first meeting with her this way: A certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God" (Acts 16:14).

Luke describes Lydia as a woman who "worshiped God". She knew of God, and she apparently gathered with Jewish women to pray on the Sabbath but she had not yet converted to Judaism. Luke also records that Lydia "heard us"(Acts 16:14). She listened intently to Paul and his companions explain the gospel message. Her heart was truly open, she was a genuine seeker of God. But the emphasis Luke makes is that it was not Lydia who opened her own heart and ears to the truth. She was listening, but it was God who gave her ears to hear. She had an open heart but it was God who opened her heart. Luke affirms the sovereignty of God in Lydia's salvation: "The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul" (Acts 16:14).

Many of us struggle with this truth. If it were not for God's sovereign work drawing us to Christ and opening the hearts of we as sinners to believe, no one would ever be saved. We are powerless to change our own hearts or turn from evil in order to do good because the love of evil is part of our fallen nature. Our will is bent in accordance to what we love and that leaves us totally at the mercy of sinful lusts. But salvation - all of it - is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith is God's gift to the believer. We don't reach down into our own hearts and summon faith from within by sheer willpower. God is the one who opens our hearts to trust and believe.

I think all Christians  have some understanding of this truth. That is why we pray for the salvation of our loved ones. We also know in our hearts that we cannot boast of being wiser or more learned than those who still do not believe because we know that our salvation is completely the work of God's irresistible grace. Many non-believers view Christians as arrogant for our belief that there is only one way and one God but for those who fully understand salvation we are humbled because we know that it is not an award for intelligence or superiority. Salvation is not something that can be earned, it is a gift God freely gives to all those who humbly seek His grace. Salvation does not make Christians any more intelligent or righteous, it simply means we have humbly submitted to the One who has offered us true, incomparable freedom. Don't twist this significant language though. Grace doesn't force or coerce sinners against their wills toward Christ; it draws them willingly to Him - by first opening up their heart. It enables us to see our sin for what it is and empowers us to despise the sins we formerly loved. It also equips us to see Christ for who he truly is. Someone whose heart has been opened like that will inevitably find Christ Himself to be irresistible. The description of Lydia's converison is captured beautifully...the Lord simply opened her heart to believe - and she did.

Scripture shares that after Lydia's heart and mind had been opened to the truth of God's word she then began also opening her home to Paul and his missionary team and hosting what would be the first church ever established in Europe!

I hope you enjoyed the nuggets of truth and life lessons from this book. I believe it was written simply for deeper reflection on God's word and the extraordinary lives in it as well as for our own personal and spiritual growth. I hope that you were able to identify that all of these women had one thing thing in common and that was that their lives were made exceptional through the result of God's work in their heart. Christ is the common denominator in terms of living an extraordinary life. I hope that this dialogue has sparked a fire within you...a burning desire to learn more about our awe-inspiring Saviour and the purpose He has for your life. I pray that your heart will be opened.

NOTE: If you are interested in my reviews on the rest of this series you can read them *HERE*

Mental Vitamins: Twelve Extraordinary Women Series - Mary Magdalene

For those who may have just stumbled upon my blog, I have recently been reading and sharing from the book Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur. Each week I highlight a new woman and offer a discussion.

This week's extraordinary woman is Mary Magdalene, who is perhaps one of the best-known and least-understood names in scripture. There aren't a lot of details about her life and personal background but she is well-known as being the first person to whom Christ revealed Himself after the resurrection. MacArthur explains some of the myths in connection with Mary Magdelene. I won't go into detail on that here, her life according to Scripture is extraordinary enough without the false embellishment. My focus will be on the confirmed details surrounding Mary Magdalene's life.

Mary Magdalene did have a dark past. She was a woman whom Christ liberated from demonic bondage. Luke introduced her as "Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons" (Luke 8:2). It's the only real detail we are given about Mary's past.

The symptoms of demonic possession varied. Some demoniacs were insane, as in the case of the two demon-possessed men who lived in the graveyard and behaved so monstrous that no one dared approach them (Matt 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-5). More frequently, demonic possession was manifest in physical infirmities, such as blindness, deafness, an inability to speak, fits and seizures and general illness. Don't confuse these symptoms of demonic possession as manifestations of epilepsy, dementia or other psychological afflictions. Scripture makes a clear distinction between demon possession and diseases (Matthew 4:24). Demon possession involves bondage to an evil spirit - a real, fallen spirit-creature - that dwells in the afflicted individual

In every case demon possession is portrayed as an affliction, not a sin, per se. Lawlessness, superstition and idolatry undoubtably have a role in opening a person's heart to demonic possession, but demonized individuals  are always portrayed as tormented people, not willful villains. Scripture presents them to us as victims with utterly ruined lives. Mary Magdalene was one such victim. Satan tormented her with seven demons. Scripture deliberately and mercifully omits the details of her dreadful demon possession but we are given enough information through other demonic possession accounts  to know that she must have been a tortured soul. With so many demons afflicting her she may likely have been what most people regarded as an "unrecoverable lunatic".

The miraculous twist to her story is that Christ delivered her from all that. How and when she was set free is not spelled out for us. It seems her former demonization is only mentioned for the purpose of revealing Christ's goodness and grace toward her. It highlights God's power over evil and His ability to overcome even the darkest and most hopeless of situations.

After Jesus had set Mary free from her evil bondage, her love for Christ reflected her profound depth of gratitude and she joined the close circle of disciples who traveled with Jesus.. Mary Magdalene was a faithful disciple even when others turned their back on Him. No doubt her loyalty stemmed from the fact that He saved her from a life of demonic torment and because of that she understood that He could also save her from a life of eternal torment in hell. She followed him to the cross and subsequently to the grave. In fact, she secretly followed Joseph to the tomb and "observed where He was laid" (Mark 15:47). So it was thanks to Mary Magdalene that the disciples even learned where Jesus' body was buried. She watched as Jospeh and Nicodemus carelessly and hastily prepared Jesus' body and left Him alone in the tomb and she came with ointment and spices for one final expression of love to her Saviour - to whom she knew she owed everything. There was evidently no thought of resurrection in Mary Magdalene's mind.

