A Godly Wife... Who Can FInd?

Somedays my hands feel very full. Somedays I get to the end of the day and feel weary but don't have anything really material to show for it. I haven't come home with financial reward for my toil. The washing baskets are filling up when I just emptied them. Toys cover the floor even though I've picked them up more than once during the day. With two little ones, I am in the trenches of hands on motherhood. During my day, I find it easy to be filled with dissatisfaction that I can't see anything amazing achieved. I can spiral down into a negative and frustrated mood, with too much self-focus and not enough time spent looking up to Jesus. Amongst a few of these days lately, I have been reading the short biography of Sarah Edwards written by Noel Piper in her book "Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God" (2005, Crossway).

I'm not sure if you know much about Jonathan Edwards- he is perhaps the greatest theologian and philosopher America has known and lived around 250 years ago. His life, and that of his wife Sarah, prove the saying true: behind any great man is a great woman (and behind any great woman is a great God).

Sarah Edwards was mother to 11 children. Her husband Jonathan, was often given to times of deep contemplation that meant he wasn't present at every meal and would spend the majority of his day in his office writing sermons, meeting with parishioners and studying the Bible. Sarah meanwhile, spent her day either doing or delegating the tasks of running a home in the 1700s and her tasks on her 'to-do' list may have included: "breaking ice to haul water, bringing in firewood and tending the fire, cooking and packing lunches for visiting travelers, making the family's clothing (from sheep-shearing through spinning and weaving to sewing), growing and preserving produce, making brooms, doing laundry, tending babies and nursing illnesses, making candles, feeding poultry, overseeing butchering, teaching the boys whatever they didn't learn at school, and seeing that the girls learned homemaking creativity. And that was only a fraction of Sarah's responsibilities" (Piper, 2005, p. 23). Suddenly my hands feel a little less full....

Did Sarah sit around complaining or whinging at her ever-present list of tasks or her husband's quiet retreat to his study? No. Sarah was the kind of wife who empowered her husband to be all that he could be as he followed God's leading in his life. As she went about her daily tasks, she allowed her husband the time to grow in his knowledge and understanding of God and His Word and write down his reflections that still influence us today. Jonathan was an attentive husband and father. Their affection for God, each other and their children was often documented (even journaled about by visitors such as Samuel Hopkins and George Whitefield).

In 1900, Winship conducted a study that found the legacy that Jonathan and Sarah Edwards left included: "13 college presidents, 65 professors, 100 lawyers and a dean of a law school, 30 judges, 66 physicians and a dean of a medical school, and 80 holders of public office (including 3 US senators, mayors of 3 large cities, governors of 3 states, a vice president of the US, a controller of the US Treasury)" (in Piper, 2005, p.22).  And this was only up until the year 1900!

In spite of this list though, and the sheer task of raising eleven children (AMAZING!), what really stood out to me about the biographies of Sarah's life, was that she threw herself into her life with a deep peace that came from a personal, vibrant and living pursuit of relationship with God. Her life was not without hardship,  but in it, she actively sought God in the middle of them. "Stresses over finances, distress at having upset her husband, jealousy over another's ministry- all those things were real in Sarah's life. And God used those things to reveal himself to Sarah, to show her how much she needed him, to uncover her own weakness" (Piper, 2005, p.30).

As I've read about Sarah Edwards' life, I have been impacted by the work of the Holy Spirit in her life and available in our lives. As we are empowered by the grace of God that covers our sin and are equipped by the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit, rooted in His Word, our life too can be beautiful (Praise God!). As we go through what seems to be the mundane mothering tasks, we can recognise that we are undertaking our greatest evangelical role- that of raising children in the love and admonition of God. We also can remember we have the ability to empower our husbands through being their help-meet, or crippling them through our nagging brought on by too much bellybutton gazing. And we can experience the joy that is based on our relationship with God, rather than our circumstances.

May you be blessed as you go about your day and whatever situation you are in.

*As a side note, Desiring God do this amazingly generous thing by providing their books free for online download
"Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God" (Noel Piper, Crossway): http://cdn.desiringgod.org/pdf/books_bfw/books_bfw.pdf

Blog Post on other free resources by Desiring God: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/24-free-ebooks-for-you

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The Fullness of Time

As I sit here tonight, looking at the twinkling lights on our Christmas tree, I think of the wonder and fascination of all things Christmas that I had growing up, and let's be honest, still have today. For the first time I shared the excitement of decorating our tree with my 3 year old, as she is now old enough to help and to know that putting the decorations on the tree means Christmas is coming. But as I truly reflect on what Christmas means, and that first Christmas over 2000 years ago, I imagine what it would have been like to peep through the stable cladding. In my mind, I see a young teenager cradling a fresh baby in her arms, a new husband by her side. As she breathes in deeply, relief fills her that labour is finished with and the scent of animals greet her. As she looks at the precious bundle, I am sure in her heart she would be marvelling at the wonder of God who gave his Son as a precious gift to the world. 

