Come over to Macedonia and help us!

“That night Paul had a vision. He saw a man from Macedonia pleading with him; 

Come over to Macedonia and help us”. Acts 16:9-15

          While meditating on this text almost 2 years ago now I've noticed something that I haven't notice before. Paul in his vision saw a man but when he went down to Philippi he met women who according to the Bible were gathered at the place of prayer. I'm sure Paul was surprised :) While I was laughing about what Paul might have been thinking I felt that God was highlighting 2 things:

          First: I believe that God wants to restore the worth and value of the women in Macedonia and He wants to restore the place of women in every sphere of society in Macedonia. I believe that God wants to give and release new revelation in the hearts of the women, new revelations about their value, about their worth, about their place and position not just in their homes as wife’s and mothers but also their role in the church and the ministry before God and the ministry to the people. New revelation and understanding that they are so much more than what their society says they are, more than what their culture says they are, more than what men says they are, much more than what even the church says they are. New revelation about how much they are loved and desired by God and how much He wants to use them in His plan and purposes for this nation.

          I love what Mike Bickle says: "As the prayer movement grows so will the worth and the value of the women grow because you can not grow in prayer without growing in honor and respect towards the women." 

          The place of worship and prayer is one of the areas where women have always been and will be used. I believe that God wants to use the women and their ability to easily connect with Him in a very personal and intimate way in bringing first things to first place.

          Second: The men in Macedonia are like the men everywhere else. Our way of thinking and connecting with God is more along the lines: What can I do? Don’t give me that romance, intimacy thing, give me something to do and I’ll do it. Give me a pulpit to preach and teach and I'll do it... We get our value from what we ourselves can do, what we ourselves can achieve for God.

I believe that God wants to bring new revelation about what it means to have real relationship with God, revelation about intimacy with God rather than work for God. I believe that God wants to use the women in Macedonia to cause jealousy, hunger and desire in men’s heart for more of Him. So that when we the men see how intimate, passionate relationship the women have with God that we will say: WOW!!! What she has I want to have also. The way she connects with God is a way how I would love to connect with God. 

Women don’t give up being passionate for God, we the men need you....

Women don't give up pursuing hard after God, we the men need you...

Women keep your heart pure, keep your eyes on Jesus, 

let the fire of God burn in your heart for we the men need you... 

Men don’t get caught up with work for God but rather seek intimacy with God 

and allow your ministry to flow out of that place of intimacy and encounters with Jesus. 

Men don't measure your worth by how much you do for God but let your worth come out of that place of intimacy and revelation who you really are in Him. 

"Relationship with God that is based on intimacy will always produce fruitful lovers 

who are happy in their labors for Him."

          The story in Acts ends with Lydia begging Paul to stay. With other words she was saying: Paul, if you find us worthy enough you would stay...well, Paul didn’t had much choice but to stay :)

And that is the question to us as a church and believers in Macedonia; Who is Worthy? Do we find Jesus worthy enough, worthy enough to stay in His presence, to gaze upon His beauty and to love Him and allow Him to pour out His love upon us, allow Him to speak tenderly to our hearts...

          I want to encourage you to make time to stand before God and minister to His heart. Make your heart alter by setting it on fire every day by spending time with God until we see His kingdom come and His will be done. I call this living a lifestyle of Passion & Compassion.

          Passion for God and his presence, passion for His beauty and majesty, passion for His glory and revelation, passion for His voice, His word, His touch, for His eyes, just that one look... But it shouldn’t stop there..it never stops there because out of that place of intimacy and encountering God we should get a revelation of Father’s compassionate heart for the people around us and go and do what He have called us to do!