A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                                     PART III- I 

"I, a crippled beggar, am no longer crippled!!....I can not only walk now.... I can jump!!... It all happened this afternoon at 3 o'clock... I was sitting at my usual spot at the gate called Beautifull....  I am brought there every day to beg.... I had been brought there that morning.... It had not been a particularly good day... I had been given a few coins.... But nothing to write home about.... Then at 3 o'clock, the time for prayer, two men passed by....I decided to ask them for money....To my surprise they actually stopped... Not only did they stop.... They looked at me....People don't usually look at me... Why should they? After all, I am only a crippled beggar.... Not worthy of any attention....But these two men stopped and looked at me... And one of them began to speak to me!!... No one ever speaks to me.... But he did!!... I have to say his first words to me were not very encouraging.... For he told me he could not give me any money... I wondered why he had bothered to stop to talk to me.... But he then went on speaking.... He told me to get up and begin walking..... When he said that faith rose up in me.... And I did get up.... Not only did I get up... I began to walk!!... Not only did I begin to walk.... I  began to jump!!... I who had never in my life been able to get up and walk was suddenly able to do these things.... This surely is the best day of my life!!"... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of Peter and John's encounter with a crippled beggar....

 

                   ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                                    PART III - I

Every day the disciples would go to the temple at three o'clock in the afternoon for a prayer time. One afternoon John and Peter met with a crippled man as you can read in Acts 3:1-6

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer - at three in the afternoon. Now 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. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us." So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."

This day had begun as any other day for the crippled beggar; after he had woken up he had been dressed and had been given his breakfast, Then it was time for him to be taken to his spot to beg, which was at the temple gate called Beautiful. No other beggar would sit there for everyone knew this spot was the place where the crippled beggar sat. When he saw Peter and John he did what he had been doing all day long: he asked them for money. Perhaps these two men would be kind enough to give him a small amount. He did not think they would be able to give him very much for they looked like they were very ordinary people, possibly fishermen. But then these two men stopped and looked at him... Perhaps they would be able to give him more than he had originally anticipated. Then one of the men began to talk to him.That was amazing for most people did not really see him. They might throw him a small coin out of pity but they would not ever stop to talk to him. After all, he was only a crippled beggar. But these two men did not just look at him, they began to talk to him and they told him to look at them.Why would they ask him to look at them? Hope rose up in him for surely something good was about to happen, perhaps they would give him such a large amount of money that he would no longer have to beg. But then his heart sank when he heard one of them say,"Silver and gold I do not have..." for he knew this meant they were not able to give him what he had hoped for and it would mean he would have to continue his life of begging. But then the man continued speaking and what he heard was beyond anything he had ever heard anyone say to him for he heard him say, "In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk." When he heard these words faith rose up in him to do exactly as this man said. Thankfully, the man who spoke these words to him, whose name was Peter, next reached out his hand and helped him to get up for he had never in his life walked. But that moment strength came into his legs and he was able to not just walk, he was able to jump. So that day he was able to physically enter the temple courts and all the people were amazed at his healing. We see then that the Holy Spirit did not only empower Peter and John to preach; He empowered them to heal as the healing of this crippled man demonstrates.