Can I Get a Witness

(Today's Reading - Acts 3, Neh 7-8)

When someone changes in a big way, people notice... and they want to know why. If a man who constantly drank and beat his wife suddenly quits drinking and begins to treat his wife with respect, people notice. If a woman is addicted to drugs and ignores her children becomes a loving mother who would never touch a drug, people notice. And so it is with our reading today. A man lame from his mother's womb, that is born that way is healed through a miracle... Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. (Acts 3:6-7) (on a side note, the miracles in the Bible are always complete and total healing... the lame walk, the sick are cured, the dead rise, the blind see and so on)

Obviously, when a man that has been unable to walk his entire life is suddenly standing, walking, leaping and dancing people take note. This was not a daily occurrence and the people were amazed. Put yourself in their place. How would you react to something like that? How do you react when you read about the miracles that were done by Jesus, His apostles and those that they placed their hands on? (Acts 8:18)

The purpose of the event is clearly seen. Peter uses the attention that the miracle produced to preach Jesus. He tells the people that gather to see the man that it is not through his power that this is done, rather he tells them about Jesus. He uses the obvious change in the man to tell the people that it is Jesus that produces the change. Peter uses the miracle as the jumping off point to lead those that will listen to Him.

“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” (3:17-26)

When change comes through faith in Jesus, we must use that as a witness for Him. I must tell people why I quit drinking. You must tell your friends why you no longer frequent bars. We must tell them why we have stepped us as parents. We must tell our coworkers why we no longer cheat our employers. Clearly, God's plan is for us to remain in the world for a purpose! Otherwise, when we become Christians he could go ahead and take us home to be with Him. Instead, He wants us to show the world what it looks like to be His child. As Mahatma Gandhi said... "We must be the change that we wish to see in the world". Use the change that Jesus brings to your life to tell others about Him. Can I get a witness?