F O O T H O L D
READING
68 HEALING AND PREACHING
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PRAY Teach me today Lord, so
that I may be useful in your service.
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READ Acts 3:1-16.
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THINK How did Peter use the
healing miracle in his preaching?
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FOCUS The story of the
church so far - as given in 2:42.46,47 - could
have made a book. All Luke
does is to select a few highlights.
But here we have one
incident in great detail.
Peter and John were
following their normal custom of going to the
Temple to pray (1). Walk
with them in your imagination and listen
to the cry of the lame
beggar (3). The man was hoping for money,
but he received much more.
Peter had no material wealth to share,
no worldly power, but he did
have great faith in an all-powerful
Lord! 'In the name of Jesus'
means 'with the authority of Jesus .
. . ' ie. with the same
authority over disease that he had shown
when he was on earth. So the
man, who had been lame all his life,
became able to walk and jump.
No wonder a crowd came running
(11)!
This was the ideal moment
for a sermon. A wonderful event had
happened; a cripple had been
healed. Everyone was ready to
listen, and Peter was quick
to seize the opportunity. Once more
he talked about Jesus, God's
servant (13), 'holy and good' (14),
'the one who leads to life'
(15).
Peter maintained that 'it
was faith in Jesus that has made him
(the man) well' (16). He
said that if Jesus Christ was really
alive again, they should
expect them to work miracles. The really
surprising thing was that
God should have continued to have
anything to do with those
who murdered his son (15). but the love
of God is always surprising
- he never gives up!
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PRAY Ask that God will help
you to show others that Jesus is alive.
Pray for confidence and
caring love.
