WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: Do you believe in miracles? Tell God your response. The power of love ‘When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.’ Jimi Hendrix is better known for his legendary guitar-playing than for his wisdom, but his clever wordplay is staggeringly true. Over the centuries, countless people in all spheres of activity and influence have fallen prey to the corrupting nature of power. Immediately after the spectacular healing of the lame man, all eyes were firmly fixed on Peter and John (v 11). Choices made at crunch times often reveal the true desires of the heart and here was their perfect opportunity to bathe in the limelight, receive mass adulation and enjoy five minutes of fame. Instead, Peter’s spontaneous response was to explain the real identity of the person with the power (v 16). No room for doubt And explain it he did. By the time Peter had finished his compact and comprehensive history lesson featuring giants of the faith Abraham, Moses and Samuel, there was no room for doubt. The healer and long-awaited prophet is Jesus. Peter takes every opportunity and repeats his earlier invitation to turn to God, find forgiveness and be refreshed (v 19). This is surely an example of what Hendrix was advocating. As Peter resisted temptation to take any of the glory, the power of love rather than the love of power was on display for all to see. Respond: Psalm 139 (The Message version) says, ‘GOD, investigate my life’. So, honesty time – have you ever been tempted to take the glory for something that God has done? http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-06-05