Last weekend, when we celebrated the birthday of the Christian church, we saw how the Holy Spirit suddenly brought new power to the group of disciples who had previously been very fearful. From that moment everything changed. The church grew suddenly to thousands of people and quickly moved into a new level of supernatural ministry.
In Acts chapters 3 and 4 we read about one powerful miracle that shook the city of Jerusalem, upset the religious establishment and brought great joy to many. The most joyful of all was a man of over 40 years of age who had been crippled from birth. For when he asked Peter and John for money, he suddenly received a miracle of healing that enabled him to get up and walk for the first time in his life. He was understandably so excited that Acts 3:8 says he started ‘walking and jumping and praising God.’
The evidence of the power of God at work through healing was one of the core reasons the Early church grew so quickly and why Christianity is growing so rapidly in many places today. Healing is a big part of the good news of the gospel and is something that we should pray to see a lot more of today. And the whole story of the book of Acts shows us that the more we experience the power of the Holy Spirit the more healings we will expect and see. There are some important lessons that we can all learn from this exciting story.
1. You can see healing when you know you have received God’s authority to heal (Acts 3:1-6; Matthew 10:8; Luke 9:1-2; John 14:12; Romans 8:11)
2. You can see healing when you reach out in faith to those who need healing (Acts 3:7-8; James 2:17)
3. You can see healing when you are focused on honouring Jesus as the healer (Acts 3:11-16; Hebrews 13:8)
Apply
Do you know that you have received God's authority to heal? Peter and John spoke with great authority and insisted the man look at them (Acts 3:1-6). They told him that they didn’t have any money to give him. Their authority didn’t come from silver or gold. But they knew what they did have; the power of God to heal him. And they were ready to share the anointing that they had received. So Peter said ‘what I do have I give you.’ And of course that was the power to change this man’s whole life. Peter and John knew for sure that Jesus had given them authority to heal and exercise supernatural ministry (Matthew 10:8; Luke 9:1-2; John 14:12). Jesus did not teach them to pray for the sick but to heal the sick. When the Holy Spirit came on them, they received the power to exercise the authority that they had already been given. That’s why Peter and John answered this lame man by saying ‘look at us.’ They wanted him to know that they had what he needed. We too as modern-day Christians need to understand that we have authority from God to meet the needs of many around us (Romans 8:11). We should not just ask God to heal. We have to believe that He has already given us the power to heal. For when we receive the power of the Holy Spirit, we receive the authority of God to be witnesses of His kingdom not just in words but with an exercise of supernatural ministry. Obviously we have to ask people, but we too can lay hands on people in the name of Jesus to bring healing and restoration. We too can speak out words of command and help people to their feet. God has given us the authority, but we have to know we have it and be prepared to release it. Sometimes we are like David in the Old Testament. He was anointed as king by the prophet, by his tribe and the whole nation but it took him a long time to ‘perceive that he was King.’ It’s time for many to perceive that when we have received the Holy Spirit we can be confident that God is ready to bring healing to others.
Have you reached out in faith to those who need healing? Peter didn’t just speak a word commanding healing. He reached out to the poor man who had never known what it was like to walk. Peter acted on his faith and lifted the man up, and he was healed (Acts 3:7). The lame man also had to act (Acts 3:8). James 2:17 says; ‘faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.’ The woman who had been ill for 12 years had faith that Jesus could heal her, but she knew that she needed to reach out and touch his clothes. When she did that she was immediately healed. So we can reach out with confidence both to bring healing and to be healed. Jesus is able to use you to bring healing to others. And He can heal you if you reach out to receive His healing. Nothing is impossible with God.
Are you ready to see people healed? And are you ready to receive your healing today? Then you need to reach out in faith and take it. Peter named Jesus as His authority when he said: "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” And in Acts 3:11-16 he gave all the credit for the healing to Jesus. This healing brought a lot of change to many people and also gave them new expectations about what Jesus can do. Jesus still heals today (Hebrews 13:8). God can use you to bring healing to others. Just as the Holy Spirit worked through the faith of Peter and John, so God can still use ordinary people to bring extraordinary healing. So ask for more of the Holy Spirit’s power and then go and minister to people who are ready and willing to receive healing. And if you need healing remember the story of this man who had been carried to the temple gate. He had got used to living with his condition. He had no expectation even of the miracle that did happen was about to happen. Maybe you too think you cannot be healed because of a doctor’s report or because you have suffered for so long. But today can be a turnaround for you, and your circumstances can be changed forever.