The apostle John , eyewitness to some of the dramatic events of that morning, gives the best description:

 ¹ Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ² So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
 ³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴ Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. 

 ¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
 ¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
   “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” (John 20:1-13)

Mary's first inclination was to assume that someone had stolen Jesus' body. When she looked inside the tomb for the second time, two angels appeared and they spoke to her saying: "He is not here; for He is risen" (Matthew 28:6) Then the angels instructed her and the others to "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead" (Matthew 28:7). At that point, all but Mary Magdalene ran out to share the marvelous news. Mary seemed to have stayed outside the tomb and continued to grieve over Christ's missing body. Perhaps she was in shock and had not understood the angel when he shared the news that Jesus was not dead, but that He had risen...He was ALIVE! So the angel came and spoke directly to her: "Woman why are you weeping?" And between sobs she replied "They have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid Him." (John 20:13)

It was then that she turned and saw Jesus. Though she did not recognize Him at first and pleaded with Him to show her where they had taken the body of Christ. All He had to say was her name and she instantly recognized Him. "He calls His own sheep by name... [and] they know His voice" (John 10:3-4). Mary's grief instantly turned to inexpressible joy.

Can you imagine it?! Become Mary for a moment. Imagine standing in front of the resurrected Lord - the Saviour of all humanity - who everyone thought was dead - and realize for the first time that He is ALIVE in front of you and a mere arm's length away. Can you imagine being the first one to see His face and embrace Him with a hug? It must have been hard for her to ever let go! The pure joy she must have felt at that moment. No drug or other esteemed pleasure could ever amount to that feeling. What a blessing she received. She was the first to have seen and touched the Lord after He conquered death. She was the first to experience the full extent of God's love for us. That must have been one powerful hug!

I believe that Mary Magdalene was blessed with this unmatched honour because of her faithfulness and devotion to Christ. It's a testament that despite the fact that our past may be filled with darkness, our future's can be made bright in Jesus and by trusting in Him we can be delivered from darkness. All that is required is deep faith and reverence. I don't know about you but I cannot wait for the day where I can share an EPIC hug with Christ! What a monumental day that will be!

Twelve Extraordinary Women Series - Martha & Mary

In this chapter of the Twelve Extraordinary Women series we meet two extraordinary women - Martha and Mary. These two women were a fascinating pair, very different in may ways but alike in one important respect: both of them loved Christ. They became beloved personal friends of Jesus during His earthly ministry. Scripture records that "Jesus loved Martha and her sister". (John 11:5) We're not told how this family became so close with Jesus but in whatever way this relationship began, it obviously developed into a deeply personal fellowship.

The fact that Jesus actively pursued friendships shows us the kind of man He was. The picture society enjoys painting of Jesus is one that is anything but friendly...but Scripture shows us that He treasured His friendships and relationships. He didn't simply have "followers" He had many loved friends. Even to this day, Jesus doesn't simply want us to be an acquaintance He wants to be our friend and for us to have a loving relationship with Him. According to the Bible, Martha and Mary clearly cherished their friendship with Jesus.

One of the most memorable encounters we have with these sisters is during the death and subsequent resurrection of their brother, Lazarus. John gives a detailed description of how distressed the women were over the loss of their brother and how Jesus ministered to them in their grief, how He mourned with them, and how He gloriously raised Lazarus from the dead. More than any other act of Jesus, that one dramatic and very public miracle was what finally sealed the Jewish leader's determination to put Him to death because they knew that if He could raise people from the dead, people would follow Him, and the leaders would lose their power. They refused to believe or even consider that His power to give life was proof that He was exactly who He claimed to be: God the Son.

Martha and Mary understood that Jesus had put Himself at risk in order to give them back the life of their brother. Scripture reveals the full depth of Mary's intense gratitude and records how she anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive oils and wiped His feet with her hair. (John 12) She must have suspected that the resurrection of her brother would have driven Jesus' enemies to hatred and determination to put Him to death. It is in all likelihood that the earlier incident from scripture (Luke 7:36-50) where a repentant prostitute  had once anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair came to Mary's mind. She knew the lesson Jesus taught from that situation: "Her sins, which are many are forgiven, for she loved much". Mary's reenactment was probably her deliberate replication of that incident, to signify how much she also loved Jesus and how grateful she was to Him. Both Matthew and Mark indicate that Jesus' willingness to accept such a lavish expression of worship is what prompted Judas's decision to betray Jesus. Despite all of God's holy examples of kindness, mercy and loving intentions...people still hated Him and the pride of men would be at the root of their hatred.


The main focus of this chapter is that famous incident when Jesus gave Martha a mild reprimand and strong lesson about where her real priorities should be and the dangers of self-pride. Scripture says:

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she has a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."
And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42)

When it came to hospitality, Martha took her hostess duties very seriously and wanted everything to be just right. She was a conscientious and considerate hostess - traits that were very admirable. Jesus was the perfect houseguest. He enjoyed the fellowship and conversation, His contributions to the discussion were enlightening, and thought-provoking. Everyone in attendance was no doubt fully engaged in Jesus' instructive conversation, Mary's instinct was to sit at His feet and listen. Martha, however, kept right on working with her preparations. Soon, Martha became irritated with Mary not helping her. I can just imagine the scene.... Martha subtly hints to Mary that she needs her help by exhaling deeply, clearing her throat or even banging around in the kitchen to stir her sister's attention. After all of her attempts failed she marches right up to Jesus and airs her complaints against Mary. His response probably shocked her. It obviously did not occur to her that she was the one in the wrong.

Some important lessons emerge from Jesus' reprimand of Martha. Humility had been a constant theme in Jesus' teachings and is a difficult lesson for most of us to learn. Martha's external behavior at first appeared to be admirable. She was working hard to serve others at this gathering. But her treatment of Mary revealed a serious defect in her servant's heart. Her words in front of other guests were certainly to humiliate Mary. She either didn't think that her words would be hurtful or she simply did not care. Either way, she assumed that Mary was being lazy but in reality, Mary's heart was in the right place. Martha's behavior shows how subtly human pride can corrupt even the best of our actions.

