“And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord. And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord” (Acts 9:35, 42).
TEXT — Acts 9:32-43
Message
Miracles are God’s interventions in the course of nature. The earthly ministry of Christ was characterised by such events. In the text, we see Apostle Peter perform two notable miracles. These miracles made many believe in Christ at Lydda, Saron and Joppa, where the miracles took place.
Greater than the miracles of having a child after a long delay, healing, deliverance, prosperity and raising the dead is the miracle of the new birth. To believe in Christ and be born of the Spirit of God is the greatest thing that can happen to anyone. The miracle of the new birth showcases the power of God in an unprecedented manner. It quickens a person who had been dead in sins and trespasses to manifest the fruit of the Spirit and to produce the life of Christ.
A person can be healed like Aeneas, without being free from sin; he can be delivered from demonic oppressions and attacks and remain a sinner. A person can even be raised from the dead like Dorcas but without the miracle of the new birth. The person so healed, delivered from attacks or raised from the dead, will be unable to get to heaven without the new birth experience.
The new birth miracle leads you to the kingdom of God. It is the double operations of the word and Spirit in a man’s heart. To believe in miracles is great but profession alone without the experience of the new birth cannot take anyone to heaven. The new birth occasions in man, moral, emotional and spiritual transformation. Faith is very important for the new birth; faith that trusts in the Lord for salvation. The evidence that you are born again is that you live a righteous life. Heaven and your neighbours are bound to notice your new spiritual status. The question is, have you experienced the new birth?
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
