Acts 3

Acts 3:1:
Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
Acts 3:2:
And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Acts 3:3:
Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
Acts 3:4:
And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Acts 3:5:
And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

There are at least two major lessons that any God fearing (loving) Christian must learn here;
  1. We will never complete the building of the Kingdom of God without following, as did the disciples, the example set by Jesus and,
  2. If we have not the faith to believe and, or, the recipient has not the faith we will not be able to do the works we are called to do.

Acts 3:6:
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
Acts 3:7:
And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength.
Acts 3:8:
And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

We have become an educated people and in doing so we have become a self centered people. This lame man did not have a Johns Hopkins trained doctor to work on his illness from birth and he knew, immediately, that he had been blessed of God and began to praise Him. I have a good friend on the field in Guatemala that sees these type of results, Jeff Mills, because the people have this kind of faith in God.

Being involved in Internet Ministry for better than seventeen years now I have helped folks in Africa, Europe, Australia, SE Asia, Central and South America to come to the foot of the cross of Jesus and have, as a result, been made privy to many miracles that God has performed, some like the Lame Man here and others greater in circumstance. These always seem to occur in the less educated areas of the wold and I tell you there is a good reason for this... Faith! When a man has not been taught to forget God and gods and to depend on him or herself, they are more open to the faith God requires!

Acts 3:9:
And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
Acts 3:10:
And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
Acts 3:11:
And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

Acts 3:12:
And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
Acts 3:13:
The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
Acts 3:14:
But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
Acts 3:15:
And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Acts 3:16:
And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Acts 3:17:
And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
Acts 3:18:
But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

Peter, old foot in the mouth Peter, bless his pure heart, never missed a chance to put his two cents worth in and saw the great opportunity to preach and began right away! (Remember now, here is an example that our LORD Jesus, the Christ, wants us to see.)

Peter began at the point, with the focus already set by the people and began to preach, right there but with his attention on and his submission to his Lord.

Acts 3:19:
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Acts 3:20:
And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Acts 3:21:
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
Acts 3:22:
For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
Acts 3:23:
And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
Acts 3:24:
Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
Acts 3:25:
Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
Acts 3:26:
Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Another great lesson here! After you have looked and listened to find out where to begin teaching, keep your target in sight. Peter has found his starting point by submission and by submitting his will to the leading of the Holy Spirit and by putting himself in the hands of the Spirit of God has, only as our LORD can do, arrived at the point of conviction that leads to conversion and that to salvation.
 
Being involved in Internet Ministry for better than seventeen years now I have helped folks in Africa, Europe, Australia, SE Asia, Central and South America to come to the foot of the cross of Jesus and have, as a result, been made privy to many miracles that God has performed, some like the Lame Man here and others greater in circumstance. These always seem to occur in the less educated areas of the wold and I tell you there is a good reason for this... Faith! When a man has not been taught to forget God and gods and to depend on him or herself, they are more open to the faith God requires!

I would like to give my two cents here :) . I see two scenarios for understanding miracles.

1) To Non-Christians - Exactly as you have stated. The simple minded are capable of faith and the intelligent tend to be too proud.
2) To Christians - Young / simpler minded Christians may receive more miracles then more mature / intelligent Christians. Not because God favours them but rather because God is able to deal with us on a different level. A mature Christian understands for example that mere good health is a miracle. We walk in faith, we walk in healing, we dont need to go and find it / touch Jesus. We walk holding His hand, consistently touching Him. Hence if bad things happen to a mature believer, God is definitely trying to get a message through or testing us like Job.
 
I would like to give my two cents here :) . I see two scenarios for understanding miracles.

1) To Non-Christians - Exactly as you have stated. The simple minded are capable of faith and the intelligent tend to be too proud.
2) To Christians - Young / simpler minded Christians may receive more miracles then more mature / intelligent Christians. Not because God favours them but rather because God is able to deal with us on a different level. A mature Christian understands for example that mere good health is a miracle. We walk in faith, we walk in healing, we dont need to go and find it / touch Jesus. We walk holding His hand, consistently touching Him. Hence if bad things happen to a mature believer, God is definitely trying to get a message through or testing us like Job.
FANTASTIC insight!
 
Thanks, coming from you that is definitely a compliment. I have had a couple of discussions on this with my friends. I know quite a few that visit hospitals praying for the sick. Sadly some of them also believe in not taking out medical aids and visiting doctors...:(.
 
Thanks, coming from you that is definitely a compliment. I have had a couple of discussions on this with my friends. I know quite a few that visit hospitals praying for the sick. Sadly some of them also believe in not taking out medical aids and visiting doctors...:(.
I, also, have run into that rock on occasion and there is, often, nothing we can do to help them but to pray. When they take this position they violate the very scripture they hold sacred because we are taught, by Jesus, in His Forty-day Encounter with Satan, not to tempt the Lord our God and again we are taught by Paul, in His instruction to Timothy to take medicine when it is called for. wine for his stomach.
 
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