A change is in the air not, a political change but a change that will bring a mighty move of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 3:2-10 (NLT), Peter and John were eagerly on their way to prayer when they encountered a lame man who sat at the gate every day, probably for years, to beg alms of people, as they entered the temple. Perhaps, Peter and John had often seen this man in this condition and may have even given him alms. However, sometime prior to this particular incident, Peter and John had been in the upper room, baptized in the Holy Spirit, and received a command from Jesus to go be His witnesses. So on this particular day when the lame man saw Peter and John about to enter the temple he begged for an alms, Peter instructed him to look at us!
That raises a few questions. Are you ready to have the world look at you? Are you ready to be noticed? Is the Body of Christ preparing herself to be seen by the world in these last days?
These are important questions because so many times, the Church has preferred being hidden as opposed to being revealed. Instead, for fear of being persecuted, we’ve refrained from making a stir. According to Romans 12:2, however, God wants to use us to show the world His good, acceptable, and perfect will. To do that, He must put us on display, and that might involve us making a stir!
Let’s continue with this story from Acts. At Peter’s request, “the lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money” (v. 5). In this scripture lies an important point: unbelievers, and sometimes believers, often look for temporary solutions to their problems. They seek what can meet their needs for today, not what can sustain them for a lifetime. The god of this world has blinded their minds, so they cannot see what they really need (I Corinthians 4:4). For example, the man in our story needed healing; yet, he was willing to settle for money. God, on the other hand, wants to give them what they need. He wants to minister permanent solutions to them, and He wants to do it through us!
The story continues with Peter’s response to the man’s expectations, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have” (v. 6). Let me inform you that if you have made Jesus your Lord and Savior and received the infilling of the Holy Spirit, you have something to give people every day. You have on the inside power to bring about a change in people’s lives. It is not about money, although money is a valuable tool that helps spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ globally through every available medium. However, we cannot neglect the power on the inside that is greater than silver or gold. Money may get us there, but once we are there, we must have the power of God within to make the difference! That’s what Peter did. Perhaps, Peter remembered Jesus’ direct instructions to him to feed His sheep and lambs. The fear that led him to deny Jesus thrice was extinguished in the upper room when he received the Holy Spirit. He was no longer timid but bold as a lion with utmost confidence. The new Peter boldly declared, “In the Name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” (v. 6).
We must be willing right now to tell people to get up! Get up from your mat of despair. Get up from your mat of shame. Get up from your mat of excuses. Get up out from suicidal thinking. Get up from expecting handouts. It is past time that we be God’s light to the world and tell people, in the Name of Jesus, to get up and walk into their destiny, their divine purpose, and the knowledge that they are special to God and in no way limited because of gender, race, or socioeconomic class (see Galatians 3:28).
And the story continues, “Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up.” We, the Body of Christ, must be willing to help people and each other. We must not be afraid to let our light shine. We must not be afraid to be noticed. Peter was willing to put himself out there for all to see and hear. He did not let fear of failure keep him from declaring the man’s healing and extending his hand to lift him up. Peter knew what he had inside him. Do you know what you have on the inside?
Peter’s lack of fear and act of faith got results:
The man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened.
He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking,
leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them (vv. 7-8).
This man who day after day layed at the temple begging for money is now leaping, jumping for joy, and praising God. He is no longer bound by disease or crippled by society. He is so free that he walks into the temple, the place of prayer, ready to give his testimony! And his healing was noticeable: “All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded!” God wants people to notice what He does through us so that He can lead them to Him!
You will notice that this healing did not occur in the temple, but rather outside the temple. We must be ready for the coming outpourings of the Holy Spirit that will take place both outside and inside the Church. Many people outside the Church are ready for believers to stir the water in the Spirit so they can step in and be healed of their infirmities. Many are waiting at the gates of life for believers to give them the command to rise up and walk. Many are waiting for believers to speak to their blind eyes and command them to see. And many are wondering what they must do to be saved. So my question is: will you be like Peter and John or will you just continue to pass by those in need, perhaps on your way to church, and do nothing? The choice is yours, but if you choose the latter, you will miss out on the biggest Holy Ghost Outpouring coming upon this nation. It will be unrivaled, and the rewards will be endless, like nothing you have ever seen. God wants to use believers, like you and me, to astound unbelievers in such a way that they come looking for Christ. They will come into churches looking for answers, and we will be prepared to give them. They will come looking for healing and deliverance, and we give it to them. They will go searching for you online, at work, or wherever they can find you because they know you are a believer, that you have the answers, and they want to talk to you!
Again, the choice is yours. I pray that you hear God’s heart and heed His voice. God bless you!
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