A Modern-day Priscilla

Modern-day PriscillaWe often look at women portrayed in the Bible and Christian women who have impacted history through their stories of formidable faith and think they are in a league of their own. But that’s not necessarily true. While we should look at Mary, Esther, Ruth or Mary Magdalene’s record, study the accounts of all their good works and learn how they sought a real relationship with God, how they responded to his call and stood for their beliefs, remember this: God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He assigns missionaries all over the world including our own backyards.

As we consider the above names, we can think of countless other women of faith who have made history, and wonder: what did they have in common? For one thing, they chose the cup the Lord gave them and then let him fill it up. A woman of faith loves God and his people, studies His word and is available.

 

A woman of faith

Take Priscilla, for example. Her love for the Lord was a conduit of life for others. As soon as she mastered something, she passed it on. But what is so interesting about Priscilla is that she and her husband Aquila were mentioned seven times in the New Testament, never one without the other. They were an extraordinary husband-wife ministry team; much like Dot and Jim Goldie, modern-day missionaries affiliated with Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, located in our own backyard.

Like Priscilla in her time, Dot is a woman of faith. Both women were called by God to leave their homes to go spread the good news of Christ to the world. While Priscilla and Aquila traveled from Rome to Corinth, becoming two of the Apostle Paul’s must trusted missionaries, in that he found in them two saintly souls after his own heart, Dot’s journey began in her hometown of Glasgow, Scotland, where she met and married Jim, and together they followed God’s call to serve as a team. They didn’t know where the call would come from, but trusted that God knew the answer to that.

That answer came soon enough. Mr. Fegan’s Home, a children’s home in England needed house parents. That’s all they needed to hear. In her book, The Encourager, Dot explains, “We had no training in anything other than Jim being a carpenter and I, being a mom, but we were parents.”

The assignment was not an easy one as they were to take charge of Little Dumpton, a house in need of a big change. However Dot had faith in the call. “The stories of how difficult the children were or the ‘work’ of cleaning toilets, etc., just filled us with enthusiasm and a desire of becoming house parents,” she said. “We were overwhelmed. Could this actually be happening to us? Is God calling us to serve him?”

Both Christian couples, Priscilla and Aquila; Dot and Jim, became one in their zeal for the Savior and in their service for His church.

 

A desire to serve

James said, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:19-20).

Some consider the churches of Corinth and Ephesus to be Paul’s most successful churches. Undoubtedly, both Priscilla and Aquila deserve some of the credit because of their good works. Their home became a meeting place for other Christians to soak up Scripture, and Priscilla loved to play hostess.

“Hospitality always opens doors for conversation about Jesus,” said Dot, who has impacted many people in her community by simply opening up her home for an “afternoon tea”—both in Broward County and in other parts of the world including Scotland, England, Colombia, Peru, Austria, Africa and Hungary, where she and Jim spent a long season at the Bible College. Dot taught the missionaries’ children and miracles happened in that little classroom of hers while Jim worked as a carpenter doing various things around the campus.

“We told the Lord many years ago that we would go anywhere, anytime, at any cost, and He took us up on that!” said Dot. “We have left all our family and friends to go in His name to wherever He sent us. He told us to give everything away and He would supply all our needs.” (Phil 4:19)

 

Finding others

In Acts 18:2, it explains how Paul found Aquila and his wife Priscilla. Paul was always finding people because he was forever seeking. As women of faith, we need to ask this question: how many [women] have we found for the Lord?

“I have spoken at women’s meetings around the world—in Hungary, Peru and Colombia, as well as in Scotland and England. I have counseled many women who have been searching for love in all the wrong places and led them to the only one who can meet their most intimate needs,” said Dot. “Wherever I go, I try to find an open door that leads me to others so that I may share the love of Christ with them. Jesus is my passion, and like him, I have no desire to see anyone perish.”

 

Maritza Cosano is a freelance writer and author. She also operates www.writers-circle.com, a site for aspiring authors. Contact Maritza at [email protected].

 

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