Thoughts from Prayer Meeting on March 17, 2007 (Sunday) at Waco .
The bible passage is Acts 3:1-10
Here we see, Peter and John going to the temple to pray and there they meet a lame man at the entrance. The man asks for alms but Peter replies he does not have any worldly possessions to give him. Peter then orders the man "In the name of Jesus of Nazareth get up and walk". Peter then takes the man by his right hand and helped him up. The man is instantly cured and walks around and goes into the temple praising GOD.
Four thoughts were discussed.
a. The man's problem
b. The man's position
c. The man's progression
d. The man praising GOD
a. The man's problem.
A man, crippled since birth, stuck at the gate to the church.
He is stuck because he cannot move.
This is similar to the way we get stuck when we refuse to heed good advice or change our spiritual ways for the better. Satan is always at work. When life is not moving the way we want, we think we have a problem.
b. The man's position
The man is at the 'Beautiful Gate'. But he is unable to walk around and enjoy the beauty of the place since he is is lame. He is so close the temple; but he is unable to go inside. We also are often in the same position; we only have to ask GOD for his blessings.
c. His progression
The man had an amazing progression on that day...from being a lame person (as he has been since birth) to a man who could jump around with joy praising GOD.
How did this progression happen to the man ?
Peter was willing to help the man even if it involved getting dirty himself. The man saw the power of GOD on Peter's face (Peter asked him to look at him). Unless we are willing to come to GOD and pray, we will not have a similar progression.
d. His praise
When the man was helped up by Peter, he was instantly cured. He went into the temple and started praising GOD. When people saw him, they recognized him as the beggar who sits usually at the temple gate. Similarly, we should praise GOD for the blessings that we receive everyday. The man's bones became strong; similarly our faith in GOD should be a strong foundation for our family life.
One more point from our own study..
e. Why was the man cured by Peter and not Jesus ?
Jesus also must have many times gone to the same temple and must have seen this lame man by the gate. But Jesus never cured the man ? Why did it have to wait for Peter to cure him ?
GOD has a plan and time and place for everything...He uses different people in different ways to work his miracles.
How did people remember the 9th hour ?
Here is what we think !
9th hour is 3pm. That was the usual time for the afternoon prayer at the Jewish temple. After Jesus' death, the disciples still continued going to the temple to pray and meet with people and continued the tradition for a long time.
Mark 15 says...at the 6th hour darkness came over the whole land till the 9th hour. At the 9th hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me ?".
So even after generations, people still remembered this 9th hour, since the disciples continued the tradition of the 9th hour prayer.
Thanks,
Mathews Kochummen and family
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