Beloved, I am pleased to share with you today the above theme from Acts 16:1,9. Indeed, Paul found himself in Derbe and Lystra where churches had formed during his first visit. There we meet the young Timothy whose name means “honored by God”. He had been brought up in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures by a godly mother and grandmother (2 Tim 1:1-5; 2 Tim 3:14-17). Happy preparation for the service he will now perform with the apostle “as a child serves his father” (Phil 2:19-23). The churches were strengthening in faith, and increasing in number day by day. Having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from proclaiming the word in Asia, they crossed Phrygia and the land of Galatia. Arriving near Mysia, they were ready to enter Bithynia; but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to do so. They then crossed the Mysia, and descended to Troas.
Thus, after the region of Ephesus, the apostle and his companions were called by the Spirit to Macedonia, on the other side of the Aegean Sea. In the presence of closed doors, the obedient servant must be careful not to insist, and wait for directions from above.
Philippi is therefore the first city in Europe to hear the Gospel. And the first conversion mentioned is that of Lydia. The Lord had opened her heart to be attentive… Let’s ask Him to also open our own and to guard kept us from distraction every time the Word is presented to us:”From there we went to Philippi, which is the first city of a district of Macedonia, and a colony. We spent a few days in this city. On the Sabbath we went out of the door to a river, where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down, and spoke to the women who were gathered. One of them, named Lydia, a purple merchant from the city of Thyatira, was a God-fearing woman, and she listened. The Lord opened her heart, so that she would be attentive to what Paul was saying.”
“When she was baptized, with her family, she asked us: If you judge me faithful to the Lord, enter my house, and dwell there. And she pressed us by her instances. As we went to the place of prayer, a servant who had a Python spirit, and who, by guessing, was providing great profit to her masters, came before us, and began to follow paul and us. She cried out: These men are the servants of the Most High God, and they announce to you the way of salvation. She did this for several days. Tired Paul turned around, and said to the spirit: I command you, in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of her. And he went out on time. The masters of the servant, seeing the hope of their gain disappear, seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the public square before the magistrates. They presented them to the praetors, saying, ‘These men are disturbing our city.'”
But, the healing of the servant animated by a python spirit leads to torture and prison for the two servants of God. Strange welcome in Macedonia, because they had been called for help there (Acts 16:9). But Paul puts into practice what he would later recommend to the Christians of this city: “Rejoice always in the Lord” (Phil 4:4-7).
Because covered with wounds, he is able with Silas to sing in the prison. Certainly never before had these sinister walls echoed similar echoes. Indeed,”In the middle of the night, Paul and Silas prayed and sang the praises of God, and the prisoners heard them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; at the same time, all the doors opened, and the bonds of all the prisoners were broken. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and went to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had fled. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Don’t hurt yourself, we are all here.”
It was a great testimony, these hymns, to those who listened to them, and what had just happened in the prison. For the more difficult the circumstances, the more peace and joy the Lord gives us that will speak to those around us. And this is often why the Lord sends us trials, and He always delivers us from them when He finds us righteous. For, after that memorable night, the apostles are officially released and leave the city not without having further encouraged “the brethren”: But Paul said to the lictors: After beating us with rods publicly and without judgment, we who are Romans, they have thrown us into prison, and now they are taking us out secretly! That will not be the case.
Let them themselves come and set us free. The lictors reported these words to the praetors, who were frightened when they learned that they were Romans. They came to appease them, and they set them free, begging them to leave the city. When they were released from prison, they entered Lydia’s house and, after seeing and exhorting the brothers, they left.” Indeed, the more difficult our circumstances, the more our peace and joy will speak to those around us. And that is often why the Lord sends us trials.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
- Pious Women, Essential Qualities: A Spirit of Prayer
1 S 1:15 Anne answered: No, my lord, I am a woman who suffers in her heart, and I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink; but I poured out my soul before the Lord; East 4.6 Hathac went to Mordecai in the city square, in front of the king’s gate. Lk 1:25, 38, 46 This is the grace that the Lord gave me, when He cast his eyes on me to remove my opprobrium among men. 38 Mary said: I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word! And the angel left her. 46 And Mary said: My soul exalts the Lord; Lk 2:36 There was also a prophetess, Anne, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser. She was very advanced in age, and she had lived with her husband for seven years since her virginity. Lk 10:42 Only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her. Acts 16:14 One of them, named Lydia, the purple merchant, of the city of Thyatira, was a God-fearing woman, and she listened. The Lord opened her heart, so that she would be attentive to what Paul was saying.
- Spiritual reputation
Acts 16:2 The brothers of Lystra and Icon bore a good witness to him. Rom 1:8 I first give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ, about all of you, that your faith is renowned throughout the world. Rom 16:19 For you, your obedience is known to all, so I rejoice in you, and I desire that you be wise in concerned to good and pure in regard to evil. Hel 11:2 For possessing it, the elders obtained a favorable testimony. (Read He 11:4-39).
