“Lord, Open OurHeartsToRespondToTheMessage!”

“Lord, Open Our Hearts To Respond To The Message!”(Acts16:6-16).
The great African theologian and fine scholar of blessed memory, John S. Mbiti wrote that the missionaries did not bring God to Africa, God brought them to Africa. God was already in Africa; the missionaries helped Africans to name Christ.
In fact, the Mungaka expression, “Nyikob fo'” better translated, “God exist,” is not necessarily a new God. He is the God of the ancestors, “Nyikob ba Ba bo.”
Primal religion is always a preparatory ground for the gospel. At the encounter with the gospel the people seem to say, “This is what we have been waiting for.”
The journey of Paul and his company is a typical example of God sending the missionaries to Macedonia, instead of the other way round.
The Spirit of Jesus prevented them from entering some towns, and in a vision Paul saw a man begging him to come over to Macedonia and help them. Paul concluded by that vision that God had called them to go preach the gospel to the Macedonians.
They sailed on to Philippi, a Roman colony and a leading city of that district of Macedonia.
On the Sabbath they went to the river front with the expectation of finding a place of prayer. They saw some women there and began to speak to them. Among those women was Lydia. She “was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message…” and she and her household were baptized.
Lydia is an example of how when God sends out preachers, he also prepares the heart of those who respond to the gospel.
The good news is open to all humanity. The LORD declares, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why would you die?…”(Ez.32:10-16).
When a woman who had lived a sinful life heard Jesus preach, she repented. The Pharisees saw her as a sinner and expected Jesus to remonstrate against her action, but Jesus saw in her a repented sinner and because of her act of penance, Jesus told her, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace”(Lk.7:36-50).
My friend, may the Lord open your heart to respond to your preacher today in the same way that he did to Lydia. And may your response lead you on to a demonstration of hospitality as Lydia did.
Sunday prayer: Lord Jesus Christ open our hearts to respond to the gospel and to practice hospitality thereafter. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.