A Holistic Gospel A beggar asks Peter and John for money. In response, Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” The man wanted to relieve his financial burdens. But Peter saw he needed a deeper healing. Walking with Jesus, Peter had learned from his Teacher: Poverty is more than just a lack of material wealth. Poverty is also physical and spiritual bondage. So Peter proclaims the name of Christ. He takes the man by the hand. And the lame man begins to walk and leap. They immediately entered the temple courts praising God together. Today, one of the unfortunate controversies in ministry is whether to prioritize verbally sharing the Gospel or meeting people’s physical needs. Illustrated by Peter’s story, this was not an issue in the early Church. Jesus taught the Good News and healed. So the early Church followed Jesus’ example. As we seek to share the love of Christ, we are invited to follow the example of Peter and the early Church: we proclaim, and we act. We bring healing of hearts, minds, and bodies. We do lavish good deeds while we boldly share about the amazing grace found in Jesus Christ. Prayer: Father, give us the courage to share and show your grace to a world that is broken and in need of you. Give us your words to speak and your hands to serve.
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 04:27:10 +0000
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