Martha appears to be acting as a servant to all, just as Christ had so often commanded. She no doubt began with the best of motives and intentions but the moment that she made something other than Christ the focus of her heart and attention, her perspective became very self-centered. At that point, even her service to Christ became tainted and self-absorbed. Martha was showing an attitude of sinful pride that made her susceptible to other kinds of sinful behaviour: anger, resentment, jealousy, distrust, judgmentalism, and unkindness. All of that flared up in Martha in a matter of minutes. Worst of all, Martha's words criticized and challenged the Lord Himself: "Lord, do You not care....?" and fell into an all-too-common religious trap described by Paul: "They measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."

Mary, on the other hand, understood the true importance of the occasion, that the Lord Himself was a guest in their home. And she became so absorbed in Jesus' every word that she became oblivious to everything else. Listening to Him and worshiping Him was at that moment the best use of her energy and the right place for her focus. The stark contrast between the two women is clearly Mary's willingness to sit still, listen and ponder and Martha's inclination to act or more accurately - react.

I, myself, have been guilty of behaving like Martha. It's easy for us as humans to lose track of what is really important and it's frustratingly easy to get distracted by the world around us. Pride is something we all struggle with. The trouble with pride is it is easy to misinterpret. Just as with Martha's example...we may THINK we are doing what is good and right....but are our intentions pure? Do we have a servants heart or a selfish heart? What is motivating our actions? These are questions we must ask ourselves everyday. We might be able to fool others, and even fool ourselves into thinking we have the best intentions but God sees our hearts. So in everything we do, we should seek to glorify God, not others and certainly not ourselves.

Twelve Extraordinary Women Series - The Samaritan Woman

 This week's Extraordinary Woman is simply known as The Samaritan Woman. Her name is not mentioned in the Bible, but when you learn of her story, you will realize that her name bears little importance in comparison to the significance surrounding her life.

 In John Chapter 4 we meet an unnamed Samaritan woman with a rather scandalous background. Jesus met her when she came to get water from a well, and the encounter transformed her whole life.

At first glance, much about the scene seems ordinary and unimportant. Here is an anonymous woman who performed the most mundane of ordinary tasks: drawing her daily ration of water for her household. She came alone, at an hour when she probably expected no one else to be at the well which was probably an indication of her status as an outcast. Jesus was traveling through on His way to Jerusalem and because he had no rope or bucket with which to draw water, He asked the woman to give Him a drink. This certainly does not appear to be a scene that would lead us to expect one of the most profound theological lessons in all the Bible was just ahead, but look closer, and it turns out that many details in this picture are enormously significant.

First of all, the well was spring-fed, so it's water is always fresh, pure, and cold. It is the only well, and the finest water, in the vicinity where stagnant springs seemed to abound. The existence of the well was deemed to be a token of God's grace and goodness upon the Israelites at that time.

In Jesus' era though, this ground was in Samaritan territory and is another surprising and significant detail about the setting. For Jesus to be in Samaria was unusual and possibly even scandalous. The Samaritans were considered unclean by the Israelites because of their pagan ways. Jesus was traveling from Jerusalem to Galilee and a look on any map reveals that the most direct route goes straight through Samaria. But in Jesus' time, any self-respecting Jew would always travel a different way, avoiding Samaria altogether.

Virtually everything about the setting becomes remarkable. It is unusual to find Jesus alone. It is also shocking that Jesus would intentionally seek out and have a conversation with a Samaritan woman like this one. It was astonishing even to her that any Jewish man would speak to her. In those days, it would have been outrageous of  Him to drink  from an unclean pitcher that belonged to an unclean woman.

Jesus simply asked for a drink from the woman. She immediately expressed surprise that He would even speak to her, much less drink after her and replies "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?". Jesus said, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water". She immediately understood that He was making an amazing claim and replied, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do you get that living water?". Jesus answered, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life". The woman replied "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw".

Jesus tells her to "Go, call your husband, and come here". She was suddenly embarrassed. The truth about her life was so scandalous that she could not admit it to Him. He seemed to be assuming she was a typical woman with a respectable home and honorable husband. But she was nothing like that and told him the very short and censored version: "I have no husband". But Jesus knew the full truth already and said to her: "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly". Notice he did not call her a liar, he actually commended her for speaking truthfully. She wasn't denying her sin but she obviously was not proud of it either.

At this point a thousand thoughts must have gone through her head. She certainly must have wondered exactly who He was and how He knew so much about her. She then brought up what was to her mind the biggest point of religious conention between Jews and Samaritans: "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship". I think she genuinely hoped that this man who seemed to know everything could straighten out what seemed to be the fundamental debate of the ages: Who was right? The Jews or the Samaritans? Jesus gave her a brief but very potent answer in John 4:21-24.

"Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

First, He let her know that where you worship isn't the issue. True worshipers are defined by whom and how they worship - not where. We seem to get hung up on this even today. Church is not a building, it is a place of fellowship and worship that should be centered on faith and a relationship with Christ.

Second, He made it clear that religious tradition she had grown up in was totally false.  He was straight up about this and let her know exactly which faith had the foundation of truth.

Third, He subtly steered her back to the main subject by telling her that a new age was dawning and the era of the New Covenant was on the horizon.  She replied "I know that Messiah is coming. When He comes, He will tell us all things". And no sooner had she approached the subject of the Messiah, than Jesus said, "I who speak to you am He". The woman's response was typical of new believers who just had the burden of sin and guilt lifted - she wanted to share the good news with others. And notice that the first thing she told the men of her town was that Jesus had told her everything she had ever did....she was no longer hiding her sin. She was basking in the glow of forgiveness, and there is simply no shame in that. The contrast is beautiful. Scripture says that "Many Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified." She transformed from being a woman who people avoided and saw as an outcast to a woman of faith and messenger of truth. And her message was simple, she had found the Messiah, He knew everything about her sinful past but received her anyway.

What is staggeringly unexpected about this whole fantastic account is that Jesus chose this time and this place and this woman to be part of the setting where He would, for the first time ever, formally and explicitly unveil His true identity as the Messiah.

