1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:04,080 In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,760 Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:11,680 mercies which sent you to us, O Christ, the Light of the world 4 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,440 and the life of all. Give us wisdom by your law and 5 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:17,440 enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge. 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,520 Sanctify our souls by Your truth, and grant that we may be 7 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:25,000 obedient to your words and may fulfil Your commandments at 8 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,280 every hour. O you who? 9 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,760 Enlightens the rational with the knowledge of Your greatness. 10 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:35,360 Do enlight, O my Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate 11 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,440 upon Your holy and divine Scriptures at all times, O Lord 12 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:41,680 of all, Father and Son and Holy Spirit. 13 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:43,320 Forever. Amen. 14 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,800 Books of the Acts of the Holy Apostles of our Lord and our 15 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:12,240 Savior Jesus Christ, chapter 16, verses 6 to 10, I believe. 16 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:17,800 Yeah, we read that Paul had a vision of a man, and a vision is 17 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,520 different to a dream vision. You're not asleep, you're not in 18 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,760 deep sleep. That's a dream. 19 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,120 But Paul sees a vision of a man who pleads with him to go to 20 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:32,840 Macedonia and to help them. Obviously we we ascertained that 21 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,280 Paul was being guided by God through the vision. 22 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,920 It was God. It wasn't a out of the body 23 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:45,320 experience or a phenomena. No, no, no, it was a vision that 24 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:49,480 God had worked through. In the book of Job chapter 33 25 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:55,320 verses 14 to 16, we read because God speaks with one and does not 26 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:59,400 do more with two and by the lips he is not understood, 27 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:05,240 unspeakable, unfathomable, we say unspeakable more by the lips 28 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,919 he is not understood. So in the Divine Liturgy of the 29 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,520 Holy Qurbana, when you hear the word, especially in the English 30 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:18,600 liturgy, unspeakable meaning, lips cannot give you the 31 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:24,440 description, the understanding, the the, the quality of the Lord 32 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:26,680 God. They cannot explain God with 33 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:31,360 lips unless God through your mind, your conscience, your 34 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,480 wisdom, works through the Scriptures, the church, and 35 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,840 reveals Himself as He has, plays me to His name. 36 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:41,440 So because God speaks with one and does not do more with two 37 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:45,280 and by the lips, he is not understood in a dream and in a 38 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:50,240 vision of the night when sleep falls on man in slumber on the 39 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:55,680 couch, then he opens the ears of a man and in their revolt he 40 00:02:55,680 --> 00:03:01,800 will humble them. So therefore God speaks to to 41 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,840 Saint Paul in a vision through a man and Paul is humbled and Paul 42 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,880 is obedient and does exactly what the vision has commanded 43 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:11,800 him to do. And then in verse 10, we read 44 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:16,120 that we understood this is Luke. Now when he says we from this 45 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:20,320 point onwards, when we read we Saint Paul didn't write the Acts 46 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,080 of the Apostles. Barnabas didn't write the Acts 47 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:25,440 of the Apostles. Saint Timothy didn't write the 48 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,800 Acts of the Apostles, who wrote the Acts of the Apostles, which 49 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,640 is an extension to the Gospel of Luke. 50 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,640 Yes, yes. So it says we, Luke is saying we 51 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:39,880 understood that our Lord was calling us to evangelize them, 52 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:41,720 knowing that it was for a vision. 53 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:44,320 Then they understood. And I read to you an 54 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:46,840 interpretation, a commentary of one of the fathers. 55 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,280 I think it was origin. Listen, he writes. 56 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,520 Listen shepherds of the churches, listen God's 57 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:57,360 shepherds, his angels always come down from the heaven and 58 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:01,360 proclaim to you today a Savior is born for you, who is Christ 59 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,600 the Lord. Luke chapter 2, verse 11. 60 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:08,680 For unless that shepherd comes, the shepherd of the churches 61 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:13,480 will be unable to guard the flock well, not unable 62 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:15,920 completely, but they won't be able to do well. 63 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:21,040 So if there is a shepherd of the flock, the priests, the prelates 64 00:04:21,519 --> 00:04:26,840 know that without cross, without Christ the Good Shepherd, we 65 00:04:26,840 --> 00:04:31,240 can't guard the flock well. The flock will be in danger. 