"Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him." Acts 3:6-10
I love reading this. Imagine the pure joy that must have gone through this handicapped man. He received a miraculous healing from God, and in return, immediately began praising God for it. It makes me smile to think of this man, who sat in the same place every day, begging for money, running and leaping and telling everyone who will listen how God healed his feet and ankles in an instant. I can see him in my mind, reaching out and grabbing people by the shoulders and saying "look what the Lord has done for me!"
This last week, the TV show, Extreme Makeover:Home Edition has been in town, building a new house for a deserving family. Literally, thousands of people throughout the week have been at the build site, watching in wonder and amazement as this project went on. It really was cool to have this happen in our community, but at the same time I can't help but wonder if this many people would show up if God was in town.
It's been over two years now since the big revival went on in Lakeland, Florida. I remember watching that online- seeing the arena and the baseball stadium filled with people hungry for God. I remember seeing the hundreds of people who were coming from all around the world- full of faith that God would heal them of their afflictions and diseases, and many were. Yet I will bet you that just down the street from where this was happening, there were also thousands of people, who heard about it, but shrugged it off, eh, it's just a big church service.
Passion for God and the things of God. That's what's missing in our country. I think that people think that if they truly get passionate about God, they will turn into some kind of super freak. But the fact is God is looking for people to get passionate about Him, and then take that passion and use it in their everyday lives. He's not looking for people to get passionate, and then spend 24/7 in church walls, praising Him every moment of every day. What He wants, is people who love Him with all their hearts, and then go to their jobs, their homes, their neighborhoods, and share that love with those around them. God doesn't want us all to leave everything to follow Him, He wants us all to follow Him, and then everything else will follow too.
God wants passion. He wants us to share that passion. Football season is underway here in the states- still preseason, but football none the less. People are very, very passionate about their football, and it is a frequent subject of many a passionate conversation. I am rather impatiently waiting for the day when we can talk about God, and the things of God with the same amount of passion. Instead of spending Monday morning talking about how the football team did, let's talk about what God did over the weekend. What people got delivered or healed Sunday morning? How many people gave their lives to Jesus for the first time? How many people got baptized in the Holy Spirit for the first time? Now those are statistics to get excited about! Those are numbers worth talking about and getting excited over.
The day will come. The day will come where wonder and amazement over the things of God will be an everyday occurrence. And the day will come where we will be able to talk about the wonder and glory of God without worrying about offending our neighbor. Because the Bible says that EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.
"that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11
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