The lame begger healed.

What a story.

I’ve known it since I was young and did all the actions to that song. But the LORD gave me new eyes to read this passage (Acts 3:1-10) today.

¹Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ²And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. ³Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. ⁴And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” ⁵And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶But Peter said, ”I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” ⁷And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹And all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Here is a man who, because of an infirmity, was expected to do nothing more than to beg. He was cut off from the rest of the society, and had no hope for life except for the coins people would throw to him occasionally. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine having nothing to do all day except to lie at the feet of strangers and ask for their money and pity?

Then Peter and John come. They come, and they can’t meet this man’s material needs. But that’s not what they’re here for. Rather than throwing him a coin and going about his day,  Peter and John look directly into this man’s eyes. The look at his heart. They hear his request for alms but they see a greater need. They see why the man is kept at that gate every day. They have little to give when it comes to cash, but much to give when it comes to freedom. So Peter tells him, in the name of Christ, to stand up and walk; to walk away from the chains that held him to that darkness every day. Peter took his right hand and helped him up - and the LORD did it all. He made the man’s feet and ankles strong. The Spirit empowered him to go walking and leaping and praising God.

Many of you will know that the vision that the LORD has given me for my life is for ministry with the homeless, the poor and the mentally ill. I have a friend who sits out on a street corner, bound by his situation, every single day. He’s been there for over eight years. He asks for money, but I know he’s needing more than that.

I don’t want to put much more out there about this situation on my tumblr, but I am needing a group of prayer warriors to join with me in prayer. I will be sending out regular updates on how the LORD is answering them. The LORD is our strength, and we need the walls built around this man’s heart to be broken down. Like the walls of Jericho crumpled, I trust that the LORD will knock down the barriers to this man knowing life. If you’re interested in joining with me to pray and to see God do marvellous things in this man’s life, please write to me in my ask and let me know. When God’s people offer up their times and lives to His kingdom, great things happen.