66 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:36,240 When I guard and lead my own understanding, wisdom and 67 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:38,320 knowledge. No, no, but through God, praise 68 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:43,120 be to his name. Their custody is unweak unless 69 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:46,600 Christ pastures and guards it along with them. 70 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:49,440 We're reading the apostle, he writes. 71 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:54,360 We are coworkers with God. One Corinthians 39. 72 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,880 A Good Shepherd who imitates the Good Shepherd. 73 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:02,760 A Good Shepherd who imitates the definite article The Good 74 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:07,280 Shepherd Jesus Christ, praise be to his name, is a Co worker with 75 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:11,400 God in Christ. He is a Good Shepherd who has 76 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,800 the best shepherd with him, pastoring his sheep along with 77 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,920 him. For God establishes in east or 78 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,520 established in his church apostles, prophets, evangelists, 79 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,960 shepherds and teachers. He established everything for 80 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,080 the perfection of the Saints which are the faithful of the 81 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:31,440 church. Ephesians 411151 Corinthians 82 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:36,000 12/28 And he concludes by saying, let this suffice for a 83 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:41,560 simple explanation of what verse 10 was saying, that we knew that 84 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:47,360 God is calling it without God, without the calling of God, no 85 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:51,360 man takes anything of his own will and understanding and 86 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,680 knowledge and power and wealth and fame. 87 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,400 No, no, no, unless it be given to him from heaven. 88 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:01,280 Saint John the Apostle, sorry, Saint John the Baptist said to 89 00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:04,880 his apostles, when they or his disciples, when they said, you 90 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,440 know that guy that you were speaking to, you know you were 91 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:11,480 talking to us about He's baptizing more people and he put 92 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:17,400 them in their place. Let's continue verses 11 to 15. 93 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:23,840 Therefore, sailing from Traus or Traus, we ran a straight course 94 00:06:23,840 --> 00:06:30,680 to Semothrace and the next day came to Nepalis and from there 95 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:35,720 to Philippi, which is, which is the foremost city of that part 96 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:39,440 of Macedonia, a colony we're not going to go deep into. 97 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,840 You can look at the, the, the, the maps that are in the Bibles 98 00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:46,400 and, and make yourself aware and, you know, educate yourself 99 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,280 on the actual journeys or the missions. 100 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:53,880 And we were staying in that city for some days and no. 101 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,440 And on the Sabbath day, obviously see on the Sabbath 102 00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,520 day, what happens, prayer has to happen. 103 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:03,040 So on the Sabbath, on the new covenant Sabbath, which is the 104 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:07,720 Sunday, the 1st day of the week, you need to be in church, not on 105 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:11,440 by the, by the lake casting your, your fishing line or 106 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:15,600 trying out your boat. No, not going shooting and 107 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:20,240 taking your rifles and shooting, no, unless you have to. 108 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,400 You shouldn't be at work if you don't need to. 109 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,240 You don't need to work. Come to the House of the Lord. 110 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:27,200 That's the message of the scriptures. 111 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:31,480 So this Sunday, I'll leave it up to your conscience. 112 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:34,680 What are you going to choose the House of the Lord or your free 113 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:37,160 time and socializing? I'll leave it up to your 114 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:40,080 conscience. And on the Sabbath day, we went 115 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:49,640 out of the city to the Riverside where prayer was customary made, 116 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,360 and we sat down and spoke to the women. 117 00:07:53,440 --> 00:08:00,120 Whoa, who met there? The women met there to pray, not 118 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:08,840 to read coffee cups and enjoy their social media scrolling and 119 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:10,800 go out for a coffee at Starbucks. 120 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:15,320 No, no, no, they were praying. So my these sisters come 121 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:17,120 together in prayer every now and then. 122 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,400 That's amazing. It'll do a lot of good for the 123 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:23,120 world, trusting God in the power of prayer. 