27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
03 Acts 09 32-43 THE MINISTRY OF PETER 05 Acts 09 33-34 Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit
📖 Acts 09:32-43
05 – Sun02Jun2024 – *Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit* - _Acts 09:32-43_ – THE MINISTRY OF PETER – _Acts 03:06-07_
_Acts 9:33-34 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. (34) And Peter said to him, *"Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed."* Then he arose immediately._
Peter was operating on Truth as gave the healing of Jesus to Aeneas. As we understand our role as those who are giving the completeness of Jesus to one another in the body of Christ, let us also follow the example of Peter. I must place a caution here. We are considering the model of Peter but it is not about following a model but it is about being led by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the Healer, Comforter, and the Helper. He is the one who brings the fullness of life into people. _John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— (17) the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (18) *I will not leave you orphans*; I will come to you._
What a privilege we have that the Holy Spirit is always with us. I imagine Him as my strong Elder Brother who is always with me. I constantly speak with Him in my spirit. An internal conversation is continuously going on within me with my Elder Brother, the Holy Spirit. I’m yielding to Him, submitting my thoughts to Him, seeking His direction, and expressing my fears and inadequacies continuously. When I know, I’m being tempted to act in the flesh, I immediately cry out to my Elder Brother. He immediately steps in and He guides and controls my thoughts, my words, my attitude, my feelings and my behaviour. Even as I type out this study into my laptop, I’m speaking with my Elder Brother, the Holy Spirit, and I feel so blessed to receive His thoughts and His leading.
Truly the Lord has not left us as orphans, just as He had promised.
When we encounter a crisis in the body of Christ and the Holy Spirit leads us to extend His completeness, let us do as He leads us to. In this case, Peter’s words were, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." The Holy Spirit led Peter to speak these words.
Aeneas needed to hear these words. Aeneas needed to know Jesus as the Christ. This could have been his struggle that he could not accept Jesus as the Messiah, just as it is for the Jews even today. He needed to cross this hurdle before experiencing healing and completeness. The Holy Spirit led Peter to speak these words to Aeneas.
Aeneas, needed to know that Jesus the Christ is his Healer. We are made complete in Him. This is the Truth. Aeneas was looking at his predicament and his life was lived on fact. He had to shift his eyes from fact to Truth. Peter had to step in to help Aeneas make that change. This is our role as we give the healing of Jesus to one another in the body of Christ. We help people to shift their eyes from fact to Truth. This is the blessedness of fellowship in the church.
All of us as humans, tend to look at facts and need others to come alongside, hold our hand to help us shift our gaze from fact to Truth. How wonderful it would be if this would be our active, intentional, ongoing engagement in the church.
Peter was led by the Holy Spirit to tell Aeneas that he needed to make his bed. Aeneas had become dependent on others. This is where many of us have arrived. We have become dependent on others. Yes, we all need each other in the body of Christ but there is that point where we can become constantly expecting others to help us out. We have assumed that we are helpless and we take others, who are helping us, for granted.
Haven’t we heard people complaining that no one in the church came to their help? The church is the place where we are protected and cared for but we must not cross that line of becoming dependent on others instead, we must be able to, ‘make our bed’. As we have understood, ‘making our bed’ also implies that we are to bless and serve others in the body of Christ. This is completeness.
The Holy Spirit led Peter to give this healing of Jesus to Aeneas. Every encounter will be different. The needs to be addressed will be diverse. Giving the healing of Jesus to different people is definitely not following a formula. We must be Holy Spirit led. Yes, freely we have received and freely we must give but we must be led by the Holy Spirit.
Compare how Peter and John gave the healing of Jesus to the lame man. _Acts 3:6-7 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." (7) And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength._
```As we are led by the Holy Spirit, we are in for an adventure with Jesus.```