Word of God online daily Bible study
February 21, 2009
Scripture verse of the day
Acts: 3 – 6 but Peter said, we don’t have any money for you. I will give you what I have. I command you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!
Scripture reading of the day
ACTS 3:1-16
Peter and John went to the temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock daily prayers. As they approached the temple, they saw a man who had been lame from birth being carried along the street and laid aside the temple gate – the one called the beautiful gate – as was his custom every day.
As Peter and John were passing by, he asked them for some money.
They looked at him intently, and then Peter said, look at us!
The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting a gift
But Peter said, we don’t have any money for you. I will give you what I have– I command you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk!
Then Peter took the lame and by the hand and pulled him to his feet. As he did so, the man’s feet and ankle bones were healed and strengthened so that he came up with a leap, stood there a moment and began walking! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the temple with them.
When the people inside saw him walking in heard him praising God, and realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the beautiful gate, they were amazed.
They all rushed out to Solomon’s Hall, where he was holding tightly to Peter and John. Everyone stood their astonished at the wonderful things that happen.
Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. Men of Israel, he said, what is so surprising about this? And why look at as thought we by our own power and godliness had made this man walk? For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and of all our ancestors who had brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. I referred to the Jesus, despite Pilate’s determination to release him. You didn’t want him freed – this holy, righteous one. Instead you demanded the release of a murderer. And you kill the author of life; but God brought him back to life again. And John and I are witnesses this fact, after you killed him we saw him alive!
Jesus’ name has healed this man – and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name – faith given us from God – has caused this perfect healing.
Sam’s response
In the above Bible Scripture reading, the lame man in front of the temple gates, had been living in the world’s economy. As Peter and John walked by him, we see the collision of two different types of economies. Here, Peter and John, find the lame man who had been a common fixture for a long time begging for money to survive. Now Peter and John had no money. Peter and John were not walking in the world economy, they were walking in God’s divine economy.
Peter and John had something much greater than we will ever find here or inside of the world economy. Many people today would look at Peter and John and only see thier poverty. Jesus had spent much time training Peter and John and had prepared them for this moment. The gift they gave the lame man was a gift that only Jesus can give. In the name of Jesus Peter and John demanded
There was no question or lack of faith in the words of Peter. He said – walk! There is a place we can go to that in the world’s eyes would appear to be empty and full of lack, but there is great power in the name of Jesus.
We see above, that the people were astonished and they are initial reaction, was based on what their eyes saw. Peter saw this to be the case and immediately spoke about how these same people have rejected Jesus and not understood what Jesus had done for them.
When we are walking with God, he will give us insight even to the level of what people are thinking and how they are reacting to the miracles of Jesus. Many of us might look at or think about our own amazing powers in the name of Jesus and let pride slip and not get the glory to Jesus.
It is important to come to a place where our faith is unwavering and demonstrates the power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit as living in us. So the question is, how do we come to this place of great faith?
Today there is great fear not only spreading the United States across the globe as the world economy continues to tank. The cool part is in God’s economy there is no lack or limitations, only a level of faith that believes and is guided by the Holy Spirit.
We must remember that this world is not our home, this world economy is not our prize, the world’s ways are not our ways. If you lack faith it will be easy for the enemy to distract you in such times as these. Fear and faith are opposites. We cannot be used by the kingdom of God if we walking fear of what our eyes see. We cannot walk in the emptiness of our wallet in be used by God is our focus is on the emptiness of our wallet.
There is a great opportunity before us now, maybe the greatest opportunity of all time to share the goodness in the love of Christ with others. If you know your Bible, we know that the birth pangs are going to continue and get greater as we are seeing right now. If our focus is on that and we live in this world economy we are going to be irrelevant other people. So stand on the word of God. Walking God’s economy which knows no bounds.
There is a peace and freedom that can only come through faith in Jesus. If you are scared and walking in fear, you can come and lay it down at the feet of Jesus. Asked Jesus for increasing faith, and asked us with a pure heart and clean hands.
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