“Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.”
Acts 3:6-8
Dear HBIC Family,
I have been thinking this week about miracles. One of my first memories of faith was hearing of the great things God has done in the lives of people. I did not grow up around miracles of physical healing, or hearing about God healing people from dire medical prognoses and situations. But I did grow up with many people who told about how God worked in a powerful way to save them, change them, and to turn their lives around. So, for me, miracles have always been what God does, and how God shows his power in and among us.
This however, does not mean that God has not shown his power in more instant ways. I have met and walked with people who have been healed, sometimes instantly. I know many who have joined together in prayer, and who have been buoyed by God’s miraculous answer. I also know of many of us who have not had God answer our prayers in the way we wanted, but in a way that has grown our faith and reliance on God and our trust and relationships with the people in our lives.
The Book of Acts gives us many examples of both God’s immediate healing and also God’s transforming power over time. When God heals and transforms, it points to his love and power and it blesses and graces us. When God does the miraculous, lives are changed and people are transformed. Our God is worthy of praise because of who God is, what God does, and what God is doing. Our lives, then, provide a witness and a testimony to our world, and gifts all the people around us the chance to know this same God who loves them also.
This week, we will be continuing our current series, Acts: The Church Then and Now. We will be learning about Peter and John, a man God healed at the beautiful gate, and how we are to respond to God’s touch and blessing in our lives. To prepare for this week’s services, I would like to invite you to read and meditate on Acts 3, especially verses 1-10. As you reflect, I would like to ask you to focus on the following questions:
What does this passage say about God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)?
What does this passage say about followers of God?
How does this passage invite you to become more like Jesus?
What is one thing God is calling you to from this passage?
I wonder as I write today what you would consider the most miraculous thing that God has done in your life. Personally, I can recall many miracles along the way. Some of the big ones have been my journey fleeing Liberia, to life as an immigrant and a refugee, to coming to America, to finding (and eventually being part of the leadership team at) HBIC. Life itself has been a miracle. And what I love about the story that begins Acts 3 is that it reminds us that when God’s healing finds us, we are to testify and praise his name.
Our God is a miracle-working God. Our Jesus is God’s great gift and miracle to us. And the Spirit is alive and touching us and reaching our world. May our lives be a witness to the work God has done in us, for us, and through us. May our every breath be a chance to remind our world of our God’s love and light!
God bless you all.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Hank (Acts 3:6-8)