In Galatians 4:4-7, we are told: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."

Since the beginning of time, God had planned for His Son to come forth from this teenage mother and then for centuries had been waiting for the "fullness of time" to arrive. As Justo L. Gonzalez says, "The early Christians did not believe that the time and place of the birth of Jesus has been left to chance.  On the contrary, they saw the hand of God preparing the advent of Jesus in all events prior to the birth, and in all the historical circumstances around it." (The Story of Christianity Vol. 1, 2010, p. 13).

Gonzalez (2010) then goes on to point out that this 'fullness of time' also applied to the spread of Jesus' message- the Gospel. The birth of Jesus would eventually lead to the birth of the Church, and so the conditions needed to be just right for Jesus' message of Salvation to spread and flourish. As we look at history, even just a brief glance, we can see God's clever design in orchestrating all events surrounding the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus and the birth and growth of his church.

Below, I will summarise a few of the points of history that Gonzalez (2010) writes about, that can add to our wonder of just what this 'fullness of time' meant to Christianity. Hold on to your hats as we take a quick whirlwind tour of some of history....

• Alexander the Great (4th Century BCE) brought unity to the Eastern Mediterranean basin that allowed for Greek culture or Hellenism to spread. From this point, there was a tension between the polytheism (worship of many gods) of the Greeks and Jewish monotheism (worship of one God). 
• When the Romans conquered this area, they saw the struggle of religion between the Jews and Greeks and after protests and uprisings, Rome intervened and gave the descendants of the Maccabees family (Jewish family who led the rebellions) some authority, setting them up as governors with titles, one of which was 'high priest' (Herod had some family ties with the Maccabees family). 
• The governing Jews, in order to honour the particular Roman emperor of the day, went about trying to encourage the Jews to immigrate with the Gentiles. As the Jews suffered under often harsh measures to encourage assimilation, the group of Pharisees emerged. The Pharisees emphasised a faithfulness to Jewish Law, studying it, debating it and applying it to Jewish everyday life. The Pharisees were 'of the people' and developed the synagogue where Jewish tradition and Law could be studied outside of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Sadducees (another group we read about in the Bible) were mostly Jewish aristocracy who were focused on the Temple and had more conservative religious and political leanings.
• By the birth of Jesus, there were Jews living throughout the Roman Empire. This meant that most Jews spoke Greek, the common language of people in the Mediterranean at this time. These Jews living outside of Jerusalem, translated the Scriptures into Greek and so it was accessible and ready to be used by the early Christians as they spread the Gospel and spoke of how Jesus was the Messiah of the Old Testament they had been waiting for. 
• The Roman Empire had also brought about a relative measure of political unity, and so travel was fairly safe. In the early church, the New Testament points to the major threat for missionaries, such as Paul, being bad weather. If Jesus had come a couple of decades earlier, pirates would have been a severe threat to travel. Due to ease of travel, trade was also flourishing, meaning much of the Gospel was spread by traders and slaves moving throughout the Empire. 

As we see, God in his Sovereignty, allowed the Apostles and early Christians to travel with relative ease, visit Jews already living and planted in almost every major city of the time, meet at synagogues that had been set up around the Empire, communicate with anyone in a common language and discuss and debate Greek translations of the Old Testament. A case of good luck? More like Divine Planning! 

When looking at our respective Christmas trees this year, let us go further than imagining the beautiful baby Jesus in his mama's arms. Let us wonder at his message and the Salvation he brings. Let us also delight in the careful orchestration of events that under God's sovereign planning, allowed the Gospel message of Salvation to spread throughout the world and end up taking root in our hearts and minds. 

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An Aged Martyr

“86 years have I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?”