The fact that she is unnamed leads me to think that this seemingly lack of detail was purpose driven and also part of God's plan. Perhaps so that we could put our name in her place, as a sinner, as a lost person, and as someone who needs a Saviour. I think we can all somewhat relate to the Samaritan woman. We have all questioned "What is truth?", we all have done things in our past that we are not proud of, and we all are in need of God's saving grace.

Her story has made me all the more thankful for a Saviour who looks at me (and all of us) not simply as a sinner who needs to be avoided and looked down upon but as a person with potential who just needs His truth, love and grace to become someone truly extraordinary.

Mental Vitamins: Twelve Extraordinary Women Series - Anna

Picking back up with the Twelve Extraordinary Women Series - this week's focus is on Anna: The Faithful Witness.

 image credit: Elspeth Young

There were very few people who recognized Jesus as the Messiah at His birth. The only people who did recognize Jesus at His birth did so because they were told by angels or by some other form of special revelation. These select few who understood exactly who Jesus was from His birth were all humble witnesses of the Messianic prophecy. One of those witnesses was Anna.

Everything Scripture has to say about her is contained in just three verses: Luke 2:36-38. She is never mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. But these three verses are enough to establish her reputation as a genuinely extraordinary woman:

"Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem." (NKJV)

Like other extraordinary women we have seen so far, Anna's hopes were to see the messianic prophecy unfold in her lifetime. Her hopes were suddenly fulfilled in an instant when she discovered that the Saviour she knew in her heart would one day come to Earth was the tiny child before her. She was blessed by God to be one of the handful of key witnesses who knew the significance of Jesus' birth. And she made no attempt to keep His birth a secret. She became one of the first and most enduring witnesses to Christ. No doubt wherever Luke's gospel is proclaimed, her testimony is still bringing others to the Savior. Thus she deserves a prominent place in this list of extraordinary women.

Though there are only three brief verses about Anna, Luke's narrative  is loaded with key phrases that give us a surprisingly valuable understanding of Anna's life and character. Anna is said to be a prophetess which means she was a woman uniquely devoted to declaring the Word of God. She had a reputation as a gifted teacher of other women and a faithful encourager of her fellow believers.

She is also characterized as a widow. Widowhood in that society was extremely difficult. It virtually guaranteed a life of poverty. Anna either lived on charity or supported herself out of the remnants of her family's inheritance. Either way, she must have led a very prudent, chaste and simple life. Luke adds that she "served God with fastings and prayers night and day" (Luke 2:37) - which rounds out the picture of this elderly, dignified, devoted woman's life and ministry.

Scripture also says that "She spoke of Him to all" (Luke 2:38). The verb tense signifies continuous action. Every opportunity she had she would share the message about Jesus Christ. The Messiah had finally come and Anna was one of the very first to know who He was. She could not and did not want to keep that news to herself. She thus became one of the very first and most enduring witnesses of Christ. She literally could not stop talking about Him. Which is the most endearing part of Anna's extraordinary legacy.

I want to strive to be more like Anna. To proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ at every opportunity given to me and share about His love with such passion, dedication and excitement as she had. I want to share the same fervor that Anna owned when she witnessed our Lord's birth and realized that salvation for humanity was no longer just hopes and dreams...but a living promise...the very substance of things hoped for.

Mental Vitamins: Twelve Extraordinary Women Series - Mary

This week's chapter in the book Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur is about the most well-known woman in the Bible - Mary, the mother of Jesus.

"Of all the extraordinary women in the Scripture, one stands out above all others as the most blessed, the most highly favored by God, and the most universally admired by women. Indeed, no woman is more truly remarkable than Mary. She was the one sovereignly chosen by God--from among all the women who have ever been born--to be the singular instrument through which He would at last bring the Messiah into the world." 

I don't think MacArthur could have given a better introduction of Mary. She was given outstanding grace and privilege and humbly understood that she was profoundly blessed. But while acknowledging Mary as the most extraordinary of women, it is important to note that we should not elevate her too much. She was afterall, a woman--not a demigoddess or deity as some religions and cultures seem to personify her. She herself was never portrayed in Scripture as a source or dispenser of Grace, but as a woman whom God bestowed upon His holy grace. Some seem to think of Mary as more approachable and more sympathetic than Christ and superstitiously imagine that she regularly appears and delivers prophecies to the world. I think we all remember the stale grilled-cheese sandwich that sold for $28,000 on eBay because it purportedly had the image of Mary supernaturally etched in the burn marks of the toast. I think I once saw a t.v. broadcast of a woman who got this grilled cheese image tattooed somewhere on her body. Clearly this whole idea of spiritual meaning behind it is a hoax and utterly absurd. There have been other "sightings" of Mary, all of which are entirely without biblical warrant. In fact, it is completely contrary to what Scripture teaches (Rev. 19:10). 

MacArthur points out that prior to Mary's miraculous conception she was an average girl from a poor region of Israel. If you were to encounter her prior to Jesus' birth you probably would not deem her life to be very extraordinary at all. I think sometimes we as women, as humans for that matter, think that our social status has a lot to do with how God views us or how he determines our worth and that just simply isn't true. That is a very human way of thinking and judging. God sees the heart, he values a humble heart that is willing to love and to serve Him. It doesn't matter what circumstances we came from, God will bless those who are faithful to His Word. Mary is an excellent example of this. She was, in a sense, a nobody but she humbly acknowledged her own personal need for a Savior and would later be the very vessel used to bring the Savior into the world.

Now as a woman who was once a young teenager with somewhat strict parents and who grew up in a society where teenage pregnancy was severely frowned upon, I cannot imagine what went through Mary's mind when she was told she would have a child as a virgin teenager. She must have anticipated rumors, a slandered reputation and the chance of losing her newlywed husband. But despite all of those thoughts that must have raced through her mind she responded to the angel's news by saying "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38) She instantly, humbly and joyfully submitted to God's will without further doubt or question demonstrating a young woman of mature faith.