- The authority of the Church
Mt 16:19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven: what you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and what you untie on earth will be untied in heaven. Mt 18:18 I tell you in truth, everything you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and everything you untie on earth will be untied in heaven. John 20:23 Those to whom you forgive sins will be forgiven; and those to whom you will hold them, they will be held away from them. Acts 16:4 As they passed through the cities, they recommended that the brethren observe the decisions of the apostles and elders of Jerusalem. Heb 13:17 Obey your drivers and have deference for them, for they watch over your souls as if they should be accountable; so be it, that they may do so with joy, and not with groaning, which would be of no benefit to you.
- Triumph of the Missions
Ps 2:8 Ask me and I will give you the nations as inheritance, the ends of the earth for possession; Ps 22:28 All ends of the earth will think of the Lord and turn to Him; All the families of the nations will bow down before your face. Ps 68:32 Great ones come from Egypt; Ethiopia rushes in, its hands stretched out to God. Ps 96:3 Tell among the nations his glory, Among all peoples his wonders! Isa 2:2 It will come to the next days that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be founded on the top of the mountains, that it will rise over the hills, and that all nations will flock to it. Isa 11:9 There will be no harm or damage on all my holy mountain; For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, like the bottom of the sea by the waters that cover it. Isa 42:4 He will not be discouraged or relax, until He has established righteousness on earth, and the islands hope in His law. Dn 2:44-45 In the time of these kings, the God of heaven will raise up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and that will not pass under the dominion of another people; He will break and annihilate all these kingdoms, and He himself will endure eternally. This is indicated by the stone that you saw detached from the mountain without the help of any hand, and which broke iron, brass, clay, silver and gold. The great God has made known to the king what must happen after this. The dream is true, and its explanation is certain. Ml 1:11 For from the dawn of the sun until its setting, My name is great among the nations, And in every place incense is burned in honor of my name And pure offerings are presented; For great is my name among the nations, said the Lord of hosts. Mt 24:14 This good news of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world, to serve as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come. Mt 28:19 Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; Mk 16:15 Then He said to them, Go through everyone, and preach the good news to all creation. Lk 24:47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins would be preached in His name to all nations, beginning with Jerusalem. Acts 13:3 Then, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them, and let them go. Acts 16:9 During the night, Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared to him, and prayed to him: Go to Macedonia, help us! Acts 26:17-18 I have chosen you from the midst of this people and from the midst of the Gentiles, to whom I send you, that you may open their eyes, that they may pass from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive, through faith in me, the forgiveness of sins and inheritance with the sanctified. Rom 10:15 And how will there be preachers, if they are not sent? according to whether it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim peace, of those who announce good news! Rev 14:6 I saw another angel who flew through the middle of heaven, having an eternal gospel, to proclaim to the inhabitants of the earth, to every nation, to every tribe, to every language, and to every people.
- Examples of Divine Calling
Abraham : Gen 12:1 Jehovah said to Abram, “Go away from your land, from your homeland, and from your father’s house, into the land that I will show you.
Moses : Ex 10:3 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, and said to him, “Thus saith Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?” Let my people go, so that they may serve me.
-Gideon : Jg 6:14 The Lord turned to him, and said, Go with this strength that you have, and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; is it not I who send you?
-Elisha :1 Th 19:19 Elijah left from there, and he found Elisha, son of Schaphath, who was ploughing. There were twelve pairs of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah approached him, and he threw his coat on him.
-Isaiah : Isaiah 6:8 I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Who shall I send, and who shall walk for us? I replied: Here I am, send me.
Paul Acts 26:16 But stand up, and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you to establish you as a minister and witness to the things you have seen and to those for which I will appear to you.
From all of the above, we note that Philippi is the first city in Europe to hear the Gospel. And the first conversion mentioned is that of Lydia. The Lord had opened her heart to be attentive… Let us ask Him to also open ours and to guard kept us from distractions whenever the Word is presented to us. For the masters of the servant possessed of a python spirit, seeing the hope of their gain disappear, seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the public square before the magistrates. They presented them to the praetors, saying: These men disturb our city. “But the Holy Spirit remains at work because God adds his own by delivering the prisoners. Trembling, the prison guard exclaimed, “What do I need to do to be saved?” The wonderfully simple answer is addressed to every anguished soul: “Believein the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved. And they announced to him the word of the Lord, as well as to all who were in his house. Then joy fills this house of the jailer. Our prayers support you all in your efforts to be so saved with your family.
PRAYER FOR ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Ghost. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may be shining in my life right now.
Thank you Lord Jesus for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby watering point to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and for centuries of centuries. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow on “the gospel is coming to Thessaloniki and Athens.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.