The Crippled Beggar
A crippled beggar at the temple gate asked Peter and John for money. Peter said to him,
“Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 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” (Acts 3:6-10 NIV ’84).
Peter Speaks to the Onlookers
While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
“Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.’
“Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways” (Acts 3:11-26 NIV ’84).
My Understanding: There will be people in our lives who will ask us for what they believe they need, yet what they ask for may be merely what they want, but not what they really need. In some of those cases, the Lord Jesus, thus, may direct us to give to them what they need, but not necessarily what they want. This man wanted money, but what he needed was a healing touch of Jesus Christ in his heart and life, and not just physical healing, either, nor was this for this man alone. Peter and John took the occasion of this man’s physical healing, as they were directed by the Holy Spirit of God, to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people. Jesus Christ is the only one who can bring divine healing to our souls, hearts and minds. And, the way to faith in Jesus Christ is for us to repent (turn from our sins/wicked ways) and turn to God in obedience and surrender to his will for our lives, so that our sins may be wiped out. We must listen to and obey everything Jesus tells us. If we do not listen to Jesus, and we do not obey him, we will be completely cut off from him.
Before the Sanhedrin
The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the capstone.’
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old (Acts 4:1-22).
My Understanding: When Jesus was still on the face of this earth, he told his disciples that they should expect to be treated just like Jesus was treated. We have not yet had to face much of this in the USA, though some have, but the Bible says this will happen. So, we should expect that a time is coming when even believers in Jesus Christ in the USA will be hated, persecuted, imprisoned and even killed for their testimony for Jesus Christ. Yet, when we are persecuted and even imprisoned for our testimony for Jesus Christ, we should not get discouraged, and we should definitely not give up and give in to the enemy of our souls who is out to defeat us. Instead, this should make us even stronger in our faith and even more resolute to share the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone who will listen, because the Lord Jesus may use this to bring about the salvation of many lives.
And, this is how the disciples responded to their persecution and to their persecutors, as well. They told the people that it is by the name of Jesus Christ, whom they had crucified, but whom God had raised from the dead, that the man who was crippled was healed. And, then they told them the gospel: The one they had rejected had become the cornerstone for the church, Christ’s body, his temple. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” The people then took note that the disciples had been with Jesus, and when we continue in our faith and we don’t give up, and we keep on sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, there will be those to whom the Lord Jesus will reveal the same about us, i.e. that we have been with Jesus.
Yet, even at that, “to stop this thing from spreading further among the people,” the rulers and elders of the people felt they must warn Peter and John to no longer speak in Jesus’ name. I love the disciples’ response: “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” And, that needs to be our response, as well, if we are being asked to do the same. We need to pray for much courage and determination to keep fighting against the enemy of our souls by putting on daily our spiritual armor, and we need to pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will enable us, his servants, to speak his words with great boldness, and for Him to perform many miracles of his grace in people’s lives, especially the miracle of salvation.
The Believers’ Prayer
On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
“‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.’
Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly (Acts 4:23-31 NIV ’84).
To My Beloved / An Original Work / November 14, 2011
Based off I Pet. 5:6-9; Eph. 6:10-20; Jms. 4:4-10
Be strong in the grace of Christ, and
Put on His full armor in your fight
Against the enemy of your souls,
And resist him with all your might.
Take up the shield of your faith within you.
Salvation’s helmet – you put it on.
Put on the belt of truth,
And walk in the Spirit,
And you’ll not be ashamed.
Love your Lord Jesus; call His Name.
Call on your Lord and Savior, Jesus, and
Make Him Lord and King of your hearts.
Obey all of His teachings He has given
To you to follow in all His ways.
Repent of your sins. Return to your God.
Follow Him where’er He leads you now.
Humble yourselves in full
Surrender to His will
For your lives today.
Bow before Him, and humbly pray.
Be strong in the grace of Christ, and
Obey your Lord in ev’rything, always
Keeping His teachings in your hearts near you.
Walk with Christ in ev’ry way.
Resist the devil. He will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and He’ll be near you.
Wash your hands you sinners
And double minded.
Weep and wail o’er sin.
With Christ, your new lives begin.
Song lyrics @ Public Domain
http://youtu.be/PLMZdBxhE3I
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