124 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:27,880 Now, a certain woman named Lydia heard us. 125 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:32,520 She was a seller of purple, that is material from the city of 126 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:42,200 Thyatira, who worshipped God. The Lord opened her heart to 127 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:48,640 heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household 128 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:53,280 were baptized, that means her husband, her mother, her father, 129 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,400 her father-in-law, her mother-in-law, her children, her 130 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:00,640 infants and her, her, her, her maidens, and all those who were 131 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:04,760 household were baptized. She begged us, saying, If you 132 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:09,360 have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, not to you to the 133 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:14,160 Lord, come to my house and stay. So she persuaded us. 134 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:20,480 Wow. We see that the the progress of 135 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:22,960 the preaching of the word is so rapid. 136 00:09:23,560 --> 00:09:29,600 So in verse 15, chapter 15, verse 39, that dispute between 137 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:36,400 Barnabas and and Baraba and and Saint Paul when they split 138 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,800 because of John Mark, St. Paul didn't want to take John 139 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,360 Mark with them. But you know, there was that 140 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,400 argument. So we know that that was a 141 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:49,560 divine plane, a plan. Now it was divinely inspired. 142 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:52,680 So now we learn from this, bringing it home and applying 143 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:57,760 it, that God works through our division at times. 144 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:02,960 God can work through our, our full foleys. 145 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:07,200 God can work through our difficulties and problems we 146 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:09,400 have. We just have to be patient. 147 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:15,200 God can work through the evil of a person who does, who, who has, 148 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:18,400 who has denied him. God can still work through that 149 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,480 person. And we see in the history of 150 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:25,080 Christianity that that happens. This is God's amazing, 151 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:31,040 unfathomable, unspeakable power and plan and work and will 152 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,080 praise His name. If it wasn't for the whole work 153 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:37,080 of the Holy Spirit, beloved Macedonia would not have 154 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,680 accepted the word. They departed and this Saint 155 00:10:40,680 --> 00:10:44,280 Paul started heading towards or he was told you need to go to 156 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:48,960 Macedonia and Macedonia now has accepted the word. 157 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:53,160 So what I'm trying to say is never ever claim that you are 158 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:58,760 doing you did you touched, you opened, you preached. 159 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:04,240 No, no, no, It's God working through you through foolishness, 160 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:09,400 through your through your, you know, weakness. 161 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:14,720 God can be glorified. That's why Jesus said every time 162 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:19,080 people say anything to you, you say I am but an unworthy 163 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,240 servant. The rusty tool in the shed that 164 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:28,680 God has used for his glory. And God can and will when he 165 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:33,000 when it pleases him, when it appeases him, when it's the time 166 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:37,640 for him to use these things. We don't know when, how. 167 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:41,840 No, we don't. But we know that yes, when God 168 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:46,040 chooses to, He will, and He can, and nothing can stop him. 169 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:53,720 No wars, no legislations, no evil evil, no satanic acts of 170 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:59,840 the world can stop the work of God when He is ready to move and 171 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:04,000 to work. No, beloved, don't be, don't be 172 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:08,360 mesmerized and don't feel helpless because of of what's 173 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:12,000 happening in the world, the evil that is happening in the world, 174 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:16,960 the satanic deeds that we hear that are happening in the world, 175 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:21,800 that will not deter the holiness of God and the power of God. 176 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:26,400 God can use that. God can through the evil and the 177 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:34,680 satanic work of man produce children from Remember 9/11 911 178 00:12:34,680 --> 00:12:38,760 the churches were packed. The churches became packed. 179 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:44,400 Now it started subsiding. I know you know, every time 180 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:47,640 there's a, a major catastrophe in the world, the churches are 181 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:52,520 packed, but I believe that from those 10,000 people that start 182 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:57,960 attending church, 3000 stay God touches their heart for a, 183 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:01,520 through a message, through a preaching, through a a worship 184 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:05,360 hymn for the the words of the liturgy, the Holy Divine Liturgy 185 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:08,680 of the Eucharist, through the Eucharist itself, through the 186 00:13:08,680 --> 00:13:12,480 prayers of the holy Saints, through the worship of the 187 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:14,560 brothers and sisters who have gathered together. 