For some reason I was led to visit that little church. The service was dry, the people few, the building plain and it seemed that very little excitement was there. Even the music was stale. I had no desire to ever go back; but back we went! The doctrine of most of them was even different than mine in a Calvinistic sense. Why did we keep on returning? God had his reasons!
I raised my family there and made several lifelong good friends. What brought me back was the Bible! I needed that! For most of my life I had attended holiness denominations. I understood the pull of the Holy Spirit and that's good! However, I didn't know my Bible. This church made Jesus a real person and the Bible came alive! I learned how to study scripture and assimilate what I read with continuity.
After that, it seems that God's plans changed for me. The mission was filled. I learned the Bible! I discovered how to learn about Jesus. Knowledge of the Bible excited me and that's a reason I write commentary! To know God is to be free of ignorance. To know God is to see that he is not only faith, but history and science. To know God is to understand that he is real! Before that I merely appreciated the tug of the Holy Spirit, not realizing that it was the Ghost of Jesus who walked with me!
The Holy Spirit had led me on a long journey. He kept me from going where I wanted to go and led me where I needed to go! I had been to the Christian Church, the Methodist, the Missionary Baptist, the Nazarene, but at this Bible Church I was in Philippi, so to speak. Like Paul and Timothy, we went not where we wanted to go, but where the Holy Spirit directed us to be!
Paul and Timothy were set to go to Asia, but the Holy Spirit prevented it. Their destiny was to be the far reaches of "Asia" (Asia Minor) as far as Bithynia. It seems that the Holy Ghost had other plans. The church was to grow west before it was taken eastward. The Holy Ghost said "Go west young men; go west!" It wasn't that God didn't intend for Christianity to go east, but then was not the time, at least for them! God had his reasons and it wasn't to neglect the east, but the west was more ripe!
Bithynia, however, was not forgotten, though. It was to become a hotbed of Christianity! It was there that the Nicene Creed was issued which provided solid ground on which Christianity still stands! God wanted Paul and Timothy to go west and he had his reasons!
Not only does God have his reasons, but he had his methods! For me, there was a tug at my spirit pulling me to that little Bible Church. For Paul, it was more blatant than that!
Acts 16:9 "And a vision through the night appeared to Paul -- a certain man of Macedonia was standing, calling upon him, and saying, `Having passed through to Macedonia, help us;' --10 and when he saw the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go forth to Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord hath called us to preach good news to them..."It was the Holy Ghost using a vision to beacon Paul to Macedonia! They needed help and the hungry soul who had a burden for sinners called on Paul to come. Paul, in spite of his own plans, listened to the Holy Spirit. Why? God has his reasons and upon entering Macedonia, Paul found that the field was ready for harvest and the low fruit was ready for the picking!
Macedonia was fertile ground! That's where Paul and Timothy were called! Of course when they got there, miracles began to happen. When God works, the status quo is upset! Immediately upon their arrival things began to take shape, reasons became clear. It became obvious that Macedonia was the "Green Acres" wherein Paul and Timothy were to plow! (Tomorrow we'll look at the weeds and the crop.)
In our own lives we may often ask "Why me, Lord?" We must always remember "God has his reasons!" Paul desired to go to Asia, but it wasn't in the Lord's time. He went to Macedonia where God wanted him to be and what happened? He ended up in prison... for doing nothing wrong and in violation of Roman law. Who would have thought it? God has his reasons!
Right now you may be in the hospital. You may be despondent. Things may not be going "your way". Some of my readers are in countries where democracy isn't the government and may be oppressed by those in charge. All of you may ask "Why me, Lord?" Well, "God has his reasons!" It's up to us to obey him and do his will. There are plans for us. We just need to await direction!
Right now in my life, near the end, it's obvious, I'm not where God wants me to be. I still have joy, but it's not how it once was. I'm looking for that vision which Paul had. Who is that man in Macedonia who needs me? It seems that it's not someone here, but maybe elsewhere. I looked at those in foreign countries who read what I write, and there are many readers abroad. Right now, I feel the tug of this ministry. I like to have contact in person, but that's my Asia from which I'm pulled away.
As I listen to the Spirit, I have made three video commentaries. That seems to be the answer to my calling. It's not the personal contact where I want to go, but maybe it's my Macedonia, where Jesus wants me to be! How will I know? If people view my video commentary, that is the mission field where I should be. If not, then I await further instructions in God's time.
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