Such as I have I give thee.

This is truly among my favorite scriptures. After Christ had left Peter and John went to the temple. A lame man sat at the gate and begged alms of them. And Peter said unto him, “Look on us.”  (Acts 3) The man did look expecting money, but Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth arise and walk.”  And he took him by the hand and raised him up. His feet and ankles gained strength and he walked.  He leapt and walked with them into the temple praising God. The people recognized him as the lame man who sat at the gate begging and they were amazed.

When Peter noticed this he said, “Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk.”

I love that because the power to perform miracles in the name of Jesus Christ does not come from men, but from Christ. It is real, and it happens exactly as described here. As his feet and ankles gained strength the man, who had been born lame – had never walked before in his life – was not only able to walk but to leap.

Peter chastised them reminding them that God had glorified His Son Jesus, “whom ye delivered up and denied him in the presence of Pilate.” In other words, you killed the Prince of Peace and it is his name, through faith in his name, that hath made this man, who has healed this man who has never walked.  He says I understand you did it in ignorance as did your rulers.

We all do stupid things and Peter knew this above all. After all Peter had denied Christ three times before the cock crowed on the night Christ was taken. We all do stupid things, but the only thing worse than doing stupid things is to keep doing the same stupid thing. Repent Peter said. “Repent ye therefore and be converted.”  Aren’t they already converted? Isn’t that why they’re in the temple?  Unfortunately, we don’t get it all at once. Maybe you do, but I keep making stupid mistakes and repenting and repenting and forgiving and being forgiven. We learn little by little. Concept upon concept.