Hello
Everyone,
In Acts
3 … we see the purpose of Pentecost lived out in the lives of the disciples …
and by studying the ways the Holy Spirit worked in and through
them — we discover the ways the Holy Spirit wants to work in and through us!
There
are questions we need to ask if we're going to really understand and properly
use the POWER Jesus promises his followers —for today our first questioned is:
What Happened?
Let's
read it together — 3:1-10
One
day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three
in the afternoon. 2 Now a man crippled from birth was being
carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg
from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter
and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter
looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So
the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I
do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him
up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He
jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple
courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the
people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him
as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful,
and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
[Luke,
who was a doctor, offers a very detailed and descriptive analysis
of this day in the life of the disciples … let's walk back through his record
of events]:
Peter
and John are on their way to the temple for afternoon prayers...
Their
attention is captivated on an incapacitated beggar that they had most likely
passed many times before ... but this day they can't dismiss his calls or his
need ... something, literally someone, directs them to stop and become agents
of the miraculous in this man’s life!
Every
day we pass people in need. People hurting, sick, addicted and loss who knows
it could be someone we see every day. But this could be the day that we are The
Holy Spirits agent for that moment in time.
Luke
uses medical terminology to describe a man who was cripple from
birth —
The word
that Luke used translated 'feet' is used only by Luke, and it's found nowhere
else in all of scripture but here!
It's a
technical term? A medical term that refers to the 'base' or 'heel' of the foot?
The term
'ankle' or 'ankle-bones' is again a medical term found only here in all of
scripture...
Leaping
up — is an ancient medical phrase which describes the suddenness of a socket
coming into place ... the instantaneous healing of a joint!
Peter
and John speak 'healing' to the man, they reach for him ... he reaches for them
... and he is instantaneously healed ... a man who has never walked in his life
begins to leap and dance and praise God!
Crowds
gathered in amazement as the crippled man they'd known for years was now
miraculously healed!
Greater
Things Are Still To Come!
Pastor Phil
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