Perpetua & Phoebe

     Today I read about Perpetua and Phoebe.  Both were leaders in their own right and used their riches for the furthering of the Lord's kingdom.  Here are their stories.

Perpetua (Martyed in A.D. 203):
Fight the good fight for the true faith.  Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well befor many witnesses.  --I Timothy 6:12

Most of us don't fear our lives when we declare our faith in Christ.  But the freedom of religion we enjoy today in western nations is not the historical norm.  In the early years of Christianity, many believers gave their lives rather than publicly deny their faith.  In A.D. 202, the Roman emperor Septimus Severus outlawed conversions to Christianity.  This brought suffering to new converts throughout the empire.  In the North African city of Carthage, a young noblewoman named Perpetua and several other converts were imprisoned for their faith and condemned to execution in the arena at Carthage.
     Perpetua, the mother of a baby boy, was arrested along with four other converts.  Another young woman, Felicitas (perhaps a slave), gave birth prematurely while in prison.  They were joined in prison by their teacher, Saturus, who baptized them.  All of them died together in the ampitheater.  A document known as the Passion of Perpetua recounts the converts' prison experiences, especially the visions of Perpetua and Saturus.  The fact that this document was written about the time of the events it records endorses its value as a historical record.
     For centuries these martyrs inspired believers in the North African church.  Their commitment to Christ should remind us all of its value.  When our faith cost us little, it is easy to take it lightly.  It is easy for us to forget the price God paid when he sent his Son to suffer a painful death as a sacrifice for our sins.  It is easy to forget the value of an eternity of peace with our Creator.  It is also easy for us to forget that many still suffer daily for their faith in Christ.  We should thank God for our salvation and the freedom we have to celebrate it.
For more on facing difficult trials, read Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 3:8-11; I Timothy 6:11-16; 2 Timothy 3:10-17
For more about fellow Christians suffering for their faith today, check out www.opendoorusa.org to learn more on how you can help.


Phoebe:
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. -Romans 16:1
Phoebe was known as a "deacon," or servant and helper.  Apparently she was a wealthy person and helped support Paul in his ministry.  The word deacon describes the work of service she did in the church, but it was also probably an official title of leadership.  Phoebe was highly regarded in the church and probably delivered this letter from Corinth to Rome.  She lived in Cenchrea, the eastern port for the city of Corinth.
      Phoebe's identity as a deacon shows that women played important roles in the early church.  The role of deacon was to help the needy in the congregation, a position that required the trustworthy handling of funds.  It was her job to help define the needs and then provide the necessary help.  Certainly these servant leaders embodied the example of Christ, who taught his disciples that the greatest among them were those who served the most.
     As we serve one another, we become more like Jesus.  As a wealthy person, Phoebe would likely have been brought up to have an attitude of entitlement.  But in Christ, she had discovered the true joy of serving others.  And it was with her title of "servant" that Paul commended her to the church in Rome.  In the community of the church, this was high praise.
-When we submit our resources to God, we can be an important part of what he is doing in the church.

Hope all have a BLESSED day and know that God loves you and so do I :)