I for one will admit that as a teenager I don't know if I would have responded as well as Mary did. I probably would have freaked out! I would have dreaded telling my parents because of the fear they would not have believed me when sharing the story that I was a virgin but was also pregnant and my child would be the Son of God. I mean, imagine having that conversation with your parents as a teenager girl! It's fair to acknowledge that in today's society, in Mary's situation, she would have been encouraged to abort her child. She could have avoided any negative responses or confrontation by discarding the evidence (the child) but had Mary been given the option and exercised her "right" to have an abortion...the fate of all mankind would have been gravely different. Sometimes what society views as a "mistake" or "problem" is really a blessing in disguise. Scripture also tells us that Joseph at first did in fact doubt the validity of Mary's story and even considered divorcing her until the angel appeared to him in a dream and confirmed the truth. So imagine how virtually alone and misunderstood Mary must have felt at that time.

I know I have had similar emotions when it comes to my faith. There are those who question and doubt what I know in my heart to be true. There is zero doubt in my mind that my Savior not only exists but that He loves me beyond comprehension. Sadly, there will always be people who are on the outside judging something that they themselves do not fully understand and refuse to try and understand. But our job is not to convince people that God exists, our calling is to serve Him faithfully and love others just as He loves us. Some days are more challenging than others but thankfully God's mercy, grace and love are unfaltering! And I'm thankful for His Word that is filled with biographies like Mary's and others who bring comfort in a world that is full of religious persecution. God understands our pain, our frustrations and fear and replaces them with his love, compassion and courage. I so desperately need Him and I am eternally grateful and stand in wonder that He is always there when I need Him especially when everyone else in the world seems to turn their back.

I cannot imagine the emotions that Mary endured when the time came for Jesus to bear all the sins of the world and give His life so that you and I may be saved from a life without hope. She knew that His death was necessary and unavoidable but I'm certain her motherly instincts made it incredibly difficult to witness the death of her Son. While Mary watched her firstborn Son die, others were screaming insults and taunts at Him. Her sense of injustice being done to Him must have been profound. She had raised him from infancy, she understood His absolute sinless perfection and no one could have loved Him more than she did. Mary must have understood that her steadfast presence at Jesus' side was the only kind of support she could give Him during that dreadful moment. Again, Mary was in no way a part of the world's redemption. HE was bearing the sins of the world, she could not assist with that, nor did He need her to. "There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1Timothy 2:5).

As a matter of fact, while Jesus was in the midst of suffering on the cross it was Jesus who would come to her aid! It was during this time that Jesus acknowledged His human relationship with Mary. John describes what happened: "When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple  whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold your mother!' And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home" (John 19:26).

So one of Jesus' last earthly acts before His death was to make sure that Mary would be cared for throughout the rest of her life. That act epitomizes Mary's relationship with her firstborn Son. She was His earthly mother; but He was her eternal Lord. She understood and embraced that relationship. As a mother, she had provided all His needs, but in the ultimate and eternal sense, He was her Saviour and provider.

"Mary herself never claimed to be or pretended to be anything more than a humble servant of the Lord. She was extraordinary because God used her in an extraordinary way but she clearly thought of herself as simply ordinary. She is portrayed in Scripture only as an instrument whom God used in the fulfillment of His plan. It is a shame that religious superstition has, in a sense, turned Mary into an idol. She is certainly a worthy woman to emulate but Mary herself would undoubtedly be appalled to think anyone would pray to her or worship her in anyway. Her life and her testimony point us continuously to her Son. He was the one she worshiped. He was the one she trusted with everything. He was the one she recognized as Lord. Mary's own example, seen in the pure life of Scripture, teaches us to do the same."

It is important to remember Mary as a significant Biblical figure, and a truly extraordinary woman, but to not elevate her (or anyone else for that matter) to a level and status that no one could ever achieve and a role that cannot be filled. There is only One who is worthy to be praised.

Mental Vitamins: Twelve Extraordinary Women Series - Hannah

Last week I took a short break from the Twelve Extraordinary Women Series but I wanted to get right back to it. This week's focus is on Hannah.

 photo credit: Elspeth Young

Hannah's personal story makes her one of my favourite women of the Bible. The study of her life reveals the classic portrait of a godly mother. Yet, Hannah almost never became a mother. Like Sarah, she was childless and distraught over it. But Hannah exhibited tremendous faith and perseverance. Before her son, Samuel, was even born she prayed to God and promised that if He gave her a son she would dedicate him to the Lord. This was not an empty promise made in a moment of desperation - Samuel would begin serving in the tabernacle when he was just a toddler. Hannah knew that God had given her this son and she wanted to give back to God for His blessing by dedicating her son's life to serving the Lord. The value of persistent and passionate prayer is one of the central lessons from Hannah's life.

"Hannah stood out as a ray of light. Not only was she the quintessential godly mother and wife, but in a spiritually cold generation she exemplified patience, prayerfulness, faith, meekness, submission, spiritual devotion and motherly love."

MacArthur's description of Hannah is something I think all Christian women should strive to be. In fact, my main interest in this book in the first place was because I wanted to discover godly female role models. Contrary to social standards...I do not wish to be like famous Hollywood icons or other influential individuals in mainstream media. I want to be an example of what Christ sees as true beauty and grace and dignity. The Bible was given to us not as a book of rules to keep us from enjoying life but more as a study guide for how to enjoy God's love and our life here on earth to the fullest! The more we seek Him out and learn from His Word, the more we have a clear understanding of our purpose and our future. That is the reason I chose this book...I mean if God Himself mentioned these women in the Bible, then they truly must have been extraordinary and that's the kind of life I hope to live - one that honors God.

We currently live in a spiritually cold generation just like in the days of Hannah and I think that it is our calling as young women and mothers to stand out as a light against the darkness. To show the world what God's love and grace looks like and practice living our lives in a way that honors Him - not necessarily living a life that is pleasing to the world. We need to teach our children to have love, faith and hope centered around God - not people, and things.

