If you would like to join me, I've enclosed the timeline below that list each event written about in each of the gospels so that you can follow the story line as it happened throughout Jesus' final week on earth. I pray you'll take the next week to read it as if you were there experiencing it all firsthand. 

Holy week's Timeline 

Friday March 26^th-Mary Magdalene-Luke 8:2

So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.  John 8:36

Mary Magdalene was set free from seven demons.  She never looked back.  She became a faithful follower of Jesus Christ.  We find her with the women praying, at the cross and the first to find Jesus’ body no longer in the tomb.  Once Mary was healed and saved, she practiced her faith in following Jesus and ministering to Him and His disciples.  Mary’s gratitude and love manifested itself in devotion to Christ. 

Lord, the day that You set me free from seven demons I was truly set free.  I was born again!  My desires changed into wanting to serve You only.  I never looked back but kept my eyes focused on You.  On the day of Your death I was so unbearably sad.  My heart ached for You, my Lord.  But that glorious morning when I went to the tomb and You were not there was shocking to me.  Where could You have gone?  And then You met me and assured me that You are alive.  YOU ARE ALIVE!  What a glorious resurrection day!  Because You are alive we can live victorious lives through You.  You conquered death to set us free from our sin.  We can trust in the fact that if You set us free we are truly free.  No turning back! Amen

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?  If not won’t you cry out to Him and ask Him to forgive you a sinner and choose to walk with Him all the days of your life.  He only is our salvation from sin and death.  You can have eternal life in Him.  It’s as simple as ABC.

Take some time this coming week to spend it in His word.  Walk the way of the cross to resurrection day!

Matthew 26-28

EVERY WEEK WE MEET FOR PRAYER AND WE WOULD LOVE TO PRAY FOR YOU.  LEAVE YOUR REQUESTS HERE AND WE WILL BRING THEM BEFORE THE FATHER.  OR, EVEN BETTER, COME JOIN US! Here's the Link

Lyn

Jesus knew that he would die as the sacrificial lamb for the sins of the world. But he also knew that God would resurrect Him from the dead. He began to tell his followers of what would come to pass. 

“From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” Matthew‬ ‭16:21‬ ‭

It became common knowledge that Jesus had foretold his death and resurrection which is why a gaurd and stone were placed at the tomb. I love that it would be the female followers of Jesus who would become the great first witnesses of this supernatural event. They had such love and devotion to Jesus that they got up before dawn to carry spices to the tomb. I wonder if they pondered these prophetical words and promises. But, even if they did, it was obvious they struggled to fully hope for they were certainly taken by surprise to find an empty tomb and to fully grasp that their beloved Savior yet lived. And yet, once they understood, they were eager to obey and they took action to share the news. 

We too, as women of faith, have had a personal encounter with the risen Savior. We have been included in this redemptive promise of God:

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans‬ ‭10:9‬ ‭

 And this promise also personally disclosed to a devoted female follower. “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” John‬ ‭11:25-27‬ ‭

The women who went to the tomb that day knew Jesus in an intimate way and were grieved to be separated from Him and overjoyed to see Him again. The closer our relationship with Jesus, the more that becomes our experience as well. We should grow to treasure our connection to Him and long to be with Him in heaven. We should rejoice in the comfort of His promises to prepare us a heavenly home and return for us someday.

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."”‭‭John‬ ‭6:38-40‬ ‭

“"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14:18-19‬ ‭

These promises are worth celebrating! What an honor that Jesus included women in sharing the most important news ever proclaimed: Our Beloved Savior Lives! Just like the women at the tomb that day, we can play a vital role in being witnesses of the resurrection power of Christ. 

“For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:13-15‬ ‭

The women at the tomb that day had beautiful feet and the news they shared would impact souls around the globe and extend into the future to impact you and I. May we also have beautiful feet that share with others the abundant, life giving promises of God.

