"And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us." (Acts 16:13-15 NAS95S)
Observation: Throughout the scriptures we find worshipers of the true God. Men and women waiting for an invitation to follow the one who has been like a secret admirer to them. They have known they are loved by Him, and they know they love Him. But they don't know the full gospel. They haven't received the whole story. This was the case of Lydia, and the case of Cornelius, and the case of the Ethiopian Eunuch.
Jesus, while He was ministering upon the earth, informed us that this was the case for many many others. Unnamed ones who surround us every day. Jesus said it this way:
""I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd." (John 10:14-16 NAS95S)
There are those right now who are following the voice of our shepherd Jesus. And they are simply waiting to have an invitation to come into the fold. In Revelation we read the call for God's people to come out of Babylon. That means they are out their and not just in here. The Remnant is bigger than we thought. The people of God are more diverse than we thought.
Yesterday I was listening to a message from Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids by David Livermore entitled God Works in You. In his message he referenced the story of a young Iranian woman named Afrus.
When David met her she told of a time when she was in her final year of studies at the University of Teran. It was a dark time in her life. Her parents had migrated to Europe and her friends were leaving Islam for the secularism of the west. She, however, felt a passion to remain true to her Muslim convictions. At the same time she was experiencing a heavy depression and darkness.
So, she decided to increase her prayer time; in addition to her regular daily prayers, she added a prayer time just before going to bed at night. She began pleading with Allah. "Show me that the teachings of Islam are true. I don't want to abandon the faith like my friends. But I need something to give me hope!" Just praying gave her some perspective and hope and she began doing this night after night; pleading with Allah, "Reveal yourself to me. Show me something."
One night she was particullary overcome by the darkness of her despair and it felt so lonely that it was litterly like a wait was being pushed down on her chest; she could hardly breath and her heart rate was racing. And she began pleading, "Allah, show me that the teachings of the Koran are true... give me something to hang onto!"
Her room was pitch dark, it was the middle of the night, and all of the sudden her room turned bright as the noonday sun. As she looked up, she saw a Christ figure. And He says, "Come to me, all Ye who are weary and heavy laden. And I will give you rest." The room went pitch dark. She's was a little ticked. She'd been praying for Allah to come to her and for whatever reason, She believes the Christian God showed up. What was she supposed to do with this whole thing. Frustrated, she wrapped up her prayer mat, went to bed, and tried to sleep.
Next night, same thing. Afrus pulled out her mat and began to plead. "Allah, I don't know what's happening. Maybe I'm hallucenating. Show me. Reveal yourself." Again the room was pitch dark and then bright as the noonday sun. Then a figure like the son of man: "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
This time she began sobbing uncontrollably. So the next day she sought out some classmates that she knew were part of an underground Christian fellowship at the university of Teran and told them what happened... she started to connect with them, she stated to study the scriptures with them, and she began to encounter Jesus... She started joining them in working out her salvation along with them; knowing she had experienced some divine encounter with Christ...
That is an illustration of one who is not of this fold. Of a true worshiper of God being found by Him. Found even as she was praying to Allah. You see I believe there are Hindu's, Muslims, and Seeks who are praying to Jesus when they think they are praying to their gods. That what makes the difference in our prayers is not the titles we proclaim, but the Spirit that is leading us. That if we will be open to the leading of God's Spirit, that He will guide us into all truth. That He will take the things Christ has proclaimed and proclaim them to us.
I believe we have the incredible opportunity of joining with the Spirit of God and seeking out the Lydia's, Cornelius's and Afrus's of this world. And sometimes, meeting them after Christ has sought them out.
Dwight Nelson preached a powerful message on the working of God's Spirit amidst the pagan peoples of this world... Here is a link to that message along with the notes from His message:
Application: Yesterday I put on one of the little "May I pray for you?" buttons that Geri Morrison had given me. My wife and I had gone to Fort Collins to look at a couch she saw on Craig's list. Walking into the man's house I was conscience of the prayer button and wondered if he was going to ask us to pray. I even said to my wife as we were walking in, "where is your prayer button?"
She said, "I gave mine away yesterday and forgot to get another one."
Well, the man never said anything about the button. And I kind of forgot about it until now. But as I'm reading and reflecting this morning about how God reaches his people, I was struck with another experience that happened yesterday immediately after visiting the man's house.
As we were leaving, I told my wife, "why don't we go look at bunk beds at American Furniture." As we were there looking around, a sales lady joined us. After helping us look at a few bunk beds she gave us her name... Carolyn. She said to identify her if we made an online order so she got the commission. Just as I finished writing down her information... She pointed to the button on my shirt... with a look on her face of... What's that?
I said, "O we have a nurse..."
She looked confused. Then we explained the whole story of how the buttons got started. And I asked her, "Would you like this button?"
"Yes!" she said with excitement.
"Could I pray for you?"
"Yes, please pray for my husband Mike. He is battling cancer."
So right there, in American Furniture, our family had the opportunity to pray with a total stranger and send her on her way with a prayer button. What a powerful example of the truth that God has his people everywhere. People hungry for prayer. People hungry for hope. People waiting for a mission.
Prayer: Lord Jesus I lift up Carolyn and Mike to you today. Father I ask that You will bless their lives and fill them with Your Holy Spirit. Father open the way for him to get the help he needs. Father fill him with Your Holy Spirit. Fill Him with Your power and grace. Father I ask that You will provide for their family financially. I'm sure this is a very difficult time. Father, please surround them with Your love and grace and assure them that You will never leave them nor forsake them. Father they need You desperately.
Supply all of their needs according to Your riches in glory. Amen!