MacArthur does an excellent job of covering all basis. He briefly talks about how some women are called to remain single and that motherhood is not the only proper role for women.  A woman does not need to be a wife or a mother before she can be deemed useful in the Lord's service. I think this is important to highlight because there are many women who cannot have children or who will never marry but can still serve a wonderful purpose. There are examples of women in the Bible who were never a wife or mother and God used them mightily apart from marriage and motherhood. (Miriam and Deborah) This should be an encouragement to any woman who may be feeling distraught by not being able to fill the role as wife or mother. We were all meant for great things, and each of us have different callings. That doesn't make any of us more or less important or special.

Honor and eminence for women in the Bible was nearly always closely associated with home and family. Hannah understood that, and she earnestly desired to enter into the noble role of a mother.

Of course, the Bible's exaltation of motherhood is often disregarded by our more "enlightened" age. In fact, in this generation, motherhood is frequently mocked and belittled in the name of "women's rights." Instead of viewing motherhood and family as an honor and a blessing, society views it as optional and often as a burden. Abortion has made it possible for women to be denied motherhood and children to be denied life. It has tainted the beauty of family. But MacArthur points out that it has been God's plan from the beginning that women should train and nurture godly children and thus leave a powerful imprint on society through the home. Hannah is a classic illustration of how that works.

I am not a mother....yet. But I desire to be one someday. Not just because I love children, but because I want to create a family who lives for and loves the Lord, just as Hannah prayed for. As I look around me, I can't help but notice the consequences of not having a culture who values a Christ-centered family. My husband and I are not perfect and don't expect to raise perfect children - I mean Adam and Eve couldn't even raise perfect children and they were at one time...actually perfect (that is before sin entered the world) - but we both have a heart for God and hope that our children one day see that and choose to live for Christ too.

I never dreamed I would be getting so much out of this book but I am really enjoying building my relationship with God through this sort of biblical interaction. I believe that personal reflection in accordance with spiritual meditation is the key to positive growth. I hope that you are also enjoying your own personal journey with God.

Mental Vitamins: Twelve Extraordinary Women Series - Ruth

Continuing with the Twelve Extraordinary Women Series - this week we will look at the life of Ruth.

Ruth was the daughter-in-law of Naomi, both of which were widows, had no children and were impoverished. They lived during the great famine where food and water were scarce, and a widow with no family in a time of famine had very little hope for survival. Naomi began to believe that she was being punished for living in a pagan culture and decided to re-kindle her faith and move back to her hometown of Bethlehem because she had heard the drought had ended there. Ruth and Naomi were very close and Ruth decided to go with Naomi and care for her.

Once there, Ruth had no choice but to work in the fields gathering whatever the harvesters had left behind which was usually a very meager amount. It was usually not much to live on, but it was something. There was no government aid or food stamps in those days. You had to work for your food, no matter what your circumstances. (2 Thessalonians 3:10) The field she was gathering from belonged to Boaz - a relative by marriage and he began to show her kindness and generosity by giving her water and extra grain and ultimately looking after her safety and well-being. Naomi realized the family relation and saw the hand of God in the blessing.

MacArthur brings our attention to the fact that Boaz was a living illustration of how God takes care of His people. He is our Redeemer, he rescues us from evil and death and gives us hope for our future. It wasn't happenstance that Ruth stumbled upon Boaz's field...it was orchestrated by God Himself.

It becomes clear that Boaz has a romantic interest in Ruth and in the days of arranged marriages this would pose as a challenged relationship. Ruth had no male family member in her life to make any sort of marriage arrangement and it was forbidden for a woman to approach the man about marriage. However, with circumstances being how they were, Naomi encouraged Ruth to propose to Boaz. Very unconventional even in today's standards. Boaz and Ruth were married and eventually, Ruth would become David's great-grandmother - the nation's first great king.

Ruth is a symbol of every believer - redeemed, brought into a position of great favor, awarded with riches and privilege, loved and adored by the Redeemer with the profoundest affection. That is why the extraordinary story of her redemption ought to make every believer's heart swell with thankfulness and joy because the Lord has redeemed us from our sin and we will enjoy eternity by His side.

Mental Vitamins: Twelve Extraordinary Women Series - Rahab

 This week in the Twelve Extraordinary Women Series we will be looking at the life of Rahab.

Rahab is actually introduced in the Bible as "a harlot named Rahab". Not a flattering introduction AT ALL. Although initially identified as a prostitute she is an excellent testament of what faith can do.

Rahab lived in Jericho in the time of Joshua. Her house was not in a back alley or hidden in a bad part of town, it was actually right on top of the famous wall of Jericho. In that day this was considered prime real estate, which means that she was very successful in her trade. Unfortunately her "trade" was selling herself to men for money. She was contributing to the wickedness that already filled the land of Jericho. This evil nation had reached God's maximum level of tolerance and the time had come where the entire city would be destroyed. Despite Rahab's entire career being devoted to sadistic self-gratification, she would be extended grace by God and spared from God's sentence of condemnation. Rahab's whole life would be changed by her unexpected encounter with two spies.

Joshua sent spies to gather military and strategic information about Jericho. (Joshua 2:1-7 tells what happens.)
The spies entered Jericho and once inside the city, they stayed with Rahab - her residence was the perfect location for assessing the city's defenses, it overlooked the entire city. This was essential because they were there to scout the place out to secure victory - they were spies. In her "business" confidentiality was paramount and she would have welcomed these two strangers in quickly, without question - just as she would all her clients.

But the spies did not take advantage of her like virtually every other man she encountered and this is probably what won them her trust. They no doubt explained who they were and told her something about their God. Perhaps they shared how the Lord had delivered them from the desert or how He parted the Red Sea. It is clear that something the spies told Rahab redeemed her faith in God.

The king sent messenger's to Rahab's house because he apparently had heard that she was harboring spies. But despite Rahab making a living of selling herself for evil purposes she totally surprises us in this situation. She probably would have received a great reward for turning in the spies, but she didn't. She actually misdirects the messengers and saves the lives of the two spies. She took a dangerous risk - if the king discovered she was lying it could have resulted in serious punishment - possibly death. She put her own life in jeopardy by protecting these strangers. Her sudden expression of faith is not only unexpected but it goes against every instinct that would normally motivate a woman like Rahab.