 If you ever have the privilege to travel to the Holy Land you may notice a plaque outside the church of St Lazarus in Bethany. It contains this reflection of Mary of Bethany from Luke 10:42, 

 Tuesday, March 23, 2021

These women lived centuries ago, yet their stories are still relatable to us, the women of today. For as the mothers and daughters of old, they too felt the same sadness and joy, hopes and dreams, and trials and tribulations. Sometimes their stories only consisted of a sentence or two in the Bible, yet their lives will forever be held up as pillars of inspiration to women everywhere. For in a society where women had far less value than a man, they showed God’s equal and unconditional love for us all. He knows our value, and calls each of us for mighty purposes and plans. And when God called, these business women, teachers, missionaries, and evangelists, answered. 

Before we go, I want to give an honorable mention to a young servant girl named Rhoda. She has always had a soft spot in my heart. When God released Peter from jail, he returned to the house of Mary, mother of John Mark. And when he knocked at the gate, Rhoda was the one who answered. I love how in her excitement she left Peter standing right where he was. I want to be like Rhoda, excited and full of faith. I want to pray expectantly to our Heavenly Father, and be filled with joy when those prayers are answered. A great reminder to us all that when we are bound by chains and all gates are shut, the gate to God through prayer is always open and through Him, all things are possible.

I hope you enjoyed our study as much as I, and I look forward to when we start up again with studying the women of the Old Testament. Until then may God bless us richly, and I pray we take the examples of these amazing women and apply their hard learned lessons in our own lives! And as we enter this most Holy of weeks, may we remember the love Jesus had not only for these women, but for the world as He sacrificed everything to give us eternal life. To Him alone goes the glory! 

Hi Girls!

We've reached the end of our study on the New Testament women, and I hope you've enjoyed digging into their lives as much as we have. This week we'll be revisiting a few who were with Jesus during His final week on earth. Although this week will be a bit different from the previous weeks in that each of us has been given the liberty to write on one or more of the women who have left a lasting impression on us as we've dug into their lives and backgrounds. 

You see, it was very much a man's world back then, but they were still there. The writers of the gospels wrote Jesus' story through a man's perspective, yet if we look closely enough we may be able to catch a  glimpse of what these women saw, felt and experienced during the last week leading up to, and including Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. 

Each of these women knew Him in a different way, yet each loved Him as their Savior and Lord. It's our goal to capture their passion during this precious and sacred time. 

We've enclosed a timeline below that list each event written about in each of the gospels so that you can follow the story line as it happened throughout Jesus' final week on earth. We pray you'll take the next week (or two) to read it as if you were there experiencing it all firsthand and I hope you'll come share some of your findings and experiences with us on Women in the Word

Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

Friday March 19^th-Lois, Eunice-II Tim.1:1-5, Acts 16:1

A Godly heritage

It all started with a grandmother who had come to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior, who then taught it to her daughter and her grandson. 

Lord, I am so thankful for You in my life.  As I have surrendered my life to You, I have come to trust in You.  As I rely on You my faith has increased over the years.  I am so thankful for my mom Lois who has been an example to me and to Timothy.  She has helped me in raising Timothy to be the godly man that he is today.  Lord, it is only through You that we have our salvation.  It is only through You that we can stand firm in our faith.  We rejoice in You seeing Timothy firm in his faith.  He has not wavered since he was young.  Thank You for Your protection on him as he travels and encounters various trials.  Thank You for sending Paul to further counsel and come along side him to encourage him to continue in his faith and stand firm without wavering.  You are the vine and we are your branches as we remain in You and You in us, we will bear much fruit.  For apart from You we can do nothing.  Amen

I was not raised with a Godly heritage but when I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I knew instantly that I was now part of His family.  I have had a lot of great mentors in my life to help me along the way.  How about you?  Do you have mentors who have helped you along the way?  If so let them know today how important they have been in your life to encourage you in your walk with Him. 