Polycarp’s Martyrdom (ca. 69-ca. 155)
I like to people watch when I get the chance- watching an expression cross a person's face, viewing a film that poignantly speaks of this thing we call 'life', sinking my teeth into a book with strong characters. All these opportunities give me time to pause and consider the millions of people living across this earth and the different lives they live. These days, I am usually found watching my two little children and marvelling at God's handiwork in their lives. I also wonder about who they will grow to be.  My almost 3 year old daughter is becoming more aware of the concept of 'time' in life. Her birthday is rapidly approaching and her mind is taking in what a birthday actually is and what it means to get a year older. The other day after running into an elderly friend, my little lady looked at my and stated most emphatically, "I don't think G- is a baby". I concurred with a smile: It had been 70 or so years since our dear family friend had been a baby! Age is such an interesting thing for a small child to understand. This made me think- how do I want to look back on these years I am to live? I hope that if I reach 70+ years on this earth, I may be lots wiser, more patient and more in love with our Precious Saviour Jesus!Polycarp, is one of the earliest martyrs we have documented eye-witness accounts of outside the New Testament. At 86 years of age, I would also make a guess that he is perhaps one of the oldest. He is thought of to be the last surviving Christian who learnt directly from the Apostle John and was a leader of the Church in Smyrna. In the account below, we read of his courageous martyr:

"In the popular mind, the early church was above all else a noble army of martyrs. In many ways it was, and none was more noble than Polycarp, the aged bishop of Smyrna in western Asia Minor.The authorities brought the highly respected pastor into the crowded arena, prepared to shove him to the lions- but only reluctantly. They much preferred a denial of the charge against him. He was a Christian."Simply swear by Caesar," the governor pled."I am a Christian," said Polycarp. "If you want to know what that is, set a day and listen.""Persuade the people," answered the governor. Polycarp said, "I would explain to you, but not to them""Then I'll throw you to the beasts.""Bring on your beasts," said Polycarp."If you scorn the beasts, I'll have you burned.""You try to frighten me with the fire that burns for an hour, and you forget the fire of hell that never goes out."The governor called to the people, "Polycarp says he is a Christian." Then the mob let loose. "This is the teacher of Asia," they shouted, "the father of the Christians, the destroyer of our gods."So Polycarp, praying that his death would be an acceptable sacrifice, was burned at the stake.The scene is real. It did happen."- Excerpt from B. L. Shelley¹

In another account, when Polycarp was told if he recanted he would have his life spared, he replied, "For eighty-six years I have served him, and he has done me no evil. How could I curse my king, who saved me?"². As he was tied to the stake, we read "... he looked up and prayed out loud: "Lord Sovereign God ... I thank you that you have deemed me worthy of this moment, so that, jointly with your martyrs, I may have a share in the cup of Christ... For this... I bless and glorify you. Amen."³ 
As I imagine myself a silent "people watcher" of this man Polycarp, I am amazed at the strength his faith and God gave him. I imagine the lines of laughter etched around his mouth, the wisdom of age showing in his hair, the slight stoop signalling a long-lived life. Yet this man is not telling a story to a grandchild sitting on his knee, he is standing in front of an angry mob, who are calling for his excruciating death. Polycarp considers the opinion of his Saviour King higher than that of the people in front of him. With assurance of his salvation (1 John 5:11-13), he considers it an honour to be martyred alongside Christ. Not only does he not waver in his faith, he so greatly comprehends God's richness of grace (Ephesians 2:1-7) that Polycarp asks for an opportunity to share his faith with the governor. 
How quick I am to miss an opportunity to share my love for Jesus with a friend, fearing their response! How often I think more highly of other people's opinions over that of my Saviour! I so easily lose sight of the temporal nature of this world, getting caught up in the day to day and forget that eternity is just around the corner. In these moments, may I remember Paul's example, "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." Ephesians 3:8-11.

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1 B. L. Shelley, Church History in Plain Language, 1995, p.37, Word Publishing^↩
2 J.L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity Vol.1, 2010, p.54, HarperOne:NY^↩
3 J.L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity Vol.1, 2010, p.54, HarperOne:NY^↩

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Peter's Pursuit of God

The Apostle Peter has been on my mind lately. As I have thought through Biblical characters who pursued God, Peter is one who comes frequently to mind. Perhaps I relate to his impulsive nature (see for example John 13:6-9 or John 18:10-11), his misled desire to be acknowledged and esteemed for what he has done (see Matthew 19:27-28) or the fear Peter shows at standing up in a hostile crowd for Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75), even though Jesus predicted this would be Peter's reaction (Matthew 26:30-35).

