Such As I Have
February/08/2010 01:30 PM
Then Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength and he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.”
Peter and John had the goods! What kind of goods? Well, it obviously wasn't money. They plainly told the lame man they had none. What they possessed was far more powerful than any education, position of power, or even brute strength. None of these things ever produced a supernatural healing or a miracle. How do we know that Peter and John had the goods that would change a lame man into a leaping man? We know because the power of God was present and proved it!
The famous jazz trumpeter, Louis Armstrong, once said; "If ya ain't got it in ya, ya can't blow it out." Isn’t that the truth! Peter and John were full of faith and the power of God. Can we still be full of faith and power and get results like they did? Well, let's look at their lifestyle and priorities.
The New Testament is full of examples of how the early church and the disciples gathered in each other’s homes and in the temple daily. Even in the verses we read in Acts, Peter and John were on their way to the hour of prayer. They had set prayer as a priority and a practice. Prayer is our communication and connection to God. Prayer generates the power of God because He is our power source!
They were constantly hearing the word of the Lord and His teachings when they came together.
Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Faith combined with prayer produces power! Once we have combined faith with the prayers we pray, because they are established and agree with the word, our faith is built up and our prayers are answered!
Jude 20 “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.”
We can have as much of God as we want, or as little as we want. This is our free choice. Mental ascent is not enough. You can have thoughts that you really want to lose weight, but it's only a wish if you don't use real action to make it happen. Faith is not faith until it has action.
James 2:18 “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.”
Unfortunately, many Christians don’t actively include the Holy Spirit in their weekday. They love God, without a doubt, but don’t even crack their Bibles open or spend time in prayer until the next Sunday rolls around again.
There are many "religious" churches packed full of "religious" people that are not radically dedicated to God. They know who Jesus is and accept Him, but haven't fallen in love with Him to the point that it's life altering. They find themselves living a mostly carnal and powerless life. Not only do they lack the ability to have power to minister to others in need, but they have no power supply to resist sin and fleshly things.
These types of Christians may be temporarily easing their consciences by attending church on a Sunday morning, but they end up living at a standard way beneath what God intended for them.
If these kinds of lukewarm, carnal Christians had come across the lame man at the gate Beautiful in our day, would he have been greatly disappointed? Religion has a form of godliness that is void of power. Religion is nothing more than a counterfeit or copy of what real Christianity is. What people really want is the real, not fake.
Here's another great quote by Louis Armstrong: "A lotta cats copy the Mona Lisa, but people still line up to see the original."
People want the real presence and power of God, not a counterfeit. We must, more than just look like Christians, we must be Christians. Hurting people in the world are hoping and praying that we are the 'real deal' representing a real God with real love and real power. In Christ and in a lifestyle filled with faith and prayer, we will have the goods!
kimconnor@whwc.org
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