Acts 16:14-15
One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
Tag: God has and does open hearts to “hear!”
Paul and Silas and Timothy have made their way to Macedonia. God had directed them to be there. It was no accident they found themselves in the city of Philippi. In the City of Philippi there was a woman, Lydia, from Thyatira. Notice that as they preached, God opened Lydia’s heart to the message of the Gospel. NO one hears the Gospel until God, first, open their heart. God opened her heart to receive the words of Paul about Jesus and that lead to her salvation. Once God opened her heart, He then opened her month. She immediately wanted to meet the needs of Paul and his team. She invites him to her house. But, it might not have stopped there. We know that Paul has a great ministry there, in Philippi. Through Paul, Lydia and later, a jailer, Paul starts a church in the city. But, remember, Lydia was from Thyatira. Did she, perhaps, go back home and start a church with her loved ones in her own home town? We have no idea, but note what the Book of the Revelation of St. John reads:
Revelation 2:18
To the Church in Thyatira
“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
Did Thyatira get evangelized by Lydia? We can only imagine that she might have helped start the church in Philippi and then she went “home” and shared the Gospel in Thyatira. We are not sure, but what we do know is that before anyone hears the Gospel, God must open their hearts. When God opens the heart to receive the Gospel, He will then open the mouth to speak the Gospel and empower the life to live the Gospel.
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