Peter Heals the Crippled Beggar
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer-at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
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.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they 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.
Peter Speaks to the Onlookers
While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
“Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you-even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.’
“Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days.’ Acts 3:1-24 NIV
We read in The End of Days Act 1 and Scene 2, the opening events of the End of the World according to the compatriots of Jesus as it was written down back in the 1st Century.
Today let us continue on to Part 3 and it will just keep on getting more unbelievable.
And I’ll tell you why. Because, maybe it has to be. Remember these people saw these astonishing feats in front of their eyes. And then all of a sudden, they too are experiencing and accomplishing similar amazing deeds only reserved for the gods. It might have just totally blown them away themselves. No wonder they spoke about them, wrote them down and pass them on from generation to generation.
Signs, Wonders and Miracles
In those days, Jesus of Nazareth was said to have done many miracles. We heard he changed water into wine, walked on water, calmed a storm, healed the sick, casted out demonic spirits and raised the dead back to life.
And of course, he himself came back to life even after being dead for a number of days. He even walked through a wall and showed himself alive to hundreds of people. And he let them hold and feel him to examine and to see that he was flesh and blood and not a ghost.
Jesus, himself said, people would not believe if they do not see with their very own eyes, these amazing miracles as they happen. But he also mentioned that for some, even if they witness them first-hand, they still would not believe.
These people have just so made up their minds that whatever happens they are not going to be swayed from what they stand for or believe in or allow their reputations be ruined.
And it is the same today as back then. People want to see the impossible happen before they could even start to believe.
Faith Healers?
Today, there are still people who claim to heal the sick, cast out demons and do all sorts of similar miracles. And I’m not about to tell you to believe any of them or not. I myself, want to see those things happen myself.
Tragically many people come to the end of their life, dying with an incurable disease or an injury, locked up in prison for good or trapped in an addiction they can never get out of, before they seek to find out if any of these miracles could indeed be true.
Remember if there is a God, then nothing is impossible for Him.
But for some even seeing these miracles personally happen to them or their loved ones, it still wouldn’t be enough.
And no one’s going to stop them from believing or not.
Not me and not even God himself, as the bible tells us. It’s just up to you and me what to believe in. You just have to put your faith on whatever you put your faith in.
Believe it or not.
The End of Days (Setting 4)