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Come Over and Help Us

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(Acts 16:9-10)

During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

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The Apostle Paul spent all of his life doing mission work.
He went to several places to preach about Jesus.

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When the Apostle Paul went to a place named Lystra, he met a very precious man named Timothy. Timothy was a very faithful man and the people in that place always complicated about him.

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The Apostle Paul wanted to bring along Timothy on his mission trip.
Paul liked Timothy so much that he even called Timothy as his true son in the faith. So the Apostle Paul brought Timothy along on his mission trip.

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The Apostle Paul, Silas and Timothy became one team and prepared to head to Asia for missions. But strangely, the way to Asia didn't open. They worked very hard but they were not able to reach Asia.

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Without any choice they turned to other places and set for another place to do their mission work. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia. But even in that place their way didn't open.

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With no choice again, they went to Troas and in that place, the Apostle Paul saw an amazing vision. A Macedonian appeared to the Apostle Paul and said, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

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The Apostle Paul and his company were heading a completely opposite direction from Macedonia. But God did not allow the Apostle Paul and the others to go over to Asia so the Holy Spirit had blocked their way.

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Upon seeing the vision, then the Apostle Paul finally understood.
They realized that God did not want them to go to the place that they had planned but He wanted them to go over to Macedonia.

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The next day, the Apostle Paul and the others hurriedly headed towards Macedonia. They boarded on a ship and left Troas. Then, they went straight for Samothrace and the next day, they went to Neapolis. Finally, they arrived at Philippi, the central city of Macedonia.

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They stayed there for several days.
On the Sabbath, they looked for a quiet place to pray so they went to the river side. There were several women gathered in that place.

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The Apostle Paul preached the gospel to them.
Among the people listening to them, there was Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth.
She listened to the Apostle Paul and accepted Jesus into her heart.

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Not only Lydia but her whole family accepted Jesus into their hearts and got baptized. The Apostle Paul and his team realized why God had led them to Macedonia. Then, they gave thanks to God.

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Lydia invited the Apostle Paul and his team over to her house.
In that place, the Apostle Paul preached the gospel to many people.
Soon, the first church of Philippi got built in that place.

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The Apostle Paul and his team had their own plans but when it did not go the way they had wanted, they did not insist to fulfill it but they followed God and set for Macedonia that is why an amazing miracle of starting the Philippian Church happened.

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Believe upon God, for HE leads us more precisely than our plans.
Work hard to make a good habit of following God's words.
I hope all of you can become like the Apostle Paul, who fulfilled great works of God.