Expecting to Receive

Expecting to Receive

And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. (Acts 3:4-5)

Peter and John went to the temple. They didn’t go to make a sacrifice, because they knew all that had been fulfilled in the perfect work of Jesus Christ at the cross. Instead, they went at the hour of prayer (Acts 3:1). Apparently, Peter and John saw no problem in continuing their Jewish custom of prayer at certain hours of the day.

Expecting to Receive

As Peter and John came to the temple area, they passed a familiar sight: a particular beggar who sat at the same place, asking for kind donations from those coming to or leaving the temple courts. They had probably passed that man many times, but this time the Holy Spirit prompted Peter to do something different.

First, Peter and John looked at the lame man (fixing his eyes on him). The man must have been happy and encouraged when Peter and John stared so intently at him. Most people who want to ignore beggars are careful to not make eye contact with them. When the apostles looked at the lame man so intently, he probably thought he had a big gift coming.

That is why the lame beggar gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. From his place of laying on the ground, the man returned the eye contact with Peter and John; perhaps he stretched out his hand or a cup to receive their generosity.

This was good! The lame man did the right thing in expecting to receive something from them. His expectation was the simple belief that he would receive something.

Many people have not yet to come to the place where they really expect something from God. This is faith, plain and simple. Of course, our expectation must be rooted in God’s promises. We can’t take our dreams or wishes and expect God to fulfill all of them.

Yet, when our expectations are grounded in God’s promises, we can come to Him expecting to receive something from Him.

The lame beggar in Acts 3 was expecting to receive something, and he would have been satisfied with a few coins. But on that day God had something much greater in mind for this beggar than what he was expecting to receive. He would have been satisfied with far less than what Jesus wanted to give him. Working through Peter and John, Jesus wanted to heal the man of the cause of his trouble and poverty.

You have the wonderful privilege of starting a new year full of faith, full of expectation of what God will do. Just pay attention to God’s promises so that you can expect the right things from Him. We are often much too ready to settle for far less than what God wants to give, and our low expectations rob us. Get ready to start a new year full of faith.

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God With Him, God With Us

Dios con Él, Dios con nosotros

cómo Dios ungió con el Espíritu Santo y con poder a Jesús de Nazaret, y cómo éste anduvo haciendo bienes y sanando a todos los oprimidos por el diablo, porque Dios estaba con él. (Hechos 10:38)

La historia de Navidad está escrita en toda la Biblia. Conocemos los pasajes en las Escrituras que normalmente asociamos con la Navidad, como Lucas 2, Mateo 1 y Isaías 7 y 9. Si abrimos nuestros ojos, podemos ver la Navidad en casi todas partes.

God With Him, God With Us

Creo que podemos ver la Navidad en Hechos 10:38. En Hechos 10, Pedro viajó a Cesarea para responder a la investigación de un romano militar llamado Cornelio. El centurión Cornelio era un gentil, pero honró al Dios de Israel, y fue contado entre un grupo de gentiles conocidos como “Temerosos de Dios”. Dios habló con Cornelio y le dijo que mandara por Pedro para que el apóstol le contara las buenas nuevas, y Pedro vino.

Cuando Pedro explicó la vida y obra de Jesús a Cornelio y sus asociados, usó la frase registrada por Lucas: cómo Dios ungió con el Espíritu Santo y con poder a Jesús de Nazaret, y cómo éste anduvo haciendo bienes y sanando a todos los oprimidos por el diablo, porque Dios estaba con él (Hechos 10:38).

Lo que Pedro dijo era cierto: Dios ungió con el Espíritu Santo y con poder a Jesús, comenzando (humanamente hablando) cuando por un milagro Jesús fue concebido en el vientre virgen de María. Mateo 1:18 dice que se halló que había concebido del Espíritu Santo. Humanamente hablando, la obra del Espíritu Santo comenzó cuando Jesús fue concebido en María cuando ella estaba en Nazaret.

Pedro también dijo que Jesús fue ungido con poder. Este poder fue evidente en la primera Navidad. Pensamos que no hay nada menos poderoso que un bebé recién nacido, y en este sentido, Jesús eligió venir de una manera que comparta nuestra debilidad. Sin embargo, incluso cuando era un bebé, Jesucristo tuvo el poder suficiente para atraer anuncios angelicales y la proclamación gozosa de los pastores.

Como dijo Pedro, en la vida y ministerio de Jesús, Él anduvo haciendo bienes y sanando a todos los oprimidos por el diablo. Jesús hizo esto en Su asociación radical con la humanidad enferma y oprimida. Jesús mismo nunca pecó de ninguna manera, pero vino como un hombre entre la humanidad herida, y eso quedó claro por la forma en que vino en todas las circunstancias que rodearon Su nacimiento en Belén.

Pedro también dijo algo maravilloso de Jesús: que Dios estaba con él. En conexión con la Navidad, no podemos escuchar esa frase sin pensar en la promesa de Isaías 7:14, que el Mesías nacería de una virgen y le pondrían por nombre Emanuel –“Dios con nosotros”–. Dios estaba con él y la venida de Jesús comprueba que Dios también está con nosotros.

¡Alégrate hoy, pues Aquel con el que Dios estaba también es con nosotros!

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God With Him, God With Us

God With Him, God With Us

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…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)

The Christmas story is really written all over the Bible. We’re familiar with the passages of Scripture that we normally associate with Christmas such as Luke 2 and Matthew 1, Isaiah 9 and 7. If we open our eyes a bit, we can see Christmas almost everywhere.

God With Him, God With Us

I think we can see Christmas in Acts 10:38. In Acts 10 Peter traveled to Caesarea to answer the inquiry of a Roman military man named Cornelius. Centurion Cornelius was a Gentile, but he honored the God of Israel, and he was counted among a group of Gentiles known as “God Fearers.” God spoke to Cornelius and told him to get Peter so the apostle could tell him the good news, and Peter came.

As Peter explained the life and work of Jesus to Cornelius and his associates, he used the simple phrase recorded by Luke: …how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10:38).

What Peter said was true: God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit, beginning (humanly speaking) when by a miracle Jesus was conceived in the virgin womb of Mary. Matthew 1:18 says she was found with child by the Holy Spirit. Humanly speaking, the work of the Holy Spirit began when Jesus was conceived in Mary as she was in the village of Nazareth.

Peter also said that Jesus was anointed with power. This power was evident at the first Christmas. We think that there is nothing less powerful than a newborn baby, and in this sense, Jesus chose to come in a way that shares our weakness. Yet even as a baby Jesus Christ had power enough to attract angelic announcements and the joyful proclamation of shepherds.

As Peter said, in the life and ministry of Jesus, He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. Jesus did this in His radical association with sick and oppressed humanity. Jesus Himself never sinned in any way, but He came as a man among hurting humanity – and that was clear by the way He came in all the circumstances surrounding His birth at Bethlehem.

Peter also said something wonderful about Jesus: that God was with Him. In connection with Christmas, we can’t hear that phrase without thinking of the promise in Isaiah 7:15 – that the Messiah would be born of a virgin and they would call his name Immanuel – “God With Us.” Speaking of Jesus, wonderfully God was with Him and the coming of Jesus proves that God is with us.

Take joy in it today – the One for whom God was with Him is also God with us!

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