188 00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:18,880 God can touch and God can work, beloved. 189 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:22,920 And this is happening now, early in the beginning of the church. 190 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,360 So such a rapid progress of the Word is a sign that what 191 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:33,520 happened 15/9 was more than just a human fallout and 192 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:37,480 misunderstanding and disagreement about what we need 193 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:39,120 to do, especially in the church. Beloved. 194 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,160 Yeah, there are divisions in the church. 195 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,640 Yes, there are always fallouts in the church. 196 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:47,560 But remain silent, be still and know that God is in control. 197 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:51,960 He could be using that to glorify, to increase people to 198 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,640 come and to be, to worship him, and to be saved. 199 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:56,960 God is not in need of the service of man. 200 00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:59,000 Remember that. I've repeated it so many times 201 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,640 in these past verse episodes. God is not in need of the 202 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:09,000 service of the man, though man is in need to serve God, to be 203 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:14,160 drawn near to God, to be cleansed by God, to be received 204 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:19,040 by God, to be saved by God, to be protected by God, and to be 205 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:22,080 shepherd by the Lord Jesus Christ our Lord God, praise be 206 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:26,840 to His name. In verse 13, there are women 207 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:31,360 gathered by the Riverside praying House of prayer, it says 208 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:34,600 which is never praying. They could have been praying to 209 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:40,040 the Lord who is the truth. How do we worship you who are 210 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:43,880 you You know those who haven't accepted Jesus Christ and 211 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:48,080 they're confused if there are if there are listeners and I 212 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:53,240 encourage you to to promote these episodes not not for views 213 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,360 and and and you know promotional purposes. 214 00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:00,640 No, no, no, no custody, God forbid no. 215 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:04,480 Promote them to touch people's hearts, to bring people to 216 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:08,080 salvation. Bringing people to God means 217 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,800 they are saved, not that God is more glorified and magnified. 218 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:15,320 No, those who are not in the Christian faith to listen to 219 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,720 these words. If you're seeking the true God 220 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:23,320 with all your heart and mind and soul, pray to the Lord Jesus 221 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:28,280 Christ and He will reveal to you the true God because He is He 222 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:30,840 manifested it to us. Praise be to His name. 223 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:34,720 You don't need to you don't need to have known about him or or 224 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:39,160 understand and have been you know, you know, have that wisdom 225 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:41,840 where you know exactly. No, no, no, just just the name 226 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:45,360 of Jesus Christ that demons shudder. 227 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:49,920 Lord Jesus, don't don't don't call him Lord yet. 228 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:55,520 No Jesus, I hear about you. I want to know the truth and 229 00:15:56,760 --> 00:16:00,440 when time comes, he will reveal himself to you. 230 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:05,520 They sat with the women and now these women were praying again. 231 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:11,800 Our sisters who are listening, you gather for coffee, you go 232 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:16,520 out for coffee, you go out for drinks, you go to do your 233 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:20,120 manicure and pedicure and pedicure and pedicure, whatever. 234 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:21,600 It is great. God bless you. 235 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:24,920 Why don't you come together in prayer every now and then? 236 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:31,320 Why not pick up the phone and say, Hey, dude, hey, homie, what 237 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:33,680 are you doing? Come over, what are we doing? 238 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:36,640 We're going to pray. Why don't you go to the churches 239 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:39,320 Mother Day church at at interlock. 240 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:42,280 The side door, not the door that's in front of the side door 241 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:45,560 is always open, always open. It's unlocked. 242 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:49,640 Call a few sisters. Likewise with brothers, but 243 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:51,200 we're talking about the the women here. 244 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:53,440 Call a few sisters and say, what are you doing? 