BE The Church

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday          Acts 3:11-16

Tuesday         Acts 3:17-23

Wednesday   Acts 3:24-26

Thursday        Acts 4:1-12

Friday            Acts 4:13-22

Saturday        Galatians 5:2-6

Opening Prayer

Gracious God, help us to see as you see and love as you love.                

In Jesus name, Amen.

Reading

Here in Acts is a parable of the whole age in which we live. This miracle occurred at the beginning of the age, to teach us what the age is like. This lame man is a picture of the world, lying at the door of God, asking for help. Here is a sick, lame, crippled society, unable to be the kind of men and women God wants them to be, and looking in vain to the church, to the door of God, for help. They do not know what to ask for; neither did the lame man. They ask largely for material help. And the church has often made the mistake of doing its best to help only on that level. As I have said, there is nothing wrong with that kind of help; it ought to be given. But that is not the real help the church can give. If that is all we give, we are no better off than the Red Cross, or the Community Chest, or some other secular organization. What is needed is what Peter and John gave -- not silver and gold, but the name of Jesus, the power of a new life, the impartation of a new strength in order to achieve the result they achieved: A man was made whole. This is what God offers today. He offers to make men and women whole, not only outside -- sometimes, but inside -- always!                         Ray Steadman