Rahab's actions in protecting the spies involved telling a lie. MacArthur discusses the argument of whether or not commending Rahab's faith is Scripture also condoning her method. Some argue that lying is acceptable if the motive is for the greater good. But God Himself cannot lie and therefore cannot condone a lie. Such a situational approach to ethics is laden with serious problems. There is no need to justify Rahab's lie. Was it necessary for a greater good? Absolutely not. God could easily have saved Rahab and the spies without a lie. This isn't the point of Rahab's story. The point is that Rahab is a positive example of her faith. She turned down an easy reward, put her own life at risk and put her trust in God. Nothing but faith could have made such a dramatic change in the character of a woman like Rahab.

The spies then swore that they would not harm Rahab or her family because of the kindness she showed to them and her help with their mission. She would display a red cord from her window so that her house would stand out from the others and they would know to leave her and her house unharmed.

Scriptures tell us that God Himself demolished the walls of Jericho without the aid of the Israel military. To prove it, God had the Israelites march around the city with the ark of the covenant for 7 consecutive days, on the seventh day they marched around the city 7 times, blew a ram's horn and shouted. The walls instantly collapsed. All except where Rahab's house stood. Her home and her family were spared.

Rahab is a beautiful example of the transforming power of faith. From that day on she lived a completely different kind of life. Rahab started out with a bad reputation because of her personal choices, but her life story is proof that no matter what lies in our past, we can be redeemed through faith in Christ. What she once was simply magnifies the divine grace, which makes her the extraordinary woman she became.

Some of us may feel like there is no way we can be extended grace based on what we have done in our past but I think Rahab's story emphasizes the very opposite. She is a reminder that by God's grace, He can redeem even the most horrible life. No matter what we have done in our lives, God loves us and if we are sincere in our faith, He is willing to forgive us and embrace us. I think the possible take-away message is: Don't write yourself off - God hasn't. With faith, you can have a new beginning.

Mental Vitamins: Twelve Extraordinary Women Series - Sarah

For those who may have just stumbled upon my blog, in the last week or so, I have been reading and reviewing a book called Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur. The book highlights the lives of 12 women from the bible and I have gotten so much out of it already that I felt I should share how the book has influenced me personally. I encourage others to read this book along with me and share thoughts and comments below or via email.

Last week the focus was on Eve, this week I'll be going into chapter 2 of the book which shares about the life of Sarah.

photo credit: Elspeth Young

Sarah was the wife of Abraham whose name means "father of many nations". He was given this name by God Himself and was promised that his lineage would be like the stars of the sky in number. Being Abraham's wife, Sarah was to be a large role in this prophecy. Sarah was past the age of childbearing years, in fact, she was well past eighty before she would ever conceive. So the more time that passed and she did not become pregnant the more impatience and doubt began to consume her. Instead of waiting on the Lord to fulfill His promise, she devised a man-made solution to her dilemma. She took it upon herself to produce a scheme that was so ill-advised and incorrigible that she would not only regret it for the rest of her days, but the consequences of her choice had far-reaching implications.

In her haste, she concluded that a kind of surrogate parenting was the only possible solution to her predicament and convinced her husband to have a child with their maid servant, Hagar. In other words, she engineered her own  plan to fulfill the divine promise to Abraham. She unwittingly stepped in the role of God. We as humans, (myself included) can let ourselves get anxious about the future and question God's faithfulness to His word and sometimes we even try to "take over". When we do this, we in essence try to "play God". That is a dangerous thing to do, my friends. Scripture shows us time and time again how doing things our own way instead of God's way only leads to destruction and heartache. God's plan is PERFECT. We are the one's who botch things up! God in the driver seat is always the best way to travel through life!

MacArthur points out that this was the first case of recorded polygamy in Scripture involving a righteous man. God's design for marriage was monogamy from the beginning. (Matt.19:4-5) Disobedience to that standard has always resulted in negative consequences. There are several examples in the Bible of how polygamy divided hearts and nations. No good  has ever come from dishonoring God's will for the sanctity of marriage. Abraham's union with Hagar is certainly no exception.

Take note that  up to this point, God had never explicitly said that Sarah would be the mother of the nation in question. That was merely her hope. But the incident with Hagar shows that Sarah's hope was weakening. Hagar gave birth to a son named Ishmael and 13 years after that Sarah still was unable to have children. Despite the despair she must have felt, her faith shines through. Scripture says she "judged Him faithful who had promised". (Heb. 11:11) The Lord came to Abraham, to renew His promise for Sarah's sake so that she could hear it with her own ears. By this time Sarah was in her nineties and when she heard this she "laughed within herself". (Gen. 18:12) Sarah would indeed have a son and she named him Isaac which means: "laughter".

You see, God's timing was perfectly planned. There was no denying that He had a part in this conception. It's an impossibility that a woman in her nineties could give birth.....without God. Imagine your ninety-year-old grandmother giving birth. Sounds impossible right? And that was His plan all along, He would set the plan in motion at such a time that it would force others to see God's involvement - a sort of fact check if you will.  Nothing is impossible to God.

God still presently works in this way. Sometimes making us wait and hope in the Lord is so that others will find their faith through our experiences and also so that our own faith might be strengthened. Sarah's faith was tested. She initially failed because she did not put all of her hope and trust in God, but in the end, her faith was restored and her life became a lesson to all that through Christ ALL things are possible according to His plan.