245 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:56,200 Let's just go to the House of the Lord and pray. 246 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,000 I was glad when they said to me, we are going to the House of the 247 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:04,280 Lord, says the psalmist. Pray and then you'll hear and 248 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:08,079 then your heart will be opened. And don't think that because 249 00:17:08,079 --> 00:17:11,359 you're a woman you're not permitted to come to the church 250 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:12,720 or the House of God. No, no, no. 251 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:14,560 Don't. Don't ever think of that. 252 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,720 If anyone tells you, if Nana tells you, you say Nana, God 253 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:18,680 bless you. Pray for me. 254 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:21,160 I'm going to the House of the Lord to pray. 255 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:25,800 They sat with the women, the apostles sat with the woman. 256 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:29,760 Wasn't there any man, there weren't there any men in that 257 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,840 city, but they saw that they were praying. 258 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:37,400 That's what drew them. Prayer draws the Lord God to us. 259 00:17:38,360 --> 00:17:43,200 Prayer. Prayer draws, prayer draws God's 260 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,920 attention. Prayer draws the Holy Spirit to 261 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,600 US. Prayer draws the Saints of our 262 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:54,120 Lord to us, beloved. Along with their prayers, they 263 00:17:54,120 --> 00:17:56,640 sat with the women to speak to them. 264 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,240 Why? Well, Paul explains it very 265 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,000 nicely in Galatians chapter 3 verse 22. 266 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:07,520 For all those faiths that are out there who believe that, you 267 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:12,000 know, I was hearing a a Muslim cleric who said God created this 268 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:20,000 animal, God created this animal and that animal was a woman. 269 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:27,600 Well, let me tell you my my beloved Muslim friend, you're 270 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:31,760 not an animal. My was Muslim female friend, 271 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:34,640 you're not an animal. You're God's creation. 272 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:38,680 You've been created in the image and the likeness of God. 273 00:18:39,120 --> 00:18:42,360 Don't listen to what your book tells you, what your prophet 274 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:43,960 tells you. You're not an animal. 275 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:47,680 No, you're not. If you've been forced to believe 276 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,520 that, rebuke Satan in Jesus name. 277 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:55,520 Look at what Paul writes in Galatians 328. 278 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:01,720 There is neither Jew nor Aramean, neither servant nor 279 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:05,800 free person, neither male nor female doesn't mean there's no 280 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:06,680 gender. Yes there is. 281 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:09,280 There are two genders, male and female, and Jesus spoke about 282 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:10,960 that. God create them in the 283 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,280 beginning. God created them, male and 284 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:17,280 female praise between his name. But I'll tell you what, what? 285 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,520 What Saint Paul's talking about. Neither male nor female. 286 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:26,920 For all of you are one in Jesus the Messiah, in salvation, in 287 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:32,560 the salvific plan of God, only through his Son, our Lord Jesus 288 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,000 Christ. There is no partiality. 289 00:19:35,360 --> 00:19:38,840 No partiality. God would not say to you, my 290 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:42,320 beloved Muslim, a friend, female friend. 291 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:44,600 God will not say to you away from me. 292 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:48,160 You're owning an animal. No, no, no, God will say to you, 293 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:53,280 yes, my son died for you. Just believe in him, just like 294 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:55,600 Lydia did. And that's why they go and 295 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:59,840 preach and talk to the women. And in verse 14, we see that 296 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:08,920 Lydia, who was a Jewish businesswoman, Wow, how long ago 297 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:12,920 was it? Or or how long ago were women 298 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:15,600 permitted to drive cars in Saudi Arabia? 299 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:20,480 Five years ago, 10 years ago, so before that, women cannot, could 300 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:22,560 not do this. Women could not be in business. 301 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,120 No. Well, maybe Saudi Arabia has 302 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:31,920 subliminally under the table, received the word of God and 303 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:34,840 allows women to have businesses. There's nothing wrong with a 304 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,440 woman who has a business, but so long as they continue to worship 305 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:41,520 God. Not for glamour, not for 306 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:47,480 glamour, not for brands, No, no, no, for God's glory. 