EVERY WEEK WE MEET FOR PRAYER AND WE WOULD LOVE TO PRAY FOR YOU.  LEAVE YOUR REQUESTS HERE AND WE WILL BRING THEM BEFORE THE FATHER.  OR, EVEN BETTER, COME JOIN US! Here's the Link

Lyn

When God blesses us with children and grandchildren, he also gives to us a sacred responsibility. He entrusts us, as the adults, to be an example to the young and He expects that we will provide for their well-being: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He loves every child born on this Earth and He longs for our children to learn of Him and know of His love and goodness from a young age. That is why He gave clear instructions to His people long, long ago.

I believe that Lois and Eunice were vital links in a long chain of generations that took this responsibility seriously and reaped its promises.  Their faith was described by Paul as “ a sincere faith”. That means it wasn’t just their words that instructed and influenced young Timothy but their lived out daily actions. I’m sure these Scriptures were familiar to them:

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”  Proverbs‬ ‭22:6‬ ‭

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”  Deuteronomy‬ ‭6:5-7‬ ‭

“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭44:3‬ ‭

I was fortunate to be raised from a young age to know Scripture and to be taught about God’s love. My grandmother, in particular, was a strong influence in my life because she exemplified a steadfast faith. I was blessed that prior generations imprinted the Scriptures on my heart and so this instruction and promise has become important in encouraging me to continue persevering in my faith and sharing my faith with future generations.

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3:14-17‬ ‭

As a parent, I have tried to impress upon my children the importance of being a child of God. I have enjoyed every milestone my children have reached through the years. Just like most parents, we have celebrated the important milestones. But, I can honestly say, that in my heart, I celebrated the most when they proclaimed their personal trust in Christ as their Savior. Now, I have peace that wherever they go and whatever comes their way, God is their security and guide. 

But what if you didn’t get the opportunity to train up your children in Christ? Or what if they have decided to go their own way? Well, that is when you have to pray and be responsive to God to have influence now as He guides. You can still be an influence in their lives and an example of Christ’s love. 

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Colossians‬ ‭2:6-7‬ ‭

I pray for my children faithfully. I know that this life will bring many snares and trials their way and I want God to guide their every step. And I pray for their future children. I also pray for others in my extended family and their children who don’t know Christ. God can redeem any situation, any life. Prayers for others salvation is in keeping with His will:

“who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1Timothy‬ ‭2:4‬ ‭

Just as Lois and Eunice were sincere women of faith, I hope that you will also be faithful to influence future generations through prayer, example, and trust. 

I've been so excited to write about these two women, for they elevate the role of a mother and a grandmother in the lives of their children. Lois and Eunice were the grandmother and mother of Timothy, who became Paul’s protégé and is the Timothy that Paul is writing to in 1st and 2nd Timothy.

These amazing women only get a very brief mention in the Bible, but they have much to teach us on the subject of “legacy”. 

Eunice and Lois are great examples of godly mothers who have taught their children the ways of God. The lessons we learn from them are not just meant for mothers however, but for all Christians who aim to follow God’s will in their lives. So let's get started. 

First (and probably the most obvious lesson): We should honor the role of motherhood. 

From the very beginning God has entrusted parents with the role of teaching His commandments to their children. Notice. "My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don't neglect your mother's instruction." Proverbs 1:8. 

Beloved,  according to God's Word there is no one better to instill into our children what the word of God says as they grow up. We should be intentionally teaching them God’s word, for a solid foundation from home will help them later on not to fall for the philosophies of the world.

And more importantly, we need to instill our family values into our children by living them out before them. Which brings me to the next point.

• Second: More is caught than is taught.
• 
  

• Finally, I'd like to speak to the women who's husbands may not leave a godly example for their children to follow. Lois and Eunice prove to us that there is still hope for believers married to unbelievers. 

  In Acts 16:1-2, we read the background of Timothy, “Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.”

  Timothy father was a Greek, a gentile. We don’t really have much information about Timothy’s father, but some feel he was not a believer. Therefore, I believe God added this to give believers who have married unbelievers HOPE. 

• Eunice's life proves that it is possible to raise godly children in spite of our marital situation. Which is one reason I'm so thankful The Lord saw fit to include both Eunice and her mother Lois into His Word. Aren't you?

• Blessings,

• sue