After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us. Acts 16:15 NABRE
Christ’s disciple Paul spreads the message throughout many areas, travelling to a new town, entering the synagogue, looking for a means to share about Christ. Often those in the synagogue will reject Paul’s message, but women outside the synagogue area interact with Paul and become convinced of Paul’s message, which culminates in an experience leading to baptism. The passage speaks about a woman named Lydia who is in business and the Lord opens her heart to hear the message Paul is sharing. She and her family are baptized and she is moved to invite Paul and his retinue to stay with her in her home. Paul and those who travel on behalf of Christ depend on the kindness and hospitality of those who become followers of Christ. It is an important aspect to the growth of the movement of Christ. It is a model dependent on the Holy Spirit moving in people to allow the message to travel from person to person and community to community. It is a method that ensures God is involved in turning hearts into transformed believers who become leaders in the movement. We see this example with Lydia who becomes an important leader in the movement of Christ in the city of Philippi.
The church is not created by large development projects but through the movement of the Holy Spirit changing hearts. Paul who travels often, finds people who are touched by God becoming leaders of a new community. These leaders through an experience lead another to Christ who will invite others. It is a movement from heart to heart.
Have you had an experience of Christ? Do you invite others to meet Christ?
Paul who travels often, finds people who are touched by God becoming leaders of a new community. These leaders through an experience lead another to Christ who will invite others. It is a movement from heart to heart. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #experience invite #Acts #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #cross #last #gospels #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion #everythingalways