Healing

In the first few chapters of the New Testament in the book of Acts Peter and John teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and are harassed, imprisoned, beaten, and encounter many other other problems. But despite the adversity they continue to teach anyone and everyone who will listen. At one point (Acts 4:19-20), Peter says to the Jewish leaders who have demanded that he stop teaching of Jesus Christ, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

This is interesting in light of what we have discussed about Living in Truth. Peter and John acknowledge the truth and declare boldly that they can only speak truth-the verity of what they have seen and heard. Being special witnesses of Jesus Christ they have seen and heard some marvelous things--things that you and I most probably will never see. But we have heard the testimony of those who have seen, and like the people gathered to hear Peter and John we have the opportunity to discern by the power of the Spirit what is truth and what is not. Therefore, we determine truth not only by what we have seen and heard, but by what we have felt from the Spirit.

Thus when Peter says to the lame man at the temple, "Silver and gold have I none' but such as I have give I thee," You and I can think of it as an apostle speaking directly to us. We, like the lame man, are needy, and apostles are in essence saying to us today, "I don't have money for you, but I have a special witness of Jesus Christ that I will share with you, and that can heal you."