At ABC (Ashland Bible Church) we are moving at a snail pace through the letter from God to us via the hand of Paul to the first church established in Europe – at Philippi in the land of modern Greece. In doing some background work in Acts to help us grasp God’s ways in that “church plant”, one point caught my attention and that was about God bringing a man to a church group. A recap:
Paul was an elder in his church at Antioch of Syria when God called him along with another elder, Barnabas, to do evangelism work in their respective childhood regions – SE Turkey and on the island of Cyprus.
Acts 16:13, And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made.
Meanwhile, there were peoples meeting in a city on a major Roman highway (like our I-80) in another country and on another continent (Europe). In Philippi, that city, were some Jews who were interested in serving God which we know for they were meeting on the Sabbath – a Jewish construct. It was unlike the areas nearer to Jerusalem who all had significant Jewish populations and thus synagogues. It took ten males to form a synagogue which they didn’t have and were somewhat outcasts for they were meeting “down by the river.” In Philippi was a small group meeting and praying (like ABC).
For how many months or even years had they met asking God for His help, men, and someday a synagogue? We don’t know. But they were faithful and God was noting.
Meanwhile, Paul departed from Syria to strengthen the Christians (Acts 15:36) and church plants (Acts 14:23) established earlier in Turkey. Little did he know that God was moving him to “discover” a small group in a distant place meeting and asking for a leader.
Acts 16:6-12, Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony.
What caught my attention was God bringing two pieces together when neither party realized God was answering and moving – all in His timing (Isaiah 55:8).
Acts 16:12, And we were staying in that city for some days.
Here I see some of the SSB and ABC parallels. Over the past 20+ years, how many times did SSB have connections to Ashland but not connecting with the little group “down by the river” – that group just outside of town by an asphalt river flowing down from Ceresco?
Acts 16:13, we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.
It was in May of 2023 that we, SSB, made contact with their longtime, past retirement age pastor and his wife to talk about the future. We, the SSB eldership, sat with them a few times and came to the decision to come alongside to help them to the next phase of ministry.
Acts 16:14-15, Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
I’m not suggesting that those at ABC were not saved, but after some presentations and question-and-answer times, they opened their hearts to SSB’s involvement and the pulpit ministry being handed over to PK. That officially happened on October 1, 2023.
ABC is now in the “down by the river” place again – seeking to be faithful and asking God for a man to take the pastoral reins of this group. From Acts 16 we are reminded that God sees ABC, knows their needs and hears their prayers. Furthermore, God is moving a man from a present faithful and viable ministry to become ABC’s next pastor. So, both entities – ABC and the man – are known to God and He will bring them together in time. We need to be faithful and trusting. God knows and is moving!
a PK Musing 
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