307 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,680 A Jewish woman, a Jewish businesswoman conducting her 308 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:55,080 business. And the Lord, we read, opens her 309 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,200 heart because she worshipped God. 310 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:02,280 She conducted her business according to what she knew of a 311 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:05,520 God. Now what she was taught, we 312 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:08,480 don't know. Maybe it wasn't the right way, 313 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:12,040 wasn't the truth, but she had a concept of God. 314 00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:15,880 Listen to what I'm saying. So if there are faiths out there 315 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:21,760 who have a concept of knowing God, allow the Lord Jesus Christ 316 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,760 to bring that concept into fruition, to know that Jesus is 317 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:29,640 the way through to God the Creator. 318 00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:35,120 The Lord opens her heart. That's who we should rely on to 319 00:21:35,120 --> 00:21:39,800 open the heart. God, God will call. 320 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:44,160 Jesus said himself, no one comes to the Son except he whom the 321 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:45,960 Father brings. No one. 322 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:50,720 It's God who opens the heart. So when you hear, you know, you 323 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:53,160 Robbie and I, you know God bless you. 324 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,880 All glory be to God. Only God is that. 325 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:59,560 If there's any vain glory in me, Lord, cleanse me from that. 326 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:02,960 So when I hear Robbie, you said something and it really touched 327 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:06,040 my heart and it opened my mind. No, no, no, God did it. 328 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:08,920 It's not Robbie. Robbie is that. 329 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:14,760 Keep in mind always, always Robbie is that rusty tool in the 330 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:21,440 shed, that tool that God uses for His glory, that unworthy 331 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:25,920 servant, that idle servant that God is using for His glory. 332 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:30,960 God opens the heart not by force, no, no, no. 333 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:35,120 Which hearts that does God open? The hearts that are seeking the 334 00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:38,280 truth, the way, the life, which is Jesus Christ, praise be to 335 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:40,920 his name. If you're seeking the truth, the 336 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:45,120 way the life, call out to Jesus Christ, He will open your heart 337 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:46,160 and your mind. Why? 338 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:50,840 Because in Jeremiah chapter 17 verse 10, God says, I, the Lord 339 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:53,880 God, examine the heart. No one knows the heart. 340 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:57,200 No one we dare to sometimes say, I know what's going in your 341 00:22:57,200 --> 00:22:58,080 mind. No, you don't. 342 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:01,240 You know, sometimes when we go and visit a, a person that is 343 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:04,680 really hurting and he's in pain and sorrow and, and you know, 344 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:06,440 suffering, say, I know what you're going through. 345 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,200 They turn around and say, no, you don't, you don't know what 346 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,400 I'm going through unless you've been through it. 347 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:16,600 And even then your circumstance could have been different to 348 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:18,360 mine. So don't claim that you know No, 349 00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:21,480 no, no, no. The best, the best healing words 350 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:24,280 are to say God knows what you're going through. 351 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:27,960 God knows exactly your pain. He feels you, He's with you. 352 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:32,680 Hebrews chapter 4, verse 13. And there is no created thing 353 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:34,960 hidden from before him that is God. 354 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:39,360 But everything is naked and open before the eyes of him to whom 355 00:23:39,360 --> 00:23:43,600 we give an account. So it is the law that opens the 356 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:46,480 hearts, that is the hearts that are winning. 357 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:49,480 There are hearts that are not willing. 358 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:51,720 They're disabled, unable to sing. 359 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:54,640 They they don't want to hear. You cannot do that. 360 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:59,960 We say you cannot pour water on a what's ARA? 361 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:06,280 Yeah, sorry. Para Para pumpkin. 362 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:10,040 Pumpkin. A pumpkin that is not, that is 363 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:12,920 not pierced, you cannot pour water in it. 364 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:15,360 Not at that, at Mia or something. 365 00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:17,240 Like me. You cannot do that. 366 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:21,360 I've gotta go. Next episode, I'll tell you what 367 00:24:21,360 --> 00:24:22,800 it actually means. Sorry. 368 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:24,600 Squash. Yes, squash. 369 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:26,600 Thank you, Steven. It's the producer, right? 