"The Power Of God Will Create A Buzz", by Pastor Kevin Lynch

Yesterday we looked at one of the great events of the brand new Church formed after the Holy Spirit baptism at Pentecost.

We saw the boldness of Peter and John, and the immediate result which was a spectacular healing of a crippled beggar who had sat at the gate of the Temple for many years.

The healing caused a "buzz" in the community.

People were astonished. They began to talk and spread the news.

All sorts of inquiries were made, and the attention was bountiful.

Some of it was negative.

Peter stands before the crowd and uses the opportunity to accuse the present religious system in power with the killing of Jesus Christ.

He then explains that this very Jesus whom they killed was directly responsible for the cripple's healing!

Acts 3:16 - "And His name, through and by faith in His name, has made this man whom you see and recognize well and strong. [Yes] the faith which is through and by Him [Jesus] has given the man this perfect soundness [of body] before all of you."

He then continued preaching to the crowd and turned the event into an opportunity to share the gospel and how to receive Jesus as Lord.

(19) So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord; (20) And that He may send [to you] the Christ (the Messiah), Who before was designated and appointed for you--even Jesus."

There it is. One of the first and best methods the early Church used to spread the gospel of Christ was healing the sick and lame.

Something to ponder for today:

1). The power of healing went forth for one essential reason and one reason only: to give glory to God.

2). The Church today does not experience the fullness of the power of God in miracles today because we have lost sight of why we are supposed to be doing it..

3). The Church today performs these things out of selfish pride, status, and for profit. Even those who get healed often take for granted what Jesus has done in them.

When we stand up for God and challenge the powers of this world (demonic or human secularism) we do so not without personal repercussions.

We will see exactly how that unfolds tomorrow.

Until then...be blessed abundantly!

Keepin' it Real,

Pastor Kevin <><