“But what I do have, I give to you” (Acts 3:6)
Hello Sons and Daughters of the Most High, (Read Acts 3)
Do you know what you have? Do you know what you’ve been given? Do you know that what the world needs is not gold or silver, or a temporary fix to its problems? We’ve been given an incredible gift, and how many of us will share the gift and heed the command, “freely you have received, now freely give” (Matt. 10:5-8, you should read the context of this saying :). Acts 3 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. It is such a picture of what happens with people who are totally sold out for Jesus and filled with Holy Spirit! World changing, religious disturbing, crowd drawing, fisherman who after encountering the crucified and risen Savior of the world, are never the same…. they are supernatural! A common walk into ‘church’ becomes a life changing event for numerous individuals, but one in particular. John and Peter were just heading into a prayer meeting, but what God had planned was something far greater than a time of prayer. Are we ready and available for what God wants to do through us with the gift He has put inside of us? So, what is it we have to give away?
Is it the power to heal? Greater than that! We have Jesus! We have Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ! We have God living inside of us, if we have been born again and transferred to the kingdom of God. Yes, the disciples possess the power to heal, but ultimately it is Jesus working through them to bring glory to His name and His Father. See, I don’t have gold or silver to give away, I got one thing…Jesus! It’s what every person on planet Earth needs. Beggars don’t need a handout; they need to grab the hand of Jesus and be raised to abundant life in Christ. Jesus works through His disciples; it’s not us they need to see, it’s Him. When the crowd comes running to see the miracle man who had been lame from birth, now walking and jumping and praising God, Peter quickly deflects their awe and amazement from himself to the risen Jesus, “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus” (3:13). What Peter has is not the power to heal, but the Risen Savior, who said to Peter, ‘I am with you always’ (Matt.28:20; John 14:18) and ‘Greater things you will do when I go to my Father’ (John 14:12). In Peter’s speech to the people, all glory is given to the Son of God who is The Holy and Righteous One, the Prince of Life, Jesus the Christ, God's Servant Jesus.
Friends, if you are a true child of God, you got Jesus! Jesus is the healer, the savior, the deliverer, the repairer of broken lives, the One who gives meaning and purpose to life, the One in whom is perfect peace and joy. If you got Jesus, you got everything you need – and He is everything that every person needs. Handouts don’t bring life, they bring temporary relief to hunger pains. What is a crippled man going to do with money anyways. He can’t walk to spend it. He has to pay people to get what he needs or wants. True freedom is reconciliation with our Creator and enjoying His presence: “turn from your sins and turn to God, so you can be cleansed of your sins. Then wonderful times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19-20). Are you experiencing the joy of repentance, the delight of being forgiven, and ‘wonderful times of refreshment in the presence of the Lord’? You can’t give away what you don’t possess yourself. If you got Jesus, give others the opportunity to experience Him also. Make Him known; Demonstrate He is alive often; Declare His goodness every opportunity you get. He is the pearl of great price you would die to own, and the treasure in the field you would sell all to obtain. And when we do possess something that valuable, that the whole world needs, it would be a shame not to let others experience His beauty also. Freely you received, now freely give!
Have a blessed week!
"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."
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