{"id":20621,"date":"2022-03-13T22:00:57","date_gmt":"2022-03-14T05:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/acts_2_37-47-copy\/"},"modified":"2022-03-08T21:54:31","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T04:54:31","slug":"acts_3_1-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/acts_3_1-11\/","title":{"rendered":"There is Healing and Hope in Jesus\u2019 Name"},"content":{"rendered":"

Acts 3:1-11\u00a0 Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Acts 3:1-11.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Acts 3:1 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer–at three in the afternoon.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 1:\u00a0 At this point the early church was still comprised entirely of Jewish Christians.\u00a0 Thus these early Christians would continue the habit of going to the Jewish temple to worship God.\u00a0 Later on, as more and more non-Jewish (Gentile) people became Christians, the early church would need to tackle the question of whether these Gentile Christians had to follow Jewish customs like going to the temple.\u00a0 In the meantime, here we see Peter and John going to the temple just like other Jews.\u00a0 The traditional temple prayer times included 9am, 3pm and sunset.<\/p>\n

Acts 3:2 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Now 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.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 2:\u00a0 I wonder who put the crippled man at the temple gate called Beautiful every day.\u00a0 Who put him there?\u00a0 Whoever it was, I bet it was someone who believed that if there was anywhere in the world that a crippled man should be able to find hope, it\u2019s at the gate of the place where people worshiped God.<\/p>\n

Likewise,\u00a0if there\u2019s any place where people can find hope, it should be at the front door of the church<\/strong>.\u00a0 When people think of you and your church, do they think \u201chope\u201d?\u00a0 If not, it\u2019s probably time for an image change.\u00a0 Through your actions and words, may people come to think of you and your church as a place where hope lives and where help can be found.<\/p>\n

Acts 3:3-5 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!”
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 3-5:\u00a0 Unlike the countless people who would pass by the crippled man without even looking at him or peer at him only from the corner of their eye, Peter and John both look straight at this crippled man (v4).\u00a0 By looking straight at him, Peter and John were showing compassion to this crippled man and affirming his worth as a human being.\u00a0 Peter tells the crippled man to look back at him, possibly because the crippled man was so ashamed and beaten down by rejection that he wouldn\u2019t even look at the people he was asking to help him.\u00a0\u00a0 What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0How you look at people physically can send a message about how you see them emotionally.<\/strong>
\n
\nActs 3:6 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 6:\u00a0 Peter didn\u2019t focus on what he didn\u2019t have, but used what he did have to help this man.\u00a0 Peter also didn\u2019t concern himself with what the crippled man asked for, which is money.\u00a0 Rather Peter focused on what the crippled man didn\u2019t ask for but which he needed even more, which is healing.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You were made to make a difference in others\u2019 lives with what you have<\/strong>, not what you don\u2019t have.\u00a0 Also,\u00a0while it is important to meet the felt needs of people so as to build a bridge to them, don\u2019t just focus on what people are asking for but focus on what people really need, even if they don\u2019t know it or acknowledge it themselves<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Acts 3:6b-8 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u2026In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 6b-8:\u00a0 Here we find the first healing miracle recorded in Acts.\u00a0 Peter tells the crippled man in the name of Jesus Christ to walk.\u00a0 Then Peter takes him by the hand and this man\u2019s feet and ankles become strong such that not only is he able to walk but also to jump and praise God.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?<\/p>\n

First,\u00a0there is hope and healing in Jesus\u2019 name<\/strong>.\u00a0 That is why we as the church are commanded to pray for the sick and for their healing (see James 5:14-16).\u00a0 Does that mean that every time we pray that healing will automatically come?\u00a0 No.\u00a0\u00a0Our job is not to heal but to pray for healing.<\/strong>\u00a0 Whenever God heals pursuant to our prayers, praise God.\u00a0\u00a0 But whenever God chooses not to heal at that moment, it may mean that it is not yet time and that God has a greater story He is writing with that person\u2019s life.\u00a0 With that in mind, see my comments below regarding verses 9-11.\u00a0 \u00a0Is there someone whose healing you need to pray for today?<\/p>\n

Second,\u00a0the picture of God healing the crippled man is a picture of what God has done for us too<\/strong>.\u00a0 You could say that when we were spiritually crippled and unable to stand, Jesus took us by the hand, helped us up and by His grace we became strong.\u00a0 In fact, our situation was worse than this formerly crippled man\u2019s situation.\u00a0 For we were spiritually dead, but Jesus made us alive.<\/p>\n

Acts 3:9-11 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When all the people saw him walking and praising God,
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0they 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.
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0While 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.
\n<\/em>
\nOn verses 9-11:\u00a0 Why had God waited this long to heal this man who had been crippled from birth?\u00a0 It\u2019s because God was using this crippled man\u2019s healing as part of a greater story God was writing with the early church.\u00a0 Because this crippled man was healed at that very moment, it brought attention to the early church and to the message that they were preaching.\u00a0 His healing was an instrument God was using to accomplish a much bigger purpose: to let even more people know about the hope that is in Jesus.<\/p>\n

So\u00a0whenever you question why God hasn\u2019t said yes to your prayers yet, it\u2019s because God has a better timing.\u00a0 God has plans not just to bless you but to bless others through you and your story<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Jesus, thank You that there is hope and healing in Your name.\u00a0 Thank You for the times when You answered positively to our prayers to heal.\u00a0 And thank You also for those times when You said no, because You were using that situation to do something even greater that would impact even more people.\u00a0 I pray that my church and I would be a place known by others for the hope and help we bring.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Acts 3:1-11.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Acts 3:1 (NIV)
\n1\u00a0\u00a0One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer–at three in the afternoon.<\/p>\n

On verse 1:\u00a0 At this point the early church was still comprised entirely of Jewish Christians.\u00a0 Thus these early Christians would continue the habit of going to the Jewish temple to worship God.\u00a0 Later on, as more and more non-Jewish (Gentile) people became Christians, the early church would need to tackle the question of whether these Gentile Christians had to follow Jewish customs like going to the temple.\u00a0 In the meantime, here we see Peter and John going to the temple just like other Jews.\u00a0 The traditional temple prayer times included 9am, 3pm and sunset.<\/p>\n

Acts 3:2 (NIV)
\n2\u00a0\u00a0Now 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.<\/p>\n

On verse 2:\u00a0 I wonder who put the crippled man at the temple gate called Beautiful every day.\u00a0 Who put him there?\u00a0 Whoever it was, I bet it was someone who believed that if there was anywhere in the world that a crippled man should be able to find hope, it\u2019s at the gate of the place where people worshiped God.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20623,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20621"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20621\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20624,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20621\/revisions\/20624"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}