Paul Emotion - Ran, Ran, Ran....For "Vision" Fulfillment - Immediately !!!!

[kathiresan jeyapandian]

Acts 16:10 - And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Acts 16:11 - Therefore setting sail from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;

Acts 21:1 And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:

Paul ran for his vision fullfillment..

Initially, Paul had had a different plan.  He had wanted to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus had prevented him in a vision one night.  It had been clear to him thatit was very urgent for him to go to Macedonia

The seed of the Word fell into Lydia's heart as if onto prepared ground,and resulted in a new birth. She found the link that had been missing in her experience – personal faith in Jesus Christ.  Lydia had become a Christian.

For Paul, there was no longer any question as to why he had been directed to Macedonia.  People were being born again.  They were the first Christians in Europe.  A new continent was opening for the Gospel – through Lydia

The first thing she submitted was her home.  She urged Paul and his companions to stay there.  Their acceptance proved they took her faith seriously.  In this way she also identified herself with the Gospel to the non-believers.  She was not ashamed of Christ.  She was not ashamed even when Paul and Silas, bruised and wounded returned from prison, where they had been taken illegally.  Everyone in the city knew that the distinguished Lydia considered it a privilege to lodge these men.

Some years later when Paul wrote the Philippian church from his Roman prison, he mentioned the women who worked hard with himto help spread the Gospel.  He was probably thinking of Lydia and others he met in her home

 

"A" --> "Certain Woman" --> "Lydia" --> "Whose Heart the Lord Opened"

 

Acts 16:13-15 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

 14And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

 15And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

 

Before the world began the Lord God had appointed a time and a place for this woman's salvation. Now the time of mercy had come. The place grace had chosen was a riverside just outside the city of Philippi. Exactly at the time appointed, "the time of love" (Ezek. 16:8), God brought Paul, his messenger of grace, to that little clearing by the riverside to preach the gospel to Lydia, "whose heart the Lord opened."

 

He who is the heart's Maker is the heart's Master. Christ alone holds the key to man's heart, knows how to put the key in, and opens the heart's door to let himself in! The Lord opened Lydia's heart to hear, understand, and believe the message of grace in the gospel.

 

Her faith in Christ was manifest by two things (v. 15).

 

1) She obeyed Christ, confessing him in believer's baptism; 

2) She fell in love with those who served her soul (Isa. 52:7). Grace made her generous.

 

Grace set the time - A Certain Sabbath Day. Grace determined the place - A Riverside at Philippi. But how would Paul, the messenger of grace, and Lydia, the object of grace, be brought together at Philippi?

 

Paul was brought to Philippi by a very remarkable work of divine providence. His intentions were in another direction altogether, but God's intention was to bring him to Philippi. The strife with Barnabas caused him to go in one direction and Barnabas in another (15:36-41).

 

Paul wanted to go to Asia. Lydia lived there, in Thyatira; but she was not at home at the time. So the Holy Spirit forbade Paul from going there. Then Paul tried to go to Bithynia, but, again, the Spirit of God would not allow it (vv. 6-7).

 

At last, he was called over into Macedonia, and the first city in his path was Philippi (vv. 9-10). He must needs go through Philippi, because there were chosen sinners there for whom the time of grace had come.

 

At exactly the same time, divine providence brought Lydia to Philippi. She had come on business, because God almighty was doing business for her! Ever trust and admire God's wise, adorable providence. Often we murmur because we look at our circumstances. May God teach us to look instead to his purpose and to trust it (John 17:2; Rom. 8:28).