Episode 84 :: Elizabeth Wyndham:: Stories of Faith Finding, Cultural Paradigms and Seeing Jesus of the Middle East
Today I am chatting with one of my good friends Elizabeth Wyndham, but to pretty much everyone else, she’s ELiz. So, as we are rounding out our 4 part Seeker series as we intentionally look at the questions and doubts people have about following God, I really wanted to spend time chatting with ELiz for a few different reasons. She has spent a lot of time as a student of the Middle East, and she lived there as a student in 2011. Eliz also is a woman of deep faith, and her love for the Lord and His Word is so beautiful to me, but she went through an experience of needing to make her faith her own and she spent a lot of time asking questions, listening and learning until as she says she found that :“Christianity was the only religion I couldn’t disprove” And she shares that process with us, and also how searching for Christ and how He intersected with the world when He was on Earth continues to inform her faith and how she interacts with others still today.
So through her knowledge of cultures and their paradigms, her immersive experiences, her heart for the Word of God, and the Gospel, I asked Eliz to come on the podcast and take me to school and ohhh boy did she. This conversation left me challenged and fanned my desire to encourage people to share their story, so that we can connect about what’s really going on in their life, and how the Lord can meet us in it.
This episode is a little longer than average, but I know for a fact that there is a word for someone in this episode today. Whether it's about learning things you didn’t know before in regards to the world Jesus walked around in, how things are for Christians in other countries, needing to know someone else has been on a tour of faith to make sure God is who He says He is, bringing the Word of God even more fully alive, or an encouragement to you to dive deeper into your own faith journey, there’s something for everyone in this conversation. I hope it meets you where you are. Your questions are welcome. Your doubts, your hurt, all of it is welcome because the Lord can take it because in Him and through Him is every answer.
Sponsor Info: Tony Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty
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References:
Egypt’s military dictator was kicked out
Geography of Northern Africa, the Middle East and South Africa
Turkey is the bridge between the Middle East and Europe
“Dhimmi/Dhimmis” 2nd class citizenship in Egypt //definition
“Shame is only shame if its known” (why women don’t share about sexual assault in the Middle East)
Early Christianity in ancient Rome, it was a known as the religion for women
Infanticide was common in ancient Rome, especially for girls
Muslim people who dream about Jesus
Our episode with Patrick Prill
Latasha Morrison and de-centering
The 3D Gospel by Jason Georges (contains the culture test)
Roland Mueller, Honor & Shame // The Messenger, The Message and the Community
Kenneth Bailey Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes
Michael Heiser - his books and his episode with me, also listen to his podcast
Mark Clark’s The Problem of Jesus: Answering a Skeptic's Challenges to the Scandal of Jesus, and also my conversation with him
Bridges small group study- how to connect and ask good questions with Musilm people
Nonie Darwish- Wholly Different: Why I Chose Biblical Values Over Islamic Values
Scripture References:
Exodus 14- The Exodus story from Egypt
Matthew 2- Jesus went there for a time when He was a baby
John 4- Samaritan Women
Luke 8- Unclean woman (issue of blood)
Leviticus 15:19- A menstruating woman would defile who she touched
Ephesians 3:14-20, Romans 8:15, Romans 9:25-26, Galatians 3:26-27, 1 John 3:1- Adopted into the Family of God (sons and daughters of God)
Luke 24- “His resurrection was announced to the people whose testimony only counted for half” (the women)
Luke 8:26-39- living among the tombs, Legion, filled with demons and Jesus
Mark 5:1-20- Legion couldn’t be bound
2 Timothy 2:11-13- more info and multiple Biblical references here: Jesus binds Satan with His death, He conquered Satan, He is King and we will rule with Him
Revelation 20- Demons will ultimately go to the eternal abyss
Ephesians 6:12- We are not at war with flesh and blood
Ephesians 2:6-7- Jesus is in Heavenly Places
Matthew 3:2,Matthew 4:17,Mark 1:15- The Kingdom of God is at hand
Romans 8:17- Co-heirs with Christ
Hebrews 4:12- The Word of God is alive and active
1 Corinthians 9:19-23- give up some to save many
1 Corinthians 6:12- Must not become a slave to anything
1 Peter 2:7-9- A rock of offense
Mark 2:13-17- Jesus eating with sinners
John 13:35- They will know Me by your love
1 Corinthians 13- If I speak without love, I’m a clanging gong
Exodus 16:4- Mana in the desert for each day in the portion needed
Matthew 6:5-15- Give us this day our daily bread
Acts 2- Tongue of fire from the Holy Spirit
Hebrews 12:2- Jesus went to the cross despising its shame and now is seated at the right hand of the Father
Connecting with Emily and Simply Stories Podcast
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*Intro and Outro music is from audionautix.com
All images were taken by Elizabeth during her time in the Middle East 2011-2012 with the exception of the episode graphic, which is a pro photo from a Canva photographer. Eliz elected to not use images of her face as Christians traveling in the Middle East even for educational reasons can be complicated. Thanks for spending time with us today!