370 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:30,840 Some people just don't want to. You go and tell people to pray 371 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:35,520 that the Lord will change you. No, no, no, pray that you want 372 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:39,680 to be changed first. Lord, instill in me, I want you. 373 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:44,880 I plead with you to instill in me the desire to change. 374 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:48,200 And when I do have desire and it's genuine, Lord, you change 375 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:51,880 me, right? Remember, I've said take my will 376 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:56,160 into your hands. Lord, I relinquish my will so 377 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:59,440 that your will be done, so that thy will be done. 378 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:04,760 So when we want to pray for for God to touch hearts, we must 379 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:09,280 pray that the Lord will instill in that mind, in that will, in 380 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:14,160 that desire, in that heart, the desire to want to change. 381 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:18,280 And then when that happens, that is when that person comes to 382 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:22,200 God. God will then draw or run out to 383 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,520 that person. There are many that may have 384 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:28,440 heard the the the preaching of Saint Paul, but we're unable to 385 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:30,880 receive it. You know we don't hear that all 386 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:36,600 those women took heed towards Saint Paul, but Lydia was taking 387 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:40,720 heed and when she did see there's always something that 388 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,360 needs to come from us. There's always. 389 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:47,920 So deeds are important beloved. We are saved by grace aiming to 390 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:51,840 that, but Ephesians 210 we need to continue with the deeds that 391 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:58,680 God had four beforehand had established the giving heed may 392 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:03,240 have been Lydia's listening, giving heed, but the opening was 393 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:06,360 God's work. One great example is Abraham, 394 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:09,880 Abraham. I'll tell you why I said I 395 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:14,440 didn't say Abraham, Abraham, Genesis 12123 And the Lord God 396 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,240 said to Abraham, go from your land. 397 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:22,840 So you need to do something, Abraham, when you do, if you, if 398 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:28,240 you will to do it and you obey to do it, you can say no, Lord, 399 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:31,800 I don't want to do it. When you obey to do it. 400 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:35,200 And from where you were born, and from the House of your 401 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:39,080 father go to the land, I shall declare to you. 402 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:45,880 So from you is the movement, from me comes the blessing. 403 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:48,320 And I shall make you a great people. 404 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:51,280 And I shall bless you, and I shall enlarge your name, and it 405 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:53,800 will be blessed. And I shall bless those bless, 406 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:56,520 blessing you. And I shall curse those who 407 00:26:56,520 --> 00:27:00,320 curse you. And in your, and in and in you, 408 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:03,440 and in your seed, all generations of the earth shall 409 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:05,280 be blessed. And we have that blessing. 410 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:13,240 Hugo I will bless Proverbs 16 verse 9 the heart of a son of 411 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:18,560 man or man plans his ways and the Lord God orders his steps. 412 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:22,760 It's not the Lord God laughs. One version says the the heart 413 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:26,720 of a man plans his ways and the God and the Lord God laughs what 414 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:32,160 they've done. So this it's just sometimes 415 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:34,680 they've devoured the word of God and woe to those who have 416 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:37,280 touched the word of God and interpreted according to their 417 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:41,280 own motives and and and doctrines want to impose their 418 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,400 own doctrines. No, the heart of a son of man 419 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:49,720 plans his ways and the Lord God orders his steps or blesses or 420 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:52,720 determines the steps. And in this this case it was 421 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,080 both God's doing and Saint Paul's. 422 00:27:55,160 --> 00:28:00,040 So she receives the word and follows by baptism. 423 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:05,760 When she had received the word, she didn't start babbling and 424 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:10,320 jabbling and hobbling and start to, you know, convulse and roll 425 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:12,320 on the ground. No, she didn't do that. 426 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:17,120 Number one, she was baptized. Why? 427 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:21,920 Because the Messiah loves His Church and gave himself up for 428 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:27,960 her sake to sanctify and purify her in the washing of water. 