The Bible Says

Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”

My Mind Thinks

Baseball fans all over Colorado are as exuberant as the autumn trees. The Colorado Rockies actually stand a chance of making it to the World Series. We’re staying in Colorado at the moment with friends. The hype is everywhere. The local sporting goods store is sold out of Rockies caps. Cars have flags waving. It’s fun to be neighbors with winners. The Rockies have nothing to do with the Bible passage I’ve read today except this: in baseball it’s three strikes and you are out.

Peter had three strikes against him the day he walked into the temple.

He was on his way to a Jewish majority event as a minority Christian. Â Â Strike one.
He met a man asking for help with needs bigger than he could fix.   Strike two.
Like most pastors, he didn’t have enough money.   Strike three.

But this time, after three strikes Peter was not out but in. Peter made it to the home plate of a miracle because he knew what he did have. Peter had the Lord Jesus Christ and that was enough. Jesus was freshly resurrected from the dead, ascended on high and seated at the right hand of God. This news was so fresh it had not even yet been written about. Peter’s Lord Jesus was in a place of power to act. This would be the Lord’s first public demonstration of his healing power since his days on earth. Peter was poor but he knew he was rich because he had Jesus. The rest of the story is in the Bible.

So often we disqualify ourselves from miracles because we focus on the strikes against us rather than what we do have to offer. Throughout the Bible all kinds of excuses are used to opt out of doing something supernatural.

“I can’t talk so good.”
“I’m a sinful man.”
“My tribe is the least in Israel.”
“I have only a little oil.”
“We have only a boy and his lunch but what is that among so many.”

You’ve heard the excuses all before as the struck out batter shuffles back to the bull pen with his shoulders slouched. So many of us check out of God’s supernatural plan because we accept as ironclad fact that three strikes make an out.

But not with the Lord. Three strikes can be rubbed off the scoreboard if we will instead dig down in our pockets into what we do have. When was the last time you took personal stock of your assets rather than your liabilities? Or take it one step further. What does Jesus have to offer that you don’t have?

My Heart Responds

I’m about to take a Sunday morning walk along a path that leads straight to Pikes Peak. On my prayer walk I’m going to ask the Lord and myself this question in a new way, What do I have? What does Jesus have that I can use that I have not touched.

My Spirit Prays

Father, can you speak louder than the Umpire today, over the sound of striiiiiiiiike and instead remind me what I do have? And then help me to use it. Amen.