“This Is Church” – Healing, One Life at a Time
Joe Parillo
(Acts 3:1-11)
Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, 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. – Acts 3:4-8
Peter healed the man lame from birth, who was carried every day, to sit at the Temple gate called Beautiful, where he would beg for money. But on this day, God had a divine appointment planned.
Building upon Pastor Scott Hoffman’s message of 6/6, we are again reminded of the importance of waiting on God in prayer, listening for His Voice, and then moving out in His supernatural power. Pastor Joe observed that Peter and John went to the temple to pray every day, and how central prayer was to the life of the early church.
On this day, when Peter and John were about to enter the temple, the lame man asked them for some money. Peter and John looked intently at the man and Peter said, “Look at us!” The man eagerly looked up - expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Peter took the man’s right hand and helped him up, and as he did the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. All the people saw him, and many who heard believed. He jumped up, stood on his feet and began to walk. Then walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the temple, holding tightly to Peter and John!
Joe remarked that the Book of Acts should really be called “The Acts of the Holy Spirit” . . . the dynamic Spirit-empowered early church . . . moving in miracles, signs, and wonders. He reminded us that healing and miracles did not end with the death of the apostles, as some denominations might believe . . but are gifts for today!!
Joe also shared that the “power center” has now shifted away from the West – to the East; to Asia, and Africa. . . .where revival is taking place in great numbers. Sadly, in this 21st Century, we struggle in the West with our desires; prayer seems to have become inconvenient. And while Satan has tried to shift prayer to programs – and sacrifice to comfort, we may very well need to make changes in order to resemble this model blueprint of what a church should be. Our greatest evangelistic tool: Christianity with POWER.
What does this mean for Grace?
It’s not about just accumulating biblical knowledge . . . it’s about applying what we learn — being doers of the Word —lest we become irrelevant and powerless. God finding us … and us hearing the voice of the Spirit in these last days. In the Name of Jesus, the church has been given the power to heal; to do what Jesus did - heal the sick, and cast out demons. Let us be about our Father’s business; we have surely been given the Power!
A “GLOW” . . .
In closing, Pastor Joe told the story of someone seeing a “glow” coming from The Barbaric Bean very early one morning and came by, anxious to see what it was. And what was it? Just some spiritually-hungry, local pastors gathered together to pray in the early morning, at a little coffee shop in Ocean Grove . . . AND THE POWER OF GOD SHOWING UP.
- WAIT
- LISTEN
- MOVE OUT
June 13, 2010
In Christ, Janet