429 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:32,600 That's baptism and in the Word. So you who have been, who are 430 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,160 listening, who are Christians, we've been baptized, we've been 431 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:37,200 accepted. The Lord as their Savior have 432 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:39,040 been baptized, put to death with him. 433 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,240 You've been sanctified, purified, you've been washed, 434 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:45,160 your sins have been washed away. Now you're being cleansed by the 435 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:47,400 word. Each time the Holy Spirit is 436 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:51,040 working, you be received cleansing in baptism, in 437 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,840 absolution, in the liturgy of the the Holy Eucharist, the 438 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:58,920 Qurbana, Qadisha, the Holy Qurbana, we receive the 439 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:02,160 cleansing. And I read from Ephesians 526, 440 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:06,640 no repetition of a mere prayer. Repeat this word. 441 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:08,640 Come here and repeat this for me. 442 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:13,520 No, be baptized, you believe, be baptized and, and she's going to 443 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:18,080 confirm her, her her faith now. And now you will continue to 444 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:20,920 grow in the word and to be sanctified by the word. 445 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,280 And to sanctify doesn't mean you're going to have a Halo. 446 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:28,160 It means to be set apart. What she says after baptism, 447 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:31,040 that is her and her household. That is children as well. 448 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,200 It doesn't say children. It doesn't say children. 449 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:39,800 Didn't you know excluding children when Jesus did the two 450 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,640 miracles of the feeding of the 4005 thousand? 451 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:46,920 It actually specifies not including women and children. 452 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:49,160 Well, why isn't it specifying it? 453 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:52,520 Why isn't Luke specifying here? No, because the children were 454 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:57,120 also involved. So once she was baptized her and 455 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:03,360 her household, she then proves that she knew what she was saved 456 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:06,640 by, which is faith. She didn't say if you have 457 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:11,760 deemed me a great woman or if you have deemed me a devout 458 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:14,560 woman or I have some a gift for you. 459 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:18,360 No, no, no, look what she says. If you have deemed me, deemed me 460 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:22,080 to be faithful to the Lord, to the Lord, be faithful to the 461 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:25,720 Lord, not to man, be faithful to the Lord. 462 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:32,760 And if she is faithful to the Lord, all the more she is 463 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:38,560 faithful to to them, faithful to them unless they saw otherwise. 464 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:40,320 But they didn't, they saw her faith. 465 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:45,760 And she doesn't say stay with me or come to my house and stay 466 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:48,000 with me. No, no, no, she said, come. 467 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:52,120 She said enter my house. What'd she say? 468 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:57,080 Sorry, She said if you see me faithful, come, Lord, come to 469 00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:01,480 come to my house and stay. She said come sorry. 470 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:05,880 She doesn't say stay with me. She says come to my house and 471 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:08,120 stay. There should be alarms going off 472 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:13,200 now. John 1320 Timeless truth. 473 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:18,000 I speak to you, whoever receives him whom I sent receives me, and 474 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:22,440 whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 475 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:26,400 And she was receiving the apostles pleading that they 476 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:28,720 would examine that she was faithful. 477 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:32,840 What a faithful woman. She was a woman and she was 478 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:36,440 lowly and a manual labourer. She was just working, making 479 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,560 money, making a living. However, Saint John Chrysostom 480 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:45,040 writes, she was a lover of wisdom and the beginning of 481 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:50,120 wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and hence she receives that 482 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:54,640 crown of glory on earth to be extended into heaven. 483 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:57,440 A faith in Jesus Christ, praising glory be to His name 484 00:31:57,440 --> 00:31:58,800 now and at all times and forever. 485 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:29,040 Amen. We hope you enjoyed this week's 486 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:31,360 message. Please don't forget to rate and 487 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:34,560 review this podcast and share with your friends and family for 488 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:37,840 any future topic suggestions are to give us detailed feedback, 489 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:43,480 please visit our link in the show notes linktr dot EE forward 490 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:47,000 slash double edged sword. Until next time, God bless you 491 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:47,320 all.