A few things that I personally took away from this look into Sarah's life is:
1. Don't try to play God. - No matter how bad we want things to go a certain way or how much we think we need things to happen within our projected time frame, we shouldn't try to override God. Would you try to go somewhere you have never been without a map or directions? No! So why would we try to go through life without God as our guide? For me, my sense of direction is so bad, I need a GPS to get me where I'm going. God doesn't need GPS...He IS the GPS. He knows exactly where we need to go and wants to take us on the BEST route to get there! And the good news is, that when we get off-route (which we inevitably will)...He will be right there to get us back on track!
2. I AM IMPATIENT! Patience is not a virtue for me....it's something I lack and therefor is a weakness. Waiting on our Visas to arrive has really gotten me worked up lately. I'm a planner and we have had a projected date to leave for Switzerland, so the more days that pass without those visas, the less likely we are going to be "on [my] schedule". Reading about how Sarah allowed her anxiousness to control her enough that she made a really poor decision and ultimately caused the plan to go off course, has made me step back and realize I haven't been applying my faith lately. I've been very hopeless and doubtful....anything but trusting in His promise to "perfect that which concerns [me]." He has the perfect date set (for everything in life), I just need to trust in that.
3.God knows best. Our greatest plans and our grandest dreams cannot compare to what God has organized for our life. He is a God of order and purpose. We can get caught up in the unknown and uttering "I wish" all the time - as in "I wish God would hurry up and give me what I wish for!" when what we wish for may not always be what is best for us. So much of our relationship with Christ is faith and although faith is hard to hold onto, it is also something that is honored. God wants us to be successful, but we must rely on Him to help us succeed.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jer. 29:11)

Mental Vitamins - Twelve Extraordinary Women Series - Eve

If you have been following my blog, you know that last week I gave a brief review of a book I've been reading called Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur which highlights the lives of 12 different women from the bible. I have enjoyed this book so much that I wanted to share more of it with you.

In the upcoming weeks I am going to share a little bit about each woman mentioned in the book and some of the things I learned or took away from what I read. If you care to read along with me we can share comments about what each of us have found interesting about the book. Which I guess means I'm inviting you to start a pseudo book club! :)

The first woman discussed in the book is Eve. Fitting since she was the first woman to ever exist.

painting by Gail Potocki

I tremendously appreciated how MacArthur introduced Eve. He shares how Eve must have been a wonder to behold. She was the only female, who at her beginning, was unspoiled by evil and hand designed by God Himself to perfection. Sin had not yet entered the world so Eve was the living embodiment of feminine excellence and pure innocence. But MacArthur also makes the marvelous point that the Bible gives no physical description of Eve. Her beauty was never mentioned or even alluded to. This is a significant fact because we live in a world that is obsessed with image - we as humans are superficial creatures.

Plastic surgery, eating disorders, attitudes...all results of vanity. Let's be honest, there isn't a female on the planet that is 100% happy with themselves physically. We all would like to change something whether it be to lose a few pounds or to look a few years younger. But the Biblical account of Eve is an excellent reminder of what true beauty is in the eyes of God. It's not the clothes we wear, it's not having great hair or a perfect body...in fact, God paints a portrait of what He calls "a Wife of Noble Character" in Proverbs 31. These noble characteristics include: faithfulness, dignity, wisdom....and he also emphasizes that "beauty is fleeting". (verse 30)

It's easy for us to measure our worth according to the world's standards when there are those among us who are "artificial perfection" but isn't it wonderful to know that God's standards are attainable without having to go under the knife, or going on a diet or having money for the latest trends. God sees our heart and when we live according to His plan, our beauty radiates from within. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look nice, but it's important to make sure that our self worth is not based on our physical appearance.

Not only is there no physical description of Eve but there are no details about how many children she had, how long she lived or how she died and the way scripture limits the amount of information given about Eve, it helps us focus on the most significant aspects of her life.

The creation of Eve was and is a monumental moment in time. I love the significance of every detail surrounding her beginning. Eve was carefully and purposefully built using a rib from Adam's side. Adam and Eve were two halves of a whole. Such as in marriage. When a man and a woman are joined together in marriage they are said to "become one" an honored tradition that has happened since literally the beginning of time. God created Eve from the very flesh and bone of Adam and the unique method of her creation emphasizes our purpose as women. Eve was not made from Adam's head that she might rule over him, or from his foot that he may walk on her, but from his side, as a companion and an equal.

MacArthur also does a great job of highlighting the fundamental differences between genders. We were socially, emotionally and physically designed differently with purpose. Everything God does is with purpose, He doesn't do anything accidentally. And to quote John himself, he says "I'm convinced that if people  today would simply embrace God's purpose and seek to fulfill the roles God has designed for our respective genders, both men and women would be happier, the church would be healthier and marriages would be stronger." And I couldn't agree with him more!

MacArthur then discusses the temptation that ultimately changed the course of our fate. I love how he addresses the entire encounter between Eve and Satan. Eve was undeniably deceived. In her innocence, Eve was susceptible to the devil's half-truths and lies. He twisted the meaning of God's Word, and deliberately misrepresented the character and command of God.

I have personally encountered individuals in life who use this same approach of skepticism and negative interpretation of God's actual commands. They use misguided logic and twist the scripture to either A.) suite their own personal lifestyle or B.) to make God's generosity, grace and love sound more like stinginess, cruelty and contempt. They are being misguided in very much the same way that Satan first mislead the human race. The devil used doubt, suspicion and confusion to dupe Eve and continues to mislead us with these same weapons today. If Satan can inflate our doubts, our suspicions and confusion then he robs us of our faith, our hope and convictions. Satan's goal is to keep us apart from God and all of His goodness, and without a firm understanding of God's plan and His purpose for us, we are vulnerable to Satan's deception. But no matter how cunning the devil can be, the responsibility of our choices and actions are ours alone and no one else.

Many people ask the question "Why didn't God just create a world without the tree that invited evil into the world, why create the temptation?" My response: God did not create us as robots. He wanted us to freely love, not forcefully worship. The moment love is forced, it's not love anymore. In order for God to show us love and for us to show God love, we have to be able to choose whether or not to love him. Without the tree of knowledge, love could not and would not exist. And I am thankful for the gift of love.

I also appreciated MacArthur's examination of the curse God placed upon Eve, Adam and the serpent. While Adam and Eve's punishment may seem harsh, it truly displays God's grace and mercy. He could have easily destroyed them right there on the spot, or made it impossible to reproduce, or cursed them to wander the earth alone but He doesn't. Instead, out of His love for us, He provided a way for all of us to escape incessant doom and enjoy eternity with Jesus. Eve's offspring would one day destroy the destroyer. Her legacy will endure infinitely beyond her sin and her redeemed descendants will celebrate eternally the work of her lineage in the presence of our King! What great hope we have because of God's grace and our ancestor's dedication and diligence of sharing the Scriptures for generations.