The Purple Textile

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 4:13-21 ~~~ Psalm 118 ~~~ 

~~~ Mark 16:9-15 ~~~

'...a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
the Lord opened her heart to pay attention...'

Purple cloth...the color of royalty and kingship.
Purple is also the color of repentance.
Dyeing the cloth purple was a tedious task.
 It required much patience and time.
The only way to make colors back then was to extract the pigment
  from a plant or an animal source.
This purple dye came from tiny little crustaceans.
It took many of these creatures to get enough juice
 to dye just one yard of cloth.
If you did indeed sell purple you could expect to receive
whatever price you asked.
It was equivalent to the designer products of today.

Any piece of purple fabric would represent wealth.
This woman had a thriving textile business.
Paul and his buddies went outside the city to rest
when they encountered some women from the city.

Perhaps this woman, Lydia, was made fun of
 for selling such an expensive fabric.
Who was she hoping would come to buy from her?

Was she there to attract the wealthy men and travelers?
Did she have any idea who Paul was?
Did have have any idea that her encounter
 with Paul would change her life?

As soon as Lydia had received the Spirit into her open heart;
she also opened her home for hospitality.

"If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home."

The Holy Spirit will fill a listening heart
with the words of truth and life.
The Easter Blessing of the color purple...
a reminder of our Christ the King.

Let purple remind you of the power of the Holy Spirit.
Blessings from all sources...
even purple fabrics.
Peace