But I think the thing I love most about the account of Peter's pursuit of God in the New Testament, is that it is a journey of sanctification. Peter doesn't stay as this somewhat unruly fisherman. The Holy Spirit enters Peter at Pentecost and Peter immediately begins to preach with power and conviction, bearing witness to the Truth in Jesus' fulfilment of Scripture (Acts 2:14-41). Peter then goes on to become one of the leaders of the church of Jerusalem. This is supported by historians, "Of the apostles, Peter and John seem to have been foremost, for Acts gives several indications of this, and they are two of the "pillars" to whom Paul refers in Galatians 2:9." (Justo. L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity Vol. 1, 2010, p.28)

In the corporate prayer time we have as a church, prayers yesterday were filled with us fervently pleading for strength, endurance and  deliverance for our brothers and sisters who are currently under sever persecution in Iraq and Syria. There is also the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa and cases of it appearing around the world. In these distressing times, we can take comfort in Peter's pursuit of God and see the Holy Spirit's sanctification of him. 

In 1 Peter 1:6-9, we read "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." As I read this, I earnestly desire to love Jesus, though I do not see him and to believe in him and rejoice with an inexpressible joy. 

Peter went on to impact the church greatly. He learnt from his denial of Jesus and followed Jesus to the cross. Historically, it is affirmed that "...Peter was in Rome, that he suffered martyrdom in that city during Nero's persecution. On these points, several writers of the first and second centuries seem to agree. We are also told that he was crucified- according to one version, upside-down- and this seems to be implied by the otherwise obscure words in John 21:18-19" (Justo. L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity Vol. 1, 2010, p.36).

As the time in which we live grows in public persecution for Christians, may we not waver in our faith. With eternity in the forefront of our minds, an inexpressible love for Jesus in our hearts, and a growing knowledge of the Word of God encouraging and equipping us, "let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."(Hebrews 12:1b-2). 

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Christianity: an ever-growing history

Christianity has a history. Nancy Guthrie, in her book Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament (2010, Tyndale) highlights the fact this history started before the beginning of time. That before Genesis 1:1 happened, God planned for His Son Jesus to show us grace (2 Timothy 1:9). Since then, a lot has happened. We've had Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Daniel, The Prophets, JESUS, Peter, Luke, Paul, Timothy, Augustine, Luther, Spurgeon and we could go on. Yet how much do we really know of this history and should we know more?

If I was honest I could confidently say that after growing up in a Christian home and attending a Christian school for the majority of my school years,  I have known about most of the characters from the Bible for a number of years. I could also say I know the names of Luther, Spurgeon, Wesley and Calvin mainly because they were the names of my school sporting teams. Unfortunately though, while I have a sound level of Biblical literacy, my knowledge of Christian history post-Bible is fairly limited.  Prior to my husband studying a unit on Christian history, I wouldn't be able to say who Spurgeon or Wesley were or what they contributed to the universal Church as we know it today.

As a former teacher, I realise the importance of teaching students history of the world so that students can learn from the past and not repeat the same mistakes. Yet I am amazed that so often we approach Christianity with the attitude that we should know the Bible and little else. Absolutely, the Bible is the living, inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16) and the most vital piece of literature a Christian should know and understand. But I also believe that in order to learn from the entirety of Christian history, we must have an understanding of what has occurred chronologically between the epistles of John and the world we find ourselves in today.

Justo L. Gonzalez writes, "Without understanding the past, we are unable to understand ourselves, for in a sense the past still lives in us and influences who we are and how we understand the Christian message." (The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, 2010, HarperOne, p.3). We do not live in a vacuum and our Christian life and interpretation of the Bible is heavily influenced by those around us- our pastors, parents, spouses, Church denomination and Christian traditions. "When we stand, sit, or kneel in church; when we sing a hymn, recite a creed (or refuse to recite one); when we build a church or preach a sermon, a past of which we may not be aware is one of the factors influencing our actions" (Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, 2010, HarperOne, p.3). Therefore, one could argue that understanding our entire Christian history, or at least having some understanding of what took place after the completion of the Bible would better equip us to intentionally live out our faith.

In Hebrews 12:1-3, the writer urges us to be inspired by those heroes of the faith (particularly those mentioned in the preceding chapter) who have gone before us and "run with perseverance" (Hebrews 12:1). This would appear to indicate that we can use the knowledge of Christians who have gone before us, with our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), to motivate us in our Christian walk. John Piper believes this "witnessing" is that these Christians are telling us they have finished the race of the Christian life and are showing us it can be done (see Piper's post here).

Just as Luke's book of Acts does not seem to reach a definite conclusion (ending with Paul preaching in Rome, Acts 28:30-31), so too can we come to see that the Christian history will not end "before the end of all history" (Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, 2010, HarperOne, p.2; italics mine). Let us then be spurred on to learn more about Jesus and His body the Church. Whether it is good or bad, let us get better equipped! In this, may we see the Holy Spirit encourage us, admonish us and grow us as we see how fellow Christians, sinful as they may be, have fought for the God whom we serve and the Word of God that we treasure.

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