Cnr Alice and Edward Sts Mittagong | Sundays at 10.30am
LIFE RECOVERY
1 Kings 17.7-24 Acts 9.32-43
Evidence of church renewal Acts 9.31
Evidence of recovering wholeness Acts 9.32-35
Evidence of recovering the dead Acts 9.36-43
It is astonishing that the early church even during times of persecution faced an era of peace and recovery (Acts 9.31).
It is very easy at times of severe trial to become overcome with sorrow and despair about the future of the church. How wonderful it would have been for the embattled community to know strength and joy from the Lord, being encouraged by the Holy Spirit.
My prayer is for us to see God’s kingdom grow here in and among our little flock.
In the passage today we can draw strength from the evidence drawn from the early ministry of Peter who in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, saw Jesus Christ at work in a highly significant way.
A paralyzed man was restored to health and a disciple Dorcas was recovered back to life.
These events lead to people turning to the Lord, believing in Him as Saviour (Acts 9.35, 42.)
While we need to beware of presuming upon the power of the Lord we can take comfort from these accounts that Jesus Christ is Lord of health and conqueror of death.
These kingdom signs give us reassurance that our God is powerful over all things which assault us and that He is building his kingdom.
These events in the life and ministry of the apostle Peter show us that Christ and His Name is still exalted over all things. He is the heavenly King. He reigns as Lord of his kingdom.
With these things in mind let us believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the key solution to all we face. We know that he is greater than everything we have to face while on earth, and that in Him we have certain hope of resurrection from the dead and fullness in the world to come.
He does not take away our trials but takes us through them as more than conquerors (Romans 8.37). This is what God’s kingdom is ultimately about, everlasting life, found in and through Jesus Christ our Lord.