Scripture: Acts 3 v 6: "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."
Christians who are baptised in the Holy Spirit give gifts of miracles and healings to those who are lame, ill or in difficulty. They have authority from our Father in Heaven to use the name of Jesus to change the lives of those who are oppressed, depressed or possessed.
People don't have to have special training to be used of God, they just have to be available and obedient. Jesus is our Leader and we are all followers, whether we are apostles, prophets, pastors or lowly members of His body. We all follow the Lamb.
We all start out as the lame man at the beautiful gate who begged for money. We are poor, blind, naked and compromised by the world of sin. Someone walks by with godly authority and says forget the money, rise up and walk.
Suddenly we become a new creation in Christ Jesus. We are connected to the Highest power in the Universe. God has come alive in our hearts and we are forever changed. Our needs are met, our hopes have come alive, our destination is solid gold. We need to rise up and walk in newness of life.
Throw off the shackles of the world and move into the higher life of Jesus. Your eternal life has begun the moment you are born again, you just need to find out what that really means. You are now upgraded to the full stature that Adam had before he fell and cast every person born between him and Jesus to be diminished by sin.
Right now the world is in shock and fear over the never-ending pandemic. Every strata of life has been affected. We have to adjust to the new norms and its like a rollercoaster gone berserk. The world of sports has changed. Travel, airlines, cruise ships are grounded by the appearance of Omnicon, and no one knows how long this will last.
This is the time for Jesus to reap a harvest of souls afraid of dying. And their fear of the unknown concerning eternity is paramount. They do not know where they will go when they die, and if they do not know its not good news.
We must rise up and walk, as Jesus expects, and give them the hope and knowledge of salvation. He already took their death, fear and eternal Hell up in Himself so they could be free to share the good news. They must have a personal relationship with Jesus, and their names must be written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Someone has to tell them.
When we follow Jesus we identify with his death so that the wages of sin which is death, dies with Him. In baptism we lose the old sinful nature and gain the nature of Jesus, that hates sin. Coming up out of the water we identify with His resurrection. We are then ready for the Holy Spirit baptism which completes the transformation into the new creation.
Now we can rise up and walk in full stature to be a witness of the way the living Jesus within has changed us to be like Him. You cannot serve two masters so if the sinful world still appeals to you it can suck you back in and you have gained nothing but guilt and shame.
So stand tall and walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Shun the lure of worldly pleasure for a life of love, peace and joy every day of the year. People spend Christmas celebrating the birth of Jesus, but we can celebrate it every day giving the gifts of healing and life far beyond the value of silver and gold.
Prayer: Heavenly Father we appreciate You and the abundance of gifts you give us to bless those who need a touch from Your hand. Let us not fear the Coronavirus for it is an opportunity to share Your eternal living gift of Jesus Christ, and His salvation message. In Jesus' name. Amen.